Key takeaways
- Moving from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress is worth it when you’ve outgrown the builder: you need more control, more features, or a site you truly own.
- It isn’t worth it for a simple site that already does its job. A builder bundles hosting, updates and security into one bill.
- A Wix site can’t be exported to another host, so leaving Wix means a rebuild. Squarespace exports only part of a site to WordPress.
- Plan your page addresses and permanent redirects before launch, or you risk losing the Google rankings you’ve built.
For many growing businesses, yes, moving from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress is worth it. You get a site you own outright, far more flexibility, and a choice of hosts and developers. But it’s a rebuild, not a button press, and you take on updates and security yourself (or pay someone to). If your current site is simple and working, staying put can be the smarter call.
Here’s an honest look at the effort, the cost and what changes, so you can decide.
Why do businesses move from Wix or Squarespace to WordPress?
Website builders are good at what they’re designed for: getting a tidy site online quickly, with hosting and updates included. The friction usually starts when the business grows.
- Ownership. Your site lives inside the builder’s platform. Wix says plainly that sites “need to be hosted and operated on Wix’s servers” (Wix Help Center).
- Flexibility. WordPress has a huge library of plugins and themes, and any developer can extend it. Builders limit you to their features and approved apps.
- Choice. With WordPress you choose the host, the designer and the support team, and you can change any of them later.
- Reach. WordPress runs 39.2% of all websites, compared with 4.2% for Wix and 2.4% for Squarespace (W3Techs, 13 November 2026). That size means plenty of skilled people and well-tested tools.
Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace for business: how do they compare?
This table compares the things that matter most when you’re deciding whether to move.
| What matters | Wix | Squarespace | WordPress (self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can you take the site elsewhere? | No. It must stay on Wix’s servers. | Partly. Some content exports to WordPress. | Yes. Files and database move to any host. |
| Who runs updates and security? | Wix | Squarespace | You, your host or a care plan |
| Features | Wix’s features and app market | Squarespace’s features and extensions | Thousands of plugins, plus custom code |
| How you pay | One platform subscription | One platform subscription | Hosting, plus optional design and maintenance |
| Editing day to day | Drag and drop | Drag and drop | Block editor or page builder |
The honest summary: builders trade control for convenience. WordPress trades a little convenience for control.
Can you export a Wix or Squarespace site to WordPress?
Wix: no, so plan a rebuild
Wix explains that its platform “does not support external hosting” (Wix Help Center). There’s no export file to import. Your text and images can be copied across, but the design and layout have to be rebuilt in WordPress.
In our experience, that’s often a blessing. A rebuild lets you fix slow pages, tidy the menu and write content for the customers you have now.
Squarespace: a partial export
Squarespace can export some content as a file that WordPress imports. According to Squarespace, that covers basic pages, one blog (with its posts and comments), text and image blocks, and some gallery pages (Squarespace Help Center).
Plenty doesn’t come across. Store pages, product blocks, audio and video blocks, drafts, style settings and custom CSS are all left behind, along with any second blog. So even from Squarespace, expect to rebuild the design and the shop.
What does it cost to move to WordPress?
There are three parts to budget for. Being clear about each one avoids surprises.
- The rebuild. A designer recreates (and ideally improves) the site in WordPress. This is the biggest cost, and it depends on the number of pages and features.
- Hosting. WMS Personal Hosting starts at $29 a month + GST and includes free SSL. You can compare our hosting plans or fine-tune one in the plan builder.
- Looking after it. WordPress needs regular updates, backups and security checks. You can do these yourself, or use a care plan such as Maintain & Protect from $40 a month + GST.
Then subtract what you’re paying the builder now. For a simple site, the total may be higher than a builder subscription. For a growing business, the extra control often pays for itself through better performance, features and freedom to choose your providers.
When should you stay on Wix or Squarespace?
Moving isn’t always the right answer. Stay where you are if:
- your site is a few pages that rarely change, and it already brings in enquiries;
- you value one bill and no technical decisions above everything else; or
- you don’t have the time or budget for a rebuild this year.
You can still own your domain name separately. Wix lets you buy and manage your domain with another provider and connect it to your Wix site (Wix Help Center). Holding the domain yourself keeps your options open, and our domain and DNS management makes that simple.
How do you move from Wix or Squarespace without losing Google rankings?
When you change platforms, your page addresses usually change too. For example, a builder’s blog path may differ from WordPress’s. Google’s advice is to map every old URL to its new URL, then use permanent server-side redirects (301s) from old to new (Google Search Central).
Google also recommends keeping those redirects “generally at least 1 year” so it can pass your existing signals to the new pages (Google Search Central).
A sensible order looks like this:
- List every page on the current site, plus your most-visited pages from your analytics.
- Build the WordPress site on its new hosting, out of public view.
- Write the redirect map: each old address and its new home.
- Test forms, payments and the mobile layout.
- Point the domain to the new host, then check the redirects are working.
The switch itself should follow a careful, step-by-step website migration plan, so visitors and email aren’t interrupted. If your site is already on WordPress and simply changing hosts, our guide to migrate a WordPress site covers that instead.
Who can do the rebuild and the move?
We’re part of Next Level Creative, alongside 21 Designs, which has been designing websites for almost 15 years. 21 Designs handles the rebuild: structure, design, content and redirects. WMS then hosts and looks after the finished site.
Once the site is built, our free website migration service moves it onto WMS hosting with the settings it needs. It’s worth knowing what a free website migration includes before you compare offers, because they vary a lot between hosts.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress better than Wix for a small business?
It depends on what you need. WordPress gives you ownership, a huge choice of plugins and the freedom to change hosts or developers. Wix is simpler and bundles hosting and updates into one subscription. If your site is small and working, Wix may be fine. If you need more features, control or growth, WordPress usually wins.
Can I transfer my Wix site to WordPress automatically?
No. Wix says its sites must be hosted on Wix’s servers and can’t be exported to another host. You can copy your text and images across, but the design and layout must be rebuilt in WordPress. Many businesses use this as a chance to improve structure, speed and content at the same time.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave Squarespace or Wix?
Not if the move is planned. Page addresses usually change, so map each old URL to its new one and set up permanent 301 redirects. Google recommends keeping those redirects for at least a year. In our experience, rankings can move around for a while as Google recrawls the site, then settle.
Do I need to move my domain name as well?
Not necessarily. You can keep the domain where it is and simply point it to your new host. If the builder registered the domain for you, transferring it to an independent registrar gives you more control. Either way, make sure the domain is registered in your business’s name and that you have the login.
How long does a move from Wix to WordPress take?
It depends on the size of the site and how quickly content is approved. A small brochure site is far quicker to rebuild than an online shop with hundreds of products. The final switch to the new host is fast. Most of the time goes into design, content and testing, which is where the value is.
Sources
- Exporting or embedding your Wix site elsewhere, Wix Help Center, accessed 13 November 2026
- Export your site content, Squarespace Help Center, accessed 13 November 2026
- Usage statistics of content management systems, W3Techs, data dated 13 November 2026
- Site moves with URL changes, Google Search Central, accessed 13 November 2026