Shopify vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for eCommerce?
It is time to pick an eCommerce website builder, but with so many choices, deciding the best platform for your online store can be overwhelming.
Between Shopify vs Squarespace, let’s find out which one is best for you.
We’ll explore pricing, eCommerce capabilities, ease of use, design options, and marketing tools. By the end, you’ll be equipped to choose the best website builder for your business needs.
Key Takeaways
How Much Does It Cost to Keep an eCommerce Store?
- With Shopify, prices start at $39 per month.
- With Squarespace, prices start at $36 per month.
Shopify vs Squarespace: Who Are They For?
- Squarespace takes the cake for creators prioritizing stunning visuals and brand building with some eCommerce capabilities.
- Shopify is excellent if you’re seeking a fast and easy-to-use solution packed with eCommerce resources.
Shopify vs Squarespace: Ease of Use
Both builders are known for their intuitive interfaces. However, Shopify offers a broader range of features, which can take more time to learn than Squarespace’s streamlined options.
In This Article
- Shopify vs Squarespace: Overview (2024)
- Breakdown of the Best Website Builders – Shopify vs Squarespace 2024
- Pricing
- Design and Customization
- Ease of Use
- eCommerce and Sales Features
- Marketing Features
- Add-Ons
- Integration With Printify
- Customer Support
- Shopify vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for You?
- Shopify and Squarespace Alternatives
- Shopify vs Squarespace FAQ
- Wrapping Up: Start an eCommerce Business With Printify
Shopify vs Squarespace: Overview (2024)
Let’s break down the basics of Shopify and Squarespace to help you choose the right platform.
What Is Shopify?
Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform known for its ease of use and extensive functionality. It provides robust payment and marketing options, a vast array of compatible apps to extend its core functionality, and a collection of modern design templates.
Quick Tip
Learn from the best and find inspiration – check out these successful Shopify stores.
What Is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a platform that provides some eCommerce tools but really shines with its stunning templates and design features. This makes it a perfect choice for businesses prioritizing visual appeal, particularly those in creative fields like art and music. It’s also a great option for small and medium businesses focusing on consistent branding.
Breakdown of the Best Website Builders – Shopify vs Squarespace 2024
Here are the most important features of Shopify and Squarespace, from pricing and usability to design, eCommerce, and marketing tools.
| Shopify | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Ideal for | Online businesses prioritizing robust eCommerce functionality. | Businesses and creators seeking an intuitive platform with website creation and basic eCommerce tools. |
| Pricing | The basic plan starts at $39 per month. | The business plan starts at $36 per month. |
| Ease of use | Beginner-friendly, but a wider range of features can take more time to learn. | Very user-friendly, with streamlined options ideal for beginners. |
| Design and customization | Wide range of customization options, including 13 free and over 180 paid themes. | Stunning pre-designed templates but limited customization compared to Shopify. |
| eCommerce and sales features | Extensive features for managing products, inventory, shipping, and transaction gateways, including Shopify Payments. | Basic features like product listings, shopping carts, and a few payment options. |
| Marketing tools | Built-in marketing tools for email campaigns and discount codes, plus hundreds of marketing apps in-store. | Limited marketing features, relying more on integrations with third-party tools. |
| Add-ons | Vast app store with over 8,000 Shopify apps, adding a wide range of functionalities. | A smaller variety of add-ons mainly focusing on design and content management. |
| Customer support | 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support, help center. | Live chat, email support, help center. |
| Ideal for | |
|---|---|
| Shopify | Online businesses prioritizing robust eCommerce functionality. |
| Squarespace | Businesses and creators seeking an intuitive platform with website creation and basic eCommerce tools. |
| Pricing | |
| Shopify | The basic plan starts at $39 per month. |
| Squarespace | The business plan starts at $36 per month. |
| Ease of use | |
| Shopify | Beginner-friendly, but a wider range of features can take more time to learn. |
| Squarespace | Very user-friendly, with streamlined options ideal for beginners. |
| Design and customization | |
| Shopify | Wide range of customization options, including 13 free and over 180 paid themes. |
| Squarespace | Stunning pre-designed templates but limited customization compared to Shopify. |
| Marketing tools | |
| Shopify | Built-in marketing tools for email campaigns and discount codes, plus hundreds of marketing apps in-store. |
| Squarespace | Limited marketing features, relying more on integrations with third-party tools. |
| Add-ons | |
| Shopify | Vast app store with over 8,000 Shopify apps, adding a wide range of functionalities. |
| Squarespace | A smaller variety of add-ons mainly focusing on design and content management. |
| Customer support | |
| Shopify | 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support, help center. |
| Squarespace | Live chat, email support, help center. |
Pricing
Let’s compare Shopify and Squarespace pricing to see which fits your budget.
