Shopify vs. Squarespace: A Complete Guide for E-Commerce Newbies
Setting up an online store is both exciting and overwhelming for new e-commerce entrepreneurs. With so many platforms to choose from, how do you decide which is the best fit for you? Two of the most popular choices are Shopify and Squarespace. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the differences between Shopify vs. Squarespace, exploring their strengths, and weaknesses, and which one is better suited for your needs.
1. Overview: Shopify vs. Squarespace
Before diving into the detailed comparison, it’s important to understand what each platform offers.
Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform that powers millions of online stores globally. It’s designed specifically for selling products and provides a wide range of tools for managing sales, inventory, and customer relationships.
Squarespace started as a website builder for creative professionals but later expanded into e-commerce. It’s known for its sleek, visually appealing templates, and it allows users to create a full-featured website that also includes an online store.
2. Ease of Use: User-Friendly Tools for Beginners
For beginners, ease of use is a top priority when choosing an e-commerce platform. Let’s compare Shopify vs. Squarespace based on user experience.
Shopify: Shopify was built with e-commerce in mind, and its user-friendly interface reflects that. From setting up your store to adding products, Shopify has step-by-step guidance to help newbies get started. The intuitive drag-and-drop builder is straightforward, making customization easy without any coding knowledge. Shopify’s onboarding is especially helpful, guiding you through setting up payment options and managing orders.
Squarespace: Squarespace is a more generalized website builder, and it’s known for its beautiful templates. While its user interface is also beginner-friendly, it doesn’t focus solely on e-commerce. Adding products and setting up an online store is straightforward, but it may require a little more time to get comfortable compared to Shopify. If your focus is on building a visually stunning site with an e-commerce option, Squarespace can be a great choice.
Also read: Wix vs. Shopify: Choosing the Best Platform for Your Online Store
3. Design and Templates: Customization and Aesthetics
The design of your online store plays a key role in attracting customers. Comparing Shopify vs. Squarespace, each platform has its unique approach to design.
Shopify: Shopify offers over 70 professionally designed themes, many of which are geared specifically for different types of stores (fashion, electronics, etc.). While not as visually sophisticated as Squarespace, Shopify’s themes are clean, functional, and responsive. There’s also a robust app store that allows you to add further customization and features.
Squarespace: Squarespace stands out in terms of aesthetics, offering a wide range of beautiful, modern templates. These templates are highly customizable and ideal for showcasing products in an attractive way. Squarespace’s design is particularly well-suited for brands that prioritize visual appeal, such as art, fashion, and lifestyle products.
4. E-Commerce Features: Sales, Payments, and Inventory Management
To make an informed decision about Shopify vs. Squarespace, let’s take a closer look at the e-commerce features each platform provides.
Shopify: Shopify comes with powerful e-commerce capabilities right out of the box. It supports an unlimited number of products, multiple payment gateways, and features such as abandoned cart recovery, which can help boost sales. Shopify also offers detailed inventory management and tools to sell across multiple channels like Instagram, Facebook, and even Amazon.
Squarespace: Squarespace also supports product sales, but it doesn’t offer as many e-commerce features as Shopify. It includes basic inventory management, a simple checkout process, and support for popular payment methods like PayPal and Stripe. However, it lacks advanced features like abandoned cart recovery in its base plan. Squarespace is best suited for smaller stores that don’t need a complex e-commerce infrastructure.
5. Pricing: Which One is Better for Your Budget?
The cost of setting up your store is an important consideration for e-commerce newbies. Comparing Shopify vs. Squarespace, both have different pricing models.
Shopify: Shopify’s pricing starts at $39 per month for the Basic plan, which includes most features needed for a small store. There are also transaction fees unless you use Shopify Payments. Shopify also has higher-tier plans for larger businesses with additional advanced features.
Squarespace: Squarespace’s e-commerce plans start at $27 per month, which makes it a more affordable choice for beginners. The Business plan, which is the cheapest option for selling products, includes a 3% transaction fee, but higher-tier plans remove these fees and add more features.
