It’s true that WordPress is the most widely used content management system (powering over 43% of all websites), but it’s not the only one.
Recent years have seen the advent of website builders like Squarespace and Wix that make it simple to create a website from scratch.

Squarespace and WordPress will be the face of this article.
First, we’ll take a look at how each program handles website construction before we get into the nitty-gritty.
However, in general, each platform tries to achieve a compromise between the following two factors:

• Its ease of use and accessibility will appeal to newcomers.

• The customizability of websites and the addition of new functionalities.

In comparison to other content management systems, WordPress is still quite simple to use.
It allows you a tremendous deal of control over how your website looks and functions, at the cost of some beginner-friendliness.
It is Squarespace’s goal to keep things as simple as possible while compromising the ability to customize and personalize the site.

Squarespace – what is it?

With Squarespace, you don’t have to bother about setting up hosting or purchasing a domain name; all you have to do is sign up for an account.
You’ll be able to select a website template in a matter of seconds.
All you have to do is change the text and images to your liking.

Squarespace charges a monthly subscription fee.
Aside from domain name registration and web hosting, everything you’ll need to get started and run your website is included in the one low monthly charge.

Recently, Squarespace has added numerous additional marketing tools, such as ‘Squarespace Email Campaigns’ and ‘Squarespace Video Studio,’ to its feature set, highlighting the company’s “all-in-one” approach to website construction.
When it comes to creating and editing websites, customers don’t need to know anything about CSS or HTML to use Squarespace’s “code-free” approach.

What is WordPress?

Hosted WordPress and self-hosted WordPress are two options for WordPress users.
Take a look at each one in greater depth.

WordPress as a Service

Squarespace is another SaaS (software-as-a-service) website builder that is hosted on WordPress.com.
Creating and maintaining a website is made easier with the help of a web hosting service, for which a monthly fee is charged.
Ads will appear on your website when using the free version of hosted WordPress, though.

WordPress Self-Hosted

Your own web server can be used to host WordPress, which can be downloaded at wordpress.org.
Being open-source means that the source code is available to everyone and can be altered as they see fit.

WordPress is a very adaptable platform that, in the hands of a competent developer or the installation of a suitable plugin, can be adjusted to match the requirements of practically any website design project.
WordPress can be installed on your server for free, but you’ll need to pay for Optimized WordPress Hosting, domain name registration, and, on occasion, plugin or development expenditures.

Things to Consider When Choosing Between Squarespace and WordPress

People with no web programming experience comprise the majority of Squarespace’s customers.
We’ve already established that the core idea behind Squarespace is that anyone can utilize the platform to build their own website without having any prior knowledge of coding.

In the same way that Squarespace can accommodate users who do not have web development abilities, it is feasible to build and maintain a WordPress site without writing any code.

Squarespace vs WordPress

Let’s take a closer look at the platforms and see which one is perfect for your website.

1. Ease

The drag-and-and-drop website builder provided by Squarespace is incredibly user-friendly.
You don’t need to know how to code or employ a developer to build a website.
Users gave Squarespace a higher overall score (4 out of 5) than WordPress, indicating that they found it easier to use and more flexible.

Because of the following reasons, Squarespace is easier to use than WordPress:

It does not necessitate any coding knowledge.

Changes you do is shown in real-time.

Drag-and-and-drop template editing is provided.

Drag-and-drop is the ability to move different elements (such as text boxes and images) around a website in order to change the layout.
Using Squarespace’s drag-and-drop editor, you may reorder and rearrange objects within a part of the page.

WordPress, on the other hand, has a steep learning curve, especially for those who are new to the platform.
Either you or someone you hire must be proficient in coding and other related technical skills in order to be successful.

For the following reasons, Squarespace is easier to use than WordPress:

• Code and third-party plugins are often necessary when it comes to personalizing a page.

• This means you won’t be able to view your changes as they are being made on the backend.

Switching on and off the lights backstage is a lot like making adjustments in the backend.
It’s possible to see which lights you’ve turned on behind the curtain by walking around the front and rear.

This might be disconcerting and puzzling for a novice.
Using WordPress, on the other hand, has the advantage of being incredibly adaptable, as modifying the actual code of your site opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

The hourly rate for a developer is around $100 if you don’t have any coding experience.
Your website will cost more, but the amount of technology you’ll have to deal with will be reduced at the same time.

