Are you looking to build a stunning website that can attract millions of people? Then it’s no wonder why you’ve decided to choose between Squarespace vs WordPress. This blog compares WordPress vs Squarespace using several crucial factors. So be with us!
Building an appealing website has never been easier before. Thanks to leading web building platforms like Squarespace and WordPress for making the entire process seamless. Both Squarespace vs WordPress offer contrasting approaches when it comes to building a website in today’s time.
So what should you choose between WordPress vs Squarespace? Well, honestly speaking, there’s no best-suited answer to this. Because it entirely depends on what you’re planning to build.
So without any further delay, let’s compare them both on various factors, understand the important differences, and help you give a much clearer idea of which platform is best suited for your business.
Let’s begin with a key question! What is Squarespace? And what is WordPress?
Squarespace vs WordPress: A Quick Overview
Squarespace
Squarespace is a complete, all-in-one website builder that has everything you need to create a standout website. Squarespace is more of a software as a service (SaaS) website builder. Launched in 2004 as a blog-hosting service, Squarespace has since flourished to become an incredibly popular website builder. Being a hosted website builder, Squarespace includes templates, automatic updates, e-commerce, hosting, and more.
WordPress
WordPress is the most popular CMS in today’s time, powering more than 42% of all websites with a market share of over 65%. It’s a flexible, open-source CMS that you can use the way you want. Launched in 2003, WordPress has quickly evolved to become the best-in-class CMS for both individuals and organizations. Seeing the growing demand and numerous benefits, companies are leveraging WordPress development services to lure customers.
Squarespace vs WordPress: 7 Differences You Need to Know Before Choosing
Ease of Use
Squarespace is a drag-and-drop website builder that works on what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) concept. All in all, Squarespace is super easy to use that requires no coding skills while making changes to your website. Therefore, Squarespace is a great choice for true novices and non-techy users.
On the other hand, WordPress is also easy to set up and use, and it’s also very responsive. However, when it comes to editing the pages, you will need some technical knowledge and coding skills. So compared to Squarespace in terms of ease of use, WordPress slightly loses the game.
Templates and Themes
Without any doubt, Squarespace has the best quality designs of any website builder in the market. The templates are clean, attractive, sophisticated, and professional. You can say that templates and themes have always been a strength for Squarespace. So if you want out-of-the-box themes for your website, Squarespace should be your way to go.
Coming to WordPress, WordPress (undoubtedly) has more templates (aka themes) than any other website builder in the market. They have over 45,000 themes. Can you believe it? So no matter if you’re building a simple website or an e-commerce store, WordPress offers themes for all types of business. However, the templates are not as expertly designed as Squarespace’s.
Apps and Plugins
When it comes to apps and plugins, no one can beat WordPress. Plugins are the main support system of WordPress. There are tons of WordPress plugins (over 55,000 and counting) for whatever functionality you need. You name it, and WordPress will have a plugin for your functionality. WooCommerce (for e-commerce store development) and Yoast SEO (for SEO functionalities) are the most popular WP add-ons.
On the other hand, Squarespace doesn’t have as many plugins like WordPress, but it pretty much covers all the basic functionalities. Some notable Squarespace apps are Outfy, Shippo, and EZ Texting. But WordPress is a clear winner here when it comes to adding vast functionality to your website using add-ons.
E-Commerce Functionality
If you want to set up an online store with either Squarespace or WordPress, you’re thinking in the right direction. Why? Because both Squarespace and WordPress have the tools that can help you build a persuasive online store. By using WooCommerce development services, anyone can build an e-commerce store in no time.
That said, Squarespace also gives you everything you need to start selling online. All the sales tools are fully integrated into Squarespace. Hence, you won’t face any trouble in setting up your e-commerce store. So I think both WordPress vs Squarespace is good at handling e-commerce functionality.
Pricing
WordPress is free, but Squarespace is not. With WordPress, you can start and set up your website for free but need to pay for additional services like web hosting. However, when it comes to Squarespace, it offers four different pricing plans, ranging from $12 to $40 per month.
So in one way or another, you need to pay for both Squarespace and WordPress. However, when it comes to choosing one in terms of pricing, you should go with WordPress because Squarespace is indeed more expensive. So choose wisely depending on your website requirements and your customers’ needs.
SEO
WordPress has several plugins to handle SEO operations seamlessly. Yoast SEO is one such example. It’s one of the most popular SEO plugins in the world. However, Squarespace has more built-in features for SEO. So it can be a tie when it comes to talking about SEO functionality.
Though if you look closely, WordPress may have an upper hand because it allows you to add any plugin to make your SEO stronger than ever. While Squarespace doesn’t have this option. WordPress is highly customizable when it comes to adding functionalities like SEO, but Squarespace is not. So according to us, WordPress can be a winner here if we look closely.
Security
Squarespace is a hosted platform that means the responsibility for security lies with the Squarespace only. If anything related to your website gets compromised, Squarespace is to be blamed.
However, with WordPress, you need to hire an agency to maintain the security of your website, and that’s more reliable. They ensure that your WordPress site is updated and fully secured. Plus, you can always use plugins to add an extra layer of security to your WordPress website whenever you need it.
Squarespace vs WordPress: Final Verdict
Both Squarespace vs WordPress are leading website builders. They are literally the giants of the website building world. So no matter what you choose, you will end up choosing one of the greatest website builders in the world. Still, depending on the differences we discussed and your business needs, you can choose the one that is best suited for your business website.
You can choose Squarespace for ease of use, designs, and better customer support. However, WordPress is a better option for plugins, flexibility, and customizability.
