Before you read a single comparison, ask yourself five questions. The answers determine which platform actually makes sense for you — not which one ranks best on Google.
The 5 Questions
1. Are you selling products, or is this a service/business card site?
If you're selling products — especially more than 10 — you need e-commerce built in. If you're a consultant, clinic, restaurant, or service business, you don't. Most people pick the wrong platform because they skip this question.
2. What's your real budget — not just the monthly fee?
$29/month for Shopify sounds cheap. But add apps, payment gateway fees (2-3% per transaction), and hosting, and a modest online store easily costs $200-400/month at scale. WordPress costs $30-60/month for hosting + your time, but has no transaction fees.
3. How technical are you?
Can you edit code? Install plugins? Deal with a hosting dashboard? Or do you want something you can manage entirely from your phone? Most platform advice ignores this entirely.
4. How many products are you selling?
10 products or fewer — most platforms work fine. 100+ products — you need proper inventory management. 1,000+ — only Shopify or WordPress scale without pain.
5. Who do you call when something breaks?
This is the question no one asks. When your Shopify store goes down at 11pm, you're filing a support ticket. When your WordPress site gets hacked, you're on your own or paying someone. When your Wix site has an issue, you contact Wix support. Know your answer before you commit.
The Platforms, Matched to Situations
WordPress — If you want full control and don't mind learning
Best for: Service businesses, blogs, portfolio sites, any SME that wants to own every aspect of their website.
Real cost: $30-60/month for quality hosting (Kinsta, SiteGround, Rocket.net). Domain ~$15/year. One-time design costs if you hire someone.
What you get: Unmatched flexibility. Thousands of plugins. Full ownership of your data. The best SEO setup of any platform because you control everything.
The honest catch: It requires maintenance. Plugins need updating. Security needs attention. If you don't want to touch code, expect to pay someone $100-200/month for ongoing maintenance — or learn to manage it yourself.
Local note: WordPress works perfectly with SingPost delivery integration, PayNow QR codes, and EasyParcel for shipping. The integrations exist, but some require a developer to set up properly.
Shopify — If you're serious about e-commerce
Best for: Retailers, brands selling products online, businesses that need a proper online store with inventory, orders, and payments all in one place.
Real cost: Basic Shopify plan is $29/month, but plan for:
- Payment gateway fees: 2% on transactions unless you use Shopify Payments (not available in Singapore for all businesses)
- Apps: expect $30-80/month for apps that add essential features Shopify doesn't have out of the box
- Transaction fees add up fast at scale
All-in, a functioning Shopify store costs $100-200/month minimum at low volume.
What you get: The most complete e-commerce platform for Singapore. Native support for PayNow, PayLah, and local delivery integrations via EasyParcel and SingPost. Excellent product management. Everything in one dashboard.
The honest catch: You're renting your store. If you stop paying, your store goes away. Transaction fees add significant cost at scale. The platform locks you into its ecosystem.
Wix — If you want it done fast and done yourself
Best for: Small service businesses, cafes, freelancers, anyone who needs a professional-looking site and doesn't want to learn anything technical.
Real cost: $21-45/month for business basic. No transaction fees on their payment processing (Wix Payments), which is a genuine advantage.
What you get: Drag-and-drop editor that actually works. Decent templates. Own domain included. Good enough for businesses that just need a web presence without complex functionality.
The honest catch: You get what you pay for in simplicity. As your business grows, Wix can become limiting. The SEO capabilities are improving but still behind WordPress. If your business takes off, you'll eventually outgrow it.
Local note: Wix has Singapore-specific support and PayNow integration through Wix Payments. Adequate for local SMEs with basic needs.
Squarespace — If looks matter more than everything else
Best for: Creatives, photographers, agencies, any business where the visual presentation is the product itself.
Real cost: $16-54/month. No transaction fees on Squarespace Payments.
What you get: The best-looking templates in the business. Period. Built-in appointment booking, email campaigns, and portfolio features that other platforms charge extra for.
The honest catch: Less flexible than WordPress, less e-commerce capable than Shopify. It's a middle platform that does everything okay but nothing exceptionally well. Fine if design is your primary concern, limiting if you need deep functionality.
Squarespace, Wix, and the others — The Honest Summary
| Platform | Good for | Avoid if |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Full control, SEO, long-term growth | You want something simple and hands-off |
| Shopify | Serious product selling | You're a service business, not a retailer |
| Wix | Fast, DIY, simple sites | You need serious e-commerce or SEO depth |
| Squarespace | Design-first businesses | You need deep functionality or lowest cost |
The Question Everyone Avoids: What Happens When It Breaks?
This is the real cost of each platform that nobody talks about.
WordPress breaks: Your site goes down, your plugins conflict, you get hacked. Who fixes it? You, or a developer. Ongoing maintenance is a real cost you should budget for — $100-200/month for a maintenance contract, or your own time.
Shopify breaks: You contact support. It gets fixed. The tradeoff is you're entirely dependent on them. When Shopify has an outage, your store is offline even if you did nothing wrong.
Wix breaks: You contact support. For most issues, they resolve it. The platform is stable and managed.
Squarespace breaks: Same as Wix — managed, stable, you contact support.
The question isn't just "which platform is cheapest." It's "when something goes wrong at 9pm on a Sunday, who is fixing it, and how long does it take?"
My Recommendation for Most Singapore SMEs
If you're a service business or professional — WordPress. Yes, there's a learning curve. But the long-term cost is lower, you own everything, and when you need to add functionality (booking system, portfolio, blog, client portal), it handles it without monthly app subscription stacking.
If you're a retailer with more than 20 products — Shopify. The e-commerce features are worth the cost. The ecosystem of apps, local payment integrations, and shipping tools is mature and Singapore-ready.
If you need something now and have zero technical interest — Wix. Accept the limitations, build something decent, and upgrade when your business demands it.
Avoid — Squarespace for most Singapore SMEs. It's a beautiful platform for the right audience, but that audience is creatives and agencies, not the typical Singapore SME trying to get found online and generate leads.
The Decision Framework in One Sentence
If you sell products, Shopify. If you sell services and want to own your online presence long-term, WordPress. If you need something working this week and don't want to think about it, Wix.
Want help figuring out which platform is right for your specific situation? Talk to us — we'll give you a straight answer without the sales pitch.