Squarespace vs WordPress – Looking for a website building platform to create a stunning website? Selecting a website builder for this purpose is not an easy task. You need to keep a lot of things in mind. If you want to use a platform in which you do not require any special technical skills or have an in-depth knowledge of coding then WordPress and Squarespace are the two names that must have come to your mind.
WordPress is an open-source Content Management System that comes with many features and customization options. This easy to use yet powerful CMS powers approximately 30 percent of the total active websites.
With Squarespace, you can put together your website in a matter of hours because it uses a drag and drop approach. If you are not happy with something you have done then all you have to do is press the Esc key. This will take you back to the editing mode!
Here, we are going to compare each platform’s approach to website building. We will have a quick overview of Squarespace vs WordPress.
WordPress:
This open-source CMS is flexible and has a lot of customizable options. WordPress involves some technical know-how and has a slight learning curve. Although there are some hosting providers that are offering one-click solutions you will still have to update the software and make some changes according to your requirements. Overall, WordPress’ flexibility, scope of use, and popularity is undeniably a perk! There is a huge repository of free and paid plugins and themes to make your website functional in the way that you want and have the look and feel according to your needs.
Squarespace:
Squarespace is a beginner-friendly platform. It uses a drag and drop approach and offers a collection of simple and stylish templates. This is a suitable option for websites that need conventional features. It is a complete package. It includes everything you need right out of the box including hosting, themes, plugins and much more. You do not have to think about technical details because it is all being taken care of by the platform itself.
Before we dig more in-depth into WordPress vs Squarespace, we will provide an overview of what these platforms do, what are the key features and what are their requirements.
Squarespace vs WordPress: Pricing
Here comes the million-dollar question. Which is more cost-efficient, Squarespace or WordPress?
In Squarespace, you get to choose between various plans which are:
- $12 / month for a personal website
- $18 / month for a business website
- $26 / month for a basic online shop
- $40 / month for an advanced online shop
On the other hand, with WordPress, the price can vary depending on different factors including the hosting plan, theme price, and the price of additional plugins. You can make a budget and plan according to that.
WordPress vs Squarespace: Ease of Use
WordPress is a very powerful platform. Here you can modify the codes to customize your website and make it look the way you want. But for doing all of this you are required to have in-depth programming knowledge.
With Squarespace, it gets a little bit easier. Being a person who is not that much into coding, you can customize your website but it is a bit more restrictive. You have limited options for customization.
WordPress has a learning curve that is much steeper than Squarespace’s.
Verdict: If we are trying to compare both the platforms the Squarespace clearly requires zero coding knowledge but it also restricts you from doing things. You will have limited options of doable things with your website. On the other hand, WordPress has no limits. The more you know about coding, the more you can do with your website. So WordPress is the clear winner in this aspect.
WordPress vs Squarespace: Flexibility
The main difference between both platforms is that Squarespace is an online website builder and WordPress is a software that needs to run on its own web server.
In WordPress, you will have to sign up for your website’s hosting and purchase a domain name in order to start. Then, once you have hosting, you will have to install the software before you can start. In Squarespace, you do not have to sign for hosting or purchasing a domain. Instead, all you have to do is, just sign up for a Squarespace account. Then, within a few moments, you will be able to choose a template for your website.
In order to use Squarespace, you have to only sign up for an account. And after that, once you log in, you will have access to a user-friendly interface. Whereas, WordPress requires a little more technical knowledge. It requires you to install and update the software, plugins, and themes. You have to go in a little more of the depth of how does a website work.
Verdict: A majority of website owners at beginner-level users are not familiar with code related things. All they want a development platform that can let them create a website without having to code. In such a scenario, Squarespace gets the point.
Squarespace vs WordPress: Work Approach
Squarespace provides a guided experience for building your website from the very start which continues till the end. You have to select the design, your website’s purpose, and then title along with some additional basic details. After that, you can edit the demo content of your selected design. You can also create your own content entirely from the start if you want.