2. Design

Designers may utilize Squarespace to create gorgeous, user-friendly templates that can be easily customized.
When compared to WordPress themes, Squarespace templates routinely outperform those of the latter.
Among the builders we’ve tried, Squarespace ranks best in the field of design.
While WordPress provides a great degree of flexibility, you’ll need to be skilled with coding in order to stand out with a WordPress template.
The user experience on Squarespace has also been greatly enhanced.

Even if you don’t care about functionality, Squarespace’s free designer templates are crisp, contemporary, and businesslike.

It’s easy to change the colors of your selected template and even add more pages as you go.
More than 110 layouts are available in Squarespace’s template library, which includes anything from online businesses to blogs.

More templates (also called themes) can be found on WordPress than on Squarespace, however, not all of them are developed to the same high standard.
You could also say that you’ll virtually always be responsible for additional work in order to make the theme shine.

It’s no surprise that WordPress has become a market leader by giving you complete control over the look and operation of your website.
Not only may you do anything you want with your template, but you have complete freedom to do so.
For those who don’t mind starting from scratch, WordPress is the platform of choice for building a website.

Many WordPress themes are available, but none are as innovative as the ones offered here, and you’ll need to know a little bit of code to get the most from them.

3. Pricing and Getting the Most for Your Money

It’s no surprise that WordPress’s value-for-money rating is greater than Squarespace’s because the open-source platform is entirely free.
You will need to pay for additional services like web hosting if you want to get a website up and operating.
WordPress pricing has a lot of flexibility and customizability because of these additional fees.

With Squarespace, you may choose from four different options ranging from $12 to $40 each month.
Everything you need to get your website up and operating is included in these costs.
Compared to other website builders, Squarespace offers a lot for the money.
In addition to the unlimited bandwidth and free custom domain, you can obtain SEO tools for as little as $12 per month.

A professional-looking website can be built for a low price with a Personal plan.
You can pay $16/month for the plan, or $12/month if you pay in full for the year.

The Business plan contains more marketing options than the Personal plan, allowing you to sell a few goods on the side as a hobby.
There is no charge for using the Personal plan.
It costs $26/month or $18/month if paid annually, depending on how long you want to commit to the programme.

With the Basic Commerce package, you can run a large online store with a variety of products.
The monthly rate is $30, or $26 if you pay annually.

There are numerous strong eCommerce tools included in the Advanced Commerce plan for people who want to build their online business.
You can pay $46/month for the plan, or $40/month if you pay it all at once.

You’ll still need to spend money to keep your website up and running, even though WordPress is a free platform.
The most substantial outlay is for web hosting.
On a shared server, WordPress requires you to pay $7/month (or $84 per year) to host your site.

In addition, launching a WordPress website comes with a slew of additional costs:

Despite the fact that some free themes are accessible, it is advised that you purchase paid themes (between $30 and $80) for the greatest quality.

Additional functionality can be added to your website by installing plugins, which range from email marketing to eCommerce checkout tools (between $15 and $50).

For the first year, Squarespace provides a free domain name.
In order to use WordPress, you’ll need to buy a domain name from Domain.com or a hosting service that offers you a free domain name for the first year of your subscription, which costs $10-$12.

An experienced developer could cost you thousands of dollars if you’re constructing a huge and intricate website.

It’s tough to estimate the cost of a WordPress website because there are so many moving pieces.
Although this model is very customizable, it allows you to choose less expensive themes and plugins so that you may stay within your budget.

4. Search Engine Optimization

In search engine optimization testing, WordPress and Squarespace both obtain flawless scores.
WordPress is well-known for its SEO prowess, but Squarespace prides itself on providing additional tools right out of the box.
Yoast, for example, is a sophisticated SEO plugin that can be installed on your WordPress site.
But Squarespace, which has a wider range of built-in capabilities and is substantially less time-consuming, is the best alternative.

If you’re building your website with Squarespace, you’re in luck.
SEO features that are already built-in and managed for you are accessible.
It’s also worth noting that WordPress never disappoints its clients.
Tools and advice provided by SEO plugins help improve your WordPress site.
Yoast SEO, All in One SEO, and more are some of the most powerful plugins.

5. Features

For constructing professional-looking websites, Squarespace’s website editor has a number of high-quality tools.
Unlike other CMSs, WordPress is mainly reliant on third-party plugins, thus there are fewer built-in tools to help you.
Third-party plugins are required if you wish to take full advantage of its capabilities.

Squarespace has a wide range of high-quality built-in capabilities that may be used in a wide range of scenarios.
Regular updates and additions of new features are made.

