Which Website Platform Should You Choose? WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace vs Shopify vs Kajabi
If you’ve ever opened six browser tabs trying to pick a website builder, then closed all six and went to make a sandwich instead, you’re in very good company.
For years I taught a free course on exactly this question, and it became my most popular course. One student, Q.R., left a review that still makes me smile: “Thank you Kim! You’ve saved me hours of Googling confusing information.” I’m retiring the course, so here’s the heart of it, updated for 2026.
A quick honesty note: my agency, Faceted Media, works mostly on WordPress, and it’s the only platform where we can optimize site speed. I’ll be fair to every option anyway, because the right platform is the one that fits you.
Prefer to watch? Here is my original video lesson on this topic, recorded a few years back.
What kind of website does your business actually need?
Start here, because it narrows the field quickly. Most small businesses land in one of these buckets:
- Local service business (therapists, contractors, salons, dentists): you need clear service pages, an easy way to book or inquire, and strong local SEO.
- E-commerce or retail: you need product pages, inventory, a cart, and shipping and taxes handled well.
- Courses, coaching or memberships: you need logins, content delivery, email and payments that all talk to each other.
- Portfolio or creative showcase: you need it to look gorgeous and show off your images without a fight.
Which is the best website platform for small business? A fair look at each
WordPress
Self-hosted WordPress (the free software from WordPress.org) runs a huge share of the web. You pay for hosting separately, and often for a premium theme or plugins. In return you get nearly unlimited flexibility, from blogs to full stores through WooCommerce. The tradeoff is that you, or someone you hire, handle updates, security and performance.
Wix
Wix is an all-in-one, drag-and-drop builder on a monthly subscription, with hosting included. It’s beginner friendly, with built-in tools for bookings, stores and AI-assisted design. You can put things almost anywhere on the page, which feels freeing at first and a little chaotic later.
Squarespace
Squarespace is also a hosted builder on a monthly subscription, known for polished, design-forward templates. Creatives and consultants love it because it looks elegant without much tinkering, and its structure keeps pages tidy.
Shopify
Shopify is built for selling. It’s a hosted monthly subscription with payment processing fees on top, plus an app store for extras (many apps have their own monthly fees). If products are the center of your business, Shopify handles the hard parts of e-commerce really well.
Kajabi
Kajabi is an all-in-one home for courses, coaching, memberships and email marketing. Its monthly subscription sits at the higher end of this list, but it replaces several separate tools. It’s wonderful for digital products and lighter on blogging and SEO controls.
A quick word on Weebly
Weebly is owned by Square, and most of the energy there has moved to Square Online. Existing sites still work, but I wouldn’t start a new one there in 2026 unless you’re already deep in the Square world.
Website platform comparison table
| Platform | Best for | Ease of use | Customization | How you pay | SEO control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Service businesses, blogs, growing sites, stores via WooCommerce | Moderate learning curve | Nearly unlimited | Free software; you pay for hosting separately, plus optional themes and plugins | The most control |
| Wix | Beginners, local businesses, quick launches | Very easy | High, within the builder | Monthly subscription, hosting included | Good built-in tools |
| Squarespace | Creatives, consultants, design-focused brands | Easy | Moderate, template based | Monthly subscription, hosting included | Good built-in tools |
| Shopify | Product-based businesses | Easy to moderate | High, through themes and apps | Monthly subscription plus payment and app fees | Strong for products, less flexible URLs |
| Kajabi | Courses, coaching, memberships | Easy | Moderate | Higher-tier monthly subscription with many tools bundled | Basic, lighter for blogging |
Which platform is best for scalability and site speed?
Scalability just means: can this site grow with you without a full rebuild? WordPress and Shopify stretch the furthest. Wix and Squarespace work well for most small businesses but can feel snug if you outgrow their structure. Kajabi scales nicely as a course business and less so as a general website.
Speed matters to visitors, to Google, and to the AI tools that read your site. On hosted platforms, the company controls the servers, so you can tidy up images and apps but can’t really tune the engine. On WordPress, speed depends on your hosting, theme and plugins, which means a slow WordPress site can usually be made fast.
How easy is each website builder to use day to day?
Wix, Squarespace and Kajabi are the gentlest for updating your own site. Shopify is easy for adding products and more involved once you customize. WordPress has the steepest learning curve, but a well-built WordPress site is surprisingly simple to edit day to day. The hard part is usually setup and maintenance.
How much does each website platform cost?
Prices change often and every platform has tiers, so here’s how the money works instead. Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and Kajabi charge a recurring subscription that bundles hosting, and Shopify adds payment and app fees. WordPress is free software, and you pay separately for hosting, a domain, and any premium themes or plugins. With WordPress you also own your site files and can move hosts, which is a quiet but important kind of freedom.
Which website platforms are best for SEO and AI search?
Every platform here can rank on Google; what separates them is control. The habits that help you show up in search, and in AI answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews, are the same everywhere: real headings, plain-language answers to the questions customers actually ask, accurate business details, structured data (schema), and a fast site that’s easy to crawl.
WordPress gives you the most control over all of that through plugins like Yoast or Rank Math. Wix and Squarespace have improved their built-in SEO settings a lot over the years. Shopify is strong for product pages, and Kajabi is the most limited if blogging is your main plan for growth.
Which website platform is you?
This was the part of the course people loved most, because your personality and productivity style matter as much as features.
- The tinkerer who wants control: you like owning things and you’ll happily learn a plugin or two. WordPress.
- The “I just need it live by Friday” owner: you want drag and drop and no maintenance worries. Wix.
- The aesthete: you care deeply about how it looks and want guardrails that keep it pretty. Squarespace.
- The seller: products are your business and checkout has to be smooth. Shopify.
- The teacher: your courses, coaching or membership are the main event. Kajabi.
- The overbooked owner who will never log in: if updates will sit on your to-do list forever, pick the platform that fits your business and hand the setup and upkeep to someone else.
If you’re starting a business from scratch, my fool-proof start-up set-up walks you through the other pieces you’ll want in place alongside your website. And give yourself permission to decide slowly. A platform picked thoughtfully saves far more time than one picked in a midnight panic.
Want it done for you?
If you read all this and thought “I’d rather someone else handled it,” that’s what we do. Website Factory builds your WordPress site with a 2 week turnaround for $2,500. If you already have a WordPress site that feels sluggish, Make My Site Fast is $250 (WordPress sites only). Not sure which platform you should be on at all? Book a free consult online and we’ll sort it out together.
