A medical website builder (a do-it-yourself platform such as Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, GoDaddy or Webflow) can run a perfectly good practice site, as long as the site doesn't collect patient information or the builder's form tool is covered by a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). The real comparison isn't builder against builder. It's doing the site yourself against having it run for you, and the time that takes every week.
Searches for "medical website builder" are modest at 30 a month (CPC $47.43), while the related "hipaa compliant website builder" draws 170 (Google Ads Keyword Planner data via DataForSEO, US, 12-month average to Sep 2026). That second number tells you what owners are really asking. Our HIPAA checks for website builders answer it builder by builder, with dates. This page doesn't repeat those verdicts.
DIY website builders vs a managed practice website
With a builder, you pay a subscription and do the work: pick a design, write pages, set up forms, publish updates. With a managed site, a vendor builds and runs it, and you approve changes.
| Item | DIY builder | Managed practice website |
|---|---|---|
| Who writes and updates pages | You or your staff | The vendor, with your approval |
| Form setup and BAA | Your job to check and configure | Part of what you're buying; confirm it in writing |
| Speed and technical fixes | Limited to what the builder exposes | The vendor's responsibility |
| Cost | Lower subscription, plus staff time | Higher subscription, less staff time |
Medfy sits in the second column, and it isn't a do-it-yourself tool. It rebuilds your current site and hosts it on your own domain, includes HIPAA-compliant forms, and publishes researched articles every week, which you approve or set to auto-publish. You see a free preview of the rebuilt site before subscribing.
What practices use: Wix, Squarespace, WordPress, GoDaddy, Webflow
Last verified: October 22, 2026, on each vendor's own help pages. Plans and policies change, so recheck before you commit.
| Builder | Who maintains it | Form options | BAA status | What you control for speed | Structured data support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Wix runs hosting; you maintain content | Wix Forms; entries stored in a submissions table (opens in a new tab) in the dashboard, exportable as CSV | See our check: is Wix HIPAA compliant | Images, sections, apps and embeds you add | Custom JSON-LD markup (opens in a new tab), up to five per page and under 7,000 characters each; preset markup on Stores, Bookings, Blog and Events pages |
| Squarespace | Squarespace runs hosting; you maintain content | Form blocks send to email, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Zapier or the Contacts panel (opens in a new tab) | See our check: is Squarespace HIPAA compliant | Images, blocks and embeds you add | Automatic schemas (opens in a new tab) (including local business) that can't be edited or removed; code injection (opens in a new tab) on Core, Plus and Advanced plans |
| WordPress (self-hosted) | You or a contractor maintain core, theme and plugins (opens in a new tab) | Form plugins you install | See the builder checks linked above | Host, theme, plugins and images | Through SEO plugins or custom code |
| GoDaddy | GoDaddy runs hosting; you maintain content | Confirm where submissions are stored in GoDaddy's help center | See the builder checks linked above | Images and sections you add | Confirm with GoDaddy |
| Webflow | Webflow runs hosting; you or a designer maintain the site | Confirm where submissions are stored in Webflow's help center | See the builder checks linked above | Images, interactions and custom code you add | Confirm with Webflow |
GoDaddy's and Webflow's help centers couldn't be opened when we checked, so those cells list what to confirm rather than features.
Forms and patient data: the first question to ask any builder
Ask this before anything else: when a patient presses Send, where does the submission go, and has every company in that path signed a BAA?
Under 45 CFR 164.502(e) (opens in a new tab), a vendor that receives, stores or transmits patient information for your practice must give written assurances, the BAA. Builder forms can send data to several kinds of destination. Squarespace, for example, offers email, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Zapier and its own Contacts panel as storage options. Each destination you switch on is a separate vendor to check.
If the builder won't sign a BAA on your plan, you have two clean options: keep the site informational (phone number and address only), or embed a separate form tool that does sign. Our guide to HIPAA compliant form builders compares those tools.
Speed, service pages and structured data on builder sites
Speed. On a hosted builder you don't control the platform's code, but you do control the heaviest parts: image sizes, sliders, embedded maps and video, and third-party widgets. Most slow builder sites are slow because of what was added, not the builder.
Service pages. Every builder can make one page per service. The question is whether someone will. Patients search for individual services, so a single "Services" page leaves most of those searches to competitors.
Structured data. This is code that labels your practice name, address, hours and services for search engines. Support varies: Wix accepts custom JSON-LD, Squarespace adds fixed schemas automatically, and WordPress relies on plugins. Whatever you add must match what's visible on the page, per Google's structured data guidelines (opens in a new tab).
The time cost: who updates the site every week
A builder subscription is cheap. The hours aren't. Price your own time against this list.
Weekly
- Update hours, closures and provider availability.
- Check that a test form submission arrives where it should.
- Publish new content: an article, a service update or a provider change.
Monthly
- Apply platform, theme or plugin updates and retest forms afterward (WordPress especially).
- Run a mobile speed test on a service page.
- Add or refresh a service page.
- Review Search Console for errors and pages that dropped.
Yearly
- Recheck each vendor's BAA terms and your plan level.
- Confirm your name, address, phone and hours still match your Google Business Profile.
If nobody on staff owns this list, the site will drift. That's the most common reason practices move from a builder to a managed site.
When a builder is enough and when it is not
When a builder is the better fit
- A new or small practice with a handful of services.
- An informational site with no patient data collected, or forms routed to a separate tool that signs a BAA.
- A staff member who enjoys editing and has the hours each week.
When it stops being enough
- You need online requests and the builder's forms aren't covered by a BAA on your plan.
- You have many services, providers or locations, and pages fall out of date.
- Nobody has time for weekly updates, speed checks or new content.
Still deciding between a theme and a custom build? See templates vs custom design. Our medical website design guide covers the whole decision. To see where your current site stands, start with a free marketing audit, then a free preview of your rebuilt website.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best website builder for doctors?
There isn't one best builder; the right choice depends on what the site has to do. If it only publishes services, providers and hours, most mainstream builders can handle it. If it collects appointment requests or other patient details, the deciding question is whether the form tool stores submissions with a vendor that signs a Business Associate Agreement on your plan. Then weigh who will update the site every week.
Can I build a medical website on Wix or Squarespace?
You can publish a public information site on either: services, providers, hours and directions. The harder part is anything that collects patient information, such as appointment requests or intake questions. Check where each platform stores form submissions and whether it signs a Business Associate Agreement for your plan before you collect them. Our dated HIPAA checks for each builder cover the current terms.
Do website builders sign a BAA?
Policies differ by vendor and by plan, and they change. A builder may decline to sign a Business Associate Agreement, or offer one only on certain plans or products. Check the vendor's current official terms, get the signed agreement before any patient data flows, and recheck after plan changes. If a builder won't sign, keep patient data off it and use a separate covered form tool.