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Trying to decide between Shopify and Squarespace can be confusing. Both website builders are known for their strong ecommerce features, customizable templates, and user-friendly interfaces. So what’s the difference, and which one is better?
Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform geared specifically to those who want to start an online store, whereas Squarespace is a general website builder with ecommerce functionalities.
In this extensive Shopify vs Squarespace comparison, we’ll explore what each platform offers, including their features, ecommerce functionalities, cost, and general user-friendliness. Let’s take a look.
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Shopify vs Squarespace Compared
Before I get into the details of each platform’s features, let’s first take a look at how Shopify and Squarespace stack up across key categories:
| Shopify | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $29/month | $16/month |
| Free Plan | 3-day free trial | ❌ |
| Free Domain | Available | Available on paid plans for the first year |
| E-commerce Capabilities | ✅ | ✅ |
| Included SEO Tools | ✅ | ✅ |
| User Support | Live chat and email, and additional phone support (for the Plus plan) | Live chat, email, Facebook Messenger, X |
| Bandwidth/Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited bandwidth, undisclosed storage allowance |
| Security Features | SSL, TLS, HSTS, 2FA | SSL, TLS, HSTS, 2FA |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30 days | 14 days |
Squarespace vs Shopify Pricing Compared
In this section, I’ll examine the cost of Squarespace and Shopify’s plans to identify which one offers the best value.
| Pricing Plans | Shopify Pricing (Annually) | Squarespace Pricing (Annually) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Version | ❌ (3-day free trial and first month for $1) | ❌ (14-day free trial) |
| Starter | $29/month
(Shopify Basic) |
$16/month
(Personal) |
| Advanced | $79/month
(Shopify) |
$23/month
(Business Plan) |
| Premium | $299/month
(Shopify Advanced) |
$28/month
(Commerce Basic) |
| Ultimate | $2,300/month
(Shopify Plus) |
$52/month
(Commerce Advanced) |
Across all pricing tiers, Squarespace is definitely the cheaper of the two. Neither Squarespace nor Shopify has a free plan, but they both have free trial options—Shopify for 3 days and Squarespace for 14. In addition, Shopify has a one-month plan for $1, so you can try out the platform before committing to one of their paid plans, giving you a decent amount of time to check whether it is the website builder for you.
While Shopify’s Advanced and Plus plans are undoubtedly expensive, these are meant for mid to large-scale businesses. Meanwhile, Squarespace’s pricing plans are more suitable for smaller ventures. A more like-to-like comparison would be the Shopify plan and Squarespace’s Commerce Advanced Plan, but even then, the latter has the leg up in terms of subscription costs.
That said, Shopify offers more robust ecommerce capabilities, which users can begin to enjoy right from the Basic plan. On the other hand, you’ll need at least the Business Plan on Squarespace to get any ecommerce features. If you don’t want the additional baggage of transaction fees, it will be worth getting the Commerce Basic plan, which is comparable to the Shopify pricing for its most basic plan.
Transaction fees compared: Transaction fees are where ecommerce site costs can really add up. When comparing transaction fees for ecommerce between Shopify and Squarespace, Shopify generally has higher transaction fees unless you use their own payment processor, Shopify Payments, and then there are none.
With Squarespace’s Commerce Basic and Commerce Advanced plans, the platform does not charge additional transaction fees on top of what the payment processors charge (e.g., Stripe or PayPal). This makes Squarespace potentially more cost-effective if you are using a third-party payment processor. If you are using Shopify, Shopify Payments is the way to go.
Shopify vs Squarespace Ease of Use
Winner: Squarespace
Squarespace offers a smooth experience for anyone looking to build a general website. It comes with a drag-and-drop builder best known for its intuitive interface. Squarespace is also easier to use than Shopify when creating various content pages like blogs or landing pages.
On the other hand, Shopify is more focused on letting you build an online store. It has a streamlined interface for adding and managing products and is very user-friendly. However, while it’s one of the best ecommerce website builders, it’s not as good a fit for a general-purpose website like a blog, personal page, or service-based business website.
