In the digital-first world of 2025, launching a successful website starts with choosing the best website builder to match your business goals and creative vision.
Square Online is ideal for small businesses and local retailers looking for a seamless eCommerce experience with easy integration into the Square POS ecosystem. It’s perfect for entrepreneurs who want to quickly set up a store, manage inventory, and accept secure payments online and offline, all with minimal effort.
Shopify stands out as a robust, scalable solution designed specifically for growing eCommerce brands. Its advanced tools, powerful app store, and global selling capabilities make it the platform of choice for serious online retailers aiming for long-term growth and international reach.
Wix, on the other hand, is known for its design freedom and versatility. With hundreds of modern templates and a drag-and-drop interface, Wix gives users complete creative control without requiring coding knowledge. It’s an excellent fit for creatives, startups, and small businesses wanting a visually stunning website with integrated blog and marketing tools.
This in-depth comparison will help you understand the core features, template options, performance, security, and customer support of each platform, empowering you to make an informed decision based on your specific needs and vision for online success.
Table of Contents
- What is Square Online?
- What is Shopify?
- What is Wix?
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Pricing
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Templates
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Features
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Security
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Performance
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Customer Support
- Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Comparison Table
1. What is Square Online?
Square Online is an all-in-one e-commerce platform designed to help businesses create an online store with ease.
Founded in 2009, this makes it a top choice for entrepreneurs looking for a simple yet powerful way to manage online sales, inventory, and customer engagement. With features like customizable templates, mobile optimization, and built-in SEO tools, Square Online ensures your business stands out in the crowded digital marketplace.
It’s ideal for those who want to sell online without complex setups, offering both a free plan and paid options for more advanced needs.
Some key advantages include a mobile-friendly design, Square Online SEO features, and easy integration with Square POS systems, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes.
Pros:
✔ User-Friendly Interface: Clean dashboard, easy for beginners to navigate and set up.
✔ Seamless Square POS Integration: Automatically syncs with Square POS, simplifying inventory and sales management.
✔ Mobile Optimization: All themes are automatically optimized for mobile, which is great for SEO and user experience.
✔ Built-in SEO Tools: Includes basic SEO features like customizable meta tags and automatic sitemap generation, boosting search visibility.
✔ Free Plan Available: Offers a free plan with essential e-commerce features, perfect for small businesses starting out.
Cons:
❌ Limited Design Flexibility: Templates are customizable but offer fewer design options compared to platforms like Wix or Shopify.
❌ Fewer Advanced Features: Advanced features (e.g., detailed reporting) are only available on higher-tier plans.
❌ Transaction Fees on Paid Plans: Charge transaction fees on all sales, even with paid plans, which can add up over time.
❌ Limited Third-Party Integrations: Fewer available apps and integrations compared to other platforms, which may limit customization options.
❌ Basic Blogging Features: Lacks robust content management tools, making it less ideal for businesses heavily on blogging.
2. What is Shopify?
Shopify is one of the most popular and comprehensive e-commerce platforms available today, designed to help businesses of all sizes create, manage, and scale their online stores.
Founded in 2006, Shopify has grown to become a leading solution for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large enterprises looking to sell products online. Its core appeal lies in its simplicity, scalability, and range of customizable features.
Shopify allows users to create a fully functional online store without needing advanced technical skills. It offers a drag-and-drop store builder, customizable themes, and user-friendly interfaces, making it accessible even to those without coding experience.
One of Shopify’s standout features is its extensive app ecosystem, which allows store owners to add functionality like marketing tools, advanced reporting, customer support systems, and more.
Pros:
✔ User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use dashboard with a drag-and-drop store builder, suitable for beginners and experienced users alike.
✔ Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small shops to large-scale enterprises. Shopify can grow with your business needs.
✔ Customizable Themes: A wide range of customizable templates and themes to create a unique look for your store, with more flexibility than some competitors.
✔ Payment Integration: Supports multiple payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, PayPal, credit cards, and more, with competitive transaction fees.
