Creating a high-end website has, admittedly, never been easier - with so many different high-end website builders out there on the market today, you shouldn’t face any struggles! However, how should you go about finding the right builder for yourself? Well, this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison is a step in the right direction!
Both Squarespace and Shopify are, admittedly, quite different from each other - one is a more-general builder, while the other is an eCommerce-dedicated tool. By comparing the two site creation platforms in question, you will be able to filter out the things that are important to you, and find the right builder for yourself!
Before we get to the actual Squarespace VS Shopify comparison, though, there are a couple of things that we need to figure out, first. The most important of these would surely be the core features that we’ll use in order to analyze the two builders. Also, if you’d like to check out a data-based version of this comparison, you can easily find it here.
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Shopify VS Squarespace: Comparison Criteria
Whenever you’re trying to find the best website builder for yourself - whether it be while browsing online, reading through various Shopify VS Squarespace comparisons, or else -, chances are that you have a few specific criteria in mind.
Criteria that are absolutely essential for you, when it comes to a top-tier builder. Well, as a matter of fact, whether or not these criteria match, there are a few select things that should be found within all high-end builders!
| SQUARESPACE | SHOPIFY | |
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| Most suitable for great visuals | Most suitable for ecommerce | |
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| A great website builder for both individuals and small business alike. | Amazing tools and functionality for your online store. | |
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Table: General information about Squarespace and Shopify
These would include uptime & site speed, feature variety, eCommerce functionality, ease of use, templates, and pricing. Let’s explore all of these concepts further, shall we?
- Uptime & Site Speed. Uptime and site loading speed are two of the most important metrics that you should consider when trying to find the best website builder for yourself. This is because, without the two aspects in question, your website is as good as non-existent - it won’t load up, or will constantly be down and unable to be reached by any means. There are certain industry standards for both of these points - if a builder has an uptime of 99% and above, and will load your website completely in anywhere from 1 to 2 seconds, that’s already great!
- Feature Variety. One thing that you will notice rather quickly while reading through this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison is that there are multiple types of builders out there, on the market. Some are niche-specific, which means that they are aimed at a set, particular group of users. Others are a bit more general - while they don’t have a load of specific features, they are going to be great, all around. Feature variety refers to a builder possessing a wide assortment of features, and allowing you to make your website multi-layered, in that sense.
- eCommerce Functionality. These days, creating an online shop is among the most popular reasons why people are looking for website builders and their comparisons - this Shopify VS Squarespace article is no different. Granted that this is the case, it makes sense that builder eCommerce functionality is something that you’d want to look into whenever you’re picking out the right site creation tool for yourself! While you may not plan to create an online business straight off the bat, you never know what direction your website is going to take in the long run, so it’s good to be prepared!
- Ease of Use. What’s the point of using a website builder if it’s something that you need to spend hours upon hours figuring out and learning? Website builders, for the most part, are designed to be as simple to use and approachable as possible - whether it be this Squarespace VS Shopify comparison or any other, ease of use is surely a crucial point to look into, since it will help you learn whether the builder that you plan on using is quick and simple to figure out, or if it requires some extensive web development knowledge and a lot of prior experience.
- Templates. A website template is the general layout and visual design of a site that you are presented with when you first start creating your website. It’s something that will save you a lot of time and energy - you choose the template that you like, apply it, and then start editing your website from an already-advanced point. However, same as with topics such as Squarespace eCommerce VS Shopify, many website creators will tell you that convenience is only a small part of the equation! Templates are important for things such as mobile-friendliness and SEO, too - more on this later, though.
- Pricing. Website builder pricing is usually a rather contentious topic to look into. That’s mostly because the prices of builders tend to differ rather significantly, depending on their primary purpose and your plan of choice. Having said that, though, it is still undeniably one of the most important factors when trying to find the best website builder on the market, whether you’re choosing between Shopify VS Squarespace, or two other industry leaders. Some site creation tools are, admittedly, quite overpriced, so analyzing this point can bring you a lot of clarity!
