Squarespace is an awesome website builder. It’s best for designers, providing the sleekest templates around. So, what’s not to love?
Well, with great creative power comes great technical demands. Yes, it produces nice looking websites, but it’s relatively difficult to use. And if you’re a complete tech beginner, using Squarespace can be daunting at times.
That being said, it’s clear Squarespace isn’t for everyone. And don’t worry, if you’re looking for a website building alternative, it doesn’t make you a hipster.
If you’re a busy business owner looking to get online, you probably don’t have time to spend clicking around a complicated dashboard. Or, you may be already using Squarespace, and you’re simply wondering what else is out there.
What are the solutions, then? Wix and Weebly make life easier – they were rated highly in our ‘ease of use’ testing – and GoDaddy gets you online in just a few minutes, to name a few.
But, we’ve saved you the time and effort with our research and user testing, and compiled a list of 8 great Squarespace alternatives, and highlighted what they’re best for.
So, after reading this article, you’ll know exactly which Squarespace alternative to go for.
Squarespace alternatives
Below we’ve listed 8 Squarespace alternatives, and what they’re best used for.
- Wix – Website Builder
- Weebly – Website Builder
- Site123 – Website Builder
- Strikingly – Website Builder
- WordPress – CMS (Content Management System)
- GoDaddy – Website Builder
- 1&1 – Ecommerce
- Shopify – Ecommerce
Deciding which is best for you will depend on your wants and needs. Each platform has a niche, whether it’s blogging, scaling a business, or simply getting online quickly. So, if you’re not sure Squarespace is for you, we’ve included all the best alternatives.
Don’t worry about committing, either, every platform offers a free plan, free trial, or a money-back trial, so you can put those dimes away for now.
#1 Wix
Best for any website
Wix is the best all-around website builder on the market today. What makes it so good? Simply put, it’s easy. And almost 120 million registered users would agree.
Our tested users found it much easier to use than Squarespace, too. So, you know Wix is a winner, but let’s dig up the finer techy details.
The world’s best drag and drop feature makes designing websites a dream. Some of the most convenient features include:
- A free plan.
- Over 500 stunning templates covering every industry
- 24/7 phone support for all your Wix worries.
Best of all, Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) lets you create a beautiful website with just a few clicks. Read more about ADI here.
Of course, it has a couple of small downsides like Wix ads on the free plan, and you can’t switch templates, but overall it’s a superb Squarespace substitute.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best overall website builder | Cannot switch templates after publishing |
| Good value for money | Relies on third party apps for international growth |
| Most likely to recommend | Creative freedom can feel overwhelming |
#2 Weebly
Best for small businesses and portfolio websites
Weebly is a good choice for building a website for your small business. It has the most amount of apps – helping to streamline your website – and it’s the best platform for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Like Wix, it uses drag and drop design. But it’s not quite as flexible, and there is no ADI option. However, overall, Weebly makes it easy for anyone with no coding knowledge to create an awesome website. It also has a free plan.
If you’re concerned about how the templates compare to Squarespace, don’t worry too much. While the designs are, of course, not as sleek, Weebly has recently brushed up on its themes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Most apps of any builder | Premium plans are expensive |
| Best for SEO | Editing interface confusing at first |
| Easy to use | Cannot restore websites yourself |
#3 Site123
Best for customer service and support
Thought drag and drop was the easiest way to design? Think again. Site123 uses design assistance, so you answer a couple of questions and you’ll get a website up fast with no fuss. It really makes website design easy as 1, 2, 3.
It’s not suitable for large businesses or complex websites, but it’s the most efficient way of getting online. Perfect for a crazy working schedule, right? Compare that to the technically demanding design of Squarespace, and you can see which platform is easier.
It also comes with a live Chatbot Whiz to guide you, and some brilliant help and support. So, if you’re a blogger, small business owner, or photographer, give Site123 a go today.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Most apps of any builder | Premium plans are expensive |
| Best for SEO | Editing interface confusing at first |
| Easy to use | Cannot restore websites yourself |
#4 Strikingly
Best value for money
You can create a website strikingly fast with this platform. Also, it’s great value for money. However, it’s somewhat a ‘best of the rest’ website builder – think of it as the best football team outside the playoff spots.
So what’s Strikingly all about? It designs one page websites with an easy to use editing interface. Not only that, it offers loads of features on its free plan, including excellent blogging tools.
