03 Feb Why you Shouldn’t use Wix or Squarespace to Build your Website
When you’re starting a new business, portfolio, or blog, using a drag-and-drop website builder like Wix or Squarespace might seem like the easiest route. After all, they promise professional-looking sites with no coding required. But if you’re serious about your brand, SEO, and long-term growth, there are some major reasons to reconsider.
In this post, we’ll break down the top reasons why you we don’t advise you to use Wix or Squarespace to build your website, and what alternatives you should consider instead.
1. Limited SEO Capabilities
Both Wix and Squarespace claim to be SEO-friendly, but in reality, they fall short compared to more robust platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or custom development.
• Wix historically struggled with SEO (such as lack of full control over meta tags, poor URL structures, and bloated code). While they’ve made improvements, it still doesn’t offer the same flexibility or performance as more advanced platforms.
• Squarespace limits your ability to fully optimize for speed, schema markup, and advanced SEO plugins/tools.
If organic traffic matters to you, you’ll want a site built with SEO in mind from the start.
2. Poor Performance and Page Speed
Page speed is now a critical ranking factor for Google and a key factor in user experience. Both Wix and Squarespace tend to have:
• Heavy scripts
• Bloated code
• Slower loading times, especially on mobile
This hurts both your bounce rate and your search engine rankings.
3. Lack of Flexibility and Scalability
What happens when your business grows? When you want to add advanced features or custom integrations?
With Wix and Squarespace, you’re locked into a closed ecosystem. You’re limited to their themes, plugins, and design options. Advanced functionality like custom user logins, dynamic content, or backend logic is extremely difficult (or impossible) to implement.
If you’re thinking long-term, these platforms can become restrictive and expensive.
4. You Don’t Own the Platform
Wix and Squarespace are proprietary platforms, meaning you don’t have full control over your website:
• You can’t easily export your site to move to another host.
• You’re subject to their uptime, pricing changes, and policies.
• If they go down or change direction, your site is at their mercy.
Contrast this with a self-hosted WordPress site or a custom-built site; you own everything.
5. Limited Design Freedom (Despite the Hype)
Wix and Squarespace advertise “fully customizable designs.” But in practice:
• You’re limited by templates that can be hard to tweak without workarounds.
• Advanced layout changes often require frustrating hacks or extra fees.
• Websites can end up looking very similar and “template-y,” especially when built by non-designers.
For a unique, brand-forward website, you need true design control, which these builders often lack.
6. Pricing Adds Up Over Time
At first glance, £16–£30/month might seem reasonable. But over time, this adds up, especially considering the limitations you face.
You’re paying for convenience, but in the long run, you could be better off investing in a site that scales with you. Plus, extra features (eCommerce, memberships, etc.) often come at a premium.
7. Not Ideal for Developers or Custom Features
If you ever want to hire a developer to upgrade your site, you’ll hit a wall:
• Limited API access
• No access to server-side code
• Difficulty integrating third-party services
This can result in having to rebuild your entire website just to add a simple feature.
Better Alternatives to Wix and Squarespace
If you’re serious about your website’s long-term performance and growth, consider these platforms instead:
• WordPress.org – The most flexible, SEO-friendly CMS on the web.
• Custom HTML/CSS/JavaScript – Best for full control and performance (requires a multistack developer).
• Shopify (for eCommerce) – Scalable, SEO-friendly, and purpose-built for selling online.
Final Thoughts: Choose a Platform That Grows With You
Wix and Squarespace are fine for personal projects or temporary landing pages. But for serious entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses, these platforms quickly show their limitations.
A professional website should be fast, flexible, SEO-optimized, and built to scale. That means choosing the right foundation, not just the easiest one.