Compare Wix, Squarespace and ArrowSite for a small-business website. See the differences in DIY vs done-for-you, pricing, editing, ecommerce and website management.
Reviewed for 2026
Wix is a strong option for businesses that want flexible DIY website-building tools and extensive platform functionality. Squarespace can suit businesses that value polished design, structured templates and an integrated DIY website platform. ArrowSite is different: it is a done-for-you service designed for straightforward New Zealand small-business websites where the owner does not want to build or technically manage the site themselves. The best option depends on the business's required functionality and desired level of involvement.
You want to build and frequently edit the website yourself and value broad platform flexibility.
You want to build the site yourself but prefer a structured, design-led website platform.
You mainly need a professional brochure website and would rather someone else build and technically manage it.
You need functionality or complexity beyond what any of these options appropriately supports.
Wix is a no-code website-building platform offering visual editing, templates, AI-assisted website creation, hosting, paid website plans, business features and ecommerce capability on applicable plans. Wix currently also provides a genuine $0 free website tier that lets users build and publish a website. However, a Wix-branded address is used on the free tier, connecting a custom domain requires upgrading to a paid website plan, and paid plans provide additional functionality and remove relevant free-plan limitations. Verify current Wix plan details against Wix's official pricing before deciding.
Squarespace is a website-building platform focused on visual website creation, templates, drag-and-drop editing, integrated hosting, ecommerce on suitable plans, SEO tools, marketing and business features, and AI-assisted tools. Squarespace does not currently offer a permanent free website plan — it provides a 14-day free trial, then requires a paid plan to continue operating the website. Paid Squarespace website plans include hosting, and eligible annual plans can currently include a custom domain free for the first year, subject to Squarespace's current terms. Verify all of these facts against Squarespace's official pricing before deciding.
ArrowSite is a New Zealand done-for-you website service for small businesses. Unlike Wix or Squarespace, customers do not receive a website builder and then build the site themselves. ArrowSite creates the website, structures the pages, implements the website and technically manages it after launch. If enough usable existing business information is available through an existing website, Facebook, Instagram or another approved online source, the business may qualify for a $0 website design and build. If activated, Website Hosting is $40/month with a 12-month minimum. Businesses starting substantially from scratch use the New Website service from $995 plus $40/month Website Hosting. ArrowSite specialises in straightforward brochure-style websites.
Wix and Squarespace make building easier. ArrowSite removes the build from the customer's job.
| Task | Wix | Squarespace | ArrowSite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose starting design | Customer / AI tools | Customer / AI tools | ArrowSite |
| Structure pages | Customer | Customer | ArrowSite |
| Build layouts | Customer | Customer | ArrowSite |
| Add business content | Customer | Customer | ArrowSite uses supplied/existing material |
| Review website | Customer | Customer | Customer |
| Learn website editor | Yes | Yes | No |
| Ongoing self-editing | Yes | Yes | No — managed service |
Even when AI generates a starting site, the customer normally remains responsible for reviewing it, customising it, adding accurate business content, managing the site and publishing or updating it.
Customer responsibilities centre more on supplying relevant business information, reviewing the result, giving feedback and managing their domain.
Website builders remove much of the technical difficulty of building a website. A done-for-you service removes the building itself.
Wix offers a $0 free tier with paid plans for a custom domain and additional functionality; hosting is included with Wix website plans. Squarespace requires a paid subscription after its 14-day free trial; hosting is included with paid plans. ArrowSite is different: eligible businesses can receive the design and build for $0 but pay $40/month for Website Hosting if they launch, while new websites start from $995 plus $40/month Website Hosting. Comparing price therefore also requires comparing how much work the customer is expected to do.
| Factor | Wix | Squarespace | ArrowSite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | DIY builder | DIY builder | Done-for-you |
| Who builds site | Customer / AI-assisted | Customer / AI-assisted | ArrowSite |
| Permanent free option | Yes | No; trial only | $0 build if eligible |
| Hosting | Included | Included with paid plans | $40/month |
| Custom domain | Paid plan | Yes on paid site | Yes; customer owns domain |
| Self-editing | Strong | Strong | No DIY backend |
| Ecommerce | Available | Available | Not standard |
| Blogging | Available | Available | Not standard focus |
| Custom design control | High | High / structured | Defined scope |
| Technical website management | Platform-managed | Platform-managed | ArrowSite-managed |
| Best for | DIY flexibility | Design-led DIY | Simple done-for-you NZ websites |
Wix can have the lowest direct financial cost because it currently offers a free tier, provided the user is happy to use the free-plan limitations and build the website themselves. Squarespace requires a paid subscription after its free trial. ArrowSite is different because eligible businesses can receive the design and build for $0 but pay $40/month for Website Hosting if they launch. Comparing price therefore also requires comparing how much work the customer is expected to do.
Wix generally suits users wanting significant control over the way they build and edit their website. Squarespace provides substantial customisation within a more structured design system. ArrowSite provides less direct customer design control because ArrowSite performs the build and operates within a defined brochure-website service. If maximum hands-on design control is a priority, ArrowSite is probably not the best choice.
