Shopify Vs. Squarespace: Which Is Best To Accomplish Your Business Needs?

With over two million people shopping online every day, it’s no wonder that entrepreneurs are looking for the best eCommerce platform to sell their products. After all, if you’re starting an online business, you want to make sure you have the best possible chance of success.

But with so many different eCommerce platforms on the market, it can be hard to know which one is right for your business. There is an extensive list of platforms in the market, offering different features at different price points.

Currently, Shopify is ruling the roast with the second rank. Squarespace is positioned at five with a difference of 10% from Shopify. This puts retailers into the dilemma of choosing between the two.

Now, what to do? Just analyze Shopify vs Squarespace platforms on various aspects in detail to better understand what suits your best. This blog will do the same and help you make an informed decision.

So, let’s get started.

A Major Overview of Shopify & Squarespace:

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a leading eCommerce development platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create an online store. It was launched in 2006 and today powers over 1 million businesses in 175 countries.

The platform offers users an extensive range of features and is suitable for businesses of all sizes. Whether a small, medium business or a large enterprise, any company can use Shopify to create an online store.

Top Features of Shopify:

1. Ease of Starting & Managing an Ecommerce Business.
2. Drag-And-Drop Ease of Use for Creating Your Online Store.
3. A Wide Range of Themes and Customization Options.
4. Extensive App Store to Extend the Functionality of Your Online Store.
5. Robust Security Features with PCI DSS Compliance.
6. 24/7 Support From Shopify Experts.
7. Advanced Reporting Tools with Custom Reporting Options.
8. Seamless Integration With Third-Party Tools and Services.
9. Competitive Pricing Plans With a Free Trial Option.
10. Mobile-Friendly Online Stores with Mobile App.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is a cloud-based, all-in-one platform that enables businesses to create an online presence. It was founded in 2004 and today powers over 262,801 live websites.

Many businesses use Squarespace to create a simple website or blog. However, the platform also offers powerful eCommerce features that companies can use to create a fully-functional online store.

Top Features of Squarespace:

1. All-in-one platform with everything you need to create an online presence.
2. Drag-and-drop editor for easy website creation.
3. Over 60 beautiful, mobile-responsive templates are available.
4. Powerful eCommerce features for creating a fully-functional online store.
5. Built-in SEO tools to help you rank higher in search engines.
6. 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone.
7. Free 14-day trial without requiring a credit card.
8. Affordable annual plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

A Detailed Comparison of Shopify Vs Squarespace.

Now that we’ve understood the basics of each platform. Let’s compare Shopify Vs Squarespace side-by-side to see which one is best for your needs.

1. Ease of Use-Which provides an easier user experience?

Shopify is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, even for those with no technical experience. Whether a small, medium business, or a large enterprise, any company can utilize Shopify to create an online store. The drag-and-drop editor makes it incredibly simple to create and customize your store, while a wide range of themes and customization options allows you to create a unique online store that reflects your brand.

Squarespace is also designed to be user-friendly and easy to use. But, certain features might require some technical experience, such as adding custom code and integrating third-party tools and services. On the note of user-friendliness, Shopify wins in the race of 

Verdict-

Shopify is an easier platform to use due to its drag-and-drop editor and wide range of themes and customization options.

2. Pricing Plans-Which offers more affordable pricing plans?

Shopify offers a wide range of pricing plans, starting at $29 per month. This makes it a budget-friendly option for small businesses and start-ups. Additionally, Shopify offers a free 14-day trial, so you can try out the platform before committing to a paid plan.

Squarespace also offers a free 14-day trial. However, its pricing plans start at $12 per month, making it a more affordable option for small businesses and start-ups. Additionally, Squarespace offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so that you can try out the platform risk-free. So, choose Squarespace between the comparison of Shopify vs Squarespace if you’re on a budget. 

Verdict-

Squarespace is the more affordable platform due to its lower-priced plans and 30-day money-back guarantee.

3. Payment Processing Fees-Which charges lower payment processing fees?

Shopify charges 2.9% + $0.30 for every online transaction, making it a more expensive option for businesses that make a lot of online sales. There is also a 2% transaction fee for companies that use Shopify Payments and are based in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

Squarespace does not charge any transaction fees for businesses that use Squarespace Payments. However, companies that use third-party payment processors (such as PayPal or Stripe) will be charged a 3% transaction fee. So in Shopify vs Squarespace, Squarespace wins with a point in the payment processing. 