As pointed out earlier on in this Squarespace VS Shopify comparison, naturally, each individual person is going to have their own preferences on what the most important aspects of a proper builder are for them. However, the point remains the same - if you’re looking for a truly high-end site creation tool, all of the above-mentioned aspects need to be considered and evaluated!
With that out of the way, though, let’s move on to the actual comparison at hand!
Shopify VS Squarespace: The Comparison
For the sake of continuity and consistency, we’ll take things from the top, and start off our comparison by taking a look at the uptime and site speed aspects of both builders.
Uptime & Site Speed
Uptime is a metric that references how long your website is going to be online throughout a set period of time, usually a year. Site loading speed, on the other hand, measures the amount of time it takes for your online-located website to load completely whenever a potential visitor tries to reach it.
As established earlier in the Shopify VS Squarespace comparison, these two aspects are always the first things that you should consider and check whenever picking between two builders, or even simply trying to find the best builder for yourself, in general.
Granted that this is the case, let’s apply the same thinking to this Shopify and Squarespace comparison, too - first up, Shopify.
As far as the industry-leading website builders are concerned, Shopify will offer its users some very good numbers, both in regards to uptime and site loading speed, too. Uptime-wise, the platform should keep your website up and running 99,98% of the time. That’s one of the best uptime stats in the entire industry! Naturally, you would expect great results from a leading eCommerce-dedicated site creation tool, but this beats all expectations!
When it comes to site loading speed, we have found that decently-optimized websites that are created with Shopify should load up in around 1,47 seconds. That’s pretty good!
As far as this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison is concerned, Shopify has amazing numbers both in regards of uptime, and also website loading speed, too. Now, how does Squarespace compare?
Well, in regards to uptime, the company boasts nearly the same numbers as Shopify - 99,97%. That’s still an astonishing number to consider!
In regards to site loading speed, though, Squarespace does appear to fall behind. Users of the builder exclaim that the loading speeds of their Squarespace websites tend to fluctuate quite a bit, and can even reach “below-average” territories. That is, admittedly, not ideal.
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Table: The speed statistics of Squarespace and Shopify
That being said, it is important to consider the fact that the loading speed of your website is going to depend heavily on your actions, too! If you keep your site optimized, manage your content accordingly, keep things light, and follow the best practices, all of this will surely increase your website’s loading speed!
Admittedly, this becomes somewhat of a subjective topic to consider, but the fact of the matter remains the same - when it comes to Squarespace VS Shopify, the latter builder seems to have some better website loading speed stats.
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Feature Variety
I’ve already hinted at this earlier on in the Shopify VS Squarespace comparison, but feature variety is something that you’ll want to get the most out of, in regards to any type of website builder that you might choose.
What do I mean by that? Well, allow me to give you an example:
Imagine you wanted to create a blog - say, you’re passionate about cars, and want to share your knowledge with the rest of the world. At first, you might look for the best blogging website builder - you find a tool that suits you, purchase a plan, and start creating. Everything is smooth and simple.
After some time, though, your website starts gaining a lot of traffic, brand deals start coming in, and you find yourself in a position where you’d like to start selling some products on your site. In order to do so, though, you will need high-end eCommerce functionality.
Now, either you’ve chosen a top-of-the-line website builder when you were just starting out, and will be able to do so, no-sweat, or you will have to go out and look for another site creation tool, migrate your website, and jump through a lot of hoops to get everything right and figured out.
Now, do you see why feature variety is important to look into, straight from the get-go?
| SQUARESPACE | SHOPIFY | |
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| Good | Good | |
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Table: The variety of features between Squarespace and Shopify
When it comes to Shopify, in this particular regard, the builder doesn’t really offer users all that many features, unfortunately. By that, I mean that it’s a purpose-specific website builder - while we’ll compare Squarespace eCommerce VS Shopify in a bit, when it comes to Shopify being used for anything else BUT eCommerce, the builder will surely prove to be lackluster.
That is, however, not the case with Squarespace. This website builder is of a general use - meaning, no matter if you’d like to create an eCommerce business, a blogging platform, or anything in between, that is going to be possible with Squarespace, no problem.
