Squarespace vs. Shopify: A Direct Comparison [2024]

Online shopping, inherently e-commerce, is the norm nowadays. On the one hand, we have more and more people searching for impeccable online shopping experiences. On the other hand, there’s Google’s support, namely the increasing number of updates targeted to further boost the presence of online e-commerce stores in SERPs.

Quick Overview: Shopify vs. Squarespace

In other words, probably the most difficult and important decision business owners have to make is choosing the platform they’ll use to manage their online store. Squarespace and Shopify (eCommerce focused and not only) stand out in this regard as leaders in the world of e-commerce platforms. However, the choice remains difficult as these leading platforms differ in their strengths but most importantly, in their suitability for various industries.

Ajroni specialists wanted to make things easier for you when it comes to choosing the right platform. So, we’ve equipped our expert knowledge with online reviews and recommendations on Squarespace vs. Shopify to deliver you the ultimate, direct comparison of the two platforms!

Let’s compare Squarespace and Shopify briefly, and then we’ll move to more in-depth details!

	Shopify	Squarespace
Pricing	Plans from $39 to $399 per month. Enterprise option available at $2,300 per month. <>Transaction fees exist on all plans unless using Shopify Payments.	Plans from $16 to $52 when paid annually, considered the more affordable platform. <> There are no transaction fees for the Commerce plans.
Ease of use	Highly focused on e-commerce and user-friendliness. It is extremely easy to set up a complete online store with Shopify.	Focused more on design and visuals, including elements, characteristics, and features that might require a bit of learning before full, optimal implementation.
Template selection	Shopify has over a hundred themes in its directory, but most are paid. There are some free options for users.	Squarespace has plenty of themes as well, the best part being that they’re included in the subscription the user is paying.
e-Commerce capabilities	Shopify is known for its functionality when it comes to e-commerce management, offering users extensive tools for multi-channel selling, advanced inventory management, as well as an app marketplace to further enhance an online store.	Squarespace is a perfect fit for smaller businesses, but it still offers comprehensive e-commerce features, such as merchandising-specific tools, setting up sales for both digital and physical products, as well as various options for selling subscriptions.
Customer support	Shopify is known for top-tier, 24/7 customer support that is more comprehensive with the pricier plans. This includes phone support.	Squarespace assists its clients via live chat and email, but is known to rely on and refer more to its knowledge base.

Shopify Overview

Shopify has positioned itself as the go-to e-commerce solution for businesses of all sizes. It is known and acclaimed within the industry for its comprehensive suite of features, further enhanced by a user-friendly interface, robust e-commerce capabilities, extensive integrations, and, naturally, scalability.

Squarespace Overview

Squarespace, while a leading platform in the industry, is known for its appeal to creatives and entrepreneurs who favor aesthetics, as well as any small business that wants to impress customers. As such, Squarespace is preferred for its design-centric approach, integrated features that cater to a wide range of websites, and its user-friendly interface.

What’s the key takeaway? Well, from a glance, and if you want a quick and easy answer to the Shopify vs. Squarespace e-commerce dilemma, it can be stated that Shopify is ideal for businesses that consider scaling, while Squarespace is perfect for smaller operations.

But there’s more to these two platforms than this - keep reading, as we’ve compared Squarespace and Shopify in-depth below!

Detailed Comparison: Key Features for Both Platforms

Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to compare and highlight the differences between Squarespace vs. Shopify in detail, ultimately helping you make an informed business decision regardless of your goal - whether you want to set up a large online store, a subscription selling website, or an online portfolio through which you can also sell your products.

We’ll analyze user experience & ease of use, design & customization options, cost & pricing plans, and support & resources.

User Experience & Ease of Use

• Shopify

Shopify offers users an extensive list of e-commerce features that make setting up an online store a walk in the park. The core strengths of the platform that seem, more or less, indispensable for an online store nowadays are the following:

• Product management (individual listings, product organization, product variations, customization, bulk upload)
• Inventory management (stock level tracking, automated notifications, bulk updates, logs, tracking, and inventory history)
• Payment processing (seamless transactions, over 100 third-party payment gateways, global commerce tools, level-1 PCI-DSS compliance).

