When it comes to building a website, deciding on which platform to use can prove tricky. This is hardly surprising considering there are countless website builders out there. However, within this large pool of website builders, Squarespace and WordPress have proven to be two of the best platforms. To make your choice easier, we will compare the creative giants, focusing on features, functionalities, and the content management system, to see the best option.
Features
Squarespace prefers you conduct your business within the platform, so they offer a lot of built-in features to help you with your needs. Both WordPress and Squarespace have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to features, design, and ease of use. You get access to analytics that help you track website visits, traffic sources, and more. You can also import content to your site from social media platforms. It allows you to host podcasts that can be published on Spotify and Apple podcasts. What’s more? You get generative AI tools and a CRM that helps you manage your schedules.
WordPress on the other hand has a large library of plugins– integral to how your website functions. However, they offer features like password-protected pages, multiple contributors, image editing tools, a community of other WordPress users, and 70+ different language options, so your website is accessible to users all over the world. Because of this, WordPress overall offers more flexibility & features.
Ease of Use
Squarespace is famous for making website building very easy. Setting up a Squarespace site is straightforward, with a lower learning curve and guided customization. With its drag-and-drop editor and many website templates, both beginners and experts can create a professional-looking website without any hassle.
WordPress on the other hand offers more creative control of your website but at a cost. It requires a bit of coding knowledge to navigate its backend. With newer tools such as Elementor & Divi, it has taken the skill level required with the WordPress website builder down from expert to novice.
WordPress Themes
Squarespace has a lot of professionally designed templates, known as Squarespace templates, that require minimal customization. For WordPress, you get thousands of WordPress themes that cater to a wide range of industries and design preferences. However, there are a lot of low-quality ones that require coding skills to customize.
SEO
Squarespace and WordPress offer basic SEO tools like customizable meta titles and descriptions, customizable URLs, page redirects, image alt texts, automatic sitemaps, and hide a page. However, Squarespace’s SEO features are in-built which limits your control over your SEO.
WordPress on the other hand offers SEO plugins like SmartCrawl SEO. This allows you to track your website’s performance and optimize it according to your needs. Additionally, Yoast SEO is a popular SEO plugin for WordPress that provides detailed SEO customization and optimization tools, making it easier to optimize a site for better search rankings, especially for beginners without technical know-how.
Ecommerce Features
For e-commerce websites, Squarespace offers built-in sales features and a great inventory size but lacks a lot of apps and payment options. Setting up an e-commerce Squarespace website is easier and faster. WordPress on the other hand is trickier to navigate, with the platform reliant on ecommerce plugins like WooCommerce. But with the right guidance, it can become a very powerful and customizable platform that offers much more than Squarespace can offer.
Pricing
Squarespace offers premium plans ranging from $16 to $52 per month. They also give you a 14-day free trial period. WordPress on the other hand is free, however, you have to pay for web hosting, domain registration, themes, and plugins.
Security
With WordPress being open source, it is more vulnerable to attacks and requires regular updates and plugins to be highly secure. Squarespace on the other hand is closed source, which means your website is less prone to attacks with security handled internally.
Final Word
Squarespace is better suited for Squarespace users who want to build a website without technical skills. So it is better suited for beginners. However, if you desire more control over your WordPress site’s design, then WordPress should be your choice.
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