✔ Built-in SEO Features: Shopify includes tools for on-page SEO like customizable meta tags, sitemaps, and clean URLs, helping your store rank well in search engines.
Cons:
❌ Monthly Fees: Shopify’s pricing can be higher than some competitors’, especially for smaller businesses.
❌ Transaction Fees on External Gateways: If you use an external payment gateway instead of Shopify Payments, Shopify charges a transaction fee (up to 2%, depending on the plan).
❌ Limited Content Management Features: While great for e-commerce, Shopify’s blogging and content management features are not as robust as platforms like WordPress or Squarespace.
❌ Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Some advanced customization and features, like custom coding or advanced app integrations, can require technical expertise.
❌ Additional App Costs: Many useful features and functions, such as email marketing and advanced inventory management, require third-party apps, which often come with additional costs.
3. What is Wix?
Wix is a versatile website builder that allows users to create stunning websites without needing any coding knowledge.
Launched in 2006, Wix is one of the most popular platforms for building both personal and business websites. It provides an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, making it easy for anyone, whether a complete beginner or an experienced designer, to create a professional-looking site.
Wix is known for its flexibility, offering a wide range of customizable templates, tools, and features. It supports the creation of websites for various purposes, including e-commerce stores, blogs, portfolios, event sites, and more.
Wix also includes a robust set of apps and integrations, enabling users to enhance their sites with additional features such as contact forms, booking systems, social media integration, and email marketing.
Pros:
✔ User-Friendly Interface: Easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor that allows anyone, even beginners, to create a professional-looking website without any coding knowledge.
✔ Highly Customizable Templates: Offers a wide selection of customizable templates for various purposes like blogs, e-commerce stores, portfolios, and more, allowing for a personalized design.
✔ AI-Powered Design Tool (Wix ADI): Wix ADI can automatically create a website based on user preferences, making it an excellent choice for those who want to get their site up and running quickly.
✔ Extensive App Market: Access to a vast selection of apps and integrations, such as contact forms, social media integration, email marketing, and booking systems, to enhance your website’s functionality.
✔ SEO and Marketing Tools: Built-in SEO tools and marketing features help optimize your site for search engines and attract more visitors.
Cons:
❌ Limited Flexibility for Advanced Customization: While Wix is highly customizable for beginners, it has limitations in terms of advanced design flexibility and custom coding compared to platforms like WordPress or Shopify.
❌ Transaction Fees on E-commerce Plans: For users on e-commerce plans, Wix charges transaction fees on sales, which can add up, especially for higher-volume stores.
❌ Free Plan Limitations: The free plan includes ads and limited features, which can be restrictive for businesses or users looking for a more polished and professional website.
❌ Fewer Integrations Than Competitors: While Wix offers a robust app marketplace, it still has fewer integrations compared to platforms like Shopify or Squarespace, especially in terms of third-party tools for complex e-commerce operations.
❌ Limited Blogging Features: Wix’s blogging tools are not as robust as those offered by other platforms like WordPress, making it less ideal for users who want a full-fledged content management system (CMS).
4. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Pricing
Square Online Pricing
| Contents | Free | Plus | Premium |
| Annual Billed | $0 | $29 | $79 |
| Custom Domain | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Storage | 500 MB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Payment Methods | Square Payments (Credit Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay) | Square Payments, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Square Payments, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay |
| Transaction Fees | — | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 30¢ |
Shopify Pricing
| Contents | Starter | Basic | Shopify | Advanced | Plus |
| Monthly Billed | $5 | $39 | $105 | $399 | $2300 |
| Annual Billed | — | $29 | $79 | $299 | Custom |
| Custom Domain | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Storage | Limited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Payment Methods | Shopify Payments | Credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, etc. | All major gateways | All major gateways | Enterprise-grade solutions |
| Transaction Fees | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 5% per transaction | Custom rates |
Wix Pricing
| Contents | Free | Light | Core | Business | Business Elite |
| Monthly Billed | $0 | $24 | $36 | $43 | $172 |
| Annual Billed | $0 | $17 | $29 | $36 | $159 |
| Custom Domain | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Storage | 500 MB | 2 GB | 50 GB | 100 GB | Unlimited |
| Payment Methods | — | PayPal, Stripe, Wix Payments | PayPal, Stripe, Wix Payments | PayPal, Stripe, Wix Payments | PayPal, Stripe, Wix Payments |
| Transaction Fees | — | 2.9% + 0.30% | 2.9% + 0.30% | 2.9% + 0.30% | 2.9% + 0.30% |
5. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Templates
Square Online Templates
Square Online offers a template-based website builder that focuses on simplicity and function, especially for businesses selling products online. Unlike platforms like Wix or Shopify that provide a wide range of deeply customizable themes, Square Online takes a more streamlined approach by offering responsive, auto-adapting templates tailored to your business type.
