Comparing websites are tough, but comparing similar website is tougher. Webflow and Squarespace give each other neck-to-neck competition in website building and offering design-oriented features.
However, these two platforms have completely different goals. Where Webflow is a website designing and editing tool, Squarespace is a simple website builder and an eCommerce solution.
Webflow has a more serious approach to website designing for professionals, agencies, and designers.
On the other hand, Squarespace is an entry-level website builder with easily accessible features and custom templates for beginners.
Whether you choose Webflow or Squarespace entirely depends on your objectives and necessities. Webflow offers much more design freedom, but it could be tougher for beginners. Alternatively, Squarespace provides its users with effective tools and features, a straightforward interface, and ease of use.
However, there is very less creative freedom in Squarespace. Both these platforms have their advantages and limitations.
Here is an overview of Webflow vs Squarespace-
|
Features |
Webflow |
Squarespace |
|
Rating |
4.0 |
4.1 |
|
Ease of Use |
Gradually provides you with various advanced features. |
Offers an easily accessible interface that requires no technical knowledge. |
|
Templates |
400+ templates but only 40 are free |
110+ templates that are modern and edgy |
|
E-commerce Features |
Functional eCommerce suite |
Amazing features for e-commerce and digital marketing. |
|
Pricing |
Free plan is unavailable, starting with a $14.00/month |
14-day free trial; starting plan is $16.0/month. |
|
Performance |
Great performance |
Great performance |
Webflow vs Squarespace- pros and cons
Webflow and Squarespace have their benefits and drawbacks. They differ in various factors like designing freedom, pricing, marketing, eCommerce features, performance, etc.
Following is the detailed synopsis of both platforms based on various website-building aspects-
Ease of Use
Both Squarespace and Webflow offer different types of accessibility and user experience based on the users they serve. Webflow is meant for professionals, so it offers a simplified UI beneficial for experienced website-building experts.
On the other hand, Squarespace offers attractive features most suitable for beginners.
The interface could be a little tricky with Webflow, but the setup process is very simple. All you need is a questionnaire that helps the platform recognise your business goals. They offer a brief tutorial to use the site easily.
Squarespace just needs a registration, allowing you to access hundreds of templates to choose from and start the setup process.
Squarespace offers a free custom domain for the first year with each plan. From the next year, you need to renew it for $20/ year.
However, Webflow offers a custom domain, but it takes the help of a third-party domain name provider like GoDaddy.
Unlike Squarespace, the next part is tricky. You must manually manage your domain setting to attach it effectively to your Webflow site.
Website design
Webflow offers you a limited range of templates (only 40+ free templates). In addition to that, they have various limitations in designing the site.
To design a site with Webflow, you will need to have a piece of advanced knowledge. The efforts you put into designing a site on Webflow are huge compared to the freedom you get.
If you prefer a more complex and advanced platform for designing your site, Webflow is there for you.
Squarespace allows you to wear your creative hat with the design freedom they offer. With over 113 templates, different colour schemes, fonts, and themes, Squarespace secures the number one spot in the website designing interface.
Most of the templates come with adequate features and elements that work with most of the niches.
Pricing
Pricing-wise, Webflow offers a free site and account plan.
Where account plans range between $14/per month to $39/per month, site plans start at $29 per month and can go up to $212 per month.
These plans offer the following-
- A custom domain (not free)
- SSL security
- 50 GB bandwidth
- Unlimited storage.
Squarespace has a four-tiered pricing plan starting from $16/month to $49/month. For this price, it offers-
- A custom domain (free)
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Unlimited storage
- SSL security.
Squarespace offers value for money as its basic plan offers a free custom domain for the first year. Also, the unlimited storage and bandwidth it offers outshine any other platform.
On the other hand, Webflow offers 50GB bandwidth for a similar price. The pricing does not include a custom domain or some website-building tools like an alternative CMS or content management system.
Squarespace doesn’t have additional pricing as it is an all-in-one website editing platform. It offers a free custom domain name, and it doesn’t have any hidden charges. If you need an additional feature, it is completely up to you.