6. Payment Gateways: Shopify vs. Squarespace
When choosing an e-commerce platform, it’s important to understand what payment options are available.
Shopify: Shopify supports over 100 payment gateways, including PayPal, Stripe, and its own Shopify Payments. This provides customers with a variety of payment methods and supports international transactions.
Squarespace: Squarespace offers fewer payment gateway options, supporting only PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay. This may be a limitation if you need to provide multiple payment methods for a wider audience.
7. SEO and Marketing Tools: Driving Traffic to Your Store
A well-optimized store will attract more customers. Here’s how Shopify vs. Squarespace compares in terms of SEO and marketing tools.
Shopify: Shopify provides solid SEO features, including the ability to customize meta titles, descriptions, and URLs. It also integrates with Google Analytics and Facebook Ads to help you track and optimize marketing efforts. Shopify’s app store has many marketing tools that make it easy to manage email campaigns, discounts, and promotions.
Squarespace: Squarespace also has built-in SEO tools, but it’s not as specialized as Shopify when it comes to e-commerce marketing. Squarespace offers email marketing integration and basic SEO features, which work well for small businesses that don’t need advanced marketing automation.
8. Customer Support: Which Platform Has Your Back?
For e-commerce newbies, having reliable customer support can be a lifesaver when issues arise.
Shopify: Shopify offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, and phone. They also have a comprehensive help center, community forums, and guides for new users.
Squarespace: Squarespace provides 24/7 email support and live chat support during weekdays. Their knowledge base is extensive, but they lack phone support, which can be a disadvantage for users who prefer talking to a representative directly.
9. Scalability: Growing Your Business
Thinking long-term is important when deciding between Shopify vs. Squarespace, especially if you plan to scale your business.
Shopify: Shopify is built to grow with you. With advanced features, an app store full of tools, and support for multiple sales channels, Shopify can accommodate the needs of small businesses up to large enterprises.
Squarespace: Squarespace is great for starting, but it may not provide all the features needed as your business grows. It’s best for those who need a visually appealing website with a small to moderate number of products.
FAQs
Which is better for e-commerce: Shopify or Squarespace?
It depends on your needs. Shopify is better for those who need a powerful e-commerce platform with advanced features, while Squarespace is ideal for users who want a visually appealing website with basic e-commerce functionality.
Is Squarespace cheaper than Shopify?
Yes, Squarespace’s e-commerce plans start at $27 per month, which is cheaper than Shopify’s $39 per month starting plan. However, Shopify provides more e-commerce-specific tools and features.
Can I switch from Squarespace to Shopify later?
Yes, you can switch from Squarespace to Shopify, but it will require some effort, such as transferring products and setting up the store again. Shopify offers migration tools that can help with the process.
Which platform is better for SEO: Shopify or Squarespace?
Both Shopify and Squarespace offer solid SEO tools. Shopify’s SEO is more focused on e-commerce, with many third-party apps that enhance marketing efforts, while Squarespace provides strong SEO options for content-based websites.
Can I sell internationally on Shopify and Squarespace?
Yes, both platforms allow for international sales. Shopify supports more payment gateways and currencies, making it better suited for businesses targeting global audiences. Squarespace also allows international transactions but has fewer payment options.
Do Shopify and Squarespace offer free trials?
Yes, both platforms offer free trials. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, whereas Squarespace provides a 14-day free trial, allowing you to explore and decide which one is best for you.
Conclusion
Choose Shopify if you want a dedicated e-commerce platform with advanced features and are planning to scale your business over time. Shopify is built for e-commerce and offers powerful tools that make it easy to manage sales, inventory, and marketing. Choose Squarespace if you’re looking for a visually stunning website that includes e-commerce capabilities. Squarespace is great for artists, designers, and smaller businesses who prioritize aesthetics over advanced e-commerce features.