Shopify is perfect for businesses that act with scaling in mind. As such, the platform provides numerous integrations that help with this scalability - a vast app ecosystem that improves inventory management, multi-channel selling, marketing and SEO, CRM (via various apps), and integrations with global marketplaces (Amazon, eBay), and social media (Facebook, Instagram). Last but not least, it offers expansion options for POS systems. Shopify can also sync all inventory across sales channels automatically and provide fast loading times while handling high traffic with ease.

• Squarespace

We believe that Squarespace can be easily picked up by anyone with limited knowledge of web design . It offers an intuitive interface, crowned by a straightforward editor with real-time updates. There’s even a guided setup process for brand-new users.

Then, page editors can be used to create and organize website content, while users can also rely on a built-in blogging platform if needed (SEO tools are also integrated). For enhanced ease of use and security, Squarespace ensures automatic software updates, managed hosting, and the above-mentioned 24/7 customer support.

Also, while Squarespace is not as extensive and comprehensive when it comes to e-commerce features, it still offers solid functionalities for sellers. In terms of product management, there are product catalogs for both digital and physical goods, customizable product pages, as well as inventory tracking and alerts.

Payment processing features are enhanced by integration with major payment gateways, multi-currency support, as well as location-based automatic tax calculation. Last but not least, orders are tracked, and there are customer account creation functionalities, as well as order updates via customizable email notifications.

Design & Customization Options

• Shopify

Besides exceptional product listing and payment handling, Shopify makes everything even easier by providing a drag-and-drop website builder, easy access to HTML and CSS, as well as a selection of mobile-responsive themes. On top of that, for increased flexibility, Shopify calculates shipping charges and taxes automatically, while also providing tools for customer profile management and drop shipping.

• Squarespace

Squarespace is all about visuals, known for its curated selection of templates organized in categories, but also for its mobile-responsiveness across all elements of a template. Even though the website builder implies somewhat of a learning curve, the basics are a drag-and-drop interface and a helpful style editor. There is also a custom CSS option for advanced users. Obviously, Squarespace is praised for its high-quality galleries, slideshows, video backgrounds, and several portfolio layouts ideal for creatives.

Unlike Shopify, Squarespace focuses a bit more on content creation and presentation. This is achieved through robust blogging tools, various portfolio features, as well as extensive marketing and analytics reports, including basic SEO, social media integration, and third-party extensions.

Cost & Pricing Plans

• Shopify

If you’re wondering how the Squarespace pricing and Shopify pricing differ, we’ve got this covered!

Shopify offers four plans that can be paid monthly or yearly - users can save up to 25% on each plan if they choose to pay yearly.

	Price	Ideal for	Takeaway points
Basic	32 EUR/month	Solo entrepreneurs	Transaction fees (card rates) - 1.8% + 0.30 EUR online, 2% 3rd-party providers 10 inventory locations 24/7 chat support Localized global selling POS Lite
Shopify	92 EUR/month	Small teams/businesses	Transaction fees (card rates) - 1.6% + 0.30 EUR online, 1% 3rd-party providers <>Everything in Basic + 5 additional staff accounts
Advanced	384 EUR/month	Scaling businesses	Transaction fees (card rates) - 1.5% + 0.30 EUR online, 0.6% 3rd-party providers <>Everything in Basic + custom reports and analytics, enhanced support, possibility to add markets, 15 additional staff accounts, 10x checkout capacity
Plus	2,300 USD/month	Complex businesses	Competitive card rates for high volumes Everything in Basic + custom reports and analytics, 200 inventory locations, priority phone support, localized global selling for 50 markets, unlimited staff accounts, customizable checkout, 200 POS Pro locations, wholesale/B2B selling

As mentioned previously, it is worth noting that while there’s a theme database available, only some are free. Premium themes must be purchased. Also, Advanced users can use Shopify Payments to eliminate all transaction fees whatsoever.

• Squarespace

Squarespace pricing, like Shopify pricing, revolves around four plans that can be paid monthly or annually. Currently, users can save up to 26% when choosing annual plans. There’s also a 14-day free trial available.

