SquareSpace vs WordPress, Which is Better?

There are many content management systems available nowadays which can help you create beautiful websites. When you compare WordPress to other platforms, it's important to understand the key differences in flexibility, features, and technical requirements. Squarespace and WordPress are the popular CMS platforms among those varied options available in the market. Both have the potential to meet the growing demands of the online market.  But which one is better of the two?

In this blog post, we are going to cover what these two popular CMS platforms have to offer to their users, their pros and cons, etc. Squarespace is widely recognized as an all-in-one website platform, while WordPress is renowned as a powerful blogging platform with extensive customization options. This would help you decide which website builder/CMS platforms suit your unique needs.

Though each one has its own strengths and weakness, yet understanding them and how they will affect your decision-making process is very crucial in any business process.

Introduction to Website Builders

In today’s online world, website builders have become essential tools for anyone looking to create a professional online presence without needing advanced technical skills. Website builders like Squarespace and WordPress offer user friendly interfaces that allow individuals, creative entrepreneurs, and small business owners to design, build, and customize their websites with ease. These platforms eliminate the need for complex coding, making it possible for users to launch a website quickly and efficiently.

While both Squarespace and WordPress are leading website builders, each brings its own set of features, customization options, and advantages to the table. Understanding the basics of these website platforms—and how they differ—can help you choose the right solution for your unique needs, whether you’re building a personal blog, an online store, or a business website.

1. Easy to use and learn

Most of the beginners are not acquainted with the coding languages such as HTML, CSS, etc. They want their work done in minimum time with easy to use options and a gentle learning curve. Let us explore how WordPress and Squarespace keep up the momentum in this category.

WordPress

WordPress provides its users with a lot of options to choose from. It can be used by users of all levels. Starting from blogging to an enterprise-level website – all can be easily built using WordPress. It is very easy to use with slight learning required by the beginners like WordPress Terminologies, common concepts of posts & pages, categories & tags, themes & plugins and the difference between those. However, compared to other website builders like Squarespace, WordPress can have a much steeper learning curve for those unfamiliar with website building, especially due to its advanced customization options and plugin integrations.

The default WordPress is really easy and with the introduction of Gutenberg, building websites has become really simple. There are blocks that make working with WordPress simpler and easy to understand. Blocks allow the users to add images, videos, audio in an extremely easy manner.  Most of the users easily get adapted to all the terminologies of WordPress. The large and active WordPress community also provides extensive support, resources, and plugins to help users overcome challenges and make the most of the platform.

SquareSpace

To get started with Squarespace, users first need to create a Squarespace account, which streamlines the website setup process by allowing quick template selection and easy customization without the hassle of separate hosting or domain registration.

SquareSpace comes with a limited number of choices which makes it easy and simple to use. Even beginners can start and quickly write the content and publish it.

The addition of images, videos and audio files is much easier than WordPress with the help of the Squarespace editor, a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface called Fluid Engine. This editor provides a grid overlay for easy placement and alignment of various elements, making website design straightforward. Squarespace also offers the Squarespace Blueprint, an AI-powered design tool that helps users generate a customized website template by answering a short questionnaire and selecting design preferences, making website creation faster and more tailored. It also allows you to customize the templates and pages using a visual editor. But the limited options available don’t allow the users to customize effectively.

2. Enhanced Cost-effectiveness

Cost-effectiveness is very important in making a business decision. When comparing website builders, understanding Squarespace pricing and Squarespace's pricing structure is crucial to ensure you get the best value for your needs. Let us explore the pricing plans of WordPress and each Squarespace plan.

Squarespace offers several plans, including the Commerce Basic and Commerce Advanced plans, which are designed for e-commerce businesses. The Commerce Basic plan provides integrated selling capabilities and essential features for online stores, while the Commerce Advanced plan includes advanced e-commerce tools like Abandoned Cart Recovery for more comprehensive selling needs.

When choosing the right subscription, it's important to have a clear business plan that considers your budget, goals, and technical requirements. This will help you select the most suitable Squarespace plan for your website.

