Squarespace vs. GoDaddy: What Do You Get From Each? (2024 Update)
There are many different platforms that businesses can use to build an online presence. While Squarespace is among the most popular, businesses that already have a domain registered with GoDaddy (a popular domain registrar) may be tempted to use their website builder to keep everything in one place.
Let's look at the differences between Squarespace and GoDaddy and how to decide on the right option for your business.
Businesses that already use GoDaddy for domains may be tempted to use their website builder — but should you use Squarespace instead?
At a Glance
Squarespace and GoDaddy both offer easy-to-use platforms for businesses looking to build websites and ecommerce shops. While GoDaddy’s hosting services provide a wide range of options, this article will focus on GoDaddy Website Builder since it’s the most direct competitor to Squarespace’s website builder.
The following table looks at Squarespace and GoDaddy’s plan pricing and features at a glance before we get into more detailed comparisons:
Squarespace Plans & Features
Personal Plan $12/mo.
Free custom domain
SSL security
Unlimited bandwidth and storage
SEO and mobile optimizations
Template library
Up to 2 contributors
24/7 customer support
Basic website metrics
Squarespace Extensions
Business Plan $18/mo.
Personal plan features, plus...
Unlimited contributors
Professional email from Google
Premium Integrations and Blocks
Customizable CSS / JS
Advanced web analytics
3% transaction fees
Sell unlimited products
Accept donations
Gift cards
Commerce Plan $26/mo.
Business plan features, plus…
$100 Google AdWords credit
Promotional pop-ups and banners
Fully integrated ecommerce
No transaction fees
Point of sale
Customer accounts
Checkout on your domain
Ecommerce analytics
Merchandising tools
Instagram support
GoDaddy Plans & Features
Basic Plan $10/mo.
SSL certificate
Custom domain support
Mobile optimizations
24/7 support
Business email address (1 year)
Business phone number (1 year)
PayPal button
GoDaddy InSight
Book appointments online
Social media and email marketing
Standard Plan $15/mo.
Basic plan features, plus…
SEO capabilities
More marketing tools
Premium Plan $20/mo.
Standard plan features, plus…
More marketing tools
Free credits on ad platforms
One-time group events
Recurring group events or classes
SMS alerts for new appointments
Email and text reminders
Accept online payments for services
Ecommerce Plan $25/mo.
Premium plan features, plus…
Add and edit product listings
Flexible shipping options
Sell products directly online
Discounts and promotions
Marketplace support
Sync orders and inventories
* Information as of April 2, 2020.
Price & Features
Squarespace plans start at $12 per month for a personal plan that's paid annually, but advanced ecommerce sites could pay up to $46 per month, depending on their needs. The good news is that businesses can start with a small plan and scale up over time. There's also lower prices for students or extensive plans for enterprises.
GoDaddy plans start at $10 per month for a basic plan that's paid annually, while ecommerce sites can run upwards of $25 per month. The company offers a one month free trial with no credit card required, while you can also upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time.
Winner: GoDaddy offers lower prices than Squarespace by a few dollars, although the best value depends on your requirements.
Ease of Use
Squarespace was built from the ground up to be easy-to-use with beautiful templates that have hundreds of customizable features. The intuitive user interface makes it possible for anyone to heavily customize their own website design with no coding or HTML knowledge (although you can use code).
If you're looking for a wider range of themes, SQSP Themes offers a large curated collection of Squarespace templates for nearly any type of business. You can use Squarespace's built-in tools to customize these themes in the same way that you'd customize any other built-in theme — it’s simply more options to choose from!
GoDaddy’s Website Builder
GoDaddy's Website Builder provides a wide range of custom templates with 20+ theme filters to instantly change layouts, fonts and colors. The company also provides a one-click installer for WordPress or other CMSs if you'd like to purchase and customize off-the-shelf themes from elsewhere using its traditional hosting services.
Winner: Squarespace provides the best website builder given its intuitive interface and greater customization options.
Uptime & Performance
Squarespace and GoDaddy both offer 99.9% uptime, although only GoDaddy provides a tangible guarantee. Of course, the guarantee only means that you're reimbursed for excessive downtime — you cannot recoup any lost sales or business that result from it, which limits the actual value of the guarantee.
When it comes to speed, the loading time for both services is more dependent on the website than the service. Websites with a large number of uncompressed images or tracking scripts will load slower than heavily-optimized websites. Improvements in hosting speed have a comparatively negligible impact.
Winner: Tie.
Backups & Security
Squarespace provides a wide range of security features, including page-specific passwords, multiple access levels for contributors and abuse filters. In addition, they provide free SSL certificates with every hosting plan to ensure end-to-end security for transactions and SEO benefits. The company also takes extensive internal security measures.
GoDaddy provides free SSL certificates for its Website Builder plans and offers it as an add-on for its other plans. The company also offers security bundles that provide monitoring, alerts, and other security services for $15.99/mo. and up. Of course, both companies also offer their 24/7 customer support in the event of a security incident.
Winner: Squarespace provides the most built-in security features with all plans, but both offer security options.
Customer Service
Squarespace offers a standard knowledgebase and customer service to all customers. High-traffic or enterprise websites may want to consider Squarespace Select for a dedicated Account Manager that's available to personalize onboarding, assist with training, and conduct periodic site reviews.
GoDaddy also provides a standard knowledge base and customer service. The company has been praised in many reviews for its responsive phone support and live chat support that's available 24/7 to customers with little wait time.
Winner: Tie. GoDaddy is known for its helpful customer service, while Squarespace offers a dedicated account manager.
What's Right for You?
Squarespace is the best option for businesses looking for a non-technical way to build attractive websites or ecommerce shops. At the same time, you have access to a lot of powerful features for businesses, ranging from in-depth analytics to order management capabilities.
SQSP Themes also provides a wide range of apps and plugins for Squarespace to extend functionality beyond what's built-in. For instance, you can integrate affiliate marketing programs, drop shipping tools, live chat, or other features that can help your business operate more smoothly.
GoDaddy is the best option for businesses looking for flexibility. While the website builder isn't as intuitive as Squarespace’s website builder, the web host provides a lot more flexibility for businesses that want to use their own WordPress themes, as well as more ecommerce tools.
Alternatives
How does Squarespace stack up against the rest of the website builder competition? Check out the best Squarespace alternatives here.
The Bottom Line
Squarespace and GoDaddy are both great options for businesses looking to build an online presence, but they definitely target different audiences. Squarespace is the best done-for-you website builder for non-technical business owners, whereas GoDaddy is better for those looking for flexibility.
If you're looking to extend Squarespace's designs or functionality, SQSP Themes provides the industry's most extensive set of themes, plugins, and apps to help your business achieve its online goals.