	Price	Ideal for	Takeaway points
Personal	15 EUR/month	Creatives, solo entrepreneurs	Mobile optimization, access to template database, free invoice sending, 0% invoice transaction fee; <> Features include SEO options, unlimited bandwidth, video hosting, customer support, drag-and-drop editor, 2 contributors, website metrics, SSL, Squarespace AI and Extensions, custom merch, audience management
Business	24 EUR/month	Small businesses	Everything in Personal + advanced website analytics, selling of products and services, domain checkout, 3% transaction fees online, unlimited contributors, Google professional email, CSS and JavaScript, pop-ups and banners, fully integrated e-commerce, customer accounts
Commerce (Basic)	28 EUR/month	Developing online stores	Everything in Business + powerful merchandising tools, 0% transaction fees online, point of sale, product reviews, selling on social media, limited availability labels
Commerce (Advanced)	42 EUR/month	Scaling businesses	Everything in Commerce (Basic) + advanced shipping, advanced discounting, selling of subscriptions, abandoned cart recovery features, commerce APIs

Support & Resources

• Shopify

Shopify relies more on its top-tier 24/7 customer support which can be accessed via email, live chat, and phone support (on higher-tier plans). However, users can also enhance their Shopify knowledge by browsing the Shopify Community forums with active contributors and plenty of helpful information.

Last but not least, the Learn section of Shopify can also prove extremely useful, as it showcases a dedicated Help Center, the Shopify Academy, the Shopify.dev and Shopify Supply sections, as well as a detailed changelog that users can read to catch up on various updates.

• Squarespace

Squarespace provides 24/7 customer support via email and live chat, but as mentioned, it focuses more on guiding users towards its robust knowledge base. Users can take advantage of the Community Forum, the blog, and webinars they can attend.

Naturally, the Resources section shines through, offering extensive insight into website templates, website design, domain name search, online stores, and website marketing.

From our specialist point of view, we believe that beginner and intermediate users with a slight passion for web design can pick up any of the two platforms and build something nice!

Shopify vs. Squarespace: E-Commerce Capabilities

Let’s discuss the differences between Squarespace and Shopify in terms of e-commerce capabilities to help you understand what’s best for you and/or your business.

	Shopify	Squarespace
Product listing and variants	Robust product listing capabilities, listing with multiple images, videos. Up to 100 variants per single product, with bulk management options. Collections, tags, and custom features are also available.	Product listing with multiple images, product variations, but limited options. Custom forms for product personalization, quick view feature for products. Only single-level categories available.
Payment gateways and transaction fees	Integration with over 100 payment gateways, dedicated payment solution (Shopify Payments). Transaction fees on external payment gateways.	Limited payment gateway options, support for the major ones like Square, Stripe, and Paypal, as well as for in-person sales. No transaction fees on Commerce plans, 3% for the Business plan.
Inventory and order management	Comprehensive inventory management tools - stock tracking, automatic low stock alerts, management inventory across locations.	Basic inventory management features - stock tracking, stock updates with ease.
Physical and digital product sales	Supports the sale of both digital and physical products - including automatic file sending after purchase and other features for the delivery of digital products.	Supports the sale of digital, physical, service, and subscription products. Comes with options for delivery and customization of digital product delivery and service products.
POS (Point of Sale) options for in-person sales	Comprehensive POS system, as well as hardware options for in-person sales.	POS system via mobile app - available only in the US.
Multi-channel selling options	Excellent multi-channel selling options, integration with various social media platforms, marketplaces, and not only. Multi-channel selling is managed from the Shopify dashboard.	Limited social media integration and multi-channel selling capabilities. Multi-channel is possible and viable but is limited overall.

SEO and Marketing Tools

SEO and marketing are essential for every business looking to sell products or services online. It goes without saying that both Squarespace and Shopify have such tools in store - but how extensive are they? Let’s find out!

• Ease of adding meta tags, descriptions, and alt text for images

Shopify offers easy meta tag customization, which can be done through the product and page edit section. 

Squarespace has a dedicated SEO tab in the settings of each page, providing an easy way to edit meta titles and descriptions. It also allows the addition of alt text to images.

• SEO-friendly URL structures

Shopify has default URL structures that include “/products” and “/collections”. The core structure can rarely be modified, which may raise some SEO concerns - specifically, each product may have multiple URLs.

Squarespace provides the option to change the URL slug of a product or page via the SEO tab mentioned above. Squarespace users can also add keywords to multiple page elements like title and headers.

• Built-in marketing tools such as email marketing, pop-ups, and discount codes

Shopify offers several built-in marketing tools, including:

• Email marketing (customizable templates, email campaigns, tracking metrics, and email automation)
• Pop-ups for email capture 
• Discount codes
• Exit-intent
• Announcements
• Product reviews and gift cards
• Customization of discount codes (fixed or percentage, automatic discounts, unique codes, limited usage, expiration date, and performance).

