Building a website today is easier than ever, but picking the right platform? That’s where it gets tricky. Webflow and Squarespace are two of the biggest names in web design, yet they couldn’t be more different in how they help users bring their ideas to life.
One thing is clear: both Webflow and Squarespace let you create beautiful, fully-functional websites without needing to know much about coding.
Curious about how Webflow stacks up against Squarespace?
In this comparison, we’ll dive into the strengths and weaknesses of each platform to help you decide which one is the best fit for you.
We’ll also break down key factors like pricing, user-friendliness, templates, performance, and more to give you a clear picture of what each platform has to offer.
Webflow vs Squarespace: An Overview
Webflow and Squarespace are built for different needs. Webflow is great for designers who want full control and advanced tools to create custom websites.
Squarespace, on the other hand, is an easy-to-use platform that combines website building with helpful business tools, making it perfect for beginners or small business owners.
Webflow Overview
Webflow isn’t just another no-code website builder—it’s a game-changer for web design. Webflow is the first platform of its kind, bringing marketers, designers, and developers together to create, manage, and improve web experiences that deliver results.
Combining the power of a visual editor, a robust CMS, and reliable hosting, it’s a one-stop platform that empowers designers to craft fully customized, professional-grade websites without writing a single line of code. With Webflow, you don’t have to choose between simplicity and flexibility—you get both. Build your vision from the ground up, exactly how you imagine it.
Pros of Webflow
- Comprehensive Platform:
Webflow handles every aspect of building and managing a website, offering everything you need to create and maintain an online presence, from design to hosting. ✅
- Scalable Hosting:
With its own hosting infrastructure, Webflow ensures that your website remains fast and reliable, even during unexpected traffic surges. ✅
- Responsive Design Tools:
Webflow makes it easy to optimize your site for various devices, ensuring your site looks great on both mobile and desktop screens. ✅
- Web design and development merge effortlessly:
Say goodbye to the divide between visual design and coding.
Traditionally, web design and development have lived in separate worlds - designers craft wireframes and mockups, then pass them off to developers, sparking endless rounds of feedback to align the final product with the original vision.
Webflow changes the game. It brings design and development together, letting you create and build your website seamlessly within a single, powerful tool.
No more handoffs, no more miscommunication—just your vision, fully realized. ✅
- Marketing Integrations:
Webflow offers a variety of built-in integrations and makes it simple to add custom ones. It includes integrations for email, social media, and analytics right from the start, but it lacks the advanced email marketing tools and customer database management features found in more established eCommerce platforms.✅
- Exportable Clean Code:
As you build your site visually, Webflow generates clean and organized code that you can export and use elsewhere with minimal adjustments. ✅
- Fast Load Times:
Experience lightning-fast load times with Webflow’s clean code.
Unlike other website builders like Squarespace, which can bog down your site with excess code, Webflow keeps things lean and efficient.
Your website is built with pure HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, ensuring optimal speed and performance without unnecessary baggage. ✅
- Design stunning and complex animations:
Explore Flux Academy homepage to see the magic of Webflow’s animation capabilities in action. The web is all about interaction, and by incorporating intentional, eye-catching animations, you can make your clients' websites truly unforgettable.
Normally, achieving this level of sophistication would require deep expertise in CSS and JavaScript—but not with Webflow. It empowers you to craft dynamic, engaging animations visually, bringing your designs to life without writing a single line of code.✅
- User-friendly CMS:
Webflow provides a clean, user-friendly CMS interface with a streamlined dashboard, displaying only the essentials you need to focus on. ✅
- Responsive Design with Ease:
With Webflow, tailoring your designs for any modern device is effortless.
Simply click on a breakpoint to preview and fine-tune how your layout adapts from desktop to tablet to mobile and beyond. Plus, with Flexbox, you can tackle responsive design challenges seamlessly, ensuring your site looks perfect on every screen. ✅
- Custom SEO Settings:
Webflow simplifies SEO with easy access to all the on-page settings you need. For CMS content, meta titles and descriptions are automatically generated from the fields you define. Plus, every Webflow site comes with free SSL for enhanced security. ✅
- Extra Resources:
While Squarespace provides round-the-clock customer support, Webflow goes above and beyond with a wide range of resources to help you master the platform.
