Website Builder Prices 2026: Wix vs Squarespace vs GoDaddy
Current prices for Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy (from $9.99/mo), Webflow and WordPress.com side by side: annual vs monthly billing, year-one totals and hidden fees.
Website builders range from $0/month to $160+/month. Here's what you actually get at each price point and which builder delivers the best value for each use case.
Quick Comparison: Annual Billing Pricing
| Builder | Entry Plan | Mid Plan | Top Plan | Free Tier? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | $17/mo (Light) | $29/mo (Core) | $159/mo (Business Elite) | Yes (subdomain + ads) |
| Squarespace | $16/mo (Basic) | $23/mo (Core) | $99/mo (Advanced) | No (14-day trial) |
| Webflow | $14/mo (Basic) | $23/mo (CMS) | $39/mo (Business) | Yes (subdomain only) |
| WordPress.com | $9/mo (Personal) | $18/mo (Premium) | $70/mo (Commerce) | Yes (subdomain + ads) |
| GoDaddy (Airo Builder) | $9.99/mo (Starter) | $24.99/mo (Professional) | $99.99/mo (Ultimate) | Yes (Free plan) |
| Weebly | ~$10/mo (Personal) | ~$12/mo (Professional) | ~$25/mo (Performance) | Yes (subdomain) |
| Carrd | $19/year (Pro Standard) | $49/year (Pro Plus) | $99/year (Pro Ultra) | Yes (3 sites, limited) |
Prices based on annual billing. Monthly billing is typically 20–40% higher. Squarespace renamed its plans in 2025 (Basic, Core, Plus, Advanced); its prices above are US prices as published in October 2026 — Squarespace shows localized prices in other countries. GoDaddy's builder is now sold as Airo Website Builder (Free, Starter, Professional, Ultimate); its prices are the US prices on godaddy.com in October 2026, billed annually — month-to-month they are $19.99, $49.99 and $199.99. GoDaddy also shows localized prices outside the US. Other builders' prices as last verified in April 2026. Verify current pricing at each provider's website — plans update regularly.
What Each Builder Costs Per Year (Total with Domain)
| Builder | Plan | Annual Fee | + Domain | Year 1 Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | Personal | $108 | $15 | $123 |
| Carrd | Pro Standard | $19 | $15 | $34 |
| Squarespace | Basic | $192 | $15 | $207 |
| Wix | Light | $204 | $15 | $219 |
| GoDaddy | Starter | $120 | $15 | $135 |
| Webflow | Basic | $168 | $15 | $183 |
| Weebly | Personal | ~$120 | $15 | ~$135 |
Most platforms include 1 free custom domain in year 1 then charge $10–$20/year to renew.
Builder-by-Builder Analysis
Wix ($17–$159/month annual)
Best for: Non-technical users who want maximum design flexibility and a large app market.
Wix has the most flexible drag-and-drop editor — you can place elements anywhere on the page. The trade-off is that this flexibility can result in messier sites if you're not careful, and Wix's SEO architecture has historically been weaker than Squarespace (though it has improved significantly).
Wix hidden cost: The Wix App Market has hundreds of apps, many with their own monthly fees. It's easy to build a $17/month Wix site that ends up costing $50–$100/month with app subscriptions.
Wix plan to choose: Wix Core ($29/month annual) includes 50GB storage and the ability to accept payments — the minimum for any serious business site.
Squarespace ($16–$99/month annual)
Best for: Design-focused sites, portfolios, small stores, and anyone who values visual quality over deep customization.
Squarespace produces the most consistently polished results of any builder. Templates are well-crafted, mobile views are excellent, and the design system enforces aesthetic coherence. Less flexible than Wix, but fewer opportunities to make it look bad.
Squarespace hidden cost: Every plan can sell online, but the Basic plan adds a 2% Squarespace fee on store sales. Core ($23/month annual, $36 month-to-month) removes that fee and adds more advanced analytics and checkout on your own domain, so most businesses that sell anything end up on Core. Plus ($39/month annual) and Advanced ($99/month annual) add commerce tools such as subscriptions, abandoned-cart recovery and lower payment rates.
Webflow ($14–$39/month annual)
Best for: Designers who want pixel-perfect control and developers who want a visual CMS.
