Squarespace vs WordPress

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By Lokesh Joshi

Are you looking to make an impeccable website? However, you don’t know anything about programming or languages? Don’t worry; you have two of the best platforms across the internet to create websites without having any technical knowledge – Squarespace or WordPress.

Squarespace is one of the best website builders with good quality design templates that you can use for your benefit. You don’t have to manage updates as the company itself hosts them. Also, you don’t have to search for any hosting service providers. Also, you don’t need to take down the codes that create more hassles when you are logging into the platform. Also, if you want to avail the same option, you can opt for it.

WordPress is another best platform to create your site; however, it is not considered one of the website builders. Instead, it’s an open-source platform where you can prefer to host your website. It was primarily designed to host websites; however, it now allows you to create websites using the builder option with popularity. However, you will still have to find a hosting service provider to host a website if you are not using the WordPress host. In addition, you will have to save the codes, as it doesn’t allow you to auto-save them on WordPress.

The popularity of WordPress increased as you can build unlimited websites on the platform, and there’s no restricted limit set. Currently, more than 32 percent of websites in the market are built-in WordPress platforms.

WordPress is also considered one of the best CMS (Content Management System) across the internet. However, Squarespace is a platform that allows you to drag and drop elements to create a website without having technical knowledge. As a result, a CMS will have more functions when compared to any website builder. This means that you will be able to scale up the branding, visibility, and awareness for your website on a high-end technological level.

While in Squarespace, you can easily create complex designs without facing many hassles. However, you will not enjoy the CMS functionalities as it is just a website builder. Here, we will compare Squarespace and wordPress, functionalities, designs, strengths, and weaknesses.

Squarespace and WordPress: Who it aims at?

Although both these platforms are different, it provides the best services to its users and has an appealing user interface. In addition, users can build various sites using any of these platforms without having any technical knowledge.

Squarespace has templates, specifications, safety and security, SEO tools, and other features that enable users to create websites easily. However, WordPress offers many other functionalities as it is a CMS.

Squarespace charges a set of monthly fees to its users and has all the features in-house so that users don’t have to navigate here and there to add elements. With WordPress, many functions are yet to be introduced to find many options in the website builder. However, WordPress is quite easy to manage when compared to Squarespace. In WordPress, users will have complete access to find themes, install plugins, manage SEO and security. The workload might be a bit on the heavier side; however, you can enjoy completely customizing your website the way you like.

So, which one of the platforms do you think is best to create websites?

Squarespace is often considered to be the best platform that many professionals use to create creative websites. However, if you don’t want to commit all the time, effort, or skills, you can make the best use of this platform. Squarespace aims to assist all creative people in creating sites even if you don’t have any programming or technical language.

Considered to be one of the best all-in-one platforms that is quite easier to manage, it gives you enough time to focus on your objectives and goals. If you are willing to enjoy high-quality tools and not worry about security and coding, opt for Squarespace.

Squarespace also works best if you are hiring a developer to create websites. You don’t have to understand any advanced-level technical skills to create websites on this platform. On the other hand, WordPress is the best platform if you want to have full control of your site. You can completely customize the site and have a great hands-on approach to it. You can code it if you know how to code, install updates, plugins, and do many more things with it.

You can build sites by choosing unique themes and plugins to make it look original and customize it so that it looks genuine. You will own your site when you are using WordPress to customize your site. You will also enjoy the power to use its CMS system to improve rankings, SEO, branding, and visibility of the site.

WordPress is also best to create complex websites and provides you with the best blogging options that can’t be beaten. However, for beginners, there might be difficulties as WordPress is quite complex to understand.

Which of these platforms is easy to use?

There are many pros and cons of both of these platforms. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of Squarespace first. This will give you a clear picture of both websites’ strengths and weaknesses when it comes to ease of access.

Squarespace Pros & Cons

Pros

  1. You don’t need to know coding to create a website using the Squarespace platform.
  2. You can just drag and drop elements using the editing tools to create a website without hassles.
  3. The WYSIWYG will allow you to check the preview of the website, and you can keep making changes as many times as you want.

Cons

  1. When it is compared to platforms like Wix, Squarespace is quite difficult and challenging to use.

WordPress Pros & Cons

Pros

  1. If you know to code, you can design the website without any restrictions or limits.
  2. You can tailor it the way you like, and as per your skills, you can design it.

Cons

  1. You need to know coding and programming to design the best and impeccable website in WordPress.
  2. You can make edits in blind mode as it doesn’t allow you to preview simultaneously.