Best Square Online Templates:
- Modern Storefront: Clean and professional, ideal for fashion, tech, or lifestyle products.
- Bistro: Warm and inviting, perfect for restaurants, cafes, and bakeries offering online ordering.
- Essential Retail: Minimalist and product-focused, great for electronics, home goods, or accessories.
- Fresh Market: Organic and earthy, excellent for local grocers, farms, or health-focused brands.
Shopify Templates
Shopify offers a large variety of professionally designed themes (templates) to suit different business types. These templates are mobile-optimized, customizable, and designed to help convert visitors into customers.
Best Shopify Templates:
- Dawn: Minimal and flexible, ideal for modern brands with strong product photography.
- Craft: Warm and inviting, perfect for handmade goods, home decor, or artisan shops.
- Sense: Clean and health-focused, great for beauty, wellness, or skincare products.
- Ride: Bold and dynamic, excellent for sports, activewear, and outdoor gear.
Wix Templates
Wix offers 900+ free website templates across a wide range of industries. These templates are fully customizable and mobile-friendly, with options for e-commerce, portfolios, services, and more.
Best Wix Templates:
- Activewear Brand: Bold and sporty, perfect for fitness apparel, sports gear, and lifestyle brands.
- Minimal Online Store: Clean and airy, ideal for fashion, home decor, or boutique e-commerce stores.
- Restaurant Website: Warm and inviting, designed for cafes, bistros, and food delivery services.
- Personal Coach: Professional and motivating, great for life coaches, consultants, and personal trainers.
6. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Features
Square Online Features
Square Online is a website builder designed to help small and medium-sized businesses create an e-commerce-ready website quickly, especially those already using Square POS. It offers a streamlined, user-friendly platform for selling products and services online with deep integration into Square’s ecosystem.
Key Features:
- Online Store Builder: Easy-to-use editor with auto-generated layouts based on business type (e.g., retail, restaurant, service).
- Product Catalog: Sell physical items, digital goods, services, or donations; supports variants like size and color.
- Shopping Cart & Checkout: Built-in, secure checkout system with real-time tax calculation and tipping options.
- Payment Processing: Integrated with Square Payments (accepts credit/debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Afterpay).
- Inventory Sync: Real-time inventory tracking synced with Square POS (in-store + online).
Shopify Features
Shopify is one of the world’s leading e-commerce platforms, known for its powerful tools, flexibility, and scalability. It enables businesses of all sizes to create, manage, and grow online stores, whether you’re selling one product or managing a large enterprise.
Key Features:
- Product Catalog: Sell physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, or services with support for variants (size, color, material).
- Unlimited Products & Inventory Management: Manage large inventories with bulk editing, SKU tracking, low stock alerts, and automated inventory sync.
- Secure Checkout System: Customizable and high-converting checkout experience with support for guest checkout and upsells.
- Abandoned Cart Recovery: Automated emails to recover lost sales and improve conversion rates.
- Multi-Channel Selling: Sell directly on Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, and more.
Wix Features
Wix is a versatile website builder known for its ease of use, design flexibility, and wide range of built-in tools. It’s ideal for individuals, creatives, small businesses, and even online stores that want a visually appealing and fully customizable website, without coding.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easily build your website visually with complete layout control—no coding required.
