The web design industry is full of weird and wonderful ways to create a new website for you and your organisation. From completely boutique custom coded sites to AI generated cookie cutter sites and everything in between. But for the majority on businesses looking to create their web presence the first decision that needs to be made is what Content Management System (CMS) they want to use.
Approximately 71% of the world’s websites use a CMS of one kind or the other to provide website owners and their IT/development teams a convenient space to edit and maintain their websites. And while there are hundred to choose from, there are only a few that are truly household names; WordPress, Wix and Squarespace. Each have their pros and cons, and each will provide a different website management experience. Here are some key differences between the big three.
WordPress
WordPress is the biggest and most popular CMS, and the competition isn’t particularly close. Holding a CMS market share of 60% and powering over 40% of the worlds website’s, WordPress dominates the field and is the CMS of choice for the majority of our websites here at Sprint Digital.
It allows users to build anything from simple single page starter sites all the way up to complex multi-site platforms. To illustrate this, WordPress is the most popular blogging platform in the world (think small hobby writers with a handful of readers) but also powers the website of NASA. It’s fair to say it has range.
WordPress Pros:
- Extremely flexible, customisable, and scalable
- Huge variety of themes, templates and custom elements for your site
- Built in integration with many other digital platforms – with capability to add more
- Great Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) options
WordPress Cons
- Requires some technical knowledge to get started
- Requires maintenance in terms of updates and security
Wix
Wix has grown rapidly over the past decade and now holds approximately 4% of the CMS market. Unlike WordPress, Wix is an all-in-one platform that combines website building, hosting, security and maintenance into a single service. This simplicity has made it particularly popular with small businesses, startups, sole traders and anyone looking to launch a no-frills website quickly without technical expertise.
Wix is best suited to brochure websites, small business websites, portfolios and simple ecommerce stores. Its drag-and-drop editor makes website creation highly accessible, but that ease of use can come at the expense of flexibility and scalability as a business grows.
Wix Pros:
- Very user friendly with easy-to-use editor interface
- Good app marketplace
- Fast to get up and running
Wix Cons
- Unsuited for larger complex sites
- Less powerful than WordPress for scalability and flexibility
- Restrictive templates for customisation
Squarespace
Squarespace has established itself as a premium website-building platform and accounts for roughly 2-3% of the CMS market. It is particularly well known among creative professionals, consultants, and brands that prioritise visual presentation over website functionality. Like Wix, Squarespace is an all-in-one solution, with hosting, security, updates and maintenance included.
Squarespace is best suited to businesses that want a polished, professional-looking website with minimal setup and ongoing management. Its design templates are highly regarded, however, it offers less flexibility than WordPress when complex functionality or extensive customisation is required.
Squarespace Pros:
- Hosting, security, updates all included
- High quality visual templates and themes to use straight out of the box
- Very consistent styling
- User-friendly editing experience
Squarespace Cons
- Far less flexibility than WordPress
- Fewer integrations with other platforms
- Limited scalability and customisation
There is no single “best” CMS, only the platform that best fits your business goals, budget and technical requirements. WordPress remains the market leader thanks to its flexibility, scalability and ability to support everything from small business websites to high-level platforms. Wix is ideal for businesses that want to get online quickly with minimal technical involvement, while Squarespace excels at delivering visually impressive websites with a streamlined management experience.
For organisations expecting significant growth, requiring bespoke functionality or prioritising long-term flexibility, WordPress is the strongest choice. And for that reason, it is the CMS of choice for us here at Sprint Digital. We also have experience working with Squarespace and Wix sites but often we find that as a business grows and a site requires more functionality WordPress tends to be a better more flexible fit.
If you are looking to build a new website for your organisation, or you have a current website that needs revitalising please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our team at Sprint Digital will help you build a site that best represents your business.