Shopify
Monthly plans include:
- Shopify Basic – $39
- Shopify Plan – $105
- Shopify Advanced – $399
These Shopify plans offer a stand-alone online store, abandoned cart recovery, unlimited products, sales channels, point of sale (POS), marketing automation, international markets, Shopify Payments, and currency conversion in selected countries.
Also, check Shopify’s specialized solutions:
- Shopify Starter – $5 per month. Has limited functions, including embedding products in other websites and selling on social media, but doesn’t allow creating a stand-alone shop.
Shopify Plus – from $2,300 per month. A custom plan for complex businesses.
Squarespace
The Squarespace Personal plan doesn’t offer eCommerce functionality.
Creating an online store requires one of the Squarespace eCommerce plans, which include these monthly costs:
- Business – $36
- Basic Commerce – $40
- Advanced Commerce – $72
All plans offer a one-year free custom domain, search engine optimization (SEO) tools, basic metrics, extensions, Squarespace’s templates, and unlimited product listings. POS is available in the Basic plan, while abandoned cart recovery requires the Advanced Commerce option.
The Squarespace Business plan charges 3% for transaction fees, but this does not apply to the more advanced plans
Winner: Squarespace offers lower subscription fees. However, Shopify provides more advanced features in their plans.
Quick Tip
Looking for Shopify alternatives? Compare Shopify vs Etsy and pick the best eCommerce platform for your business.
Design and Customization
Let’s explore the design options and compare how much you can personalize your store with Shopify vs Squarespace.
Shopify
Customize your Shopify store with various themes and templates, and utilize the drag-and-drop editor to adjust individual elements. However, the editing tool isn’t very intuitive, and adding features that aren’t already in the theme may take some time.
Important
Unlike Squarespace, Shopify lets you switch themes without building a new site.
The Shopify Theme Store has around 13 free themes and over 180 premium options, costing from $140 to $400. It’s filters let you browse specific features like EU translations or age verification.
The themes are responsive and have unlimited testing – you only pay for them when publishing your page.
Shopify integrates with Burst for stock images.
Squarespace
Squarespace’s design capabilities are top-tier. Its new drag-and-drop Fluid editor is easier to use than Shopify’s.
Important
Fluid allows you to edit your site's mobile versions separately, which may cause inconsistency while customizing your desktop site.
Squarespace Blueprint is an AI-powered editor that asks questions to understand your website’s needs. It will suggest Squarespace templates perfectly suited for your needs and lets you personalize them with layouts, fonts, and color palettes, providing you ultimate creative control.
Squarespace offers more free templates than Shopify, all sleek and professional-looking. The platform integrates with Unsplash and Getty Images for stock images.
Independently of the tool, every site is built from a Squarespace template. Note that changing templates requires creating a new website.
Squarespace lets users create unlimited 14-day free trials.
Winner: Squarespace excels in design options with its focus on creatives and artists while Shopify keeps things simple, giving you paid choices for more customization.
Ease of Use
Let’s compare how easy Shopify and Squarespace are to use.
Shopify
Shopify is a feature-rich and beginner-friendly eCommerce platform. Still, learning how to operate it takes time.
Building a website requires templates without editing the pages directly, so no coding knowledge is needed.
Shopify also makes complex tasks easy, such as managing inventory and setting up shipment and payment gateways. Editing and adding products, for instance, is straightforward.
Squarespace
Setting up a Squarespace website is quick and easy – pick a template, select which functions you need, and choose a name and category.
The website builder offers consolidated functions with fewer margins for error and can personalize the website extensively. Editing the content and placing and adjusting text and images is easy using blocks in a grid system, but inventory management and adding products are a bit more complicated.
Winner: Squarespace is easier to navigate, but Shopify still offers an intuitive experience.
eCommerce and Sales Features
Let’s compare the functionalities of the platforms for managing your online store.
Shopify
- Payment options. Shopify Payments is available in 19 countries and integrates with over 100 gateways like Apple Pay and Stripe without charging transaction fees. However, using external payment gateways incurs additional transaction fees, varying by plan.
- Currencies. Shopify supports multi-currency selling and up to 50 additional markets in its primary market, though automatic currency conversion isn’t included. Prices can be manually adjusted in Shopify and Plus plans. Without Shopify Payments, multi-currency functionality requires a third-party app.
- Shipping. Shopify offers diverse shipping options, including free, flat-rate, weight-based, and calculated shipping rates across several regions with discounted rates through Shopify Shipping. Merchants can also select carriers and automatically calculate rates, though some features require an advanced plan.
- Product types. Merchants can sell both physical and digital products (up to 5GB per file). Subscriptions and additional product options beyond three with up to 100 variants require third-party Shopify apps.
- Selling offline. Shopify provides an integrated POS system that’s compatible with proprietary or third-party hardware. Its basic plan supports functions like offline transactions and tax calculations. Advanced POS features require a separate subscription to Shopify POS Pro, which costs $89 per month.