Webflow is the most powerful pure website builder — it produces clean semantic HTML/CSS and has the strongest CMS for content-driven sites. The learning curve is significantly steeper than Wix or Squarespace.
Webflow hidden cost: Professional Webflow builds are expensive because skilled Webflow designers charge $75–$150/hour. DIY Webflow has a real learning curve — expect 20–60 hours to learn the platform before building confidently.
WordPress.com ($9–$70/month annual)
Best for: Bloggers, content-heavy sites, and businesses that want WordPress's editorial interface without server management.
WordPress.com's entry plan ($9/month annual) is the cheapest credible website builder with a custom domain. The major limitation: no plugin installation until the Business plan ($40/month annual).
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: If you need plugins (WooCommerce, advanced SEO, booking systems), self-hosted WordPress.org with managed hosting ($25–$100/month) is more cost-effective than upgrading to WordPress.com Business.
→ See WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org comparison
GoDaddy Airo Website Builder ($9.99–$99.99/month annual)
Best for: The most basic online presence with the fastest setup.
GoDaddy now sells its builder as Airo Website Builder, with four plans on its US site (October 2026):
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | GoDaddy's positioning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Exploring an idea |
| Starter | $9.99/mo | $19.99/mo | Creators and personal projects |
| Professional | $24.99/mo | $49.99/mo | Local businesses, online stores, bookings and payments |
| Ultimate | $99.99/mo | $199.99/mo | Selling across channels; agencies managing client sites |
Billing month to month doubles the price, so the annual term matters more here than with most builders. For a service business that needs a functional page with hours and contact info, Starter covers it; anything that takes bookings or payments needs Professional. It is not the strongest option for SEO or design quality.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Wix | Squarespace | Webflow | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecommerce | Core+ plan | All plans (2% fee on Basic) | Basic+ plan | Commerce plan |
| Blogging | All plans | All plans | All plans | All plans |
| Custom code | All plans | Core+ | All plans | Business+ |
| App/plugin marketplace | Yes (large) | Yes (limited) | No | No (until Business) |
| SEO tools | Built-in | Built-in | Strong | Built-in |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | Light+ plan | Basic+ | Basic+ | Personal+ |
Which Builder Is Right for You
| Use Case | Best Builder | Entry Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Simple business brochure | Squarespace Basic or Wix Light | $192–$219/year |
| Blog-focused site | WordPress.com Personal | $123/year |
| Portfolio (designer/photographer) | Squarespace or Webflow | $183–$207/year |
| Small online store | Squarespace Core (0% Squarespace fee) | $276/year |
| Complex design, design-savvy user | Webflow | $168–$183/year |
| Absolute lowest cost | WordPress.com Personal or Carrd | $34–$123/year |
Calculate Your Website Builder Cost
Use our Website Cost Calculator to estimate your total first-year cost, or compare DIY vs. hiring with the DIY vs. Professional Calculator.
Related Articles
- Squarespace vs Wix Cost — deep comparison
- WordPress vs Wix Cost — platform total cost of ownership
- WordPress.com vs WordPress.org — which to choose
- CMS Platform Cost Comparison — all platforms all-in cost
- What Is a Website Builder? — builders vs CMS explained
- Cheapest Way to Build a Website in 2026 — lowest-cost options
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Squarespace or Wix cheaper? Squarespace Basic ($16/mo) is slightly cheaper than Wix Light ($17/mo) on annual billing. But Wix's entry plan includes more storage. For ecommerce, Squarespace Core ($23/mo, no Squarespace transaction fee) is now a little cheaper than Wix Core ($29/mo). Feature-for-feature, pricing is comparable — choose based on design preference and functionality needs.
Can I switch website builders later? Yes, but it requires manual work. Content doesn't transfer automatically between platforms. Expect 5–20 hours to migrate a small site, or $500–$2,000 to hire someone to migrate it for you.
Do website builders include email? No major website builder includes custom email (@yourcompany.com). You need a separate email service: Google Workspace ($6/user/month), Zoho Mail (free tier available), or Microsoft 365 ($6/user/month).
Methodology
Pricing based on annual billing rates. Squarespace and GoDaddy prices updated October 2026 (US prices; both show localized prices elsewhere); other providers as verified in April 2026. Monthly billing prices not shown — add 20–40% for month-to-month plans. Feature comparisons based on current published plan features.