You can dive into Webflow University, explore insightful blog posts, connect with the community on forums, or get direct answers from their top-notch support team.
And don't forget the Flux YouTube channel, packed with useful tutorials to guide you every step of the way. ✅
- Flexible Pricing Plans:
Webflow offers a variety of plans suited to different needs, from individual creators to larger businesses, making it adaptable to many types of projects. ✅
Cons of Webflow
- Steep Learning Curve:
Webflow is powerful but complex. It requires time to master, and it’s not as simple as drag-and-drop builders. You may need to invest in learning resources or hire an expert. ❌
- Limited Support Options:
Webflow lacks live chat or phone support, which can be frustrating when you need immediate help. However, it does offer a robust community forum and Webflow University, which is a free, beginner-friendly resource. ❌
- Desktop-Only Edits:
Unlike other CMS platforms, Webflow doesn’t have a mobile app for content or design updates. All changes to your site must be made from a desktop or laptop. ❌
- Wide Range of Pricing Plans:
Webflow’s variety of pricing plans can be a bit confusing, making it tricky to select the one that best fits your business needs. ❌
- Limited Code Customization:
Webflow doesn’t allow for full code-level customization. While it offers robust tools for basic code adjustments, modifying the core functionality of the code isn’t an option. ❌
Squarespace Overview
Squarespace is a comprehensive platform for building websites and establishing an online presence. Renowned for its stunning, professionally designed templates, Squarespace caters primarily to creative professionals such as artists, photographers, and designers. However, its versatile templates can be used to craft personal, business, or eCommerce websites for anyone.
Founded in 2003, Squarespace has steadily grown in popularity over the last decade, becoming a go-to choice for those looking to create a sleek, functional website with ease and speed.
Squarespace is a highly user-friendly website builder focused on simplicity and elegance, enabling users to quickly create visually appealing and functional websites with minimal technical knowledge.
It’s perfect for beginners or those who want an easy-to-use platform with a polished look.
Pros of Squarespace
- Ease of Use: Squarespace’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes it incredibly easy to build a site, even for those with little to no technical experience.
If you're looking to launch a website quickly—whether to start attracting business or showcase a portfolio—Squarespace makes it possible to get up and running in just a few hours.
No prior design or coding experience is required, as the platform is built with beginners in mind.
While there might be a slight learning curve when making your first few updates, Squarespace provides a wealth of online resources to guide you through the process.
If you need more personalized assistance, their customer support team is available to offer further help. ✅
- Beautiful Templates: Squarespace offers a wide selection of stunning, customizable templates that can give your site a professional look right from the start. ✅
What makes Squarespace stand out from other website builders like Wix is its collection of beautifully crafted templates. If you're looking for a straightforward website to showcase your content, you’ll find their templates to be a great fit.
Simply choose a template, install it, and you’re ready to start customizing.
To help you find the perfect design, Squarespace offers organized categories, making it easy to select a template tailored to your specific needs. Each template is versatile enough to support a blog or online store.
When you create an account, you get a 14-day free trial to set up your site and prepare it for launch. If you need more time, you can extend the trial to ensure you have everything just right before committing to a plan.
- Affordable and Value for Money: Squarespace’s pricing is reasonable, offering a lot of value for the features it provides, making it a cost-effective option for many users. ✅
- Responsively designed websites: Squarespace templates are expertly crafted to ensure a flawless viewing experience across all devices. Whether visitors access your site from a smartphone, tablet, or desktop, the design adjusts smoothly to fit any screen size.
With mobile browsing accounting for over two-thirds of all online activity today, it’s crucial that your website performs well and maintains its visual appeal on smaller screens.