The following are some of the most useful Squarespace features:

• Analyze your website’s traffic, demographics, and other metrics to better understand your audience.

• Importing content from social media sites like Instagram and Twitter onto your website is possible via social media accounts.

• Your social media accounts can easily be integrated into your website with the help of feeds.

• It is possible to create a podcast on your Squarespace website and share it on services like Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

• Make it easier to locate what you’re looking for by categorizing and scheduling your blog articles.

• To use these capabilities, simply pick them from your dashboard — no other apps or plugins are required.
• Third-party plugins are used more frequently in WordPress because of their limited in-built functionalities.

A significant aspect of WordPress is its extensive variety of tools, but the one negative is that you have to install most of them yourself.
There are some great perks, though, including:

• Changeable options in the design.

• Tools for publishing, such as password-protected Web pages that allow contributors from many sources to schedule their contributions.

• Editing images with a variety of software programs.

• More than 70 language-enabled websites.

• Check out the vast array of WordPress plugins that may be used to enhance the functioning of your site.

6. Plugins and Apps

It is nearly impossible to run out of options when it comes to WordPress plugins because there are over 59,000 of them available for free download.
There are fewer and more simple plugins available on Squarespace, even though they are of higher quality.

As with a restaurant, think of Squarespace as preparing and cooking all of your meals in their own kitchen.
A knowledgeable waiter is on hand to answer any queries you may have about the restaurant’s cuisine.
However, you can choose anything you want to eat from the menu, and it will be made and served right away in the Squarespace kitchen.

WordPress is more like a fine dining establishment than a blogging platform.
It includes dishes from a wide range of restaurants and chefs around the world.
It’s not clear where the majority of these dishes were produced, and some are better than others.

Unlike other platforms, WordPress expects you to assemble the dishes yourself.
As long as you have a notion of what flavors complement one another and don’t mind not being able to rely on the waiter to explain the preparation process, this is a great option.
Because of obsolete and low-quality plug-ins, thousands of plugins are available for you to install on your WordPress website.

7. eCommerce

Traditional businesses are already embracing internet sales as a way to expand their customer base.
Squarespace has a lot of built-in sales tools, including a vast inventory, however, there are just a few apps and a lack of payment choices.

If you’re on the Business plan or higher, Squarespace offers everything you need to start selling online, including shipping and handling.
Your online store will always appear professional and seamless because all of your sales tools are integrated.
Additional shipping and tax features can be found in the Squarespace Extensions marketplace.

This plan is for small businesses and charges you 3% of the total amount of your transactions.
A professional email address and the ability to create promotional pop-ups are just a few of the features available.

WooCommerce, a free eCommerce plugin for WordPress, makes it easy to create a robust online store.
Your website and plugins will be compatible with WooCommerce because it was built particularly for WordPress.
To get your eCommerce business up and operating quickly and easily, it provides a comprehensive collection of tools.

You may use WooCommerce to align your branding, sell whatever products you want and even integrate eCommerce with strong blogging platforms like WordPress.

To make substantial money online, you’ll need a well-thought-out eCommerce strategy.
The Basic Commerce package costs $26 per month, while the Advanced Commerce plan costs $40 per month.
The advanced eCommerce features you’ll have access to once you’ve gained these are priceless.

8. Blogging

You can use a blog to interact with your readers or to keep a record of your efforts.
Still, not all websites are designed to present a continuously changing stream of material.
A high-quality blog is supported by the blogging systems Squarespace and WordPress, however, they offer significantly different tools for bloggers to develop their webpages.

Bloggers appreciate Squarespace’s free blogger templates, which are a great convenience for them.
A variety of current interfaces can be used to display blog entries on a website’s homepage.
Because so many blogging platforms allow several authors to participate, starting a blog with your friends or coworkers is straightforward and convenient as well.
Squarespace’s permissions system lets you manage who has access to what on your site, so you don’t have to stress about third-party authors having full control.

You may categorize, publish, and tag blog entries without ever leaving Squarespace’s dashboard by using the daily workflow management feature.
A link to each new post can be automatically distributed to social media feeds such as Facebook and Twitter, and they can also be excerpted.
To put it another way, Squarespace makes it easy for you to get the basics of running a professional-looking blog done quickly.

Bloggers can choose from a wide variety of free WordPress designs.
Plugins to help bloggers connect with social media are also included with this service, as are all of the tags and categories a blogger could need.
WordPress also allows direct access to HTML for professional bloggers who wish to alter their site’s design – a capability that Squarespace doesn’t provide.
But despite the fact that you’re unlikely to ever need to dive into the code of the website platform, it’s there if you do.

