WordPress Vs Squarespace: What’s The Difference?
WordPress Vs Squarespace: What Are The Differences + Which One Should I Choose?
Before comparing WordPress to Squarespace, it’s helpful to think about what kind of website platform you’re looking for that suits your unique situation.
What kind of website will you be creating? A blog, a website for your business, an online store, or a mixture of all three!
Will you be building your own website yourself, or will you be hiring a designer or developer?
Similarly, will you be maintaining your website yourself, or will some else, such as a member of your team?
What features are important to you?
Starting off with the wrong platform can make it very difficult to switch later on.
As your site evolves, you may want to change the look of your site so it’s more tailored to your growing audience. You may also wish to add additional features to your website (such as eCommerce) or integrate with awesome platforms that allow you to up-level your blog or business. Even if you’re not at that stage yet, it’s wise to choose a website platform that future-proofs your site so you have the flexibility to add, adapt and evolve as your website grows.
Let’s dive into the differences between WordPress and Squarespace:
WordPress (Self-Hosted WordPress.org)
Pros
Full Control – WordPress websites are 100% owned by their owner, giving you full control over every aspect of your website.
Extensive Design Options – with thousands of free and premium themes available
Extensive Functionality Options – Extremely adaptable to add new features with more than 45,000 free plugins available; like portfolios, memberships options and online store integrations.
Content Management System – The WordPress dashboard; where you can create blog posts and webpages, has been compared to an online version Microsoft Word so you won’t feel out of place. And if you’d like to code, you can do that too.
Unlimited Everything – you’ll never have a limit on how many pages, posts or products you can publish on your website.
Cons
WordPress itself isn’t responsive, you’ll need to ensure your chosen theme is mobile responsive.
Managing your own website can come with a bit of a learning curve.
You will need to manage your own backups and security.
(I’m creating a course on this! Sign up to be notified when Women’s Wicked WordPress is open for enrollment)
Pricing
WordPress is free, you’ll just need to choose a domain name and hosting service provider, usually costing below $100 for the year.
SiteGround is great for new bloggers. They are a full provider of domains, hosting and SSL certificates. They have the quickest and most helpful customer service I’ve experienced from a web provider and I really appreciate registering everything under with 1 provider because it makes managing and renewals so much easier.
Their hosting is super affordable at only $2.95 per month.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a website building service that allows you to create beautiful websites using easy drag and drop tools.
Pros
Drag and Drop – Squarespace is simple and easy to use for beginners who aren’t very tech-savvy.
Platform Provider – Includes domain, hosting, ssl certificate, and the use of their platform and templates.
Templates – The service includes a collection of professionally designed templates to choose from.
Responsive – Squarespace seamlessly transitions based on screen size and allows you to view what each page of your website will look like on each device.
Style Editor – While in the Style Editor, you can select any part of your website, and it will show you the design options affecting that specific part of your website.
Cover Pages – Add new landing pages to your website easily, and style it the way you like without affecting the rest of the website.
Cons
It is limited to the features built into their proprietary platform.
The Personal plan limits you to 20 pages, a blog, and 2 contributors.
Integrations are limited to a select few services and tools.
If you’re used to using WordPress, you might find it there’s a learning curve switching to Squarespace.
If you wish to cancel the service, it’s not easy to transfer your website to any other platform
Limited third party templates available
Blog templates aren’t traditional but offer a modern full-width layout
Third-party WordPress themes and plugins are incompatible
The Online store plan charges $40/month for what Woocommerce offers for free
Often users end up switching from Squarespace to WordPress to minimize their expenses and add more features on their websites.
Pricing
Squarespace is a ‘platform’ provider, charging a monthly fee (which you’ll be committing to indefinitely) to use their platform and host your website.
Pricing for their Personal plan starts at $16/month, or $144/year.
Pricing for their online store plan starts at $30/month, or $312/year.
WordPress Business
Now if you liked all the functionality and flexibility of WordPress, whilst appreciating the support Squarespace offers – you’re in luck!
WordPress now offer their own premium paid packages, their ‘business’ package gives you all the benefits of a wordpress.org self-hosted site, including the ability to install themes and plugins, but you also receive email and live chat support whenever you need it.
Pros
All the awesomeness of WordPress.org plus:
Email and live chat support
Unlimited storage space
Domain and hosting included
Cons
Managing your own website can come with a bit of a learning curve.
*I think* you will need to manage your own backups and security.
Pricing
At $25 per month, the price is significantly more expensive than regular hosting, but you might find that the few extra bucks is invaluable to you and your business.
Conclusion
I hope I’ve provided a non-biased view of WordPress vs Squarespace and the pros and cons associated with each website platform.
Choosing a blogging or website platform is a highly personal choice and in the end, I’d recommend choosing what feels right for you and your blog or business.