Squarespace also lets you easily toggle between different screen sizes, allowing you to preview how your site will look in real-time at various breakpoints. ✅
- 24/7 Customer Support: One of the standout features of Squarespace is its round-the-clock customer support. For those new to website building, having reliable assistance can make a big difference.
With Squarespace, you have the reassurance of a well-established company backing you up, ready to help if any issues arise or if you need guidance. Simply submit a support request, and you can typically expect a response within a day or two.✅
- Simple to transfer your site's content in and out: Squarespace makes it easy to import and export content. You can upload an .XML file from WordPress to transfer blog posts, pages, images, and more.
Similarly, if you switch platforms, exporting your content is just as simple. ✅
- URL Directs: One handy feature, especially when migrating from platforms like WordPress to Squarespace, is the ease of setting up URL redirects.
This allows you to guide visitors from outdated pages to active ones, ensuring a smooth experience.
Whether you need a permanent redirect (301) or a temporary one (302), it’s simple to create. Just head to the advanced settings and paste a line of code for the new redirect. ✅
Cons of Squarespace
- Limited Customization: While user-friendly, Squarespace doesn’t offer the same level of creative control as more advanced platforms like Webflow. You may find design limitations if you need a more tailored solution. ❌
- High ongoing costs: Squarespace operates on a subscription model, with prices starting at $11 per month for a personal website.
However, as you add more advanced eCommerce features like zero transaction fees, abandoned cart recovery, and shipping options, the cost can rise to $17, $24, or even $36.
Over time, these costs can add up, so it’s important to choose the right plan for your needs. If you just need a simple portfolio, avoid paying for unnecessary features in higher-tier plans. Fortunately, Squarespace lets you easily upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time, even mid-year.❌
- Difficult-to-use website editor: The website editor in Squarespace can be a bit tricky to navigate, especially when you're trying to customize something simple like typography or font color.
You’ll need to click through several menus, which can feel a bit cumbersome. Additionally, don’t forget to save your progress—Squarespace doesn’t have an autosave feature, so it’s important to hit the Save button regularly to avoid losing your changes.❌
- Not ideal for large, complex websites: Squarespace provides only a single navigation system, making it less suitable for websites with a deep menu structure or the need for multilingual support.
- Slow loading times: Like many website builders, including Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress, Squarespace can add unnecessary bloat to the backend, leading to slower load speeds. The longer your site takes to load, the more likely you are to lose potential visitors. ❌
- No Autosave or Revision History: Squarespace doesn’t have an autosave feature, so if your browser crashes or you forget to save, you could lose your progress. Manual saving is essential to avoid this issue. ❌
- Scalability Challenges: As your website grows, you might run into limitations with Squarespace, particularly in terms of functionality and SEO, compared to more flexible platforms like Webflow. ❌
Who is Squarespace best for?
After weighing the pros and cons of Squarespace, it's clear that it works best for certain types of users.
If you're building a portfolio to showcase your design work or the creative projects of a client, Squarespace is a perfect choice.
It's also great for anyone who needs a DIY website solution and wants to get online quickly, with a bit of support along the way.
However, if you're aiming to create a highly customized website that tackles specific business goals and allows you to charge premium rates for your design services, you might want to explore what Webflow has to offer instead.
In summary, Webflow is ideal for those who want maximum control and scalability, while Squarespace excels in ease of use and design elegance.
Your choice will depend on your needs, technical skills, and long-term goals.
The Verdict
Webflow Pros
- Ideal for designers used to tools like Sketch or Figma
- Customizable with coding for ultimate flexibility
Webflow Cons
- Steeper learning curve
Squarespace Pros
- All-in-one platform for hassle-free maintenance
- Free, high-quality templates
- Designed with DIY users in mind
Squarespace Cons
- Lacks phone support
- Closed ecosystem, limiting advanced customization options
Choose Webflow for unmatched design freedom or Squarespace for a simpler, beginner-friendly experience—both platforms bring their own creative magic to the table.