Shopify’s main weakness is in its inline editing capabilities, so you won’t be able to make too many changes on a live page. Shopify also has a steeper learning curve when it comes to website building, while being beginner-friendly is one of Squarespace’s biggest strengths.
If you plan to manage complex product catalogs or intricate discount structures, Shopify is your winner. However, if you simply want to build a portfolio or personal website or run a small to mid-size service-based business, Squarespace is the better and more affordable option.
Shopify vs Squarespace Key Features
Winner: Shopify
Shopify and Squarespace are both winners if you consider the markets they’re actually tailored for. That said, Shopify takes the lead when it comes to key features and comprehensive solutions.
Overall, Shopify is the clear winner for a strictly ecommerce website with its powerful sales features. But for a website with both an online store and a strong content presence, Squarespace offers more flexibility for design and content creation.
Shopify or Squarespace for Ecommerce – Which One Is Better?
By now, you understand that Shopify is a website builder platform specifically designed for ecommerce. Squarespace is more of an all-around website builder platform that can suit a wide range of needs, but it also has ecommerce capabilities. Since Squarespace is a lot cheaper, you might be wondering if it’s good enough for your online store. I’ve rounded up both platform’s ecommerce capabilities to help you decide:
Shopify Ecommerce Features at a Glance:
- Shopify Basic: Comes with all the essential features for setting up an online store, including product management and payment processing.
- Shopify Advanced: Comes with advanced features such as detailed reporting, third-party calculated shipping rates, and advanced inventory management.
- Shopify Dashboard: Centralized control panel for managing your online store.
- Inventory Management: Tools for tracking stock levels, bulk inventory updates, and alerts for low stock.
- Shopify Magic: AI-powered tools to enhance your store management and customer experience.
- Shopify’s Templates: A variety of free themes and premium themes for customizing the storefront.
- Google Analytics: Integration of Google Analytics for detailed tracking and analysis of website traffic and sales performance.
- SEO & Marketing Tools: Robust SEO tools, such as customizable meta descriptions, help you optimize your product pages and store visibility. Comprehensive marketing tools include social media integration, discounts, and gift cards.
- Shopify’s App Store: Tons of third-party app options for extending your ecommerce platform’s functionality.
- Shopify Users: Gives you multi-user access with different permission levels for team collaboration.
- Google Shopping: Shopify includes integration with Google Shopping so you can list your products directly.
- Shopify Email: Comes equipped with built-in email marketing tools to engage customers and promote products.
- Multi-Channel Selling: Lets you sell on various platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and more.
Squarespace Ecommerce Features at a Glance:
- Commerce Basic: Plan comes with core ecommerce tools for setting up and running an online store, including product management and payment processing.
- Commerce Advanced: Comes with enhanced features such as abandoned cart recovery, advanced shipping, and more detailed analytics.
- Squarespace’s Templates: Elegant, professionally designed templates tailored for various types of websites.
- Inventory Management: Tools for managing product stock, including alerts for low inventory.
- Google Analytics: Integration for tracking site performance and visitor behavior.
- SEO & Marketing Features: Squarespace comes with built-in SEO features that let you customize meta descriptions, optimize product pages, and improve search engine rankings. Marketing tools help you with email campaigns, social media integration, and promotional banners.
- Squarespace Extensions: Gives you access to third-party apps and integrations that extend the functionality of the ecommerce platform.
- Google Shopping: Like Shopify, Squarespace allows business owners to list their products on Google Shopping.
- Squarespace Premium Themes: Gives you access to high-quality, customizable themes to enhance your online store’s appearance.
- Multi-Channel Selling Features: Lets you easily sell on other platforms including Instagram and Facebook.
When comparing Shopify and Squarespace as ecommerce platforms, the primary difference lies in their focus and specialization. Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform, offering robust tools for online store management.
Conversely, Squarespace is known for its visually appealing and professionally designed templates, suitable for business owners who need a strong online presence beyond just ecommerce.