It’s worth noting, though, that dedicated website builders (such a Shopify) are going to have many more features in that particular regard than a general-purpose builder. That said, it’s actually something that you need to decide on, too - whether you’d like a topic-specific builder with less flexibility, but a more concentrated outlook, or a tool that offers more options, but in a broader sense.
Speaking of topic-specific builders...
eCommerce Functionality
While it may seem odd to differentiate eCommerce functionality from the rest of the remaining features, this is done with good reason, too - eCommerce is one of the most important points that people look at when choosing the best website builders for themselves, whether it be by reading Shopify VS Squarespace comparisons, or else.
Truth be told, eCommerce is that one topic that tends to unite photographers, artists, musicians, bloggers, and anyone in between - no matter what your primary reason for building a website might be, there is always going to be a chance that you might end up wanting to integrate an online shop into your site, for one reason or another.
Naturally, I probably don’t even need to say anything about the number of individuals who are looking to create an online business, and it’s their primary reason for looking for a website builder.
Now, in this regard, the situation is more than obvious - Shopify takes the lead, by a longshot. Being an eCommerce-dedicated website builder, Shopify is centered around allowing the user to create an online store or a branded business, and use all of the features that one might need in a situation like this.
Shopify offers users features such as abandoned cart recovery, unlimited product listings, different platform integrations, a wide array of payment options, support for most of the major currencies and languages, and so on. The builder possesses all of the high-end features that you might need in order to start a successful online store.
Squarespace, on the other hand, does also offer its users some of the more-generic eCommerce features. With the builder in question, you will be able to create an online store, and a pretty good one, at that!
| SQUARESPACE | SHOPIFY | |
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Table: The pros and cons of Squarespace and Shopify
Squarespace supports both product and service sales, helps you deal with shipping and taxes, supports a variety of different payments, and so on. The builder in question, however, is focused more on the visual side of the matter - how your products look on the page, and how the page itself looks and feels. More on that later on.
That being said, though, when it comes to comparing Squarespace eCommerce VS Shopify, it’s a no-brainer - if online sales and marketing are what you’re after, then of the two, Shopify is clearly the advantageous pick. After all, the platform isn’t the leading eCommerce website builder for nothing!
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Granted that you are reading a Shopify VS Squarespace comparison, and not one that involves WordPress, it’s probably safe to assume that you’re searching for an easy-to-use website creation tool.
It’s no secret that website builders are, as a rule, simple to use - this is something that has been the core selling point for builders for the longest time (to be frank, though, it kind of still is). Before you could order a subscription with Shopify or Squarespace, and create a fully-functional website in a matter of minutes, you’d have to learn programming, and use tools such as WordPress.
While this does have obvious benefits, it would also take up large amounts of time, and would require you to both be very patient and literally learn a whole new skill. That’s great, but not when you’re looking to avoid the hassle!
One of the main reasons why website builders have become as popular as they are is due to the fact that they are simple to use - this is obvious and undeniable. To this very day, site creation tools aim to optimize their initial processes as much as possible, and allow the user to create their website as quickly and efficiently as is realistic. This is true with this Shopify and Squarespace comparison, too.
Well, the good news here is that, no matter if you were to pick Shopify or Squarespace, you can be sure that both platforms are top-tier in this regard.
That’s right - both Squarespace and Shopify offer their users unparalleled simplicity, and will allow you to create a website in a super-quick and simple manner. Everything from the registration processes all the way up to adding advanced features to your website should cause you zero frustration!
Admittedly, this is something that was to be expected, though - after all, we’re talking about two of the most popular website builders on the current market! Neither of the tools in this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison would have been able to reach the level that they are currently at without being approachable and usable by the vast majority of people out there.
Whatever the case might be, you can rest assured that, no matter which platform it is that you pick, you’ll encounter zero troubles with creating the website of your dreams, even if you’ve never used a website builder before.
Templates
At the very beginning of this Shopify and Squarespace comparison, when I was introducing the template aspect, I’ve pointed out the fact that templates are much more than just visual and layout-based aid for the site creator. I stand by that statement - allow me to elaborate.