Verdict-

Squarespace does not charge any transaction fees, whereas Shopify does.

4. Sales Channels-Which offers more sales channels?

Shopify offers a wide range of sales channels, including online stores, POS systems, social media channels, and marketplaces. It gives businesses the ability to sell their products and services in various places.

Squarespace also includes online stores and POS systems as sales channels. However, it does not offer other sales channels, such as social media or marketplaces.

Verdict-

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to sell their products and services in various places.

5. Customer Support-Which offers better customer support?

Shopify offers 24/7 customer support, which is available by phone, email, and live chat. Additionally, there is an extensive knowledge base with helpful articles and tutorials.

Squarespace also offers 24/7 customer support. If you need help, you can contact customer support by phone, email, or live chat. There is also a Squarespace Forum where you can ask questions and get help from other Squarespace users.

Verdict-

Both Shopify and Squarespace offer excellent customer support. However, Shopify’s knowledge base gives it an edge over Squarespace.

6. Customization Ease-Which platform offers more customization options?

Shopify offers a different range of themes and customization options. Additionally, businesses can hire dedicated Shopify developers in India to help them create a custom online store.

Squarespace also offers a wide range of themes and customization options. However, businesses will need some technical experience to add custom code or integrate third-party tools and services.

Verdict–

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to customize their online store.

7. Security-SSL and PCI Compliance-How safe is your data?

Shopify is a secure platform with an SSL certificate and PCI compliance. All of your data is stored on their secure servers, and they use 256-bit SSL encryption to protect it. They’re also PCI compliant, meaning that they meet all of the security standards for online businesses.

Squarespace is also a secure platform with an SSL certificate and PCI compliance. Third-party security companies regularly test the platform, and they use 256-bit SSL encryption to protect your data.

Verdict:

Shopify and Squarespace are secure platforms with an SSL certificate and PCI compliance.

8. SEO-Which platform is better for SEO?

“93% of Online Experience Begins with a Search Engine”.

Shopify is an excellent platform for SEO. The platform is built with SEO best practices in mind, and the code is clean and well-organized. Some of the significant SEO features include automatic sitemaps, customizable URLs, and the ability to add alt tags to images.

Squarespace is also an excellent platform for SEO. The platform includes major SEO features, such as sitemaps, clean code, and customizable URLs. However, it’s not as robust as Shopify because businesses can’t add alt tags to images.

Verdict:

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to optimize their website for SEO purposes.

9. Migration-How easy is it to switch from one platform to another?

Shopify makes it easy to switch from another eCommerce platform. They offer a free migration service that will transfer your products, customers, and orders from your old platform to Shopify.

Squarespace does not offer a migration service. However, they have an import/export feature that allows you to move your content from one Squarespace site to another.

Verdict:

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to switch from another eCommerce platform.

10. Multilingual Support-Which platform offers better multilingual support?

Shopify offers multilingual support. It means that you can easily create a website in multiple languages. All you need to do is install the Langify app and choose the languages you want to use.

Squarespace does not offer multilingual support. The only way to create a multilingual website on Squarespace is to use a third-party tool or plugin. It can be time-consuming plus a bit expensive to set up.

Verdict:

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to create a multilingual website.

11. Multicurrency Support-Which platform offers better multicurrency support?

Shopify offers multicurrency support. It means that you can sell products in multiple currencies. You need to install the Shopify Payments app and choose the currencies you want to use.

Squarespace does not offer multicurrency support. The only way to accept payments in multiple currencies on Squarespace is to use a third-party payment processor.

Verdict:

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to accept payments in multiple currencies.

12. Payment Gateways-What payment gateways do the platform offer?

Shopify supports 70+ payment gateways. It offers a wide range of options for businesses to choose from. Some of the major payment gateways include Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net.

Squarespace provides simple yet powerful payment and checkout options. It supports many payment gateways, including  Stripe, Paypal, Apple Pay, and Afterpay. It also offers an API that allows you to create custom payment gateways. 

Verdict:

Shopify is the better platform for businesses that want to use a wide range of payment gateways.

Read Also: Top 7 WooCommerce Plugins (all are free) to Skyrocket Your Sales

Final Thoughts

After making an in-depth comparison of Shopify Vs Squarespace, it’s clear that Shopify is the better platform for businesses. It offers more features, more flexibility, and more support than Squarespace.

If you’re looking for an eCommerce development platform to help you grow your business, then Shopify is the right choice. So, go ahead and hire a Shopify web development company in India to start your e-commerce journey today!