Shopify vs Squarespace Integrations
Winner: Shopify
When it comes to integrations, Shopify has a more extensive ecosystem, while Squarespace provides a curated selection that may be sufficient for creatives or smaller businesses.
- Shopify: You get an array of integrations through the Shopify App Store, catering to businesses seeking extensive customization and scalability. The platform seamlessly connects with numerous ecommerce tools, marketing platforms, and business software. For ecommerce, Shopify apps include services like Oberlo for dropshipping and Printful for print-on-demand. Its marketing capabilities are enhanced by connections to a host of marketing apps, like Mailchimp for email campaigns and Klaviyo for advanced marketing automation. On the business side, Shopify easily links with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero, CRM systems like Salesforce, and order fulfillment services like ShipStation.
- Squarespace: Squarespace takes a more focused approach with its “Extensions” marketplace, offering a streamlined, all-in-one solution with carefully selected add-ons. While it provides essential integrations, its options are more limited compared to Shopify. Squarespace connects with key ecommerce tools like ShipStation for order fulfillment but lacks some advanced options, such as dropshipping integrations. For marketing, you have platforms like Mailchimp and Facebook, though it doesn’t support more specialized tools like Klaviyo. Business software integrations are also more restricted and lack direct integration with advanced CRM systems.
The strength of a Squarespace website lies in its intuitive design and beautiful templates, making it an excellent choice for smaller businesses or creatives prioritizing aesthetics and simplicity. However, for larger e-commerce operations requiring extensive customization or specialized integrations, Shopify’s more comprehensive ecosystem offers greater flexibility and scalability.
Shopify vs Squarespace Customer Reviews
We’ve analyzed customer reviews from trusted sites to get a real-world picture of how Shopify and Squarespace perform. On Trustpilot, both Shopify and Squarespace don’t seem to impress a lot of people, with an average customer rating of 1.5 and 1.3 (out of 5), respectively.
Those who gave Shopify a 5-star rating pointed out their great customer service experience, especially in resolving payout issues. Some of these customers have been with the ecommerce platform for 10 years and use the website builder to run multiple online stores.
Other positive reviews for Shopify pointed out how easy it is to set up an online store. Users find its integrations easy enough to spare them from needing any coding knowledge.
However, most of the problems were with Shopify payments being held, which ultimately resolved themselves once proper documentation was submitted. Many other complaints were around its customer service and how difficult it is to get help when needed. Other complaints surrounding Shopify are not for its platform specifically but for individual Shopify stores.
In terms of overall customer service, Squarespace also receives mixed feedback. Some users complain about how hard it is to reach live support, with bots getting in their way. Others who were actually able to connect with human customer support, though, mentioned they were able to resolve their issues quickly.
One of the main reasons for Squarespace’s low rating is transfer issues after they took over Google Domains. On the other hand, positive Squarespace reviews say that it is one of the easiest website builders to use. Even then, some customers mentioned the lack of flexibility when customizing Squarespace templates and the relatively small number of integrations.
Overall, both Shopify and Squarespace have received praise and criticism in similar areas, such as ease of use and customer support. The steep price complaints on Shopify don’t seem to bother larger-scale merchants, while the DIY (and less customizable) web design features of Squarespace don’t seem to trouble those customers who only have basic website-building needs. I recommend that you read through all reviews to see how the platforms fit your specific needs from a user perspective.
Read all Squarespace reviews on Trustpilot
Read all Shopify reviews on Trustpilot
Squarespace vs Shopify: Which One Wins?
| Shopify | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ❌ | Winner |
| Security | Winner | ❌ |
| Ease of use | ❌ | Winner |
| Features | Winner | ❌ |
| Integrations | Winner | ❌ |
| Customer reviews | Winner | ❌ |
| Designs and Themes | ❌ | Winner |
One thing that’s clear in my Shopify vs Squarespace comparison is that they cater to different market segments. Thus, they win in their own target audience’s eyes: Shopify for those who want to build an ecommerce business and Squarespace for design-centric professionals and small ventures.
