Navigating the E-Commerce Landscape: Square Online vs Wix

Choosing e-commerce software with website-building capabilities might seem straightforward for a small business, but many important details must be considered.

Square Online and Wix are two well-known e-commerce platforms with some shared features. Square Online, developed by the renowned payment processor Square, emphasizes the logistical aspects of running an e-commerce business more than the visual design elements of creating a website.

In this article, I will discuss Square Online vs Wix in 2024. I will give a detailed comparison between them. Make sure you read this article to the end to know more. 

Square Online vs Wix: A thorough comparison

Before I start highlighting the differences, there’s something I want to share. Previously, I have written many articles related to Wix, along with a detailed Wix website builder review. With more than 240 million users, trust me when I say Wix's website building capabilities performed beyond my expectations. 

Then, I gave Square Online a try. While website builder isn’t their unique selling point, they also did quite an amazing job. So, I decided to write a comparison blog for Square Online vs Wix. 

That being said, let’s focus on the main part. Let’s see what makes Square Online stand apart from Wix, along with its unique features and capabilities. 

1. Ease of use

Square Online and Wix both excel at user-friendly design. Their editors are straightforward, intuitive, and simple to navigate, making it easy for users of all skill levels to build and manage their websites. 

With drag-and-drop functionality and accessible layouts, both platforms streamline the setup process. Time to discuss this in detail. 

Square Online: Beginners will love it

Square Online can be summed up in one phrase: exceptionally user-friendly. Setting up a store couldn’t be simpler – you just enter your basic details, and you're ready to launch. 

All essential management tools are neatly organized within a left-hand menu, where you’ll find options for product inventory, customer reviews, and order history, making it easy to handle every aspect of your store without hunting around. 

The editor itself is designed with simplicity in mind. Featuring a clean, minimalistic layout, everything you need is in one place, in the sidebar on the left. This structure is ideal for those who might not be tech-savvy, allowing even complete beginners to easily find their way around.

For first-time users of website builders, Square Online makes the process of setting up, managing, and customizing a store feel like a breeze. The learning curve is minimal, letting you focus more on building your business than on navigating the tools.

However, if you're exploring Square alternatives that might better suit specific business needs, there are several other platforms to consider

Wix: 30% easier than Square Online

Wix’s dashboard offers more depth than Square’s, featuring prompts and suggestions tailored to your recent activity to help you manage and grow your business. 

However, it remains user-friendly and accessible, with a left-hand menu and a main section at the bottom that consolidates essential tools and features. This layout helps you easily access everything you need without feeling overwhelmed.

Wix also provides helpful tips by occasionally suggesting blog posts or directing you to resources in their Help Center to guide you and enhance your understanding of the platform.

One standout feature of Wix’s setup process is the Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence), which streamlines the initial stages of building your site. When you begin, Wix ADI asks simple questions about your site type (such as online store, portfolio, or blog), business goals, and contact information. If you already have an online presence, it lets you seamlessly import content.

Using your responses, Wix ADI helps you customize your site, offering a range of themes with coordinated fonts and colors. It then guides you through selecting a page layout, adding pages, and further personalizing your site to create a polished, professional look that aligns with your brand.

2. Editing and customization

Both platforms provide editors that are easy to navigate, allowing users to create a professional-looking website without extensive tweaking. However, the final result shows that Wix offers significantly more customization options than Square Online. 

Does this mean Square Online falls short? Potentially, but only if your primary focus is on design and aesthetic flexibility rather than core e-commerce functionalities. 

Square Online: Customization aspects are quite less

Square Online embraces a minimalistic design approach, extending this simplicity to its website builder. Yet, “simple” doesn’t mean outdated. The editor is sleek, modern, and performs all the essential tasks, making it a highly functional tool for launching an effective online store. 

The default template provided is quite basic and may not appeal to those looking for elaborate artistic designs. It incorporates ample white space, with sections neatly arranged in a structured layout. Unfortunately, alternative templates aren’t readily accessible; you’d need to contact Square’s sales team to unlock additional options from their library. 

While the default design might seem limited, it's far from dull. You can still personalize it to an extent, with options to change fonts, colors, backgrounds, element styles, and photo layouts, giving you enough flexibility to create an appealing and professional-looking site. On paid plans, you can upload your own logo, customize the header, and replace the default footer with your branding. 