On top of keeping things simple, quick, and efficient, website templates are also going to be important for things such as mobile friendliness and SEO.
On the mobile-friendliness side of things, it seems rather self-explanatory at first - modern and beautiful templates that are optimized for mobile use are going to be much more appreciated, since they will help make sure that the visitor of your site has a great experience, whether it be on their phone, laptop, or else.
While that is true, things are much deeper than that - with mobile-friendly templates, you can also expect to rank higher in search engines, such as Google. This is where SEO comes in, too.
SEO stands for “search engine optimization” - something that you’d do in order to make your website pop up in search results on Google or some other search engine. While this isn’t an SEO lecture, suffice to say that optimizing your written content and checking your meta tags isn’t going to be enough for your website to be ranked high in search results.
The template that you are using for your website is going to be important, too.
All of that said, though, what’s the situation in this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison? Well, while Shopify does offer its users some modern and well-optimized templates, it’s got nothing on Squarespace, though - the builder in question has some of the best website templates that you will come across.
| SQUARESPACE | SHOPIFY | |
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| 81 | 70+ | |
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Table: Information about the design features of Squarespace and Shopify
That’s actually the main thing that people associate with Squarespace, too - templates, and their design. Made by professionals, Squarespace’s website themes are in-line with the current trends within the industry, offer amazing functionality and unique layout designs, and are stunning to look at, too.
Truth be told, if the visual part of a website is what you’re after, you definitely can’t go wrong with Squarespace. That’s not to say that Shopify doesn’t offer beautiful and modern themes, though - it does! -, but Squarespace remains the undisputed leader in this regard.
Price
Finally, to finish things off, before you go ahead and pick Shopify or Squarespace, the final thing that we still need to look at are the pricing options of the two builders in question.
Starting from Shopify, the prices that you can expect to encounter are:
Following that, Squarespace comes equipped with these price tags:
So, what are the conclusions that one can draw here?
Well, for starters, the prices are, admittedly, rather different. This was to be expected, though - granted that both website builders in question are very different from one another in regards to their target audience, it makes sense that one would be much more affordable than the other.
Having said that, though, Shopify is often seen as being priced “OK”, for the features and functionality that it provides to the user. Squarespace, on the other hand, is quite affordable!
| SQUARESPACE | SHOPIFY | |
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| $12.00 | $29.00 | |
| $12 | $29.00 | |
| 4 | 5 | |
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Table: The pricing options of Squarespace and Shopify
As established a few different times already, Shopify is aimed strictly towards eCommerce-interested individuals. This does automatically bring the price tag for the builder up, significantly - any and all revenue-bringing platforms are going to charge you more for even the basic plans, when compared to builders that are more general, and don’t possess some advanced eCommerce or business-building features.
Squarespace, on the other hand, is exactly that - a general-purpose builder. It’s not centered around or optimized for a single, specific niche, but will allow you to create a wide variety of different websites, all in-line with the quality standards that you would expect from a high-end builder.
All in all, both website builders in this Shopify VS Squarespace comparison seem to be priced adequately, for the features that they provide. Great news!
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Conclusions
With all being said and done, all that’s left is to answer a single question - should you use Shopify or Squarespace?
Well, the short answer would be - either one!
The longer answer, though, would include you choosing the best option for yourself in accordance with what it is that you are looking for. That’s kind of the whole point here, too - since both website builders in this Squarespace VS Shopify comparison are industry leaders, it makes sense that both of them are also top-tier choices!
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| New Haven, Connecticut, USA | Westport, Connecticut, USA | |
| 2004 | 2004 | |
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Table: Information about the companies behind Squarespace and Shopify
In a situation like this, it’s up to the individual to decide what they need, and pick in accordance with that. If you’re only interested in eCommerce, then Shopify is the best option here. However, if you’d like to create some additional section on your website (non-eCommerce-related), or are not interested in selling online, in general, then Squarespace will surely suit most of your wants and needs!
If after reading this comparison and checking the short version you feel that neither of these builders suit you, do visit our lists of the best website builders on the market, in general, or the best eCommerce site creation tools! There’s a pretty good chance that you might find what you’re looking for there!
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