Squarespace vs. WordPress
Alright so we all know every business needs a website today, but with so may options on where and how to build your site, it’s easy to feel totally lost and overwhelmed. We all know custom coded sites are left for the big players with deep pockets, but beyond that everyone seems to come back to either WordPress or Squarespace.
While both of these options are truly great, which one you should choose depends on you, your business and your end goals.
Let’s do a quick comparison list, shall we?
Squarespace
Extremely user-friendly and intuitive.
Hosting is included.
Pricing is based on a monthly fee.
Limited themes and plugins available.
Customizable, but not as much as WordPress.
Supplies everything a typical website will need.
Wordpress
There’s a definite learning curve for new users.
Hosting is not included, must be done through a third-party.
Technically free, but will have to pay for hosting, themes, plugins, etc.
SO many themes and plugins available.
Extremely customizable.
Great for websites that require something uncoventional.
Now that you know some of the basic differences, let’s get into the nitty gritty.
Squarespace vs. Wordpress: The Editor
The beautiful thing about Squarespace is its ease of use. With a highly visual front-end editor, you are literally editing and seeing exactly what you want to do. It’s a “what you see is what you get” functionality. Want to move that picture? Drag and drop! Need a gallery feature? Drag, drop and edit from the prompt box. Easy as that.
With WordPress, things get a little trickier. You aren’t editing while seeing the front-end of your website, you’re in the backend. The backend really looks nothing like the front-end site, but once you know the ins and outs, it’s pretty easy to predict what it’s going to look like when you switch back over to the front-end. Recently, WordPress released the Gutenberg editor to compete with platforms like Squarespace. While it’s intuitive, it’s still not as easy as Squarespace.
Squarespace vs. Wordpress: Themes
When it comes to themes, we’re talking a pretty big difference in sheer numbers between the two platforms. I mean, there are roughly 70 Squarespace themes and over 11,000+ WordPress themes. Big difference! If you’re looking for a ton of choices to choose from, WordPress is for you.
For what Squarespace lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Since Squarespace is a closed platform, not just any Joe Shmoe can make a theme or plugin and throw it to the world. Why does that matter? Since Squarespace themes are crafted and curated by Squarespace, they actually work. Too often with WordPress you can end up with a buggy theme that causes you more trouble and wasted time than you ever want to imagine.
If you do your research right, you can typically find a great theme for your Wordpress site. Either really do your homework or have a WordPress professional help you out.
squarespace vs. wordpress: customer support
Squarespace provides 24/7 email support and a live chat service during EST working hours.
Since WordPress is an open platform, there is no customer support for the program as a whole. That said, depending on the theme you purchase, you can typically get theme-based support from the individual developers. Often it comes included for the first few months after purchase, but then is a paid-for service following the free period.
Squarespace vs. Wordpress: My Final Thoughts
While I’m a fan of both platforms, I actually received my initial website-building experience through WordPress. I was almost brainwashed to believe there’s no better alternative out there. After realizing that many small businesses wanted an affordable, yet practical solution to get their websites going, I started giving Squarespace some serious thought. After completing a training course, I realized how powerful and competitive Squarespace really is.
Here’s the thing…if you’re looking to have less headaches, but are willing to sacrfice a teeny amount in the customizing department, Squarespace is for you. If you like to roll up your sleeves, do a lot of Googling, and love the thrill of figuring challenges out, WordPress is for you. In the end, both platforms are going to produce beautiful websites, it’s really just about who is in the driver’s seat!
If you’re intrested in learning more about my website design processes or need a website yourself, head on over to my services page or send me a message!
