BeyondSite vs Wix vs Squarespace vs WordPress: which fits a small business?
Pick the tool that matches the site you actually need. A practice, a trade, or a local service usually needs a clear homepage, a way to be contacted, and a page that can be updated without a project. A shop, a membership, or a large plugin stack is a different job.
Which builder should a small business use?
Use BeyondSite when you want a draft from one description, a listed Basic price of $5.50 AUD a month, and a site you publish to yourname.beyondsite.app. Use Wix or Squarespace when you need their shop, bookings product, or template catalogue and you accept their higher yearly plans. Use WordPress.org when you want the software and you will pay for hosting and look after updates yourself. Use WordPress.com when you want WordPress hosting included and you will choose one of its paid plans.
None of these is best at everything. The useful question is what you will do in the first month: publish a few honest pages, or run a store.
What do Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com list as the price?
On 3 November 2026, Wix's plans page listed a free plan and yearly USD reference prices of $17 a month for Light, $29 for Core, and $159 for Business Elite. Squarespace listed Basic at $19 a month on an annual plan and Core at $29. WordPress.com listed Personal at US$4 a month when billed yearly, or US$9 if billed monthly. BeyondSite lists Basic at $5.50 AUD a month, and card checkout is not switched on yet.
Competitor figures below are copied from the companies' own pages on 3 November 2026. They are not quotes from reviews. Taxes, currency, and the length of the plan change the amount you pay. Open the linked page before you buy.
| Product | Way to start | A listed paid price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BeyondSite | Draft from one question, no account | $5.50 AUD a month listed for Basic. No card is taken in this version. | This site |
| Wix | Free plan, no credit card | Light $17, Core $29, Business Elite $159 per month, yearly billing, USD reference, taxes extra | wix.com/plans |
| Squarespace | 14 days free, then a paid plan | Basic $19 a month annual ($25 monthly). Core $29 annual ($39 monthly). | squarespace.com/pricing |
| WordPress.com | Free plan, then paid plans | Personal US$4 a month yearly or US$9 monthly. Business US$25 yearly or US$40 monthly. | wordpress.com/pricing |
| WordPress.org | Download the software free | Hosting and a domain are a separate bill. There is no single official hosting price. | wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org |
Wix says the prices on its plans page are for a yearly subscription paid in full, that currency varies by location, and that USD figures are a reference. A premium plan is what connects your own domain and removes Wix branding. Wix's own January 2026 article also lists a Business plan at $39 a month on yearly billing, between Core and Business Elite.
Squarespace's pricing page shows four plans: Basic, Core, Plus ($49 a month annual), and Advanced ($99 a month annual). The lower number is the annual plan and the higher number is month-to-month. An annual plan includes one year of a domain on Squarespace's cheapest tier. Squarespace's help centre says each site is billed on its own.
WordPress.com's pricing page also lists longer terms. Personal falls to US$2.75 a month when billed every three years. Business is US$17.50 on that same term, and Commerce is listed at US$70 a month, US$45 yearly, or US$31.50 every three years. The page says a free plan has no expiry, and that free sites show WordPress.com ads to visitors.
What does each product actually include for a simple business site?
BeyondSite gives you a draft, an editor, prepared styles, a contact form, and appointment bookings saved for the site owner. Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com add larger catalogues of templates, commerce, and, on their paid plans, a custom domain offer. WordPress.org gives you the software only.
- BeyondSite: you describe the business, see a draft on a free preview address, and publish to name.beyondsite.app. Edits do not change the live site until you publish again. Basic is listed at $5.50 AUD a month. Payments are not collected yet.
- Wix: the free plan includes hosting and an editor. The plans page says a premium plan adds a custom domain connection and removes Wix branding. Core, on that page, includes accepting payments, basic eCommerce, and scheduling.
- Squarespace: every current website plan is paid after the 14-day trial. The help centre says you can sell on the plans, and that Basic is aimed at a smaller site with fewer contributors.
- WordPress.com: hosting is included. The company says plugin installation is on every paid plan. You still choose a plan and a domain.
- WordPress.org: you download WordPress and pay a host. Updates, backups, and plugins are your responsibility. That is the flexible option, and the one with the most maintenance.
BeyondSite does not copy an old WordPress site. Pasting an address starts a new draft from that description. It does not import the old pages, media, or plugins. If you need that copy, this version is the wrong tool. The page list for a practice is in How to build or redo a website for a law, accounting, or medical practice, and the cost checklist is in What a small business website costs in 2026, and the checklist before you launch.
Who is each option for?
BeyondSite is for a small or medium business that wants a straightforward site, especially a law, accounting, or medical practice, or a trade. Wix and Squarespace suit people who want a large template library and built-in selling. WordPress suits people who want plugins and are willing to maintain them.
If your site is a homepage, a services page, a contact form, and a way to book a time, you do not need a commerce plan to get online. If you sell stock, subscriptions, or courses, read the commerce line on the Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com page and price that plan, not the cheapest one.
Questions people ask
Is BeyondSite cheaper than Wix or Squarespace?
The listed Basic price is $5.50 AUD a month, which is lower than the yearly USD prices Wix and Squarespace publish for their entry paid plans. BeyondSite does not take a card in this version, so you can publish a draft without paying. Wix and Squarespace charge when you leave their free start.
Does BeyondSite include a custom domain?
Publishing gives you a name.beyondsite.app address. Connecting a domain you already own is not part of this version.
Can I move a WordPress site to BeyondSite?
Not as a full copy. You can paste the address as the starting question. The draft is new. Pages, media, and plugins from the old site are not imported.
Do these prices include tax?
Wix says the figures on its plans page exclude taxes and vary by location. Squarespace says tax is shown at checkout. WordPress.com shows US dollar plan prices. BeyondSite's $5.50 is Australian dollars and is a listed price, not a charge, until payments are switched on.
See a draft before you decide
Describe the business in one question. You get a preview before you create an account. Basic is listed at $5.50 AUD a month, and this version does not ask for a card.
Keep reading
- How to build or redo a website for a law, accounting, or medical practice
- What a small business website costs in 2026, and the checklist before you launch
The privacy policy says what the product stores.