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WordPress vs. Squarespace: Which is Better?

If you’ve been looking into website options for your business, odds are you have considered both WordPress and Squarespace. They are certainly two of the most popular options for websites, especially for small and growing businesses. WordPress alone powers over one third of websites globally. Furthermore, among websites that are built via a Content Management System (CMS), a category that includes Squarespace and other competitors, WordPress accounts for nearly 60%. There’s a reason WordPress is such a popular tool. Here are the reasons why, in the WordPress vs. Squarespace debate, we will almost always recommend WordPress. Do you already have a WordPress site? Then you need a care plan – more on that here.

WordPress vs. Squarespace: Why is WordPress Better?

More features and flexibility

While Squarespace is often touted as a one-and-done site builder, unfortunately, it has fairly limited functionality compared to WordPress. It’s true that WordPress can require more effort, but that’s because it’s more customizable. In many ways, Squarespace is like picking up a treat from a bakery while WordPress is like baking at home. Squarespace has some good pre-built options, but you get what you get. With WordPress, you may have to put in a little extra effort, but you have essentially endless options for creating the site you want.

More plugins

One reason WordPress has so much flexibility is because of the wealth of plugins you can use to customize your site. While Squarespace does has some extensions, which are comparable to WordPress plugins, they just don’t exist in the same volume and variety available for WordPress. In 2019, there were over 54,000 plugins available for WordPress, and that number has only increased since then. While having too many plugins on a single site can have undesirable effects on website speed, the option to make so many custom changes and additions to your website gives you the option to use your website in unique ways. Beyond basic functionality like lots of options for forms, e-commerce, and subscriptions, there are plugins for gamifying your website, putting up quizzes, or automatically displaying upcoming sports matches.

Ease of Updates

Because WordPress is built to be a fundamentally user-friendly CMS, it’s incredibly easy to update. Squarespace, conversely, is fairly static as website designs go. WordPress makes it as simple as possible to change and update posts and pages, especially when it’s paired with a builder tool.

More training, documentation, and tutorials

In addition to unmatched ease of use, WordPress has the advantage of being both older and more popular. This means that hundreds of providers have had the time and incentive to create training and documentation on how to do just about everything within WordPress. There are thousands of videos and posts to teach everyone, from beginners to experts, how to do new things in the WordPress CMS. The WordPress community is massive, and you can rest assured that finding documentation for how to use WP will be approachable since there’s so much content out there. For example, if you’re confused about how to update old blog posts without messing up your Search Engine Optimization, we have a guide for you here.

Easier e-commerce and more options for payment gateways

With the built-in WordPress option for e-commerce, WooCommerce, getting an e-commerce store up and running has never been easier. Regardless of whether you want to have a full-blown apparel store or just the option for your spa clients to pay their bill online, WordPress opens up a world of options. WordPress also provides a wider range of payment gateways and options to suit you and your clients. With Squarespace, there’s a pretty short list of payment options you can accept, but WordPress gives a wider variety.

Better scaling

Squarespace is often touted as a good option for small businesses that are just starting out because of the simplicity of its DIY option. However, for that very same reason, it can limit future growth. WordPress websites scale incredibly easily – they can be transformed or even migrated into an entirely new design with ease, and they’re built to grow with you. If you want your business to expand and have a website that scales accordingly, WordPress is the better option for you.

WordPress vs. Squarespace: Is there any reason to choose Squarespace?

If you have a small, personal website, or if you have a local business and don’t intend to grow significantly or add online purchase options, Squarespace could be right for you. In most cases, we recommend partnering with a qualified web developer to create a beautiful, unique, and scalable WordPress site.

Do you want to see even more reasons to choose WordPress? Read our top 3 reasons to choose WordPress.

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