Squarespace: How to build a website with ease of access?

Because it is one of the best website builders that you can use, you can just simply pick your template, switch to the developer mode, and personalize the designs by dragging and dropping elements. You can also use the text box to write texts and drop them. As you are designing the page, you can also preview the changes simultaneously.

The WYSIWYG editing helps you in getting what you like and seeing what you want to see. It is quite easier to make changes as you are also reviewing the changes simultaneously in front of you.

WordPress – is it easy to use?

WordPress is quite different from other platforms. As it’s a CMS platform, you will have to use third-party plugins that will allow you to customize your pages. This will provide you with a lot more creative control; however, the entire process will become difficult. If you have no technical skills, then it’s a problem.

You cannot review your changes until you publish them, unlike Squarespace. You will have to make backend edits now and then. You will have to toggle between screens to see if the changes are implemented the way it has to be.

However, with WordPress, you can use features like Gutenburg Editor that can help you compose the texts and media on the site. You need not have type any custom codes or possess technical knowledge for the same. Also, you can try Elementor and Diva Website Builders that will help you use “blocks.” You can add elements to the blocks that can be a paragraph, text, images, videos, and many more.

When you are using WordPress, you will have to use many plugins to customize your website. However, when it comes to Squarespace, you don’t have to use plugins to customize your website without installing any plugins.

WordPress can be specifically customized. It’s an impactful and flexible platform that can help you create wonderful sites if you know CSS.

How much would it cost for you to use WordPress and Squarespace?

Both of the platforms have pro versions that you can use to create your site uniquely. Here are the pricing plans for Squarespace and WordPress.

Squarespace Expenses:

If you want to understand the plans of Squarespace, then here is something you must know. It has four plans that can be payable every month.

PlansPricing (Per Month)
Personal16 dollars
Business26 dollars
Commerce Basic30 dollars
Commerce Advanced54 dollars

These plans can become cheaper if you opt for annual plans that can range between 12 dollars to 40 dollars based on plans you prefer.

Also, Squarespace offers two weeks of free trial that you can also avail of.

The difference between these monthly plans include the following aspects:

  1. The number of web pages that you will create
  2. Are you preferring custom CSS or scripts or the readily available templates?
  3. Transaction fees
  4. Integrating third-party applications and plugins.
  5. E-Commerce Features

There are plans like the Personal Plan that don’t allow you to customize your website significantly. It is best suitable for looking for a static website and doesn’t need any customizations on the site. However, you will have to add your custom CSS to it and look more impactful and attractive.

So, if you want to create something unique and good, you can opt for the 26 dollars per month plan as it allows you to use many professional elements.

When it comes to e-commerce, you will have to opt for the expensive plan as you will have to upload many pictures and media files to the site.

WordPress Expenses

There are many things to consider when comparing the pricing plans of WordPress with any other platform. However, here are a few things that will help you in determining your expenses when you are using WordPress:

  1. Hosting Charge – You will have to pay for the hosting charges to install WordPress and host your site.
  2. Themes – You will have to pay for the themes to design the site in a way that you like.
  3. E-Commerce Integration – If you are going to use the site for e-commerce purposes, you will have to add many tools and other elements. This will make the process simpler when you are going to sell products and services online.
  4. WordPress Plugins – There are many additional functionalities that you will have to add to your site so that the functionalities can be used in a preferred way.
  5. You will have to hire a developer who knows the entire operations of WordPress. This will help you in developing your site efficiently. Also, this means that you will have to pay for the developer too.

Besides this, there are other costs involved in building the website. For example, you will have to pay for the plugins charges if you opt for premium plugins. Overall, WordPress is quite expensive when you compare it with any other platform.

Mobile Performances and Reviews

All the templates that you are going to use in Squarespace are very much responsive. This means that it can be adjusted automatically and sized correctly for any given device.

In WordPress, you will have to find a suitable template that looks good on mobile devices. Accordingly, you will have to perform many double checks before installing the theme. Also, you will need to access CSS if you are willing to change any design. When you are changing designs in the mobile view, the desktop view also changes according to the design change.

Conclusion

When you compare WordPress and Squarespace, Squarespace turns out to be more impactful and powerful to use. With the low-budget costings and impressive templates, you can use it to develop your desired site the way you prefer it. Also, since the safety and security measures taken from Squarespace’s end, it is not much vulnerable to any cyber-attacks or threats. However, in WordPress, the safety of the site’s data has always been a hot topic. By remembering the points discussed above, you can choose your preferred platform and develop a site.

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