Webflow vs Squarespace - Ease of Use Comparison Overview
Squarespace: Quick, Polished, and Beginner-Friendly
Squarespace is perfect for users who need to launch a professional-looking website quickly—whether to promote a business, showcase a portfolio, or start a blog.
Its interface allows even beginners to design a website in just a few hours.
While advanced customizations can feel limiting, Squarespace provides beautifully designed templates and all-in-one features like hosting, email marketing, and e-commerce tools.
For small businesses or creators looking for an easy and efficient solution, Squarespace delivers simplicity without sacrificing style.
And if you ever want to migrate content, Squarespace supports easy imports from WordPress and allows you to export your website data. Plus, it includes features like URL redirects to manage changes easily.
Webflow: Precision Design with Endless Customization
Webflow is the platform of choice for users who value control and creativity. Known for its powerful visual drag-and-drop builder, Webflow empowers you to design every detail of your site.
From animations to responsive layouts, you can customize your website down to the last pixel.
Webflow also stands out with its CMS functionality, making it a fantastic option for content-rich sites like blogs or portfolios.
Dynamic content can be added effortlessly, and its responsive design tools ensure your website looks amazing on every screen size.
That said, Webflow’s flexibility comes with a steeper learning curve. While beginners might find the designer overwhelming at first, Webflow University offers excellent resources to help you master the platform.
Once you get the hang of it, the possibilities are nearly limitless.
Webflow vs Squarespace- The Bottom Line - Ease of Use:
Webflow offers greater customization capabilities, allowing for more tailored and impressive results.
On the other hand, Squarespace is straightforward to learn and use, with a basic package that covers all the essentials. Its intuitive design and all-in-one setup make it easy to hit the ground running.
If you’re a web designer or someone who craves creative freedom, Webflow is a game-changer. While it takes time to learn, the level of control and customization it offers makes it worth the effort for those looking to build truly unique, standout sites.
Choose Squarespace if you prioritize simplicity and need a quick, polished solution.
Opt for Webflow if you’re willing to invest time in learning a tool that offers unparalleled design flexibility and advanced features for professional-grade websites.
Each platform excels in its own way—what matters most is finding the right fit for your goals and skills.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Which one is better for e-commerce? �
Webflow Business and eCommerce Features
Webflow takes eCommerce to the next level, combining creative control with powerful tools to manage your online store. Whether you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, or services, Webflow gives you the flexibility to:
- Add products with multiple variations
- Track inventory with ease
- Set custom shipping options for each item
- Manage everything from a sleek, user-friendly dashboard
Webflow’s design-first approach extends to eCommerce, allowing you to tailor every detail of your store’s layout while keeping product and order management simple. Through its Editor, you can also easily apply discounts, update items, and track orders—all in one place.
A Few Caveats
While Webflow excels in design and store management, it does have limits. For instance, if you’re running a content-heavy site, the cap of 10,000 “items” (blog posts, tags, or categories) might feel restrictive. This could be a challenge for large-scale blogs or businesses posting frequently.
SEO tools, though solid, are fairly straightforward, offering features like:
- Auto-generated sitemaps
- Custom SEO settings for individual products and pages
- Global canonical URL setup
For advanced marketing or CRM functionality, Webflow leans on third-party integrations. While there’s no shortage of options, most require some manual setup, so be ready to roll up your sleeves.
Squarespace Business and eCommerce Features
Squarespace makes building a business online feel effortless, thanks to its guided approach and all-in-one features.
When setting up an online shop, Squarespace takes you through a simple questionnaire to understand what you’re selling. By the end, it populates your store with example products—complete with stock images and pre-written descriptions—so you’re not starting from scratch.
From the dashboard, you can customize every aspect of your shop, from product categories to pricing and shipping. Blogging is a particular strength: Squarespace lets you create beautiful posts, tag and categorize them, and even enable comments with ease.
Built-In Marketing Superpowers
Squarespace doesn’t just stop at eCommerce; it’s a marketing powerhouse. Tools like Unfold make designing social media posts seamless, offering customizable templates made by Squarespace’s own design pros. For email campaigns, it provides pre-made templates and a straightforward way to connect with subscribers—right from your dashboard.
