Wix vs Squarespace vs a custom website

The short answer

Website builders such as Wix and Squarespace are a reasonable choice if you want to build and edit the site yourself and enjoy it. A custom site built for you is a better fit if you would rather not spend your own hours on it and want a finished site you own. Neither is best for everyone. We build custom sites, so we say plainly where a builder can be the better choice.

What each option is

We describe them in general terms; check each provider’s current plans and terms on their own site.

• Wix and Squarespace: online builders. You choose a template and edit it in a visual editor. The platform hosts the site for a subscription.
• A custom site built for you: a studio designs and writes the site around your business, then hands it over. At Sites Proven the pages are prebuilt, hosted on Cloudflare’s free plan in your account and edited by us.

Cost

A builder is cheap to start, but the subscription never ends, and your own time is a cost too: writing the text, choosing the layout and checking it on a phone. A custom site costs more upfront and is a one-time purchase. With us it is $900, $1,900 or $3,200 depending on the size, hosting is $0 a month and care is optional. We do not quote competitors’ prices because their plans change; compare the current totals for a full year, including the domain.

Time and effort

A builder lets you start in an evening, but a good site still takes many hours. With a custom site you fill in a brief and review pages; the writing and building are done for you in 5–20 business days depending on the package.

Control and editing

This is the honest advantage of a builder: you can change text and photos yourself at any hour. With our sites you message us and we make the change; small edits are included in the care plans. If you want to edit daily, choose a builder or another editor-based system.

Design and flexibility

Builders offer good templates, but your site tends to look like the template and you work inside its limits. A custom design starts from your business, your photos and your customers, so it can be more distinctive and focused on one goal.

Speed and search

Both can be made to work for search. Builders include basic SEO settings, but the results depend on how you use them and the speed of the final page. Our pages are prebuilt and light, we set up the technical SEO and check the Google Lighthouse score at delivery. No option guarantees a ranking.

Ownership and moving later

On a builder your site lives on the platform. If you leave, you generally cannot take it with you as it is; check each provider’s terms. With a custom site the domain is in your name and you receive the code and all access at launch, so you can move hosting or change who edits the site.

When a builder is the better choice

Choose a builder if you need to change the site yourself every day, if you want a large online store with built-in tools, or if you only need a very simple page and enjoy doing it. We do not build user logins or custom payment processing.

When a custom site is the better choice

Choose a custom site if you would rather run your business than a website, if you want clear copy written for your customers, if speed and search readiness matter, or if you want to own everything and avoid a monthly platform fee.

Questions to ask before you decide

• How much will the total be over a full year, including the domain?
• Who writes the text and who checks it on a phone?
• Can I take the site and the domain with me if I leave?
• How fast is the finished page on a phone?
• What happens if the form stops working?

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