Squarespace VS WordPress

Struggling to find a website builder that’s suitable for your needs? Looking for Squarespace VS WordPress comparisons? Look no further as today we’ll find out the main differences between these two players and decide which one is a better option.

Since there are definitely a lot of things to evaluate in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison, I will provide you with the most important features that must be considered when deciding which of these two website building platforms is more worthy. Once it’s done, I will focus on each of the factors separately and compare Squarespace VS WordPress based on them. 

Keep in mind that both Squarespace and WordPress are top-rated platforms, so the only thing that you need to figure out is which of these two providers is better for your personal needs. 

Without further ado, let’s move on to the comparison criteria and answer the question ‘WordPress or Squarespace?’ once and for all.

Squarespace VS WordPress: The Most Important Features for Evaluation

As mentioned at the very beginning of this article, it’s crucial to filter the most important features in order to figure out which of the two Squarespace VS WordPress is better for your needs. 

Table: general information about Squarespace and WordPress.

Once you’re aware of the most important factors, you can easily make the right decision and not worry about anything else. Now, below you will find the Squarespace VS WordPress comparison criteria that will help us to navigate throughout this guide.

• Usability. When it comes to the top-rated website builders, the majority of them have one thing in common, that’s amazing usability. Most website builders are created for people who have zero programming knowledge or experience building websites, so their main goal is to ensure that their platform is clear and easy to navigate. Now, since WordPress is not actually a website builder, it will be interesting to compare the usability of these two platforms. 
• Performance: Uptime & Site Speed. If you want to choose a reliable service, you need to pay attention to both uptime and site speed. The uptime refers to the time that your website is available and accessible, while the site speed shows how long it takes your website to upload. Just think about it. If your website cannot be reached, then it simply doesn't matter what kind of features you get. That said, in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison we’ll take a look at both the uptime and website speed. 
• Features. When it comes to features it completely depends on what kind of website you’re going to create. If you want to create a simple blogging website, then almost any website builder will be suitable for you, however, if you’re interested in creating an eCommerce website, you will definitely need more features. Also, it’s important to pay attention to such features as customer support, the ability to customize your website with a code, and many others. 
• eCommerce Functionality. When comparing WordPress and Squarespace, I will take a look at eCommerce functionality separately. That’s because such features are crucially important for everyone who has plans about creating an online store, whether it’s a small local business or a huge international shop. 
• Website Attractiveness. It’s important to make sure that a platform you’re choosing allows you to create attractive and professional-looking websites. That has mainly to do with the available templates, so make sure that you get enough modern-looking templates to choose from to create a website just the way you wanted. 
• SEO Tools. SEO is crucially important for everyone who wants their websites to rank on Google and bring more organic traffic. There are multiple SEO features that must be taken into account, including SSL certificates, sitemap, meta tags, mobile optimization, and multiple others. We’ll compare Squarespace VS WordPress SEO to make sure that they both offer the needed SEO tools and can help your website to be on the top pages. 
• Pricing. The last thing that we will focus on in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison is definitely pricing. Even though it’s not as important as features you get, it’s evident that this aspect might help you to make a decision between these two platforms. Also, no one wants to pay more than they should for the features they get, so we’ll take a look at Squarespace and WordPress prices to make sure that’s not the case. 

Now that you’re aware of the most important aspects that should be taken into account, it’s time to take a look at these features one-by-one and compare Squarespace versus WordPress based on each of them. 

Squarespace VS WordPress: A Thorough Comparison

Since you came here not knowing if Squarespace or WordPress is better for your needs, make sure not to skip any of the features that we’re about to compare. That will definitely help you to find out which one is better for you.  

Introduction to Squarespace and WordPress

First of all, I would like to provide you with general knowledge about both Squarespace and WordPress. 

Squarespace is a website building and hosting provider that was launched back in 2004. What’s interesting is that Anthony Casalena founded Squarespace in his dorm room at the University of Maryland. Until 2006, he was the only employee, however, once Squarespace reached $1 million in revenue, things escalated quickly and now 1143 employees are working for this company. 

Squarespace strongly focuses not only on functionality but also on the visual side of things and is already widely known as a website builder that provides the most attractive, sleek, and modern-looking templates. That said, it’s especially recommended for people who require great visuals. 

Table: General information about Squarespace and WordPress companies. 

