Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify vs a custom website: which is right for you?

Over 5 years, a custom build with managed hosting comes to £989, against £1,440 for Squarespace Core and £540 for Wix Light. Wix is still cheaper, and if price is the only thing that matters it wins. What the difference buys you is a site you own outright, no template ceiling, and an admin panel built around how you actually work rather than how the platform thinks you should.

The platforms at a glance (UK pricing, August 2026)

Platform	Cheapest plan	Mid plan	Top plan	You own the code?
Wix	£9/mo (Light)	£16/mo (Core)	£119/mo (Business Elite)	No
Squarespace	£16/mo (Basic)	£24/mo (Core)	£89/mo (Advanced)	No
Shopify	£25/mo (Basic)	£65/mo (Grow)	£344/mo (Advanced)	No
Custom build	£450 one-off	£0-8.99/mo hosting	-	Yes

Last verified: August 2026. Sources: wix.com, squarespace.com, shopify.co.uk.

Wix: quick and cheap to start

When Wix is the right choice

• You are testing a business idea and do not want to invest much
• You need something online this weekend
• Your budget is genuinely under £20/month
• You do not mind not owning the code

When Wix becomes expensive

• You are paying £9-25/month forever, with nothing to show for it
• Every feature beyond the basics is an app with its own monthly fee
• Moving away from Wix means starting from scratch
• Over 5 years, Wix Light costs £540, and you own nothing

Squarespace: better templates, higher price

When Squarespace is the right choice

• You want a visually polished site without hiring a designer
• You are a creative professional who needs a portfolio
• You do not mind paying £23-30/month

When Squarespace becomes expensive

• £16-89/month adds up, £1,440 over 5 years on Core
• Customisation is limited to what their templates allow
• You cannot add custom features (booking systems, admin panels)
• Same lock-in as Wix: you cannot export your site

Shopify: the right tool for physical products only

When Shopify is the right choice

• You sell physical products that need shipping and inventory
• You need multi-channel selling (website + POS + marketplaces)
• You are running a real e-commerce operation

When Shopify is overkill

• You sell services or digital items, not physical products
• You are a single-location shop that does not need POS Pro (£79/month per location)
• You do not need inventory tracking, shipping rates, or tax calculation
• For a service business, Shopify buys features you will never use

For the full cost breakdown including POS and hidden fees, see the true cost of Shopify over 5 years.

Custom build: own it outright

When a custom build is the right choice

• You want to own the code, domain, and admin panel outright
• You need features the DIY platforms cannot do
• You want it fast, with no monthly fees beyond optional hosting
• You want to be able to move it, change it, or hire someone else

When a custom build does not make sense

• Your budget is genuinely under £300 and you cannot stretch
• You are testing an idea and might abandon it in 3 months
• You need a full e-commerce store with inventory (use Shopify)

The 5-year cost comparison

Option	Year 1	5-year total	You own it?
Custom + self-hosted	£450	£450	Yes
Custom + managed (£8.99/mo)	£558	£989	Yes
Wix Light (£9/mo)	£108	£540	No
Squarespace Core (£24/mo)	£288	£1,440	No
Shopify Basic (£25/mo)	£300	£1,500 + build	No

Self-hosted excludes a domain, roughly £10-15 a year. Wix and Squarespace bundle a free domain for the first year only.

Which is right for you?

Take the quiz below for an honest recommendation.

Sources

1. Wix pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
2. Squarespace pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
3. Shopify pricing plans (UK) - accessed August 2026
4. See also: How much does a website cost in the UK?
5. See also: The true cost of Shopify over 5 years