Our research-based projects that are independent and honest reviews are financed partially through affiliate commissions, and with no additional expense to readers.
We’ve been comparing websites builders for more than 10 years now, and we’re able to say with certainty we know that Webflow is superior to Squarespace is a tough battle of two stunning, designed-for-design platforms.
However, if you’re reading this post it’s likely that you have an idea of that. Therefore, we’ll focus on the distinctions between the two Webflow is more difficult to use, but it offers greater flexibility, whereas Squarespace provides ease of use high-quality features and beautiful templates – but with the same design freedom.
It’s not to spoil the outcome Not to spoil the story, but squarespace wins over all of this contestCheck out the article to discover why!
Webflow vs Squarespace Pros and Cons
Webflow
| Pros | Cons |
| * Flexible design: Webflow templates and layouts can be customized right down to the most minute specifics * Scalability: Webflow offers plenty of integrations to help you provide additional features to your website * Pricing options: Prices range from an absolutely free plan up to a $212/month eCommerce package |
* Very difficult using: To get the best value from Webflow templates, it’s best to have an understanding of programming * Not the most value: There are a number of pricing options available that offer features, but none can combine them and affordability like Squarespace does. * There are no built-in domains available: You’ll have to sign up and pay for the domain you want to use as opposed to Squarespace It’s not with the package. |
Squarespace
| Pros | Cons |
| * Simple to operate: Squarespace lets you build a professional website using absolutely no knowledge of coding required * Fantastic templates: Squarespace’s stunning templates are the best-designed of any web-based builder. * Excellent price for the money: From $12 to $40/month, the plans of Squarespace are inexpensive, yet still packed with features. |
* Limited design freedom: Squarespace’s templates are more section-based and less flexible than Webflow’s. * There is less room for growth: Squarespace lacks the capability to handle an enormously large site. * Autosaves are not available: You’ll need manually save your work while you work |
If you’re running a tiny to medium-sized site that is creative in nature or e-commerce or any other. We recommend Squarespace because of its cost-effective high-quality, premium plans. Its built-in features allow small websites ample room for growth.
User-Friendliness
Squarespace is more user-friendly than Webflow.
Both builders come with a fast registration process, however when it comes to personalizing your template and making the most benefit from their tools, Webflow simply isn’t as easy as Squarespace’s.
Getting Started
The two Squarespace and Webflow offer a fast and simple sign-up procedure.
Webflow will ask for your email address, then ask you a few questions regarding your abilities and the kind of site you’d like to see.
Don’t fret even if you’re just beginning your journey Webflow will be asking about your level of experience as well! Once you’ve answered that question you’ll have everything ready to go to the editor of your website.
The first thing you’ll have to do when you sign to Squarespace is to select one of their top-quality templates for your website (don’t worry , you can test them all before you decide). After that, you’ll need to provide your email address as well as the title of your website.
Then, Squarespace will give you an extremely quick overview of its template editor (you could also bypass this if you only need to start).
You’ll be in! Then you’ll be taken to the dashboard, from where you’ll be able to begin making changes to your site.
Editing Your Website
When you begin building your website using Webflow You’ll be guided by many pop-ups that will guide you as you build your site.
We found this extremely helpful at first. However, unlike Squarespace webflow, you aren’t able to bypass the guided tour of webflow and if you’re quick to get started you’ll get frustrated needing to go through the entire guide before getting started.
But, you might be interested in the tour because the Webflow drag-and drop editor to be somewhat complicated. In fact, it’s not really an actual drag-and-drop feature Although you can place various elements of a page, such as images and text boxes on the way you’d like them be on the page, you’ll need to look into the lines’ spacing and dimensions to modify the layout.
Webflow is still a site builder, and you won’t need to tackle something that is too difficult (like many lines of code) however, Squarespace is the easiest platform to become comfortable with.
The template editor of Squarespace is more organized and sections-based than the Webflow editor.
After you’ve created sections, you can use the text editor to edit it, or shift different elements (like text boxes and buttons) throughout the section.
One of the things that we were frustrated with regarding Squarespace’s editor was that you can’t drag the elements to precisely where you’d like them to go just to the general direction. The element will automatically format itself around what’s already there.
Find out what happened when we clicked on down the grey “Contact” button below the contact information:
It’s beautiful however, we don’t have the option of moving it to another space. However, the benefit for this design is squarespace is almost impossible to design a poorly created website. You might feel restricted however the final result is always breathtaking!
In case your do prefer the complete freedom of drag-and-drop over all other things, then you might want to look over the Review of Wix to determine which is the better web design tool for you. Wix was the highest rating in our study in terms of user-friendliness and its editor for templates is more user-friendly than Webflow’s and Squarespace’s.