WordPress has a far larger blogging community than other platforms, which is one of the most distinguishing features.
Anyone with a WordPress account can comment on other WordPress blogs, as long as the blogger hasn’t turned off the feature.
Nearly one-third of all blogs on the internet are powered by WordPress, which means that a large number of WordPress users may stumble into your blog and leave a remark without having to create a new account beforehand.

9. Editing on the go

There are more possibilities for mobile apps with Squarespace than there are with WordPress, but both are easy to use.
Apple and Android users can get free programs from both firms for their mobile devices.
If you provide a service or product to your consumers, the likelihood of having a mobile app is higher.

On Squarespace, mobile applications are free and easy to put up.
Four alternatives are available, allowing you to tailor the experience to your website’s exact requirements.

Your website’s essential information is readily available through the analytics app, which is available for iOS and Android devices.

composing, revising, publishing, and maintaining blog entries (on iOS and Android devices)

Keep track of your inventory using Commerce (available for iOS and Android).

For iOS devices, the Squarespace App lets you modify pages, upload images to galleries, write and edit blog articles, and review pages.

With the Squarespace App, you’ll be able to edit your pages without having to download and install any of the other Squarespace mobile apps.
The Squarespace App allows users to write new blog entries, upload photographs, and check their site’s traffic statistics.
While on the go, you can play around with the design of your website.

WordPress also makes it free and easy to get started.
If you’re searching for a straightforward answer, there is only one option for each device.
With WordPress Mobile Apps, you can manage your WordPress site from anywhere.
This program has a wide range of mobile and desktop versions, including versions for iOS, Android, and desktop PCs.
Using your phone, you may submit new blog entries, monitor your site’s statistics, and remain on top of notifications, just to name a few features.

10. Ongoing Maintenance

If you use Squarespace, you don’t have to worry about maintaining your website because the platform is a “closed” environment (meaning that Squarespace has complete control over all aspects and handles all upgrades and maintenance work on your behalf).

Maintaining a current Squarespace website is a breeze.
Before they are automatically delivered to your website, all changes are extensively vetted.
Because Squarespace takes care of everything, you can focus on creating your website.
If the platform, theme, or plugins are updated by their respective developers, then regular maintenance is essential.
For the upkeep of your website, you’re exclusively responsible for every part of its operation.

You should be aware that WordPress is continually updating its platform to solve problems and improve security.
As a result, you may be needed to upgrade your WordPress site anytime an update is released (which may be multiple times a year).

Because not every plugin or theme creator will go out of their way to assist you in updating your tools, this can be a source of frustration.

11. Security

Businesses of all sizes must take security very seriously.
When it comes to protecting your online business, Squarespace always takes the lead.
Squarespace’s team of security and update specialists takes care of everything.
A DDoS assault is an attack when a website is bombarded with traffic in order to prevent real users from accessing it.

DDoS assaults have targeted Squarespace as its popularity has increased.
It is possible to cause broad disruption across multiple websites if you disrupt Squarespace’s platform.

Squarespace safeguards your information in three ways:

The data sent between a Squarespace website and its visitors is protected by an SSL certificate.
As a result, your website is protected against things like impersonation attacks and data theft.
Even more so if you’re selling online because it protects your clients’ financial information from being leaked.

GDPR: Squarespace analyses how customer data is stored, a crucial element for firms selling to clients in EU countries.
Additionally, you’ll be able to post your privacy regulations on your website thanks to the integrated editing capabilities.

Both delicious and necessary, cookies are a must-have in every home.
Cookies are used by Squarespace to improve the performance and security of your website.

You are solely responsible for WordPress’s security.
In order to keep your site secure, you’ll need to install an SSL certificate, back up your site frequently, and routinely update WordPress.
Plugins can help you with some parts of running your website, but the choice is ultimately yours.

WordPress isn’t as susceptible to DDoS attacks as other content management systems, but the hosting service you choose will have a considerable impact on your security.
Some web hosting companies provide free SSL certificates and WordPress upgrades to help you keep your site secure at no additional cost to you.

12. Ownership of content

If you’re going to use an online platform to create a website, be sure you understand their policies on content ownership before you get started.
So as to avoid giving away your labor rights, you must be careful.
Even the most powerful web firms are aware that they can’t just go around stealing other people’s stuff without paying a heavy price.
WordPress and Squarespace are both focused on providing the best possible experience for their users.