Wix and Squarespace are both designed for non-technical users and can be used without coding for ordinary website creation. Which editor feels easier is subjective. ArrowSite solves a different problem: the customer does not need to learn a website editor because ArrowSite builds the website for them. The distinction is ease of website-builder software versus ease of getting a website.
Wix or Squarespace are better suited to customers who want regular direct editing access. ArrowSite is intentionally a managed website service rather than a DIY CMS, so customer-requested changes are submitted to ArrowSite rather than edited through a backend. Basic Website Updates are $20 per logical change.
Wix and Squarespace manage much of the underlying hosting and platform infrastructure, so customers do not need to run servers themselves. However, users still manage their website content, pages, design, settings and the apps or features they choose. ArrowSite handles hosting, SSL, technical website infrastructure, platform maintenance, technical website management and technical fault resolution. The difference is primarily website management responsibility, not server administration.
Yes, but the commercial models differ. Wix includes hosting with its websites, including its free tier subject to free-plan limitations. Squarespace includes hosting with paid website plans. ArrowSite charges $40/month for Website Hosting after an eligible Free Website or New Website is activated.
Wix allows a custom domain on an applicable paid website plan; the free tier currently uses a Wix-branded address. Squarespace allows a domain to be connected, purchased or transferred, with eligible annual plans currently including one custom domain free for the first year. ArrowSite uses the customer's own domain — the customer owns, pays for and keeps responsibility for renewal, and ArrowSite provides domain connection instructions.
All three can provide websites that are crawlable and capable of appearing in search. SEO performance depends much more on content quality, search demand, site structure, technical implementation, competition and authority than simply choosing one of these platforms. Wix and Squarespace provide SEO tools for customers managing their own sites, while ArrowSite handles the underlying site implementation within its managed website model.
No platform can guarantee visibility in ChatGPT, Google AI experiences or other answer engines. The more important factors are whether the website is crawlable and contains clear, accurate, useful information about the business, its services and expertise. Platform choice can affect how easily that information is implemented and maintained, but it does not guarantee AI citations.
Wix and Squarespace both offer ecommerce functionality on suitable paid plans. Standard ArrowSite websites are not designed for ecommerce. Businesses needing an online store should therefore consider Wix, Squarespace, Shopify or another ecommerce-capable solution rather than the standard ArrowSite service.
Wix and Squarespace both support customer-managed content publishing. ArrowSite is designed more for relatively stable brochure websites and is not the standard solution for businesses needing a large blog or frequent content publishing.
Wix and Squarespace provide broader ecosystems and built-in functionality than standard ArrowSite. However, highly complex requirements — such as custom applications, sophisticated integrations, complex databases, custom portals or advanced bespoke workflows — may outgrow all three. A specialist or custom development solution may be more appropriate.
With Wix and Squarespace, customers control their accounts and website content subject to the relevant platform terms. With ArrowSite, the customer owns their domain, business name, logo, original supplied copy, supplied imagery and supplied business IP. ArrowSite manages the website implementation, platform, infrastructure and hosting/publishing. The ArrowSite website remains active while the applicable Website Hosting service is active.
Website portability varies by platform and by what needs to be moved. Domains can usually be managed independently, while moving the complete website design, functionality and content to another platform may require rebuilding some or all of the site. With ArrowSite, the domain and supplied business assets remain the customer's, but the active ArrowSite implementation depends on the ArrowSite service.
Choose Wix, Squarespace or another platform rather than standard ArrowSite if you want frequent self-editing, full backend control, ecommerce, regular blogging, complex integrations, customer accounts, membership, a broad app ecosystem or highly custom functionality. Consider custom development if requirements go beyond what the mainstream builders support well.
| If you... | Best fit to consider |
|---|---|
| Want to build and edit everything yourself | Wix |
| Want DIY with polished design structure | Squarespace |
| Want a permanent free DIY starting option | Wix |
| Don't want to build the website yourself | ArrowSite if suitable |
| Have an old/basic online presence that can be reused | ArrowSite Free Website |
| Are starting from scratch but want done-for-you | ArrowSite New Website |
| Need ecommerce | Wix / Squarespace / ecommerce platform |
| Need frequent publishing | Wix / Squarespace / publishing platform |
| Need complex custom functionality | Custom solution |
| Want full CMS/backend control | Wix / Squarespace rather than ArrowSite |
Wix and Squarespace are strong choices if you want to create and manage the website yourself. If you're a New Zealand small business with straightforward website needs and you'd rather have someone else handle the build, ArrowSite may be a better fit.
Want full DIY control? Wix or Squarespace may be the better choice for you — and that's a perfectly valid decision.
If you already have enough useful business information online, you may qualify for a $0 ArrowSite build. If you're starting from scratch, New Websites start from $995.
$0 design & build if eligible. No obligation to activate the preview. If you launch: $40/month Website Hosting, 12-month minimum.
New Website from $995 + $40/month Website Hosting. 12-month minimum.