How to Set Up Your Domain
A successful website requires some additional elements apart of well-designed websites. In the first place, you have to ensure that your website has a valid domain that people are able to search for your site. A domain name is your website’s “address” on the internet – for example, ours is websitebuilderexpert.com.
A custom domain is one you can choose to purchase at an annual price of $10-$20. If you’re on the complimentary website builder plan, you’re not allowed to make use of a domain that you have custom and instead, you’ll have to choose a domain that is connected to the website builder such as yoursite.webflow.io.
For more details you can refer to our guide to the cost of a domain name will cost .
Squarespace comes with a free domain that is custom-designed for the first year of each package, which you can register and buy via Squarespace itself. This means that you don’t need to go through the hassle of purchasing an registry for domain names instead you are able to manage both your website and domain directly within the Squarespace dashboard. Domains that are free renew for $20 per year after the initial one year. That’s at the top part of the average.
Webflow however utilizes third party companies like Google as well as GoDaddy to buy and register domains. If you’ve purchased your domain from an outside party and you’re required to manually change the settings of your domain to ensure that it connects to your site on Webflow.
You’ll be capable to create an individual domain using Webflow, however the entire procedure is much easier using Squarespace.
Website Design
It’s tie!
Webflow is more flexible in design however it requires more technical expertise Webflow is more flexible but requires more technical knowledge, whereas Squarespace isn’t as flexible, however it has significantly more attractive templates from the start.
Webflow: more freedom and More
Work
We’ve all realized that Webflow is more difficult to utilize than Squarespace however when you’re prepared to utilize this more technical platform it will benefit you in terms of flexibility in design.
You can not only adjust everything from colors as well as border dimensions, but you can also design custom animations that add some individuality.
Webflow provides more than 500 templates but only 50 of them are available for free. The templates themselves aren’t unique – the templates offered by Squarespace are far more appealing however the best part of Webflow is that it can alter your template to the extent you’d like.
The main disadvantage of Webflow’s design options is that it isn’t possible to switch templates after having selected the one you like. This can be quite annoying if you find an option you like more.
Squarespace: Less Freedom but Better Quality
The use of Squarespace requires less technical know-how than Webflow does. However, the downside is that customization of the design is a bit less flexible. It’s not a bad thing it’s still possible to change the fonts you use, alter your color schemes, and move between layouts on your pages. The only difference is that when you select an Squarespace design, the final product after editing will not differ significantly from the template you chose like it would with Webflow.
If you’re asking us, it’s actually something to be thankful for that Squarespace was awarded the top place in the design section of our research on website builders. Its 113 templates are among the best and are top-of-the-line – as well, they’re all for free.
With Webflow the user will need your site to be different substantially from the basic template because it’s not something to boast about. However, the great thing about Squarespace designs is that they’ve been designed to take care of most of the designing job on behalf of you and you just have to make some personal touches to make a stunning website.
Squarespace allows you to switch templates at any time and if you want to mix it up you can do it quickly..
Price and Value for the money
Squarespace gives you more value for your dollars than Webflow.
Webflow’s premium plans come with advanced features that developers may require, however the plans that are less expensive are best suited for sites that are small to medium in size.
Webflow and Squarespace Pricing at a Glance
| Webflow | Squarespace | |
| Free trial or plan? | Free plan | Trial period for free (14 days) |
| Price vary | $12 – $212/month | $12 – $40/month |
| The best for | Users who are tech-savvy and plan to expand their business | Entrepreneurs and creative types who require some technical support |
Webflow as well as Squarespace plans start at just $12/month. Here’s what you’ll receive for that price each plan:
| Webflow | Squarespace |
| * Create to a domain you have created (but it is not free) * 50GB bandwidth * Unlimited storage * SSL security |
* Connect a domain you have created free for the first year * Unlimited bandwidth * Unlimited storage * SSL security |
As you can observe, Squarespace offers better value for the money. The most affordable plan comes with a no-cost domain and plenty of storage (how many media and content your site can hold) along with bandwidth (how many pieces of information your website can send to its visitors).
Webflow’s 50GB bandwidth is still enough for smaller sites which is why you shouldn’t be restricted by it whatsoever. The problem is that Webflow’s most affordable plan was developed to cater to more tech-savvy users in mind, meaning you won’t get the same number of built-in, user-friendly options.
If you’re a fan of flexibility and freedom in design Webflow’s more sophisticated plans might be worth the cost. For instance, take Webflow’s $74 per month Ecommerce Plus plan, for an example. It’s larger as squarespace’s $45/month Advanced Commerce plan, but you’ll get several more advanced options, like:
- 200k annual sales volume
- Up to 10 administrator accounts
- Custom code
Do you want to make as low as you can? You might want to research the most low-cost web builders that are available prior to making your final choice!
Are There Additional Costs to consider?