Similarly, Squarespace has several built-in marketing tools:

• Email marketing (newsletters, email templates, subscriber list management, performance metrics tracking)
• Promotional pop-ups (mailing list, sales, discount codes, new products/blog posts, highly customizable layout, display timing and frequency customization)
• Discount codes (base features plus the ability to automatically apply discount codes based on certain order criteria).

• Integration with Google Analytics and other third-party SEO tools

Shopify offers integration with Google Analytics, as well as a guide for setting up this tool. Users can also access multiple third-party SEO tools such as Yoast, Semrush, MozBar, and many others, but integration capabilities might be limited.

Squarespace has built-in integration with Google Analytics and allows the addition of the tracking ID within the External API Keys section. Third-party SEO tools integration is limited - Squarespace provides support only for Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Blogging and Content Marketing: Which is Better?

It can be stated that both platforms offer various tools for blogging and content marketing. However, if we do compare Squarespace vs Shopify, Squarespace is probably the leader in this particular regard. Why?

Well, Squarespace was initially designed for content creation, hence the plethora of features focusing on intuitive navigation and user-friendliness for bloggers. Squarespace stands out thanks to its highly responsive and visually appealing interface that can be used exclusively to create and edit content. Users can also rely on various apps to further visually improve the content they create. Paired with the e-commerce features, these functionalities ensure advanced product display options. 

Shopify, on the other hand, is limited in this regard. Its blogging interface is simple, but it does offer the possibility of integrating various third-party apps to enhance content creation activities.

Nonetheless, when it comes to content marketing, Shopify might have the upper hand with - built-in SEO tools and seamless social media integrations, multi-channel features, and the Unfold app (photo and editing tool).

What would be the verdict? Well, for exclusive blogging and content creation, Squarespace is, without a doubt, superior and the better choice. However, once content marketing becomes one of your goals, Shopify steps in with a set of robust e-commerce features that can truly help you promote the content you create.

Final Thoughts: Choosing Between Squarespace vs Shopify

So, who wins the Squarespace vs. Shopify battle? Well, in the online world of e-commerce platforms, there is no definite winner overall. Instead, there is a winner for you and for your business . As such, the question becomes - what is the difference between Squarespace and Shopify and how will it impact my online business?

Based on the key differences between Squarespace and Shopify, we’ve outlined some short answers that may help you decide.

Shopify is the ideal choice for serious e-commerce businesses looking to scale quickly and enjoy advanced sales tools . Merchants are able to set up and open an online store extremely easily with Shopify, while the wide range of features, functionalities, and tools provides a straightforward solution to any e-commerce challenge they might face!

Squarespace is the ideal choice for smaller businesses or creative professionals who prioritize design and content over extensive e-commerce functionality . Professionals and small, personal businesses can reap the benefits of both a visually stunning end product and multiple e-commerce features. These can help them manage their online store and sales better.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Shopify better for dropshipping?

Compared to Squarespace, Shopify is considered better for dropshipping as it integrates with various suppliers and provides automation features such as automatic inventory syncing or order fulfillment, not to mention the multi-channel sales capabilities.

• How much do Shopify themes cost?

There are currently 13 free themes and 209 paid themes in the Shopify theme database. The cheapest theme is $100, while the most expensive is $500. The most-rated (and likely most-purchased theme as well) costs $380 and has 665 reviews. There are only 20 themes under $200.

• Is Squarespace good for a small online store?

Squarespace is the best choice for a small online store that doesn’t plan to focus on scalability any time soon. It provides essential e-commerce features, focusing more on visuals and content management.

• How do I build an e-commerce website with either platform?

Both platforms offer an intuitive, straightforward drag-and-drop editor, as well as additional functionalities such as CSS, HTML, and JavaScript editors (for advanced users). We believe that the drag-and-drop editor and the various resources and guides are enough to create an e-commerce website with either Shopify or Squarespace.

• Will using a website builder like Shopify or Squarespace help grow my business?

If you plan to sell products, services, and subscriptions online, you need an e-commerce platform or at least an e-commerce plugin (for example, while using WordPress, you might end up using Shopify’s plugin). Using a website builder like Shopify or Squarespace designed for e-commerce will help grow your business as it sets up your business’ website for online selling from the get-go.