What’s the Catch?
While Squarespace’s features are beginner-friendly, they come at a price. Email marketing, for instance, starts at $5 a month and goes up depending on your needs. Similarly, its third-party app store expands functionality for eCommerce but often requires extra investment.
Webflow vs. Squarespace E-commerce Summary 🛒
Both Webflow and Squarespace provide robust eCommerce and marketing tools to help you build and manage an online store. However, the fast-paced evolution of the eCommerce landscape often calls for a wide selection of third-party integrations to enhance functionality and adapt to customer demands.
With Squarespace, relying exclusively on its extensions might limit your ability to find the diverse integrations needed to fully meet your business requirements.
Webflow vs Squarespace: Which has better SEO functionalities?
When it comes to determining the ultimate SEO website builder, the answer isn’t straightforward. Both Webflow and Squarespace offer valuable tools for optimizing your site, but the best choice depends on your specific needs.
SEO is a crucial component of any successful website, and both platforms provide features to enhance your site’s visibility in search engines. Let’s explore what each has to offer.
Webflow SEO Capabilities 🔧
Webflow gives you advanced control over your site’s SEO, making it a strong choice for users who want to maximize search engine performance.
- Custom Sitemaps: Define exactly which pages search engines should index for better targeting.
- Meta and Header Tag Editing: Fine-tune how your site appears in search results to attract more clicks.
- Structured Data Markup: Use schema to help search engines understand your content’s context, improving rankings and rich result potential.
These tools empower you to refine your website’s technical SEO for better visibility and higher rankings.
Squarespace SEO Capabilities 🔧
Squarespace simplifies SEO with beginner-friendly tools built right into its platform. Recent updates have enhanced its functionality, making it easier than ever to optimize your site.
- Meta and Header Tag Editing: Boost click-through rates by customizing titles and descriptions.
- Custom Sitemaps: Automatically generate sitemaps to guide search engines through your site structure.
- Integrated SEO Tools: Squarespace streamlines SEO-friendly development, offering everything you need to get started.
However, Squarespace’s JavaScript-heavy templates can slow down page speed, which may impact your search rankings negatively.
Webflow vs Squarespace: SEO Comparison Overview 🔧
For beginners or users seeking simplicity, Squarespace provides a user-friendly platform with built-in SEO tools, ideal for quick optimization.
On the other hand, Webflow offers advanced SEO capabilities like structured data and customizable sitemaps, perfect for those who want more control over technical SEO. While Webflow may require a steeper learning curve, it gives you the tools to fine-tune every detail of your site’s performance.
Both platforms have strengths, but the right choice depends on whether you prioritize ease of use or customization.
Squarespace vs Webflow Templates Overview
When it comes to templates, Webflow and Squarespace each bring unique strengths to the table, catering to different kinds of users and design needs.
Webflow Templates
With over 180 responsive templates to choose from, Webflow offers an impressive variety tailored to a wide range of businesses and industries. Some templates are free, while others come with a price tag, but all are crafted with modern design principles in mind.
For users comfortable with coding, Webflow allows extensive customization through HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editing. While coding isn’t required to create a professional website, having the option unlocks limitless possibilities for design-savvy users.
Webflow also includes versatile design tools like sliders, dropdowns, carousels, and custom typography, giving you creative control over every element. To streamline your workflow, you can save design preferences as reusable “classes,” ensuring consistency across your site.
Squarespace Templates
Squarespace is renowned for its 144 visually stunning templates, all available for free, with additional custom templates available for purchase. These templates are crafted to make your site look professional with minimal effort, appealing to designers and DIY enthusiasts alike.
Squarespace's hallmark is its simplicity. While it offers fewer templates than Webflow, the high-quality designs and intuitive editing tools make it easy to build an elegant website without diving into code.
The Verdict - Webflow vs Squarespace - Templates
Webflow provides greater design freedom and customization options, making it ideal for advanced users or those familiar with tools like Sketch or Figma.