The editor also lets you preview and adjust the mobile version of your site, ensuring a seamless experience across devices. Adding content is straightforward—you can insert new pages, sections, items, and categories, one at a time, or create duplicates for consistency. The auto-save feature is particularly handy, protecting your work in case of unexpected disconnections or browser closures.

However, Square Online doesn’t include a code editor, so customization options are limited to the editor's offers. If you want a highly unique design, you’ll need to rely on the provided tools, which may feel restrictive for those with a specific creative vision.

That said, this simplicity makes getting started on Square Online refreshingly easy. Every design choice you’re given is cohesive, making it nearly impossible to create a visually unappealing site. Square Online is a strong fit for users focused on ease of setup and clean design over deep customization. 

Wix: Create highly customizable websites

Wix offers several ways to build and customize your site, with options to match various skill levels and design preferences. If you choose to use Wix’s Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI), much of the setup is done for you. 

The ADI editor generates a website based on your initial inputs, providing a straightforward editing experience similar to Square Online's approach. You can easily modify certain elements, like adding or removing sections, and adjust the fonts and color schemes by clicking on the sections you want to edit.

However, if you have a specific design vision or need more creative control, the Wix Editor offers a drag-and-drop interface that provides much greater freedom than the ADI. This is an important Square Online vs Wix comparison you must know. 

This editor also includes additional design elements and apps, accessible through a comprehensive toolbar on the left. It’s ideal for those who want to explore and implement a specific visual style or unique functionalities.

For advanced users looking for even more precision, Wix offers Editor X, a professional-grade design tool built specifically for creating responsive websites. 

Editor X allows pixel-perfect adjustments to each element on your site, enabling you to customize the layout for optimal display on any device fully. It’s perfect for designers and businesses that require a highly tailored, responsive site. 

These three options—Wix ADI, the classic Wix Editor, and Editor X—give users various customization options, from simplicity and efficiency to advanced design control, ensuring that Wix can cater to various website needs and skill levels.

3. Integrations 

Both platforms offer app integrations, which bring significant advantages. These integrations allow you to fill any gaps in business-specific features the base platform might not cover, tailoring your site to meet your unique needs better. 

Beyond filling feature gaps, these add-ons can significantly enhance your website's functionality, enabling everything from advanced marketing tools and customer support features to specialized e-commerce solutions.

Square Online: App marketplace is available

Square Online offers a range of third-party integrations available through the Square App Marketplace. While many of these apps were initially designed to work with Square’s POS system, a solid selection still pairs well with Square Online. 

The marketplace organizes these integrations into useful categories such as Accounting & Tax, Items & Inventory, Form Builders, and Team Management, making it easy to find the tools that align with your business needs. 

Available apps include paid and free plans; many offer trial periods to test their functionality. Some notable integrations that enhance Square Online’s capabilities include Mailchimp for email marketing, Shopventory for inventory management, WeGlot for multilingual support, and Printful for on-demand product printing and shipping. 

These partnerships allow businesses to extend Square Online's core functionality, filling in specific feature gaps and creating a more comprehensive e-commerce experience. This is something you'll also find in Weebly.

Wix: Huge app market with thousands of integrations

Wix also features a robust marketplace, the Wix App Market, where users can browse various add-ons organized into six main categories. These include apps developed by both Wix and third-party providers, enabling you to easily add extra functionality and customization to your website.

The marketplace highlights popular apps monthly and showcases the latest additions and Wix’s top picks, helping you discover new tools that might suit your site. Some standout options include Wix Stores for online sales, Wix Bookings for scheduling appointments, Social Stream to display live social media feeds, and Visitor Analytics for tracking detailed site statistics. 

Like Square Online, Wix offers both free and paid apps, with some including trial periods, allowing you to enhance your site’s functionality based on your specific needs.

4. Blogging

Blogging functionality is another area where Square Online and Wix are comparable, though neither platform particularly excels in this department. Both offer native blogging tools, but they’re relatively basic.

If blogging is occasional but likely insufficient, your content marketing strategy heavily depends on it. Given that both platforms emphasize other core features, their limited blogging capabilities are understandable.