That said, if I were to pick the more robust and feature-packed website builder, considering its integrations and specialized key features, Shopify would be the overall winner.
Ultimately, the best platform for you is the one that matches your business idea and plans for scaling. If you intend on selling a wide catalog of products and services and eventually grow with multiple brands and stores, you’ll find Shopify to be the best website builder tailored for your business needs.
On the other hand, if you’re a solopreneur, creative professional, or small business owner who simply wants to showcase content and would like to highlight only a few simple digital products or your service tiers, Squarespace is the better option to build your personal brand.
How We Review And Test Website Builders
To provide our readers with accurate and well-informed recommendations, we test the most popular website builders on the market to find the best options for you. Our methodology consists of the following criteria:
- Template Variety and Quality: We evaluate the range and quality of pre-designed templates offered by each website builder, considering factors like aesthetics and customization options.
- Mobile Responsiveness: We test the responsiveness of websites created with each builder to ensure they display correctly and function smoothly on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
- Customization Options: We examine the level of customization available within each website builder: layouts, fonts, colors, custom CSS or HTML code.
- Ease of Use: We assess the user interface and overall usability of each website builder to determine how intuitive and beginner-friendly the website builder is.
- Speed and Performance: We measure the load speed and performance of websites built with each website builder, considering factors such as page load times, image optimization, and caching options.
- SEO Features: We analyze the built-in SEO tools and features offered by each website builder, including meta tags, sitemaps, URL structures, and integration with analytics platforms.
- E-commerce Functionality: We evaluate the e-commerce capabilities of each website builder, assessing product listings, inventory management, payment gateways, and order processing.
- Integrations: We look at the integration capabilities of each website builder, including compatibility with third-party tools such as email marketing software, CRM systems, and social media networks.
- Customer Support: We test the responsiveness and availability of customer support offered by each website builder, such as available support channels, response times, and user satisfaction ratings.
- Scalability and Flexibility: We evaluate the scalability and flexibility of each website builder, considering factors such as the ability to add new pages, features, and functionality as the website grows and evolves.
- Security Features: We review the security features of each website builder, including SSL encryption, malware scanning, and regular security updates.
- Analytics and Reporting: We examine the analytics and reporting capabilities of each website builder, including the availability of built-in analytics tools, integration with external analytics platforms.
How to Choose the Best Website Builder
Website builder platforms come with various features, and it’s important to know how to choose the right one. Below, I’ll look at a few deciding factors for choosing the best website builder.
Consider what you want your website to accomplish. Are you starting an online store, a blog, or a portfolio? Identifying your primary goals will help you focus on platforms that offer the features and functionalities essential for your project.
Assess your budget and determine what you’re willing to spend on a website builder. Compare the pricing plans of different platforms and evaluate what features are included. Look for a balance between cost and the value offered to ensure you’re getting the most out of your investment.
Determine how comfortable you are with technology and web design. If you’re a beginner, you’ll want a platform with an intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality. For more experienced users, a builder with advanced customization options and coding capabilities might be preferable.
Identify the must-have features for your website. This could include eCommerce capabilities, SEO tools, mobile responsiveness, and integrations with other services. Ensure the website builder you choose can meet your specific requirements.
Evaluate the templates and design flexibility offered by each platform. A wide variety of high-quality, customizable templates will allow you to create a unique and professional-looking website that aligns with your brand identity.
Look into the customer support services provided by the website builders. Reliable and accessible support can be crucial, especially if you encounter issues or need help setting up your site. Check for availability of live chat, email support, and comprehensive knowledge bases.
FAQs
What is best, Shopify or Squarespace?
Should I switch from Squarespace to Shopify?
Is it worth it to sell on Squarespace?
Can I use Shopify with Squarespace?
What can Shopify do that Squarespace can’t?
References
- Squarespace Help Center (Squarespace)
- Start an online store (Squarespace)
- Shopify Help Center (Shopify)
- Best Marketing and Conversion Apps (Shopify)
