Wix vs Squarespace: The Developer Verdict You Actually Need

May 22, 2025

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Table of Contents

TL;DR for Devs

Wix is a drag-and-drop website builder that’s gotten surprisingly flexible — but still keeps devs on a short leash.
Squarespace is slick, clean, and easy to launch — but even more locked down on the code side.
If your job is to launch a polished site fast for non-technical users? Either can work. But if you’re hoping to build logic, integrate APIs, or scale custom functionality? It might not be a fit.

Wix and Squarespace both promise easy, elegant site builds — but if you’re a developer, “easy” often means “hands tied.” These aren’t platforms built for full-stack freedom. Still, they’re often what your clients want — or already have. So the real question isn’t which is better overall, but which one gives devs fewer headaches when you need to customize, integrate, or extend beyond the basics.

In this hands-on breakdown, we’re skipping the marketing fluff and diving into what matters: dev tools, customization, ecosystem, and handoff pain. If you’re choosing between Wix’s sandboxed flexibility and Squarespace’s polished lockdown, here’s the verdict you actually need.

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Wix vs Squarespace — Fast facts for developers

Here’s how Wix and Squarespace compare across traits that matter when you’re hands-on with the build — or stuck maintaining it later.

Feature	Wix	Squarespace
Platform Focus	Design-first website builder with app flexibility	Content-first with curated e-commerce add-ons
Customization	Some back-end via Velo, flexible frontend options	Mostly visual edits with code blocks only
Developer Tooling	Velo (formerly Corvid), APIs, and dev mode	Basic code blocks, limited dev mode
Third-Party Ecosystem	Wix App Market and custom integrations via Velo	Limited plugin ecosystem
E-Commerce Options	Supports physical/digital goods, subscriptions	Similar offerings, but less extensible
Hosting & Performance	Fully hosted; some performance control via Velo	Fully hosted; no performance tuning
Best Fit For	Marketing sites, SMBs with light custom logic	Portfolios, personal brands, static content
	Try Wix	Try Squarespace

Developer’s Take:

Wix gives you more room to breathe than you’d expect — but it’s still a builder with bumpers.
Squarespace is pure presentation — less flexible, but simpler for clean static builds.

Wix vs Squarespace pros and cons for developers

✅ Wix Pros

Velo lets you write real JavaScript and access APIs, databases, and events
More customizable front-end logic than most builders
Built-in tools for animations, dynamic pages, and user interaction
Decent app ecosystem and third-party integrations

❌ Wix Cons

Not truly “open” — no access to underlying server or devops
Velo is proprietary and locked into Wix’s ecosystem. You can’t use your own back-end infrastructure or server-side solutions.
Debugging complex logic can be clunky via the browser-based editor
Velo’s documentation is solid, but community support is lighter than major platforms

👉 Try Wix

✅ Squarespace Pros

Fast to launch with minimal technical knowledge
Beautiful default templates and design-focused UI
Clean CMS for content-heavy sites and blogging
Low-maintenance for clients who don’t want to call devs

❌ Squarespace Cons

Almost no back-end extensibility
Limited API availability
Code injection is superficial — no logic, no automation
Plugin and integration options are limited

👉 Try Squarespace

Platform purpose & core architecture

Wix: Design-first, but surprisingly dynamic

Wix began life as a pure drag-and-drop builder, but Velo changed the game. Developers can now write JavaScript, interact with Wix’s APIs, and store structured data in site collections. That said, you’re still building on Wix’s infrastructure. You don’t own the stack — but you can bend it more than most visual editors let you.

Squarespace: Locked-in simplicity

Squarespace was never meant to be developer-friendly. It’s built for users who want beautiful results with minimal effort. You get code blocks and style tweaks, but not much more. The entire platform is focused on what you see is what you get — and not much else.

Developer’s Take:
Wix is a builder with some scripting. Squarespace is a builder without any real dev bones. Choose based on how much logic you actually need to build.

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E-commerce capabilities

Wix: Solid for small shops, expandable with effort

Wix’s eCommerce module handles products, subscriptions, shipping, and payment gateways. It’s not enterprise-grade, but for SMBs and boutiques, it’s fine. Velo lets you extend workflows with custom events, backend functions, and external APIs.

Squarespace: Looks good, stays basic

You can sell with Squarespace — physical, digital, subscriptions. But there’s no custom cart logic, limited tax/shipping flexibility, and integrations are minimal. Think Etsy-lite, but on your own domain.

Developer’s Take:
If selling is the side dish, either works. If it’s the main course — neither is built for a real dev stack.

Ease of use & handoff

Squarespace: Client-friendly, dev-constrained

Clients love it. Clean UI, good documentation, and almost impossible to break. But you’ll hate the limitations if you need to go beyond the basics.

Wix: More powerful, slightly more chaotic

More features mean more things to go wrong. Wix’s editor isn’t as elegant, but you’ll appreciate the ability to add logic and tweak behaviors without needing workarounds.

Developer’s Take:
Squarespace wins on polish. Wix wins on power. Match the platform to your client’s skill and ambition.

Customization, APIs, and developer tools

Wix: JavaScript light inside a sandbox

Wix’s Velo environment lets you:

Write front-end and backend JavaScript
Access collections (databases) for dynamic content
Trigger events, schedule jobs, and call external APIs
Use npm packages in a constrained environment

You’re not spinning up your own infrastructure, but you’re not totally boxed in either.

Squarespace: CSS tweaks and little else

Style changes via CSS
Inject JS via code blocks or header injection
That’s it. No APIs, no app creation, no back-end logic.

Developer’s Take:
Wix gives you a fenced-in playground. Squarespace gives you a canvas and tells you not to touch the code.

Integrations & app ecosystems

Wix: Built-in apps + room for custom logic

Wix’s App Market is solid, with dozens of native plugins for marketing, analytics, and business logic. But the real power is in Velo — you can connect to external APIs, trigger emails, build forms, and more.

Squarespace: Clean but limited

What you see is what you get. Mailchimp? Yes. Zapier? Kinda. Custom CRM integration? Not without duct tape. And even then, you’re likely to hit limits fast.

Developer’s Take:
Wix lets you “glue” things together — even if it’s not perfect. Squarespace barely lets you open the glue bottle.

Security & infrastructure

Wix: Mostly managed, with visibility

Wix provides SSL, DDoS protection, and handles hosting. Velo’s backend functions run in a sandboxed environment — you don’t touch the server, but you also don’t need to maintain it. Uptime is decent, and you can inspect logs and errors for your custom functions.

Squarespace: Locked down and stable

Squarespace is the definition of “just works.” You don’t see much, but most users never need to. Sites are stable, secure, and maintenance-free — at the cost of control and customization.

Developer’s Take:
Both are safe bets for brochure-style sites. But only Wix gives devs even minimal insight into what’s going on under the hood.

Bottom line — Which one should you use?

If you need:

A polished site for a creative or portfolio? Squarespace.
A slightly more dynamic site witneeeh light business logic? Wix.
Full dev freedom with API integrations and infrastructure control? Neither.

These tools are great for what they are — but if your project involves serious back-end logic, external integrations, or team collaboration, you’ll want to step up to something like Webflow (with logic), a headless CMS, or even a custom stack.

👉 Try Wix