E-commerce features
Webflow and Squarespace both offer pricing plans targeted at eCommerce sites. Webflow’s e-commerce plans start at $29/month and go up to $212/month.
On the other hand, Squarespace’s basic eCommerce plan is for $27/month and ranges up to $49/month.
Where Squarespace offers total sales, zero transaction fee, and freedom to customise the themes, Webflow offers selling of up to 500 products, complete freedom of customising the checkout page, and a 2% transaction fee for their basic e-commerce plan.
Marketing and SEO tools
Marketing and SEO are vital to operating an e-commerce site. Squarespace and Webflow have specific plans for your site’s search engine optimisation.
The entry-level plans of both these platforms include-
- Mobile responsive designs
- Adding alt tags to images
- Auto-generation of sitemap
- Integrated social media accounts for better reach.
The advanced plan of Webflow is priced at $212/month and offers a variety of features, such as-
- Google shopping integration for product syncing and running marketing campaigns.
- Advanced CMS for blogging
- Premium analytics tool
- Instagram product tagging
The advanced plan of Squarespace costs $49/month, and the features they offer are-
- Premium analytics tool
- Email accounts with your custom domain.
- Digital marketing with promotional banners
- Product tagging on Instagram
Apps and integration
Webflow has a dedicated Integration and Resources panel for those with expert technical knowledge to use integrations. It offers a range of integrations if you can carry them out.
Although the integrations come with an individual guide, they take more time than ready-made integration extensions like Squarespace. In terms of apps and integration Squarespace offers much more freedom than any other platform.
Performance and security
As mentioned earlier, both Webflow and Squarespace include SSL certificates in all their plans. SSL is an essential tool to secure your website’s data. However, there are some other aspects in terms of performance that you need to look after.
Your website needs 100% uptime, meaning 100% user availability in a year. Squarespace and Webflow offer almost 99.90% uptime, which means about nine hours of downtime yearly. Sounds great, right?
Switching process
Suppose you need to switch your current site to either Webflow or Squarespace. You need to do it manually, one element at a time. Also, you need to transfer your content one by one.
Although it is mostly easy to transfer contents with their availability to importing, the image contents need reuploading. Manually switching from one platform to another might seem tiresome, but it is still better than learning to code and doing it yourself.
Help and support
On the aspect of help and support, both platforms function equally. You can contact their help desk through email, but the response time might be 24-48 hours.
Where Webflow allows you to connect with emails, Squarespace allows you to contact a representative and describe your problems more elaborately.
Webflow is perfect for
- Designers with years of experience looking for more creative freedom
- Bigger business websites that target audience retention
- Smaller businesses looking who want to grow
Squarespace is ideal for
- Beginners and small website owners
- Entrepreneurs who don’t have tech skills
- Those who care for designing and integration.
Conclusion
Whether you need Webflow or Squarespace entirely depends on your needs. Both have amazing features for website builders.
Webflow works best for those who already know the tricks of web building and are looking for more professional approaches.
At the same time, Squarespace is more generous to beginners and those not looking for complex features and tools.
Webflow has many features and customisation opportunities for professional web builders and agencies.
No matter the effective tools, you might require coding knowledge to uncover the advanced features.
Squarespace, on the other hand, is ideal for small to medium businesses with minimum to no knowledge of website building. The simplicity of the interface makes it so popular.
FAQs
Can you Use Webflow with Squarespace?
Webflow and Squarespace are made to achieve the same goals. Although they differ in some features and functionality, they do the same job in different ways. You don’t need to use them together to meet a certain web-building goal. Choose anyone depending on your preference.
What is the best website builder?
The best website builder depends on what goals you want to achieve and what skills you have. A good website builder offers a great learning curve, scalability, and building tools and features.
Webflow vs Squarespace- which is better for blogging?
Squarespace has a better editing console; thus, it is better for bloggers. Webflow focuses more on designing than writing or editing