- Product Variants & Custom Options: Sell products with multiple sizes, colors, or custom input fields (e.g., engraving text).
- Wix SEO Wiz: Beginner-friendly tool that creates a personalized SEO plan to improve Google visibility.
- Analytics Dashboard: Track site visitors, sales, and customer behavior from a single built-in dashboard.
- Wix Owner App: Manage your site, respond to messages, and process orders on the go from your phone.
7. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Security
Square Online Security
Square Online is a user-friendly e-commerce platform built for small businesses and retailers looking to sell online quickly. With deep integration into Square’s payment and POS ecosystem, it’s ideal for merchants who want to manage in-store and online sales from one dashboard, without technical complexity.
Key Security Features:
- SSL Encryption: All Square Online websites come with HTTPS encryption by default, ensuring secure data transmission for customers during browsing and checkout.
- PCI Compliance: Fully compliant with PCI DSS standards, so merchants don’t have to worry about managing sensitive payment data themselves.
- Automatic Updates: Security patches and platform upgrades are handled automatically in the background, keeping your site protected at all times.
- Fraud Prevention Tools: Built-in monitoring and tools to detect suspicious transactions and reduce chargebacks.
- User Permissions: Manage team access and control who can make changes or view sensitive information through Square’s account roles and permissions.
Shopify Security
Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform designed to help businesses create, manage, and scale online stores. It offers a range of security features to protect both merchants and customers, ensuring a secure shopping experience while handling transactions smoothly.
Key Security Features:
- SSL Encryption: Shopify automatically provides an SSL certificate for all stores, encrypting data and ensuring secure communication between your store and your customers.
- PCI DSS Compliance: Shopify is PCI-compliant, meaning it meets the highest standards of payment security, so you don’t have to manage sensitive card information yourself.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): For added protection, Shopify offers two-factor authentication for store owners and team members to secure login access.
- Fraud Protection: Built-in fraud prevention tools monitor orders and help detect and prevent fraudulent activity, including chargebacks and payment disputes.
- Automatic Security Updates: Shopify manages security updates automatically, ensuring your store is always protected against vulnerabilities.
Wix Security
Wix is a versatile website builder known for its ease of use, design flexibility, and wide range of built-in tools. It offers robust security measures to ensure your site and customer data are protected, so you can focus on growing your business with peace of mind.
Key Security Features:
- SSL Encryption: Wix provides free SSL certificates for all websites, ensuring secure browsing and data protection with HTTPS encryption.
- PCI DSS Compliance: Wix is fully PCI-compliant, protecting payment transactions and helping merchants adhere to the highest security standards when handling customer payments.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): You can enable 2FA to enhance security, requiring an additional verification step to log in to your Wix account.
- Automatic Backups: Wix automatically backs up your site, giving you the ability to restore previous versions if needed.
- 24/7 Monitoring: Wix continuously monitors its platform for potential security threats and takes immediate action to protect user data and prevent breaches.
8. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Performance
Square Online Performance
Square Online is a streamlined e-commerce platform that helps small businesses easily create and manage their online stores. It provides reliable performance features to ensure fast website loading times, smooth shopping experiences, and scalability as your business grows.
Key Performance Features:
- Fast Loading Speed: Square Online’s built-in optimization ensures your store loads quickly on all devices, improving customer experience and conversion rates.
- Mobile-Optimized Design: All Square Online websites are automatically responsive, providing a seamless shopping experience on smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): Square uses a global CDN to deliver site content quickly and efficiently, reducing latency and enhancing speed for international customers.
- Automatic Image Optimization: Images on your website are automatically compressed and optimized for fast loading without sacrificing quality.
- Scalable Infrastructure: As your business grows, Square Online scales with you, offering robust hosting and infrastructure to handle increased traffic and transactions.