It’s one of the cheapest platforms to sell through, too, so it’s ideal for budgeting business owners. However, if you’re looking to scale – look elsewhere because the tools aren’t designed for growth.
On the flipside, the themes are really nice. So, if you’re looking to build a small portfolio, Strikingly represents a much more affordable – and quicker – option than Squarespace, with plans ranging from $0 to $49 per month.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best value for money | Poor tools to scale a business |
| 24/7 live chat support | Only creates one page websites |
| Ideal for bloggers | Editing is too rigid |
#5 WordPress
Best for blogging
WordPress.org is the standout choice for blogs. But hang on, what’s the difference between .com and .org? Well, there’s one major thing you should know.
The latter requires you to download WordPress soft ware to a separate host – it’s like rental space for websites – so you have more freedom.
Unlike WordPress.com, you can integrate your own plugins, edit the backend code, and upload your own themes to make the whole site more personalized.
While Squarespace has some cool blogging templates, WordPress lets you take your website to the next level thanks to the limitless customization.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Best for blogging | Challenging editing interface |
| Lots of features | Templates only suitable for blogs |
| Affordable features | Difficult to build a ‘normal’ website |
#6 GoDaddy
Best for time-restricted users
Need a website that’s ready to GO? This is your solution. GoDaddy is the Usain Bolt of website builders, using ADI to create a site in just a few minutes with GoCentral.
Why is it on the list? GoDaddy is not only quick, but really user friendly. Remember, building a Squarespace website takes considerably longer than most platforms. It’s also technically demanding when it comes to editing.
However, like an ostrich, GoDaddy is speed over looks. It scored below average in our testing for design and functionality, with a lack of creative freedom a common issue.
But, if time and convenience are your main concerns, GoDaddy is a good Squarespace alternative.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Fastest to build | Features lack quality |
| Easy to use | Poor for blogging |
| Switch themes anytime | Not much creative freedom |
#7 1&1
Best for white-collar businesses
For any small corporation looking to get online, 1&1 could be the one. How is that so? It’s specifically designed for professionals, offering loads of scalable tools.
Not only are the features powerful, but they’re really easy to embed. It uses drag and drop design, which makes editing on 1&1 a walk in the park compared to Squarespace.
While the templates can look a bit dated, they cover a lot of industries. But the strength of 1&1 is in the tools – some of the best include multilingual translation, and visitor targeting, which personalizes the journey for each customer.
Overall, 1&1 represents a good option for bloggers, and small businesses who want to grow. It’s also worth noting it doesn’t have a free plan, but it offers money-back trial.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lots of scalable tools | Templates aren’t so visually appealing |
| Themes cover many industries | No free plan |
| Easy to use | Interface is quite dated |
#8 Shopify
Best all-around ecommerce platform
If you’re looking to sell online, you can stop shopping around. Why? Shopify is our top rated online store builder for a reason. it has the most comprehensive set of tools on the market, and it came first in ease of use test.
Yes, you can add ecommerce features on Squarespace, but it can’t match the strength and depth of Shopify.
It has everything you need to manage and grow your business, including multiple channel selling, a huge inventory system, and access to 1200+ apps. The customer support is excellent, too, with 24/7 live chat, phone, and email help.
Over one million people use Shopify, powering more than 500,000 stores. You could join the happy crowd from just $29 per month, starting with a 14-day free trial.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Sell across 10 channels | Transaction fees for external payment methods |
| Brilliant inventory system | Need to reformat themes if you switch |
| Best all-around ecommerce platform | Costs can add up with apps |
Squarespace alternatives: Conclusion
Simply put, Squarespace is a dream for designers. It has the best themes on the market, helping produce some of the internet’s nicest pages. However, it’s not the only option for creating wonderful looking websites.
For example, if you’re a tech beginner, you can find much easier platforms. Bloggers can find more suitable brands, and budding entrepreneurs are likely to achieve success online elsewhere.
The list of best Squarespace alternatives is…
- Wix: Best for any website
- Weebly: Best for small businesses
- Site123: Best for customer service
- Strikingly: Best value for money
- WordPress: Best for blogs
- GoDaddy: Best for time restricted users
- 1&1: Best for white-collar businesses
- Shopify: Best all-around ecommerce platform
There we have it: our list of 8 great alternatives. Whether you want a corporate site, blog, or portfolio, there are so many alternatives out there. So, If you’re trying to fit circles into Squarespace-d holes when building a website, it’s time to try something new.
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