The website builder market witnessed a historic shift in 2025 as Squarespace officially surpassed WIX in total domain count for the first time. Dataprovider.com data shows Squarespace reached 5.44 million domains by December 2025, while WIX plateaued at 4.87 million domains.
The Great Reversal
The crossover occurred in July 2025 when Squarespace hit 4.94 million domains compared to WIX’s 4.93 million. This marked the end of WIX’s long-standing position as the larger platform among designer-focused website builders.
The momentum shift began accelerating in 2024. While WIX maintained steady user numbers around 5 million domains through early 2024, Squarespace experienced consistent month-over-month growth. By September 2024, Squarespace had reached 3.91 million domains, setting the stage for the eventual overtaking.
Growth Trajectories Tell Different Stories
The data reveals fundamentally different growth patterns between the platforms. Squarespace demonstrated sustained expansion, growing from 2.24 million domains in January 2022 to 5.44 million by December 2025. This represents a 143% increase over the four-year period.
WIX’s trajectory followed a different path. Starting from 4.32 million domains in January 2022, the platform peaked at approximately 5.09 million domains in early 2024 before experiencing a gradual decline to 4.87 million by the end of 2025. This represents only a 13% net growth over the same timeframe.
Premium Design vs DIY Philosophy
The reversal reflects broader market preferences shifting toward curated design experiences over complete customization freedom. Squarespace built its reputation on professionally designed templates and streamlined user experiences, targeting small businesses, creatives, and entrepreneurs willing to pay premium prices for polished results.
WIX pioneered the drag-and-drop website building approach, offering extensive customization options and lower-cost entry points. However, this DIY model appears to be losing ground to platforms that prioritize design quality and user experience over creative control.
Monthly Growth Patterns
Examining monthly growth rates reveals when the momentum truly shifted. Squarespace maintained consistent positive growth throughout 2024 and 2025, with particularly strong performance during the second half of 2024. The platform added approximately 1.4 million domains between January 2024 and December 2025.
WIX experienced volatility in its user base, with periods of growth followed by contractions. The platform lost approximately 200,000 domains between its 2024 peak and December 2025 figures.
Market Context and Competition
Both platforms operate in an increasingly competitive landscape dominated by WordPress, which maintains 29.4 million domains. The website builder segment also faces pressure from other specialized platforms including Shopify for e-commerce and emerging players like Webflow for design professionals.
GoDaddy Website Builder also factors into this competitive dynamic, reaching 5.38 million domains by December 2025. The platform’s integration with domain registration services provides a different competitive advantage compared to the design-focused approaches of Squarespace and WIX.
Business Model Implications
The shift suggests that website builders targeting professional results are outperforming those emphasizing affordability and customization. Squarespace’s higher-priced plans and focus on design quality appear to resonate with businesses seeking to establish credible online presences.
This trend aligns with broader market maturation as more businesses recognize websites as critical business infrastructure rather than optional marketing tools. Companies increasingly prioritize professional appearance and reliability over cost savings and creative control.
Looking Forward
The Squarespace overtaking of WIX represents more than a numerical milestone. It signals a fundamental preference shift in the website builder market toward curated, design-focused platforms. As businesses become more sophisticated in their digital needs, platforms that emphasize professional results over DIY flexibility appear positioned for continued growth.
The data suggests this trend will likely continue as Squarespace maintains its growth trajectory while WIX faces challenges in rekindling user acquisition momentum. For the broader CMS market, this shift reinforces the importance of balancing ease-of-use with professional output quality.