You own everything you put on Squarespace, and you can take it with you if you ever decide to leave.
Even if you paid for the website template, you don’t actually own it and can’t maintain your site’s look the same if you decide to quit.

Everything you upload to a Squarespace site is licensed to the firm unless otherwise noted in the fine print.
In order for Squarespace to deliver and improve its services, as well as safeguard your intellectual property, you grant them limited rights and licenses.
Aside from that, Squarespace has the right to utilize any and all of your User Content for the sole purpose of providing and improving its services while also securing your User Content from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.

If you’ve already accepted the terms and conditions of Facebook, Twitter, or another big online service, this isn’t a huge change.
You should not expect Squarespace to use any of your content other than for promotional or feature purposes.
Even if you don’t want to participate, you can do so if you wish.

WordPress.org, a free open-source content management system, may be used to build functional websites.
The source code is available to anyone who wants to use it, and it can be shared or modified at their choice, just like any other open-source software.

As a result, WordPress is a powerful and adaptable platform.
Although the program can be complicated and need coding expertise, it also has its drawbacks.

There are no content license requirements like there are with Squarespace because it is meant to be utilized without limitation.
The content you generate is yours to keep, and it isn’t even licensed to anyone else.

Even if WordPress is an open-source platform, you are still responsible for your hosting service, and most reliable hosting companies incorporate the same licensing terms as Squarespace.
For the most part, you’ll still be the one in charge.

13. Moving to a new location

Whether you want to switch from WordPress to Squarespace or the other way around, you may do so.
Migration will not always be a simple procedure, however, because it is often more difficult to export content than import it.

There is no way for you to move your website’s audio and video, product pages, or website styling if you have them.
When you transition from WordPress to Squarespace, you will need to rework your website.

Want to move your WordPress site to Squarespace? Here’s how.
Step-by-step instructions are provided to help you import your WordPress site into Squarespace.
If you’ve already set up a WordPress.org website, you can import all of your WordPress.org material onto your Squarespace website using the sophisticated import feature.

If you want to transfer your website, you can do it with Squarespace.
In addition, compared to WordPress, moving a site over to Drupal is a lot simpler.
In order to get your material out of Squarespace, you’ll have to go through a more involved process.
Prior to going, you’ll need to set up a WordPress website (including finding hosting, installing WordPress, and registering or transferring your domain name).
Once this process is complete, you will be able to export your Squarespace content.
The possibilities for exporting material from Squarespace are more limited than they were in the past.

You’ll have to put in a lot more time and work if you switch from Squarespace to WordPress.
Squarespace does, however, give you detailed instructions to help you complete the migration process.
The content of your website, such as an online store, will decide the degree of complexity or simplicity of your site.

14. Help and Support

Compared to other CMSs, experts believe that Squarespace offers superior customer service and support.
Help from well-trained staff and well-structured tutorials.
Customer care can also be contacted via live chat or email.

Squarespace, in contrast to WordPress, provides a centralized support team that you may reach via the following channels:

Every day of the week, from Monday to Friday, there is a live chat service available.

Email can be used.
All the time, seven days a week.

Twitter is a free service.
365 days a year, seven days a week

In addition, the community forum provides assistance.

In spite of the fact that WordPress has a vast community that provides resources and tutorials, it is poorly managed.
Developers are paid by the bulk of their clients.

When it comes to WordPress, you don’t have a dedicated support crew at your disposal.
If you prefer to peruse the thoughts of other WordPress users and developers, you may do so by exploring the forums.

With so many articles, you’ll almost always be able to locate one that addresses your concerns.
There will be some responses that are more useful than others.

Use the support services offered by your hosting company if you value the opportunity to connect with an actual person and are using WordPress.

Key Takeaways 

As long as you don’t care about content ownership or customization, Squarespace is a fine option for a simple website.
WordPress, on the other hand, is a better fit for most webmasters.
Is there a learning curve? Yes, but the openness of WordPress necessitates a greater focus on security, performance, and maintenance than alternative content management systems.

However, the WordPress core team and community have made great progress in making WordPress more user-friendly.
WordPress is just as user-friendly as Squarespace, despite the fact that Squarespace is more user-friendly.
The following are some of the advantages of using WordPress:

• Ownership

• Flexibility

• Functionality

In terms of customization, WordPress is the obvious choice, but Squarespace gives you a reasonable amount of creative control while also lending a helpful hand from time to time.