Additionally, Squarespace often includes a custom domain for free with annual plans, adding further value to their pricing options.

WordPress

It is open-source software that is licensed under GNU GPL. WordPress.org is a self hosted platform, meaning it is free to download and use, alter and update according to personal requirements, but users must manage their own hosting. Building any website using WordPress, one would require a web hosting provider. To set up a self hosted WordPress site, you need to install WordPress on your chosen hosting server, which is often a straightforward process with one-click installation options.

A self hosted WordPress site gives users full control and ownership, but also means taking responsibility for hosting, security, maintenance, and backups. One can choose from a shared hosting plan, a virtual private server or even a dedicated server. Shared hosting plans work for most of the small-sized websites – be it personal or business. Many people choose WordPress for greater flexibility and control over their website compared to hosted platforms.

The price of hosting and domain name may vary depending on the type of hosting server you go with. It depends on the individual about the number and type of resources that are required by the website and the amount that could be spent on that.

One of the reasons for the popularity of WordPress is that the overall costs of building a website using WordPress are very low. Well, one can easily change the hosting plan as the site and the business grows. This implies that website owners have to pay only for the resources that are being used by them.

SquareSpace

Squarespace is a hosted platform, meaning it manages all the technical aspects such as maintenance, security, and updates for you. All Squarespace plans include website hosting, so users do not need to purchase separate hosting services—this simplifies the process and ensures features like SSL security and reliable uptime.

The personal plan starts from $12 per month and is affordable. But it comes with limited options such as one can add only two contributors to the website, limited customization options with CSS and JavaScript. The professional plan which costs $18 per month allows one to create unlimited pages, galleries, blogs, storage and can have unlimited contributors. Also, the professional plan gives an option of SSL security, 24/7 security, sell unlimited products on eCommerce websites, accept donations easily, etc.

Here again, WordPress stands ahead when compared with SquareSpace based on the flexibility of plans. Further, the cost depends on the resources that are in use, and the WordPress site can be used in any required way.

3. Ease of designing and adding features

It is customary that when your business grows, your website will also. As you expand, the user interface of your website builder becomes increasingly important, as it affects how easily you can interact with design tools and manage updates.

With WordPress, you can choose from thousands of themes, including free templates and the option to work with a WordPress designer to create a custom theme tailored to your brand. WordPress offers advanced functionality through its extensive plugin ecosystem and the ability to add custom code or custom CSS for advanced customization. This flexibility allows you to implement unique features and layouts, making it possible to achieve a highly personalized website. For users with technical skills, custom code and custom CSS can be used to further enhance design and functionality beyond standard options.

Squarespace, on the other hand, provides a curated selection of Squarespace templates and Squarespace's templates, all of which are professional looking templates designed for ease of use and visual appeal. Each Squarespace template is professionally developed, mobile responsive, and easy to customize, even for beginners. The platform also offers a variety of free templates that are consistent in structure and suitable for various industries. Advanced users can further modify designs with custom CSS for a more professional appearance.

Both WordPress and Squarespace support mobile editing, allowing you to adjust your site's appearance specifically for mobile devices. This ensures your website remains responsive and visually appealing as your business and audience grow.

WordPress

WordPress is open-source and highly extensible, offering many plugins—over 60,000—including free plugins, premium plugins, and a vast selection of third party plugins. This extensive library allows users to add new features and customize their sites for any purpose. While there are thousands of free plugins available, many advanced features are provided through premium plugins, and the flexibility of third party plugins makes WordPress suitable for nearly any type of website.

Also, there are plenty of free and paid themes available that can be easily installed on the website. Themes are responsible for the appearance of the website. These are available for almost every kind of industry, business or any other category of website that has to be built. Installation of WordPress theme or plugin is really simple and there are innumerous documentation and support forums available for the themes and plugins.

SquareSpace

There is a limited number of templates available in Squarespace, and those can be changed using only the site customizer features with a few feature options to choose from. Managing a Squarespace site is straightforward, making it easy for users to update content and design without technical skills. You can install plugins to extend the functionality of the website.