When it comes to WordPress, it was released back in 2003. WordPress is known as the most popular content management system in the world. The statistics show that WordPress powers 40% of all the websites on the internet, so can you imagine its popularity? 

Now there’s some confusion when it comes to WordPress. The majority of people know it as a content management system that comes with an amazing plugin architecture, hundreds of themes that have an easily modifiable code, and other great features. That’s known as WordPress.org or the real WP.

The thing is that real WordPress has a steep learning curve and takes a while to figure out. And since it’s not actually considered to be a website builder, in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison, we’ll take a look at WordPress.com.

Now, WordPress.com is one of the better-rated website builders that provides multiple plans and great features, however, some say that it’s most suitable for blogging. In this Squarespace versus WordPress comparison, we’ll see if that’s actually the case. 

Usability: Which One is More Suitable for Beginners? 

As you probably know, the main intention of website builders is to provide customers with an easy-to-use platform and the ability to create a website in minutes. Moreover, they do not require you to have advanced technical skills or coding knowledge. While the majority of them manage to achieve this goal, you’re probably wondering what’s the situation when it comes to Squarespace VS WordPress.com? 

In general, Squarespace is definitely not difficult to figure out. It has a very clean and minimalistic interface that allows you to find all the needed tools in no time. Also, it’s a drag-and-drop website builder, so you’ll be able to see all the changes you make instantly.

When starting with Squarespace, you will need to choose from a variety of different templates and start the customization process. You can easily change your website’s design by choosing different colors, fonts, and adding images. 

What is more, you can edit the header, add new sections, edit pages, update SEO settings, and so much more. To make sure that everyone finds Squarespace easy to use, just like me, I went through multiple customer reviews. The majority of them said the same thing and confirmed that it’s actually quite an easy-to-use website builder. 

When it comes to WordPress.com, it’s also a great option in terms of usability. You can choose from hundreds of attractive themes that can be customized based on your needs later. What is more, the themes are mobile-friendly, so you won’t need to worry about that. 

Also, just like Squarespace, WordPress.com is a drag-and-drop website builder. Such website builders are the most popular ones as they’re definitely super easy to use. WordPress.com allows you to upload media or embed files, and customize the templates without much trouble. 

Table: Pros and cons of Squarespace and WordPress.

That said, when comparing WordPress VS Squarespace usability, both of them are quite similar. After trying them both, I would go for Squarespace, though, just because I find the interface more convenient for me. However, since there are many different opinions surrounding the usability of these two website builders, I can say it completely depends on your personal preferences. 

You can always check both of these platforms out completely free and after trying them out for yourself, decide which one suits you best. 

Which One Performs Better?

When it comes to the performance, there are basically two aspects that are needed to take into consideration. That’s uptime and site speed. Even though they do not matter when in the process of using a platform and creating a website, they’re crucially important once your website is launched. 

Now, uptime refers to the time that your website is available and can be accessed by potential clients. If your website features terrible uptime statistics, you will definitely lose a lot of readers and customers. Needless to say, that won’t be good for your business. It’s important to mention that the uptime statistics mostly depend on the hosting provider you choose. 

The site speed shows the time that your website takes to upload. Obviously, the faster your website is, the better. In fact, studies show that the majority of people expect a website to upload in no more than 2 seconds, and a significant number of visitors leave a website if it takes longer than 1 second. Needless to say, this measurement is also crucially important. 

Let’s check the Squarespace VS WordPress uptime first. Squarespace has an estimated uptime of about 99,98%. The situation is completely the same with WordPress.com. After observing this parameter, I found that WordPress has an estimated uptime of 99,98%. Needless to say, whichever option you choose at this point, you can rest assured that they’re both reliable.

Table: Squarespace and WordPress speed statistics.

Now it’s probably difficult to imagine what 99,98% uptime actually means. To make it more clear, I used our uptime calculator. So the 99,98% uptime means that your website will be down for no longer than:

• 17 seconds per day;
• 2 minutes weekly;
• 8 minutes 45 seconds monthly;
• 1 hour 45 minutes and 11 seconds yearly.

Now it’s fair to say that you won’t lose any potential clients due to the fact that your website cannot be accessed when it comes to both Squarespace and WordPress. 

It’s time to check out the speed statistics and find out which of the two WordPress or Squarespace is faster. To do that I’ve created a website using both Squarespace and WordPress. 