- Additional features. Shopify facilitates automatic tax calculations and VAT for EU digital products. All plans, even the Starter, include abandoned cart recovery.
Quick Tip
Discover how to start a Shopify t-shirt business in no time.
Squarespace
- Payment options. Squarespace’s eCommerce stores support payments through PayPal and Stripe, enabling debit and credit card transactions. The platform lacks integration with Google Pay but offers buy-now-pay-later options like Afterpay or Clearpay via its iOS app.
- Currencies. Squarespace operates in a single currency, contrasting Shopify’s extensive support. Stores targeting multiple currencies need separate sites for each.
- Shipping. Store owners can set up various shipping methods, including free, flat-rate, and weight-based shipping.
Real-time shipping quotes are exclusive to the Advanced Commerce plan and integrate with carriers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS, but only for domestic shipments. Additional shipping tools require third-party extensions with varying fees. - Product types. Squarespace facilitates the sale of physical and digital products, as well as subscriptions, with digital product uploads capped at 300MB per file. Extensive product options allow up to six attributes per product and 250 variants, surpassing some of Shopify’s offerings.
- Selling offline. POS requires Square’s integration and compatible hardware. It accepts various card payments, including UnionPay and Apple Pay.
- Additional features. Extensions provide automatic tax calculations for US-based merchants. Abandoned cart recovery is included in the Advanced Commerce plan.
Winner: When comparing Squarespace vs Shopify for eCommerce, Shopify wins in most features. This includes more payment options, currency conversion, shipping rates, POS, and additional options such as tax management and dropshipping.
Squarespace lags slightly behind but outdoes Shopify’s product variations.
Marketing Features
Both Squarespace and Shopify provide a good range of marketing features – let’s compare.
Shopify
- Social media. Shopify integrates with over ten social media platforms through various apps for expansive marketing reach.
- SEO. Automatically generate optimized page titles and meta descriptions. Shopify sites generally perform better on Google’s Pagespeed Insights compared to Squarespace, with advanced features available on higher-tier plans.
- Email marketing. Shopify Email handles campaigns directly within the platform, offering 1,000 free monthly emails, with each additional 1,000 costing $1. Additionally, they integrate with multiple email marketing services like Mailchimp, GetResponse, Campaign Monitor, and AWeber.
Squarespace
- Social media. Squarespace connects with up to 13 social media platforms, allowing for content import and site updates directly. It includes options for creating and scheduling posts via the Unfold app and a video creator tool for Apple users. Selling on social media is focused on Meta platforms.
- SEO. Unlike Shopify, Squarespace doesn’t automatically generate SEO elements like page titles and meta descriptions – you’ll need to customize these manually.
Squarespace uses static URLs for product and collection pages and requires manual setup for 301 redirects. The Smart SEO extension helps optimize product attributes. Integration with Google Analytics and strong blogging features boost your potential for organic traffic. - Email marketing. Squarespace Email Campaigns starts at $7 per month for three newsletters and 500 emails, offering competitive pricing and integration with its website builder. However, it lacks some features found in dedicated email tools. Integration with Mailchimp is available, while connections to other services like Zapier might require workarounds.
Winner: Shopify has a slight edge over Squarespace, mainly for its many apps. Neither Shopify nor Squarespace allows complete control over SEO, but both provide standard tools.
Add-Ons
Shopify
Shopify’s app store offers more than 8,000 apps, which are fundamental to expanding your store’s built-in capacities.
These apps add specific functions exclusively to Shopify, such as additional product variants or multilingual support. In contrast, others are integrations with services and platforms, including dropshipping apps like Printify.
Note that many Shopify integrations need subscriptions, increasing costs.
Squarespace
Squarespace offers around 40 curated extensions in categories like shipping, fulfillment, and sales.
While well-integrated, the selection can be restrictive for growing businesses, with limited internationalization and POS options. You can embed code or connect third-party apps via Zapier, though these workarounds are not always ideal.
Winner: While Squarespace offers dozens of quality extensions, Shopify offers thousands.
Integration With Printify
Integrating both Shopify and Squarespace with Printify is straightforward. Here’s how to do it.
Easily connect from the Shopify or Printify side. In both cases, log in to your Printify and Shopify accounts.
To connect from Printify’s side, click on My store in the upper-left corner. Click on Manage my stores, then Connect to Shopify.
Select Shopify and paste the URL of your Shopify store. Copy it from the Settings menu on Shopify’s page.
The browser will direct you to the Shopify App Store. Click on Install app.
To connect from Shopify’s Side, search for Printify in the App Store. Click Add app, and Install.
Log in to your Printify and Squarespace accounts.
Add a Store page to your Squarespace site by going to Pages, clicking on +, and then Store. After that, connect from the Printify or Squarespace side.