The entire website is managed by different subpages that are connected with each other through the menu. You can make changes to each page. You can also adjust how it relates to all the other pages through navigating the site builder’s options.
In WordPress’s admin panel, you simply get a dashboard displaying all the different options and settings, unlike Squarespace’s admin panel that offers a guided tour-like experience. Your website’s design is a good place, to begin with. You can do so by going to Appearance > Themes and then click on Add New. This step will take you to the official WordPress approved theme directory.
Here, you will find the listing of all free themes. You will have to search through them to find the one that really suits your website. After choosing a theme, you can expand the overall functionality of the website. And you can do so by using plugins. Plugins allow you to add different kinds of additional features.
Now you have come to a point where you can call it a day in terms of putting the framework for your website together. You can start adding content so that you can get your website looking just as you would like that.
Verdict: This aspect is no different from Ease of Use. Squarespace clearly requires almost no effort but that will also limit your possibilities. You can do nothing with your website except for some pre-given things. And WordPress has so many options to choose from. You can do an array of things. So WordPress gets the point again.
WordPress vs Squarespace: Key Features
WordPress:
- It offers advanced user management if you have multiple users to manage the website.
- You get advanced content management options like revisions, media embedding, etc. along with advanced styling options.
- It also offers already integrated basic image editing.
- It offers manual HTML editing as well..
- You get Social media integration and SEO features through plugins.
Squarespace:
- You can customize the content and its appearance.
- It offers an integrated image editor.
- It has built-in modules for different purposes.
- It provides a subdomain by default.
- It also offers built-in website traffic statistics.
Squarespace vs WordPress: Ecommerce
With Squarespace, you get a practical and efficient online shopping platform for your website. You can easily do things like adding a Product Page and add items to it, manage the inventory, add product variations, and shipping options, etc. When it comes to integrating a payment gateway, you can accept payments by Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. If you are planning to consider PayPal as an option then you will have to make a move. WordPress supports PayPal as a payment option. You can use a variety of e-commerce solutions including Shopify or BigCommerce to turn your website into a fully functional online store.
Verdict: Squarespace is a clear no when it comes to building an online shop. With an e-commerce website, you will be requiring a lot of functionality that you can get only if you are using WordPress.
WordPress vs Squarespace: SEO
Like every other website owner, you also want your website to stand out among others. Squarespace lets you implement the best SEO practices. It makes editing title tags, Meta descriptions, custom URLs very easy. But if you are running a blog or an e-commerce store then you won’t be able to make these modifications. At this point, WordPress is a better website building solution as you can either make the changes to the HTML manually or you can use plugins for this purpose.
Verdict: Do you want your website to rank higher on search engines? If yes, then WordPress should be your selection because it allows you to use best possible SEO practices.
Wrapping Up!
We had a question in the beginning that which is a better platform for building a website, Squarespace or WordPress?
And the answer is ‘it depends’.
There are some cases in which, WordPress is a better option when compared to Squarespace, and for some other cases you will find Squarespace better. It totally depends on your requirements, intended technical involvement and purpose of your business’ online presence that determines the platform you should go for.
Squarespace is the best option for beginners who want to create a website on their own, but do not have much technical knowledge of site-building. It offers a user-friendly and intuitive user interface. You also get a wide range of simple yet stylish templates that are optimized for their intended purposes.
On the other hand, people who want to have more freedom in building their website should use WordPress. It is suitable for users who have enough technical knowledge and a little idea about HTML and possibly CSS also.
Using WordPress gives you more control over your website and increases your options when it comes to managing the appearance and functionality of your website. You should choose this only if you are willing to invest your time in learning the platform and the way it works. If you looking for something more than just an online presence and need a functional website then WordPress has to be your choice. You can do A LOT with this platform.
Using any technology means that there will be instances when you will require some professional help and same goes with WordPress. If you get stuck somewhere or want to know more about Squarespace vs WordPress you can contact us on the Toll-Free no. 1-866-332-O276. We are available 24×7 as we work around the clock. Our WordPress Support Professionals will answer all the questions that you can possibly have.