Let’s see the results. The website that was created using Squarespace took about 6400ms to fully upload. The site created with WordPress was even faster, it took 3914ms to completely upload. Needless to say, both of them are definitely fast, however, WordPress still wins when it comes to speed. 

Squarespace or WordPress: Which One is Richer in Features? 

If you’re planning on creating a regular blogging website, then almost every website builder should be suitable for your needs. However, if you want your website to be more functional and are looking for the best options, it’s crucial to make sure that you’re choosing a website builder that’s rich in features. So, let’s compare Squarespace VS WordPress when it comes to functionality. 

I’ll begin with Squarespace. It’s a very feature-rich platform that provides very good templates’ customization, and even the ability to use HTML, CSS, and Javascript to create a website just the way you like it. 

What is more, you get flexible layouts, built-in custom CSS editor, Google and TypeKit fonts, ability to use top-quality images from Unsplash, integrating commenting system, the ability to lock your website when it’s under construction, create custom redirects, manage your website on the go using a mobile app, and choose from mobile-friendly templates. 

Table: Squarespace and WordPress feature variety.

Also, Squarespace offers free hosting, SSL certificates, custom domains, website export, restoration, and email integration. Now, there are so many other attractive tools and features that every Squarespace user will be able to enjoy, however, these are considered to be the most significant ones. You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t covered eCommerce features yet, however, that awaits you in another part of this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison. 

So you already know that Squarespace offers all the necessary features, however, what about WordPress? 

WordPress.com is quite an average option when it comes to features. Of course, you get all the basic tools and features such as mobile-friendly themes, helpful customer service, mobile and desktop apps, in-depth stats about your visitors, and built-in social sharing. 

Also, just like Squarespace, WordPress provides you with free custom domains, SSL certificates, website export and restoration, email integration and membership creator. However, unlike Squarespace, WordPress doesn't provide you with free hosting.

Remember that in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison we’re talking about WordPress.com and not the org. version. If we were to discuss the latter option, the results would definitely be different in terms of functionality. 

So when it comes to features, Squarespace is considered to be a better option, however, when choosing one of the two you should put your personal needs first and pay attention to the features that you find necessary. 

Which One Has Better eCommerce Features? 

As promised, it’s time to find out which of the two platforms provides better eCommerce features. Even though neither Squarespace nor WordPress is created specifically for building online stores, they do offer the necessary features. 

First of all, let’s take a look at Squarespace. You’ll find out later that the company offers 3 different eCommerce plans. As always, the better you choose, the better features and functionality you get. 

Each of these 3 plans includes: 

• Fully integrated eCommerce.
• Transaction fees vary from 0% to 3% depending on your plan.
• The ability to sell unlimited amounts of products;
• Accept donations;
• Offer gift cards. 

Once you go for better plans, you get more exceptional features such as abandoned card recovery, eCommerce analytics, the ability for your customers to create accounts, tag products on your Instagram page, sell subscriptions, and so much more. Needless to say, Squarespace is considered to be among the leading options when it comes to eCommerce features. 

Now, let’s take a look at WordPress.com. You basically get two different plans to choose from when it comes to eCommerce. One of them is recommended for small businesses, another one for online stores. 

Both of these plans provide such features as: 

• The ability to collect payments;
• Earning ad revenue;
• Google Analytics integration, 
• Advanced SEO tools. 

Also, if you choose the plan that’s recommended for online stores you can accept payments in more than 60 countries, add unlimited products or services, get exceptional marketing tools, premium themes for your website, and integrations with leading shipping carriers. 

While WordPress.com also has quite a lot to offer, Squarespace is a more recommended website builder when it comes to eCommerce.  

Can You Create a Professional-Looking Website with Both of These Platforms?

If you’re all about the visual side of things and want your website to be not only functional but also super modern and attractive-looking, then the most important thing that you need to do is to make sure that a website builder offers sleek templates for you to choose from. Truth be told, there are many companies that fail to do that. 

When it comes to the number of templates, Squarespace offers about 100 and WordPress about 300 options. It’s evident that WordPress is a better choice if you look only at the quantity. However, what’s important to understand is that the number is not really important as long as the provided templates are professional-looking. 

Table: Squarespace and WordPress template comparison.

Now, as I’ve already mentioned, Squarespace is one of the best options for people who are into the visual side of things. The company offers professionally designed templates for different needs. So whether you’re into art, food, entertainment, travel, event planning, or any other business, you should be able to find a template that’s suitable for your business. 