To connect from Printify’s side, click on My store at the upper-left corner, Manage my stores, Add a new store, and select the Squarespace icon.
Log in and allow access. Then, select the store you want to integrate.
To connect from Squarespace’s side, go to Settings, then Extensions. Type Printify in the search bar, or look for it in Inventory and Products.
Winner: Both Squarespace and Shopify integrate seamlessly with Printify and can be added without workarounds or adding code.
Set Up Your eCommerce Store Now
Customer Support
Shopify
- Shopify provides 24/7 support via phone (by request), email, and live chat.
- Online help is available in multiple languages.
- The Help Center includes information in the form of text, images, and videos.
- Official Shopify template issues are handled by Shopify support, while third-party template issues are managed by the respective developers.
Squarespace
- Squarespace support works via live chat, email, and a help center with articles, pictures, and videos.
- Online support is available in six languages.
- Squarespace supports most template-related queries as long as they relate to those without custom HTML or CSS modifications.
- Service may be less informative when dealing with non-US-related queries, particularly regarding GDPR compliance.
Winner: Whether you pick Squarespace or Shopify, you’ll be well covered by competent customer support. Shopify has a broader range, both in language and resources. Squarespace’s support fits well with its target audience as more interactive and user-friendly.
Shopify vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for You?
In the dispute between Shopify vs Squarespace, there is no absolute winner. Both platforms have strengths and weaknesses.
- Shopify packs more eCommerce features and is more international. It provides various dropshipping, store management, shipping, taxes, and payment processing options. If your business requires this level of complexity, choose Shopify. However, not every seller needs these resources, which may cost additional subscriptions and fees.
- Those focusing on creative niches, especially in the US, can significantly benefit from Squarespace’s consistent, sleek, reliable, and professional features. Squarespace has advantages for content-driven sites that also sell digital products and subscriptions.
Shopify and Squarespace Alternatives
Perhaps you want to check out more options. Here are other reputable eCommerce platforms competing with Shopify and Squarespace.
- Wix. An all-in-one solution packed with website and online store-building features. All eCommerce plans feature abandoned cart recovery, but POS is restricted. It’s recommended for sellers looking for an easy-to-use tool. eCommerce plans are from $36 to $172 per month.
Explore
Wix vs Shopify – check our in-depth Shopify comparison, know their pros and cons, and make a decision.
- BigCommerce. A hosted platform that offers reliable built-in tools, a variety of payment gateways, and allows scalability. However, its visuals could be improved, and abandoned cart recovery is only available with the Plus plan. Plans cost from $39 to $399 per month.
- WooCommerce. An open-source plugin that turns WordPress pages into feature-rich online stores. It gives full control and ownership over the eCommerce website but requires hosting and has a steep learning curve.
- PrestaShop. Like WooCommerce, PrestaShop is open-source and offers complete control over your online business. It can be installed on a server or hosting provider via MySQL, FTP, or local computer.
Learn More
Shopify vs Etsy – find out which is better for your eCommerce needs.
Shopify vs Squarespace FAQ
Shopify vs Squarespace: Which one is better?
Shopify is better for sellers looking for a quick and easy solution with plenty of eCommerce resources. Squarespace is the best for sellers intending to boost aesthetics and brand.
How much does Shopify cost?
These are Shopify’s plan costs, billed monthly, or gain a 25% discount when paying yearly:
- Starter Plan – $5 per month. Ideal for trying out Shopify with basic sales features.
- Basic Shopify – $39 per month. Great for launching an online store with essential features.
- Shopify Plan – $105 per month. Suitable for growing businesses with more advanced features.
- Advanced Shopify – $399 per month. Ideal for high-volume businesses with extensive needs.
- Shopify Plus – custom pricing. For large enterprises with specific needs.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Here are Squarespace’s monthly plan costs:
- Personal – $25 per month. Ideal for creating a blog, portfolio, or a very small business site. No features for selling online.
- Business – $36 per month. Good value for small businesses with basic online store functionalities.
- Basic Commerce – $40 per month. An affordable option for creating a basic online store with essential features.
- Advanced Commerce – $72 per month. Most suitable for larger-scale eCommerce sites with advanced features like abandoned cart recovery.
Shopify vs Squarespace: Which one is easier to use?
Both Shopify and Squarespace are beginner-friendly. Shopify’s numerous resources may require more time to master than the limited number of features on Squarespace.
Tip
Check out the Squarespace comparison in our blog – Wix vs Squarespace.
Wrapping Up: Start an eCommerce Business With Printify
Choosing the right website builder for your business is not enough – you also need trusted partners for fulfillment and production.
Partner with Printify today and profit from dropshipping and Print on Demand without worrying about inventory and shipping.
Make It Happen Today!
Written by
Andris Mucenieks
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