The plans of Squarespace include everything you require to start a new web site with a domain for your first year. The additional charges associated that you incur with Squarespace are totally optional and can add some extra functionality to your site , if you’d like it.
The top of these added functions is definitely marketing via email. Squarespace provides an all-in-one email marketing tool, called Squarespace Email Campaigns. The cost costs $5 per month. If you’re looking to stay in touch with your customers and let people know about your website, this feature allows you to design custom emails that perfectly match the brand of your site – so you can get use of the premium designs.
Webflow’s plans aren’t quite as comprehensive as Squarespace’s and, as we know, you’ll need to purchase a domain in addition to the plan that is the cheapest. For additional costs, as far as they are concerned, Webflow offers a few alternatives services, including a more sophisticated Content Management System (CMS) which you can make use of instead of its website builder plans. However, there’s not any additional tools to build websites.
Selling on the internet
Squarespace is more suitable for e-commerce than Webflow.
Squarespace’s plans are more affordable than Webflow’s plans, and have fewer restrictions on payments and products.
Each of Squarespace and Webflow offer a selection of ecommerce-specific plans, or more precisely plans designed specifically to sell online, and that offer more functions than a typical site could require.
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Cheapest Ecommerce Plan
| Webflow- $29/month | Squarespace – $26/month |
| * You can sell up to 500 items * * 2% transaction fee * Fully customize the design of your checkout page. |
* Sell products in unlimited quantities * No transaction charges * Customize the questions on a pre-defined checkout form |
Squarespace provides more ecommerce features at a lower cost. Webflow’s cheapest ecommerce plan doesn’t have the same capabilities as Squarespace for features. However, in keeping with tradition the plan does offer a great quality of design customization.
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Most expensive Ecommerce Program
| Webflow : $212/month | Squarespace – $40/month |
| • Sell as many as 3,000 items * No transaction fee * 15 accounts for staff * Determine custom shipping rates for each location. |
* Sell products in unlimited quantities * No transaction charges * Unlimited personal accounts for staff * Customize shipping rates based on location |
The two most modern e-commerce plans include everything you require to operate a more extensive online store. However, for the (significant) cost difference and certain features that are unlimited, we still recommend Squarespace over Webflow for making sales online.
Are you interested in learning more about how to run an online business? We have guides on selling art, makeup and even food online are packed with suggestions and tricks. You can also check out our comprehensive guide on what you need to do to create your own online shop .
SEO and Marketing Tools
It’s tied!
Each of Webflow and Squarespace have top-quality tools that can assist you in growing your audience.
Search engine optimization and Marketing (SEO) functions are essential to spread information about your site and gaining more followers In reality, 90% of the internet-related experiences start with a search engine!
To assess Webflow and Squarespace’s SEO and marketing tools, we’ll review the entire range of pricing plans, beginning with the simplest plan for standard sites and ending with the more sophisticated plan for e-commerce sites.
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Cheapest Plan
The two companies Webflow and Squarespace provide the following services on their monthly plans of $12:
- Include alt tags for images
- Mobile-optimized designs
- Automatically created sitemaps automatically generated
- Link to social media accounts , and embed social media posts on your website
alt tags are similar to captions for images that tell the search engines what an image actually displays They assist crawlers “read” images and comprehend its significance. Sitemaps are web sitemap is an organized listing of all the pages that are on your site. It assists search engines in making connections between the relevant pages.
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Most expensive Plan
| Webflow- $212/month | Squarespace – $40/month |
| * Integrated CMS to blog content Advanced analytics tools * Sync your products and run campaigns using Google Shopping * Tag the products on Instagram |
* Gmail accounts @ your domain Advanced analytics tools * Create promotional pop-ups , and banners * Tag your products on Instagram |
With these more sophisticated plans, Webflow and Squarespace don’t provide precisely the identical features, however overall the SEO and marketing capabilities you’ll receive is similar.
advanced analytics software give you a better understanding of the traffic to your site and the conversion rates, and even give you more details about your site’s visitors (for instance, their geographical places of residence). This is the type of information that will assist you in creating more targeted marketing strategies!
Find out more about marketing by reading our guide on how you can build your online presence and how to advertise your site.
Apps and Integrations
Webflow is more suited for integrations than Squarespace.
You’ll have to do the work in establishing Webflow integrations by yourself, however, you’ll have more options than have with Squarespace.
Webflow DIY Integrations
We’ve all realized that Webflow is more difficult to utilize than Squarespace however If you’re looking to get in the technical details, then Webflow offers an array of integrations that meet your any needs.
Webflow’s integration library includes a variety of other features for your website. The only problem is that you’ll need to complete the installation yourself. It’s not too difficult – every integration comes with a step-by-step guide, but it will be longer-lasting than using extensions using Squarespace.