When looking at Squarespace templates, I can say that they look very professional, and there are minimalistic as well as more colorful options to choose from. All in all, it’s quite easy to imagine your website with one of these templates. Also, it’s important to mention that Squarespace templates are completely free, so you can pick whichever option you like and not worry about additional charges. 

You’re probably wondering what’s the situation with WordPress when it comes to templates? Well, the thing is that even though you get about 300 templates to choose from, many of them are paid and cost from $49 to about $150. That sounds a bit expensive, don’t you think? 

Now, when looking at the free templates, I couldn’t say that they’re bad, however, definitely far behind when comparing with Squarespace. That said, when it comes to creating a modern website without the need to pay for attractive designs additionally, it’s definitely recommended to go for Squarespace. There’s a good reason why this website builder is known for its sleek-looking templates. 

Squarespace VS WordPress SEO: Which Offers Better Tools? 

Chances are that you’ve already heard that not so many website builders are recommended for SEO. However, while there are many different opinions, results show that sites created using such platforms can get on the first page of Google. 

While that depends on many Google ranking factors, it’s also crucial to make sure that a website builder provides you with great SEO tools. Let’s do that. 

Both Squarespace and WordPress.com are considered quite good options when it comes to SEO tools. Squarespace includes such SEO features as meta titles and descriptions, personalized URLs, the ability to customize alt attributes, 301 redirects, heading structure, site map, canonical tags, and more. In general, you get all the needed SEO tools.

When it comes to WordPress.com, the situation is quite similar, you get the needed tools but nothing exceptional. However, it’s important to mention that SEO tools are only offered to people who choose Business or eCommerce plans. 

That said, if you choose any of these website builders, you can be sure that the necessary SEO tools will be there.

WordPress VS Squarespace Pricing Comparison

If you weren’t sure which of the two Squarespace versus WordPress to choose, the pricing comparison might be really helpful. After all, everyone wants to get the best value for money. 

Take a look at the Squarespace plans and prices first: 

• Personal - $12 per month
• Business - $18 per month
• Basic Commerce - $26 per month
• Advanced Commerce - $40 per month 

As you can see, Squarespace is very affordable, you can get a plan for only $12 per month. Also, you will save money on such things as a custom domain, SSL security, and attractive templates as the company includes everything into the plans completely free. Moreover, you get a 14-day trial, so you can start using the platform, check all the features out and then make a decision. 

Now let’s move to WordPress. Here’s the list of plans and prices: 

• Personal - $4 per month
• Premium - $8 per month 
• Business - $25 per month
• eCommerce - $45 per month 

As you can see, WordPress.com is even more affordable than Squarespace, especially when it comes to basic plans. However, even though when comparing the pricing on Squarespace versus WordPress, the winner is clear, it’s crucial to pay attention to the features that you get with each of the plans. I can instantly tell you that Squarespace provides better ones.

Also, when it comes to WordPress, you can start creating your website completely free, so you can check the platform out for yourself and see how you like it. 

Table: Squarespace and WordPress pricing comparison.

Thus, when it comes to prices, it all depends on your needs. If you’re looking for an inexpensive plan for a basic website and main features, then you should probably consider WordPress. However, if you’re planning on creating an eCommerce website and need more functionality, then Squarespace should be your number one choice. 

Pricing was the last thing that I wanted to discuss in this Squarespace VS WordPress comparison, so now it’s time to jump to conclusions. 

Conclusions

So, Squarespace or WordPress? Which one to choose? 

As you’ve already seen in this thorough comparison, both of these website builders provide amazing features and tools that will allow you to create a fully responding website, however, there are also some significant differences between these platforms. 

Now both Squarespace and WordPress are easy to use and navigate. What is more, websites that are created using these website builders show great uptime and site speed results. 

On the other hand, even though Squarespace offers fewer templates to choose from, they’re more sleek-looking and are completely free, which is not the situation when it comes to WordPress. Also, Squarespace offers better tools and features, even when it comes to eCommerce and SEO. 

Finally, after comparing the prices, it’s clear that WordPress is more affordable when it comes to basic plans, however, the prices are almost the same when it comes to eCommerce plans. Squarespace seems to provide more attractive features, though. 

All in all, you should take each of these aspects into consideration and it should be quite easy to decide if WordPress or Squarespace is more suitable for your needs.