Square Online: Easy blogging features

Square Online features a blogging function, “Stories Overview,” which allows you to create a dedicated page for all your published blog posts, or “Stories.” The layout for this page is consistent with the rest of your site, and you can customize it similarly to other pages, maintaining a cohesive design throughout.

Creating a blog post is quite straightforward, enabling you to modify the content, add images, and change the background. However, the overall functionality is basic, which may limit your ability to create more complex or visually engaging posts. 

Given these restrictions, Square Online’s native blogging feature is best suited for simpler blog entries rather than more elaborate content, making it ideal for users who don’t require extensive blogging capabilities.

Wix: Dedicated blogging page

In contrast, Wix’s native blogging functionality is significantly more advanced than Square Online's. It provides a broader range of features and customization options that cater to users looking for a robust blogging experience. 

With Wix, you can schedule posts for future publication, set featured posts, and assign multiple authors to your blog. The platform also allows you to enable comments, monetize your blog, and add translation tools for multilingual support, making it a versatile choice for diverse audiences.

Additionally, Wix offers more comprehensive SEO tools, allowing you to add meta descriptions, customize URL slugs, and implement social media share previews. You can also categorize your content with additional tags, enhancing your blog's organization and discoverability. 

Overall, Wix’s blogging capabilities are well-suited for users who prioritize content creation as part of their marketing strategy, offering the functionality needed to engage and grow their audience effectively.

5. Customer support and resources

A website builder must come with a reliable customer support team and resources. And Square Online and Wix are fortunately aware of that. This is why their customer support team will always help you during difficult times. 

Square Online: Professional support and resources

Square Online provides various resources to assist users in resolving issues. The Help Center contains many helpful articles covering various topics, making it a great starting point for troubleshooting. 

If you need further assistance, you can engage with other sellers in the Seller Community to share experiences and solutions. Additionally, their blog offers valuable resources and insights to help you maximize your platform use.

Square Online offers multiple channels for direct support, including phone, email, and live chat, available seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST. This customer support service is accessible to all users, regardless of their subscription plan. 

However, it's worth noting that there is no special priority support for higher-tier plans, meaning all users receive the same level of assistance.

Wix: Reliable customer service to address queries

Wix provides all users with 24/7 customer support through live chat and phone assistance, ensuring that help is always available. Premium plan subscribers enjoy the added benefit of priority customer care, which can expedite response times. 

One of the standout features of Wix’s support is its multilingual phone assistance, allowing users to receive help in various languages. However, availability may be limited to specific hours for some languages.

In addition to direct support, Wix offers a comprehensive Help Center with detailed articles covering their tools, products, and features. This resource is an excellent reference for users looking to troubleshoot issues or learn more about maximizing their platform use. Overall, Wix’s support structure ensures users have the resources and assistance they need to succeed.

Pricing comparison

Now comes the pricing part. You must choose a website builder with an affordable pricing structure. If you don't, chances are you will face financial constraints, especially if you own a small business.

Square Online: Slightly expensive

Square Online provides a free plan that lets you start selling almost instantly, making it ideal for beginners on a limited budget. With no monthly fees, Square Online allows you to create a modern-looking site with an SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, SEO and marketing tools, and essential e-commerce features. That’s quite a package for a free plan.

However, the free version has a few drawbacks. You can’t use or connect a custom domain name, Square branding appears in the footer, and customization options are somewhat restricted.

Wix: More affordable

Wix’s pricing structure can be a bit more complex than Square Online’s, as it includes two types of plans: Website plans and Business & E-Commerce plans.

Website plans are designed for users focused on creating a visually appealing, professional, and functional website without specific e-commerce features.

Square Online or Wix: Which is better?

Square Online is a straightforward yet highly practical e-commerce solution that focuses primarily on functionality. Its website builder lets you create a professional site for business operations, with aesthetics taking a back seat.

In contrast, Wix is a versatile all-rounder. It offers solid e-commerce features alongside superior design and customization options. With Wix, you can create visually stunning websites without sacrificing functionality. 

The decision completely depends on you and your business’s unique needs. Do you have any other website builders in mind? Let me know in the comments below. 

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