Squarespace vs Shopify: Which one is Right for your Business?
When it comes to moving your business online, there are many platforms you can choose to get started. With so many options all at different price points, it can be difficult to know which one would suit your business best.
We’re going to highlight two of the most popular platforms in 2021 for building eCommerce websites.
Shopify and Squarespace.
BOTH SERVICES APPEAR TO BE VERY SIMILAR, BUT THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT UPBRINGINGS.
Squarespace has been an industry standard when it comes to easy-to-use, functional, responsive website builders. It originally started as a content-driven website builder then in 2019-2020 they added a paid eCommerce feature to their existing layout. The eCommerce function starts at $26/month and goes as high as $46/month (note: these numbers are for the monthly price, they offer a discount for yearly subscriptions).
Shopify launched in 2006 as a website builder for solely eCommerce websites. The Shopify in 2006 is very different from what is on the market today. Their pricing starts at $29/month and can go up to $299/month for Advanced Shopify. They also offer a more flexible $9/month plan called Shopify Lite, which allows you to add buy buttons and create invoices on other website platforms (including Squarespace).
LOOKING BEYOND PRICING, YOU NEED TO EVALUATE YOUR BUSINESS’S NEEDS WHEN IT COMES TO A WEBSITE.
The standard Squarespace template offers:
An easy to use drag and drop page editor for unlimited pages
Responsive pages by design
Intuitive styling tweaks for fonts and photos
These features are great for a business that is focused mostly on highlighting themselves, their process or services. All of the building is done from a front-end perspective so it’s easy to see your final product. This works out well for businesses who do not need robust product organization, customer organization, or analytics. Squarespace builds beautiful websites, and that’s where the vision ends.
Shopify is more inflexible when it comes to what their templates offer, especially when it comes to the non-eCommerce pages.
Shopify theme templates are not drag and drop
They have a limited number of styling tweaks that can be achieved without a coding knowledge
The standard page template is not responsive
The front end features you get vary vastly based on your theme selection
What Shopify lacks in an intuitive front-end builder, they make up for in a robust back-end organization. Shopify wants to be your one-stop-shop for online business organization.
This makes it ideal for businesses with a high inventory, unique products, or businesses that do a lot of overseas sales. Even on the basic plan, the backend features of Shopify are sufficient to get any business selling online. Those with more complicated products or needs can browse the Shopify app store to find the feature you are looking for.
Squarespace’s dynamic page builder is a reflection of their prerogative.
The most important pages in eCommerce websites are the commerce pages (such as product or collection pages) rather than content pages (like an about or contact us page). Shopify’s basic page editor isn’t as capable because it’s not as high of a need for eCommerce websites. What Shopify does really well is their commerce pages, every Shopify theme comes with great product pages and collection pages.
EVALUATE HOW YOU WANT YOUR ONLINE BUSINESS TO FUNCTION BEFORE SELECTING A PLATFORM.
Squarespace is great for small eCommerce websites and a perfect option if you need dynamic content alongside your commerce. Shopify is designed to build really powerful eCommerce websites and provide a better online shopping experience for your customers.
Whichever you choose, you can always find a way to customize and create the website your business needs, starting from a good base point will get you there faster.