However, it comes with a steeper learning curve and is better suited for designers seeking complete creative control.
On the other hand, Squarespace is perfect for those who prioritize ease of use and need a visually striking site without the complexity.
Its all-in-one platform and beginner-friendly interface make it an excellent choice for DIY users looking to build and maintain their websites effortlessly.
Webflow vs Squarespace Pricing Comparison 💸
When launching a website, pricing is often the first factor to weigh. While both Webflow and Squarespace offer free trials and templates, unlocking their full potential requires a financial investment.
Here’s a closer look at how their pricing stacks up.
Webflow Pricing Plans: Built for Flexibility
Webflow offers plans tailored to specific needs, with options for standard websites and eCommerce.
- Basic ($14/month): Perfect for small, static websites, but lacks a CMS.
- CMS ($23/month): Ideal for content-rich sites, allowing up to 100,000 monthly visitors, 1,000 form submissions, and 2,000 CMS items.
- Business ($39/month): Designed for high-traffic websites, this plan supports up to 1 million visitors, unlimited form submissions, advanced CMS capabilities, site search, and 10 team editors.
For eCommerce, Webflow shines with scalability:
- Standard ($29/month): Great for small shops but includes a 2% transaction fee.
- Plus ($74/month): Removes transaction fees and increases sales volume support to $200K annually.
- Advanced ($212/month): Offers unlimited sales volume, 15 staff accounts, and robust tools for enterprise-level online stores.
💡 Takeaway: Webflow’s pricing favors those who prioritize flexibility and advanced features. Opt for annual billing to save more.
Squarespace Pricing Plans: Simplicity Meets Elegance
Squarespace’s four straightforward plans cater to different user needs:
- Personal ($16/month): Great for blogs and portfolios, this plan includes unlimited storage, a custom domain, and SSL security but lacks eCommerce capabilities.
- Business ($23/month): Adds basic eCommerce tools but with a 3% transaction fee, making it less ideal for serious sellers.
- Basic Commerce ($28/month): Eliminates transaction fees and adds professional eCommerce tools like customer accounts and analytics.
- Advanced Commerce ($52/month): Perfect for growing online stores, with advanced shipping options, subscription sales, and abandoned cart recovery.
💡 Takeaway: Squarespace pricing is simpler to navigate and works best for users who want sleek designs without much fuss.
Webflow vs. Squarespace: Pricing Verdict
While Squarespace wins points for simplicity and its focus on ready-to-go features, Webflow edges ahead in value for advanced users. Webflow’s CMS Plan ($23/month) offers features comparable to Squarespace’s Business Plan ($23/month) but with significantly greater capabilities.
For eCommerce, Webflow provides more scalable options, albeit at higher price points, while Squarespace focuses on ease of use with fewer customization options.
Ultimately, pricing isn’t the sole factor in choosing between these platforms. Consider what you prioritize—Squarespace’s user-friendliness or Webflow’s depth and flexibility. Both platforms offer a range of tools to help your website thrive.
Choosing between Webflow and Squarespace isn’t just about features—it’s also about finding a pricing plan that fits your needs. But comparing their pricing can get tricky.
These platforms not only cater to different types of users but also offer vastly different plan structures. Here’s a breakdown to help you navigate their offerings:
How to Decide Between Webflow and Squarespace: Our Verdict
When it comes down to choosing between Webflow and Squarespace, our choice ultimately leans towards Webflow—but that doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for everyone.
If you're a beginner looking for a straightforward, intuitive platform to build a website quickly, Squarespace could be the ideal choice. It’s simple to use, offers beautiful designs, and helps you create a functional website without much effort.
However, if you’re aiming to create a more complex site—one with intricate animations, multiple pages, and deep customization—Webflow stands out as a powerful solution.
Its advanced design tools and flexibility cater to those who need more control over their website's look and functionality.
These are just a couple of extreme scenarios, though. Ultimately, it’s important to dive deeper into both platforms, understand your unique needs, and choose the one that aligns best with your goals.
