Squarespace vs. Webflow: An honest perspective
Most website builder comparisons are written by writers who’ve never actually used the platform. I’m currently using Webflow to recreate my personal website and I’m using Squarespace to create a website for my music. These small projects will give me the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of both platforms.
July 21, 2022, Squarespace introduced Fluid Engine, making it a much more flexible alternative to Webflow.
Now full disclosure, I’ve been using Squarespace for almost a decade, so I have more experience with it than the average user, and I’ve played with Webflow before but this is my first time launching a site.
Both are going to give you a good-looking, professional website, but what matters to you as a user? Who wins on usability, price, functionality, and looks?
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a no-code website builder. It was founded in 2013 and has become known as an advanced web builder for professionals.
Never used another web design tool where I was actually able to design what I want it to look like without running into constant issues and spending a ton of time trying to deal with them, ruining the design flow. - Webflow User on Reddit
Who is Webflow’s target audience?
Web designers who don’t want to rely on a developer.
Webflow and Squarespace are not necessarily targeting the same markets. Webflow tends to lean toward agencies and professionals,
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder founded in 2003. It’s most popular for it’s design and templates.
Who is Squarespace’s target audience?
while Squarespace is an all-comers choice for small to medium businesses and individuals.
Try Squarespace Free for 14 days
Choosing an account plan
Both platforms allow you to start building your site for free but to publish your site you need to purchase a plan. We’ll start here so you don’t have any unexpected surprises.
Pricing Summary
Here’s how the two price their services:
Webflow
It’s free to get started
You will have to choose a paid plan to publish your site
Plans are either “site” (for publishing websites) or “account” (targeted at designers who want to work on sites with a few more advanced features, then export the code).
Site plans start at $12/month; account plans start at $16/month
Account plans can include collaboration with team members
Squarespace
You get a 14-day free trial, after which you need to choose a plan
No credit card is required for the free trial
Plans start at $12/month, with more features included for higher-tier plans
In our view, both are very reasonably priced for what they offer.
How Webflow pricing works
Do you need a Webflow workspace (account) plan?
Webflow is free to use for up to 2 sites. If you’re designing for clients then you’ll need a lite plan (up to 10 projects) or a Pro plan for more, which includes white-labeling.
Which Webflow site plan do I need?
A site plan is what you need for your actual website.
If you plan on having a blog, pick the CMS plan. It will allow you to add collections of different types, like blogs, projects, events, etc. For a simple site with static content the basic $12/mo will be sufficient.
Can I do eCommerce with Webflow?
Webflow offers 3 ecommerce plans based on where you are in your business.
How much do Webflow Templates cost?
Webflow offers both free and premium templates. Premium templates range from $34 to $149.
How Squarespace pricing works
Which Squarespace website plan do I need?
Squarespace offers 2 regular website plans and 2 eCommerce plans.
Email Campaigns
Squarespace offers 4 email campaign plans from $5/mo to $48/mo.
Members Areas
3 Member area plans from $9/mo to $35/mo.
How much do Squarespace Templates cost?
Squarespace offers 144 free templates, built-in. You can find premium Squarespace templates ranging from $99 to $1500 here.
Main differences between Squarespace and Webflow
Squarespace got close to this with developer mode in 7.0 but it was never widely adopted. As a designer creating for clients with different content needs, this is invaluable.
Some website builders are a little less user-friendly - neither of these platforms fit that description. Both ask a few simple questions to get you started and recommend a theme or two based on your answers. You can still choose a different theme on both if you prefer.
Webflow: The Designer
Webflow takes you through a step-by-step onboarding process that includes text and GIFs to show how the website builder works. They explain that it works on a “box model” where “child” boxes are inside “parent” boxes.
There are a few points of their introduction which will be confusing to a novice. For example, they talk about “working with dynamic data in the CMS” - this could be a bit intimidating for someone using a web builder for the first time. However, they’re not necessarily targeting someone new to web design.
We had someone familiar with websites and web builders testing Webflow, and they found the introduction to be enough to get them started. We think the interface may be a bit intimidating to a complete beginner though, as there is a lot going on. It’s reminiscent of Photoshop in its layout - see the screenshot below.
Squarespace Site Editor
In our view, the Squarespace interface is cleaner and less-intimidating when you get started. If someone is a complete beginner, they will probably prefer it. They, too, take you through a progressive onboarding process, showing you where things are and how they work. Overall, theirs is simpler and avoids some of the jargon present in the Webflow onboarding process. You can see a Squarespace screenshot below:
Everyone wants a good-looking website, but some people may have more complex needs than others. Here’s how Webflow and Squarespace compare:
Webflow shines as a platform for those who already have design experience and knowledge. As we talked about in the last section, the interface is much more complex, but it will be somewhat familiar to designers.
