Comparisons

How FareBookings actually compares.

Factual, sourced, and fair to the other side — including where they genuinely do fine. No platform is bad at everything.

// All four, side by side

	FareBookings	WordPress	Wix	Squarespace
Speed out of the box	✓ 90+ mobile / 98 desktop	✗ 25–65 typical	– Decent, templated	– Decent, templated
Adding a real booking widget	✓ Built for this, 5-min install	– Plugin-dependent	– Embeds reasonably well	✗ Gated behind Business+ plan
Own your site, can leave	✓ Vanilla PHP, portable	✓ Self-hosted, exportable	✗ $7k–$20k to rebuild elsewhere	✗ $5k–$15k to rebuild elsewhere
Security / attack surface	✓ Zero plugins	✗ Plugin ecosystem = real risk	– Managed, but not yours to control	– Managed, but not yours to control
Pricing stability	✓ Fixed annual fee	– Free core, costs add up	– Platform sets the terms	✗ +26% price hike, July 2026
Ongoing SEO work	✓ Real person monitoring (add-on)	– Plugins exist, self-service	– Built-in tools, self-service	– Built-in tools, self-service

// Full detail on each

WordPress The most common starting point — flexible, but the plugin trade-off is real. Full comparison → Wix Handles embeds well. The cost shows up if you ever want to leave. Full comparison → Squarespace Great design tool — until you try to embed a real booking system. Full comparison →

// A different kind of comparison

Thinking of building it yourself with AI?

Website builders are one category. AI app builders like Base44 are a different one entirely — the question there isn't design flexibility, it's whether a payment can process at 3am when nobody's logged in.

FareBookings vs. Base44 & AI App Builders