Shopify Performance
Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform known for its reliable performance and ability to support businesses of all sizes. It offers fast loading times, scalability, and a secure infrastructure to ensure that your online store operates efficiently, providing a smooth customer experience.
Key Performance Features:
- Server Redundancy: Shopify operates on redundant servers to ensure your website stays up and running even during server failures or high traffic spikes.
- Automatic Backups: Shopify automatically performs daily backups of your site’s data, so you don’t have to worry about losing important information.
- Integrated Analytics & Reporting: Shopify offers advanced reporting tools that provide insights into site traffic, sales, customer behavior, and more, helping you optimize store performance.
- Scalability with Shopify Plus: Shopify Plus is designed for enterprise-level businesses, offering advanced features and customization options that scale with high-volume stores.
- Global Hosting Infrastructure: Shopify’s infrastructure is hosted in multiple regions worldwide, ensuring fast loading speeds and reliable uptime no matter where your customers are.
Wix Performance
Wix is a popular website builder known for its flexibility and ease of use. It provides reliable performance features to ensure fast loading speeds, smooth browsing experiences, and optimal site functionality, regardless of the size of your business or website.
Key Performance Features:
- Fast Loading Speed: Wix uses advanced technologies to ensure your website loads quickly, improving user experience and SEO performance.
- Mobile Optimization: Wix automatically optimizes websites for mobile devices, ensuring that visitors have a seamless browsing experience on smartphones and tablets.
- Global Content Delivery Network (CDN): Wix leverages a global CDN to speed up content delivery, reducing load times for international visitors.
- Automatic Image Optimization: Wix automatically optimizes and compresses images for faster load times without sacrificing image quality.
- Scalable Performance: Wix’s infrastructure is designed to handle both small business websites and larger, more complex sites, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
9. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Customer Support
Square Online Customer Support
Square Online is known for its easy-to-use platform, but when you need help, their customer support is available to ensure you have the assistance you need for any challenges you may face in setting up or running your online store.
Key Customer Support Features:
- 24/7 Customer Support: Square Online offers round-the-clock support through live chat, email, and phone, so you can get help whenever you need it.
- Help Center & Guides: Access a comprehensive knowledge base with step-by-step guides, FAQs, and video tutorials to troubleshoot common issues and learn about platform features.
- Community Forum: The Square Community Forum allows users to interact with other merchants, ask questions, and share experiences about running an online business.
- Live Chat Support: Live chat support is available for quick assistance with any issues you face, including troubleshooting, setup, or account inquiries.
- Phone Support (for Paid Plans): Phone support is available for paid plans, offering personalized help for more complex issues or account-specific concerns.
Shopify Customer Support
Shopify is renowned for its comprehensive customer support system, ensuring that merchants have the help they need to run their online stores efficiently. Whether you need technical assistance or advice on growing your business, Shopify is ready to support you.
Key Customer Support Features:
- 24/7 Customer Support: Shopify provides 24/7 support through live chat, email, and phone to assist with any issues you encounter, no matter the time zone.
- Shopify Help Center: The Shopify Help Center is a vast library of resources, including guides, tutorials, and articles, to answer common questions and provide solutions.
- Community Forums: The Shopify Community Forums are a great place to engage with other merchants, share tips, and find solutions to specific problems from experienced users.
- Shopify Academy: Shopify Academy offers free online courses and tutorials designed to help you grow your business and master the platform’s tools.
- Priority Support (Shopify Plus): Shopify Plus customers receive priority support, ensuring quicker response times and personalized assistance for more complex issues.
Wix Customer Support
Wix is designed for ease of use, but when users need help, it offers a variety of customer support options to guide them through setup, customization, and troubleshooting. Whether you’re a beginner or a growing business, Wix ensures you have access to the right resources.
Key Customer Support Features:
- 24/7 Customer Support: Wix offers 24/7 live chat and callback support (on select plans), so users can get help at any time.
- Wix Help Center: The Wix Help Center is a detailed knowledge base filled with step-by-step tutorials, FAQs, and how-to guides covering all aspects of the platform.