However, a Squarespace website offers integration options with selected services, providing built-in features and security that appeal to users seeking simplicity. But the options are again very few and limited.

4. Ecommerce Options

The growing trend of online shopping has given rise to more and more eCommerce websites.

WordPress

There are a lot of options available with WordPress that allows easy integration of any payment processor or platform. Also, there are many WordPress plugins that allow integration of PayPal, Google Checkout, Stripe, Skrill and even Bitcoin.

The eCommerce plugins available can turn any website into an online store within no time. The countless options of WordPress themes allow the website owners to design their website specifically for the eCommerce industry. There are tools available that can manage affiliate tracking and add links to the website.

Also, there is no limitation on the number of products that can be added to the website.

SquareSpace

There is a limitation while deploying eCommerce options using SquareSpace, like for payment option they provide Stripe, which is not available in all the countries across the globe. There is no other payment option available restricting the ability to accept payments from a global audience.

For any budding business, initiating with the limited features is not so good choice.  There is also a limit on the number of products to be sold in professional and personal plans. Let’s say that the number of products to be sold is only 40, but still, the website owner has to buy a professional plan. Well, the yearly cost of hosting a site with just 40 products will be way higher than the shared hosting plan of WordPress.

Talking about third-party services, there are very few external services that can be integrated with SquareSpace.

5. Data Portability

The migration of data from one platform to another can be referred to as data portability. However, users should be aware that they cannot export their entire website, including all files and databases. If the website owners are not happy with the services provided by their current service provider, then they can change their service provider whenever they want.

WordPress

WordPress provides tools that help in exporting data including images and other content in a simple manner. It facilitates the users with a backup option for the themes and plugins along with the database. In case anyone needs to change the CMS or the web host, the migration can be easily done.

Squarespace

There are limited options available with an export feature of Squarespace. Only certain parts of the content can be exported in an XML file, which might include pages, images, and blog pages.

6. SEO and Performance

When it comes to getting your website noticed by search engines, both Squarespace and WordPress offer robust solutions, but they take different approaches. Squarespace’s SEO features are largely automated, making it easy for users to optimize their site without diving into technical details. This is ideal for those who want to focus on content and design, while still benefiting from solid search engine visibility. On the other hand, WordPress sites provide much greater flexibility and control over technical SEO. With access to powerful SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, WordPress users can fine-tune every aspect of their site’s optimization, from meta tags to sitemaps and beyond. This level of control is especially valuable for those who want to maximize their site’s performance in search results.

Performance is another key factor to consider. WordPress sites can be optimized for speed and security using a wide range of plugins, caching solutions, and hosting options. This allows for advanced customization and technical SEO improvements, but it also means that website maintenance is largely the responsibility of the site owner. In contrast, Squarespace handles website maintenance, security, and performance behind the scenes, ensuring a smooth and reliable experience for visitors. Whether you prioritize hands-on control or a more automated approach, both Squarespace and WordPress offer strong SEO and performance features to help your website succeed.

7. Community and Support

Having access to reliable support and a vibrant community can make a big difference when building websites, especially if you run into challenges or want to learn new skills. WordPress stands out as a website builder with one of the largest and most active communities in the world. WordPress support is available through countless online forums, detailed tutorials, and a wealth of YouTube videos covering every aspect of WordPress websites. Whether you’re troubleshooting a plugin, customizing a WordPress theme, or looking for advice on best practices, the WordPress community is always ready to help.

Squarespace, meanwhile, offers a different approach to support. Users benefit from 24/7 customer service via email, live chat, and social media, ensuring that help is always just a message away. Squarespace also provides an extensive knowledge base and step-by-step guides to assist users with everything from setting up a Squarespace site to customizing templates. Both Squarespace and WordPress make it easy to find answers and improve your website-building skills, whether you prefer community-driven support or direct assistance from the platform itself.

Conclusion

WordPress is far better than Squarespace, but depending on the individuals’ choice, both the CMS platforms are very popular.

If you have any thoughts regarding the pros and cons of the above two CMS platforms, your thoughts are most welcome in the comments below.