Squarespace: Apps ready-made
Squarespace offers an app marketplace, dubbed Squarespace Extensions ,where you can pick from a selection of 24 applications to include additional features to your website.
As you’re probably able to tell, Squarespace doesn’t offer nearly the same number of options in comparison to Webflow when it comes to integrations and apps. If you’re looking for a builder that comes with numerous integrations, you’ll be better off using Webflow.
However, Squarespace shines in terms of the quality of its integrations. You don’t need to design them or perform any technical work to set them up, and the 24 options are available to encompass the entire spectrum from SEO up to managing your products.
Are you looking for more information? Take a look at our list of the 9 best Extensions for Squarespace that are available.
Performance and Security
It’s tied!
The two platforms Webflow and Squarespace will ensure your site is functioning effortlessly.
We’ve already mentioned the fact that Webflow as well as Squarespace both come with SSL certificates in all of their plans. This is the most important aspect of the security aspects of a website. But there are additional important aspects of security and performance that you need to be aware of before selecting a builder for your website.
Uptime
The term “uptime” refers to the duration that your website is operating (AKA accessible to users) on a regular basis. In an ideal world, every website would have a 100 percent uptime, however it’s impossible to ensure that.
Therefore, it’s crucial to ensure you have the highest uptime is possible We’re talking about 10ths of a % here! If your site has, the better customers will be able to be confident in your site.
The two platforms Squarespace and Webflow provide at the very least 99.90 percent uptime, which means just under nine hours of interruption every year. And you are able to expect less than that because 99.90 percent is considered to be an acceptable minimum for these two platforms.
Backups
It’s always good to have a fresh version of your website to be prepared in the event that something goes wrong.
One of the issues we faced while making use of Squarespace is that the editor does not automatically save your work for you. To ensure that everything is backed up it is important to hit “save” when you need to.
However, Squarespace makes backup copies of your site and saves the backups on secondary and primary servers as well it allows you to restore your pages for up 30 days after the deleted pages have been removed. It’s an incredibly large backup policy, so we’ll let the autosave feature go away for the moment.
Webflow creates backups automatically, and even on the free plan, you can restore as long as the two most recently backups of your website.
Switching Process
It’s tie!
Each of Squarespace and Webflow come with an easy (but easy) switching procedure.
If you’re planning to transfer an existing website into Squarespace or Webflow you’ll need to manually transfer your content. A majority of content can be transferred, but images require reuploading.
It’s somewhat uncomfortable to have this manual procedure however the good thing is that it does not require any prior knowledge of programming.
Assistance with and Support
Squarespace is more reliable than Webflow.
Live chat is available throughout the week. You can reach us via email 24 hours a day and make Squarespace the more responsive of both.
Webflow will not leave you in the dark should you need assistance. You can contact the team via email, but you’ll most likely need to wait between 24 and 48 business hours to get an answer.
The support options offered by Squarespace aren’t ideal however, you’ll have more success contacting an actual representative than you will with Webflow.
| Webflow | Squarespace | |
| Phone | ||
| Live chat | Monday to Friday | |
| Monday through Friday | 24/7 | |
| Knowledge center | Yes | Yes |
| Community forum | Yes | Yes |
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Summary
That’s it: A comprehensive review of Webflow against Squarespace and their respective performance in the various most crucial areas. This is a brief overview of the information we’ve gathered:
| Category | Winner |
| User-Friendliness | Squarespace |
| Design | Tie |
| Pricing | Squarespace |
| Selling on the internet | Squarespace |
| Marketing and SEO | Tie |
| Integrations and Apps | Webflow |
| Performance and Security | Tie |
| Switching Process | Tie |
| Support | Squarespace |
Squarespace is the winner overall. It is a user-friendly platform that combines simplicity with stunning design, ensuring that a professional looking website is attainable for all users.
Who should use Webflow?
- Design professionals with years of experience, who are looking for more freedom
- Large websites who wish to retain their audiences
- Smaller websites that want to grow substantially
Who should use Squarespace?
- Small website owners and beginners
- Entrepreneurs and creatives who aren’t equipped with technical abilities
- People who prefer the final appearance more than the process
FAQs
Squarespace prioritizes user-friendliness over Webflow does, and you must stick to the template layout that is standard in Squarespace but you are able to alter the code to alter things such as fonts and colors. Webflow is more technical which means that you have the option of starting from an empty canvas and then of design your personal layout.
Webflow as well as Squarespace are both designed-based web builders. In other words, they’re both tools that do the same thing. You don’t have to utilize simultaneously!
The best overall website builder is one that matches your specific requirements the most. If you value the design over everything other factors and you’re on the right path when comparing Webflow and Squarespace. However, if you’re looking for an overall view of our overall rating of the top 10 most effective web builders is a good option to begin.