- Wix Learn: Access free educational content, including video tutorials and structured lessons, to improve your skills and make the most of your site.
- Community Forum: The Wix Community allows users to connect, ask questions, and share experiences with others using the platform.
- Priority Support (Premium Plans): Users on higher-tier plans receive faster response times and callback services, offering more personalized and timely assistance.
10. Square Online vs Shopify vs Wix: Comparison Table
| Contents | Square Online | Shopify | Wix |
| Free Plan | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ |
| Monthly Billed Starting Price | — | $39 | $24 |
| Annual Billed Starting Price | $29 | $29 | $17 |
| Templates | Simple templates, great for retail, and quick setup | 100+ clean, responsive templates for selling | 800+ creative templates; flexible and design-focused |
| Features | POS sync, pickup/delivery, basic SEO, Square tools integration | Advanced e-commerce tools, multi-channel, and app store | Drag-and-drop builder, SEO tools, bookings, app integrations |
| Security | SSL, PCI compliant, fraud tools, user roles, auto updates | SSL, PCI compliant, 2FA, fraud tools, auto updates | SSL, PCI compliant, 2FA, backups, 24/7 monitoring |
| Performance | Reliable speed, mobile-optimized, CDN, image compression | Optimized speed, mobile-first, global CDN, handles high traffic | Fast load times, mobile-ready, CDN, scalable infrastructure |
| Best For | Local businesses, retailers need online + offline selling | Growing online stores, high-volume sellers | Creative sites, freelancers, and small brands |
| Customer Support | 24/7 chat/email, help center, forum, phone for paid plans | 24/7 support (chat, phone, email), tutorials, plus priority | 24/7 chat, help center, tutorials, priority on paid plans |
Conclusion
In 2025, businesses will have access to powerful website builders tailored to different needs. Wix, Shopify, and Square Online each offer distinct advantages, making the choice less about which is “best” overall and more about which is best for you.
- Square Online offers simplicity and integration, especially for brick-and-mortar businesses already using Square’s POS system. It’s a budget-friendly, practical option for small businesses that want to go online quickly with minimal technical setup.
- Shopify is built for serious e-commerce, offering robust features, advanced inventory and order management, and integrations with countless tools. If your goal is to scale an online store, sell across multiple channels, and access enterprise-level performance, Shopify is the clear winner.
- Wix shines with its creative freedom and user-friendly design tools, perfect for freelancers, artists, bloggers, and small businesses that prioritize branding and aesthetics. Its visual editor and rich template library allow you to build a custom-looking site without touching a line of code.
No matter which platform you choose, consider your long-term business goals, technical skills, and how much customization or e-commerce power you need. All three platforms are evolving rapidly, and each continues to improve in areas like performance, SEO, and customer support.
FAQ
1. Which platform is best for beginners with no coding experience?
Wix is the most beginner-friendly, thanks to its intuitive drag-and-drop editor and simple setup. Square Online is also very easy to use, especially for businesses already using Square POS.
2. Which platform is best for large-scale e-commerce businesses?
Shopify is the top choice for large or growing online stores. It offers advanced inventory tools, multi-channel selling, and the scalability needed for high-volume operations.
3. Can I switch platforms later if I change my mind?
Yes, but migrating can be time-consuming. While content and products can usually be exported and imported, themes and design elements often need to be recreated manually.
4. Are all three platforms mobile-friendly?
Yes. Wix, Shopify, and Square Online all offer mobile-responsive templates and site optimization for smooth performance across devices.
5. Which one is best for selling both online and in person?
Square Online integrates directly with Square’s POS system, making it a seamless solution for businesses selling in both physical and online environments.
6. What about SEO capabilities?
Shopify and Wix both offer strong SEO tools. Wix SEO Wiz is beginner-focused, while Shopify gives more flexibility for advanced users. Square Online has basic SEO tools, but may be more limited in customization.
7. Do I need to purchase hosting separately?
No. All three platforms are fully hosted solutions, meaning hosting is included in your subscription no separate setup required.