Webflow Templates vs. Squarespace Templates
Webflow has over 180 themes available, all with responsive design. Some themes are free, while others you need to pay for. You can easily find niche-specific templates for most types of businesses.
Those who are confident can customize themes using their HTML/CSS/JavaScript editing options. This leaves the door open to a wide range of possibilities, but of course, it’s better suited to those who are familiar with coding. (Note: they do highlight that you don’t have to write a single line of code to produce a website with them).
Other design elements include things like dropdown menus, sliders, carousels, and custom typography. It allows you to save your design preferences as “classes” so that you’re able to consistently re-use them.
Webflow Pros
What is so good about Webflow?
easy if you’re used to working in Sketch/Figma/Protopie
designer focused
Webflow Cons
Why is Webflow bad?
Steeper learning curve
Squarespace Overview
Squarespace offers around 144 free design templates, but you can also purchase custom templates. One of the things that Squarespace is infamous for is its visually appealing templates. Many designers love to use the platform because they can get a great-looking website without having to do a lot of coding.
Our summary here is, that you have more design choices with Webflow, but also more complexity. Squarespace offers a simpler design interface with fewer (but high-quality) choices.
Squarespace Pros
All in one platform
Easy to maintain
Focused on DIY users
Squarespace Cons
No phone support
Closed system
Tools and features
Each website owner is going to want different features or add-ons to their site. Here’s how the two platforms compare:
Webflow
Webflow offers a long list of advanced features, including customizable forms, interactive Google Maps, custom animations and an easily installed eCommerce feature. The ability to work with the HTML/CSS leaves it open to a wide range of custom features.
Webflow has a large library of integrations with popular apps, via plugins and widgets. Some of them overlap with Squarespace. For example, Memberspace, Elfsight, and Powr, are all cross-platform plugins that work with multiple site builders.
Squarespace
Squarespace has a growing extensions directory with apps for dropshipping, taxes, and more. You can also purchase third-party plugins (like ours) and connect with a number of third-party integrations.
If you need it, Squarespace has solid eCommerce functionality, including the ability to create customer accounts. Their eCommerce setup is reliable and provides a good customer experience.
Overall, Squarespace doesn’t have as vast a set of features and integrations available as Webflow, but what it has it does very well. In most use-cases, people will find what they need. It’s fair to say that Squarespace is catering to the end-user as the website builder, while Webflow is assuming a professional is using it.
Customer support and community
Both platforms rate fairly highly for customer support. Webflow has a reasonable knowledge base, offers tutorial videos for any section of the website, and has a good help center. Customer support can be contacted via email for anything you can’t find.
Webflow University
There’s a 2-hour crash course on Webflow University that I recommend. It’s free and all the videos are on youtube.
Squarespace Circle Forum
Squarespace also makes it easy to get help with a comprehensive knowledge base and an automated assistant to take you through key tasks on your website. You can get hold of customer support via chat or email.
Get our quick comparison of Squarespace and Webflow here
What do Webflow users have to say?
“I sometimes find myself comparing Webflow to photoshop. Not only have you the possibility to customize every detail of every aspect of your site, but you can also create and reuse classes, add custom and highly specific animations, improve SEO, etc.
This makes it way easier to implement a design previously created in Figma (or any other platform).
In addition, you can easily transfer your current domain, implement custom JS and CSS code, host your sites, have multiple projects, and so on”
“one of the nice things about Webflow is being able to build something on one site, copy and then paste it into another site. The CMS is pretty limited in its current state with only allowing 1 nested collection at this point, but it’s very easy to debug and has a bit of flexibility to be able to export your design and hook it up to a backend or server of your choice if you needed (although you lose the ability to continue editing it in Webflow after the export). It’s far from perfect, but it does a lot of things very well and allows you to create animations and work with Lottie files in a photoshop kind of environment.”
Should you use Squarespace or Webflow?
Of course, that depends on your needs. If you are an agency or professional designer, Webflow has a huge range of features available and good possibilities for customization. However, it is complex and if you want to dig into more advanced features, you’ll need some coding knowledge.
Squarespace is an excellent platform for small to medium businesses of all types. Designers will appreciate the contemporary designs and features, while the end-user looking to create their first site will appreciate its relative simplicity compared to Webflow. For us, this makes Squarespace a winner, but what about you?
