Squarespace vs Wix

2023. Wix’s new tool can create entire websites from prompts



Website builder Wix has introduced a new tool called the AI Site Generator. With this tool, Wix users can simply describe their intentions, and the AI will automatically generate a complete website for them. This includes a homepage, inner pages, as well as text and images. Additionally, the AI Site Generator incorporates business-specific sections, such as events and bookings, aiming to provide customers with tangible value as they build and expand their businesses. Wix has been actively exploring the possibilities of AI, and the AI Site Generator is a significant step forward in their AI experiments. Prior to this, they introduced the text creator powered by ChatGPT, enabling users to generate personalized content for specific sections of their websites. Moreover, the AI template text creator generates all the text required for a given site. Alongside these tools, Wix also offers an AI domain generator to help users brainstorm and find suitable web domain names. These AI-driven capabilities complement Wix's suite of AI image editing, fine-tuning, and creation tools.


2023. Squarespace acquires Google Domains



Squarespace, a website building platform, has acquired Google Domains from Google for $180 million, leading to Google's exit from the domain name registration business. Squarespace will now take over as the domain name registrar for the existing 10.1 million domains registered with Google Domains. This acquisition positions Squarespace as one of the world's largest domain name registrars, trailing only GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Tucows in terms of total registered domains. Google initially launched Google Domains in 2014, but it remained in beta until March 2022. The service was primarily seen by Google as a means to enhance its business email and app product, Google Workspace (formerly known as G Suite), as indicated by the sales copy on the Google Domains website.


2021. Wix launches a no-code app builder for $200 per month



Wix has introduced a new offering called Branded App by Wix, specifically designed for business owners who want to create native apps effortlessly, without the need for coding skills. While Wix is renowned for its drag-and-drop website builder, it now expands its user-friendly platform by enabling anyone to build their own app. The introduction of Branded App by Wix allows users to manage their online presence comprehensively, providing tools to develop and customize apps. Although it comes with a significant investment of $200 per month, users should also consider additional costs such as a yearly $99 fee for the App Store and a one-time $25 fee for Google Play. According to Wix, leveraging native mobile apps can significantly boost sales for businesses in the long run.


2020. Squarespace adds support for memberships and paywalled content



Squarespace is introducing a new revenue-generating feature for websites built on its platform: Member Areas, enabling businesses to monetize exclusive content. This opens up possibilities for various scenarios, such as online publications implementing article paywalls, chefs offering paid access to cooking videos and recipes, or fitness instructors generating income from online classes. Squarespace supports different membership levels and facilitates the creation of member-only podcasts and newsletters. Moreover, site creators gain access to CRM data pertaining to each member, with plans to introduce additional segmentation tools in the future.


2020. Wix launches a new company, Wix Answers, to unify customer support



Website-building platform Wix has introduced a new venture called Wix Answers, designed to offer high-level customer support and compete with companies such as Zendesk and Salesforce. Wix Answers was initially developed to fulfill the company's internal requirements and later transformed into a separate entity (still under Wix's ownership). This system grants users a comprehensive overview of their interactions with customer service, encompassing conversations across various channels like phone calls, chat, website tickets, and emails. Powered by AI, the platform assists support agents in responding promptly and provides recommendations to enhance team efficiency, including improved accessibility of customer support articles.


2018. Wix launched new suite of products for support, sales and marketing



Wix has introduced a comprehensive suite of management and marketing tools known as Ascend. With Ascend, you can effortlessly handle all your customer interactions in one centralized location. It empowers you to efficiently capture leads, nurture relationships, process payments, and more. Wix is also in the process of developing a workflow editor that will enable automatic responses across your website and other channels based on customer behavior. Ascend by Wix is available as a separate subscription, with pricing options ranging from $9 to $45 per month. While other website builders like Squarespace and Weebly (now owned by Square) have also incorporated marketing tools, Ascend sets itself apart with its ambitious expansion, offering a comprehensive range of 20 products covering chat, memberships, email marketing, and search engine optimization. Some of these products may already exist within Wix but are now consolidated under the Ascend umbrella.


2018. Squarespace introduced Conversion Metrics



The introduction of new Conversion Metrics in Squarespace provides valuable insights into the performance of buttons and forms, allowing you to assess visitor engagement and interaction on your website. These metrics enable you to understand how visitors engage with your website, whether it's by contacting you, booking services, subscribing to your mailing list, or responding to an event invitation. The Conversion Metrics offer features like Pinpoint engagement, Spot patterns, and Filter by device, providing comprehensive information to identify opportunities for optimizing conversions. Armed with this data, you can confidently make informed changes to forms and buttons, test alternative versions, refine their placement, choose effective wording, and experiment with different styling options. By leveraging these metrics, you can enhance the user experience and maximize the conversion potential of your website.


2018. Wix integrates with Instagram



The website building service Wix has introduced a new feature that enables users to seamlessly share their Instagram photos and videos on their websites. With the Instagram Feed App, you now have the ability to incorporate links to individual Instagram posts, allowing visitors to navigate directly to your site. You can select from a range of layouts to display your Instagram content, customize colors and fonts, and effortlessly include links to any photo or video within your feed. This feature provides an excellent opportunity to attract new followers and promote products from your Wix Stores collection, among other possibilities.


2017. Wix unveiled advanced code editor


Wix has expanded its capabilities beyond simple website creation with the introduction of the innovative Wix Code platform. This new platform empowers creators, developers, and designers to effortlessly build sophisticated web applications that are perfectly tailored to their business requirements. With Wix Code, coding becomes hassle-free and serverless, providing a seamless experience. You can effortlessly set up database collections, design content-rich websites, incorporate custom forms, utilize APIs to modify site behavior, and much more. All of these functionalities are integrated with the user-friendly Wix Editor, ensuring ease of use and offering stunning visual components. Additionally, any application or website you create using Wix Code is SEO compatible, ensuring maximum visibility and reach.


2017. Squarespace released new analytics app



The newly launched Squarespace Analytics app for iOS and Android allows users to conveniently access essential insights and website analytics from any location and at any time. This app simplifies the process of incorporating analytics into daily workflows by presenting comprehensive business metrics through a user-friendly dashboard that has been specifically designed for smaller screens. Users can effortlessly check key metrics at a glance and further explore more detailed views to gain actionable insights. The app now includes a range of newly added metrics that offer the same comprehensive analytics available on desktop but with the convenience of mobile accessibility. Additionally, the app introduces an enhanced date picker feature, enabling users to access a broader range of historical data and select from new time frames or set custom date ranges.