In today’s market, there are plenty of options when it comes to choosing a website platform. Squarespace may have started as one of the first drag-and-drop website builders (and still is one of the best), but it has its competitors too.
This blog post reviews seven alternatives to Squarespace that offer comparable or even unique features that you can check out and that may work better for the purposes you have in mind.
Why You Should Consider a Squarespace Alternative?
Here are some reasons why you may want to consider Squarespace alternatives:
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You Need A More Simple Solution. If you’re looking for a simple solution that works with your current website design, then Squarespace may not be suitable for you.
This is because they have limited customization options and do not allow users to build their templates from scratch as other platforms do.
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You Do Not Need Premium Features. You also need to be aware that some of the features available on Squarespace are only available in paid plans and might not be necessary if all you want is a basic website without too many functionalities or customization options.
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No version history. Squarespace lacks a proper versioning system. There’s no way to go back in history and undo things.
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Poor implementation of GDPR compliance. You might have to rely on third-party tools to have a proper solution to comply with GDPR, which can be a big deal for European countries.
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It’s not cheap compared to other builders. Squarespace plans are more on the high-end spectrum when compared to other web builders.
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Limited marketing tools. As a website builder it provides quite a good solution, but if you need to do any marketing-related tasks, such as A/B testing or advanced SEO, Squarespace won’t be for you.
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Lack of 3rd party plugins. All Squarespace plugins are provided by Squarespace and there’s no room for other developers to create their own. This limits what you can control on your page.
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It’s not very fast. Squarespace templates are not known to score high on Google Page Speed Tool. Other builders can offer the fastest websites, which can also result in better SEO results. Remember that page speed is one of the factors that Google takes into account.
7 Best Alternatives to Squarespace
Here is a list of the seven best Squarespace alternatives that will enable you to choose the alternative that suits your needs the most.
1. Wix
Wix is a website builder that offers a powerful drag-and-drop website editor and many features. It is a free alternative to Squarespace. The platform offers free and premium plans for all users, from bloggers to small businesses to large enterprises.
Wix is also known for being one of the most flexible options available, offering an abundance of customizability options, including:
- A wide selection of templates
- Free stock photos
- The ability to create forms, eCommerce sites, and websites with video embeds
2. WordPress- Fee Alternative To Squarespace
WordPress is the world’s most popular open-source content management system (CMS). It powers over 39% of all websites on the Internet today. In my opinion, one of the best Squarespace alternatives.
WordPress is written in PHP, a programming language used for websites and web applications. WordPress is also an easy-to-use tool for creating blogs or any other type of website on your domain name (or subdomain).
The main advantages of using WordPress include:
- It’s free!
- You can add any theme you want to create your website with it
- It’s very easy to install and use (even if you’re not a programmer)
3. Shopify
Shopify is a great e-commerce platform for beginners. It’s easy to use and has a ton of features to help you grow your business. They also have a great reputation for customer support, which is important to consider when choosing an e-commerce platform.
These 13+ Beautiful Shopify Website Designs can give you an idea of what can you do with Shopify
Shopify has three plans: the basic plan, the Shopify Plan, and the Advanced Plan. Here’s how they break down:
The basic plan includes everything you need to get started selling products online:
- Basic reports
- 2 staff accounts
- Up to 4 inventory locations
- Up to 77% shipping discount
The Shopify Plan includes:
- Professional reports
- 5 staff accounts
- Up to 5 inventory locations
- Up to 88% shipping discount
And the Advanced Plan includes:
- Custom report builder
- 15 staff accounts
- Up to 8 inventory locations
- Up to 88% shipping discount
4. GoDaddy
GoDaddy is an excellent choice for those looking to create a website, especially if you’re just starting.
GoDaddy does not require any experience or design knowledge, so it’s easy for anyone to start using the site. The company also offers training and tools to help you make your site look professional and attractive.
GoDaddy has several features that make it stand out from other services in its category. One of these is its ability to integrate with other apps and services like PayPal, Facebook, and Google+. You can also use their API (Application Programming Interface) to integrate your site with third-party apps and widgets.
5. Weebly
Weebly is a web hosting platform that allows you to create your own website at an affordable rate, which makes it one of the most popular website builders on the market, with more than 200 million users.
Wondering what is the potential of Weebly? Then you have to check these 15+ Weebly Website Examples
Weebly is an excellent choice for those who want to build a simple, personal website without any coding skills required. It has a clean interface that makes building your website easy, even if you’re not tech-savvy.
You can also choose from thousands of templates to start quickly and easily.
Weebly offers many features that make it ideal for blogs:
- Free domain names and hosting included – You don’t have to pay anything extra for a domain name or to host with Weebly. You’ll get both right away when you sign up for an account!
- Easy drag-and-drop interface – Unlike other free website builders, Weebly doesn’t require coding knowledge to use its drag-and-drop builder tool. You can choose from thousands of pre-made templates and customize them as much as possible with just a few clicks of your mouse!
- Social media integration – You can add social media buttons to any page on your site and share your content easily!
6. Strikingly
Strikingly is a new platform that helps you create beautiful websites, landing pages, and more.
Strikingly has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for anyone to create beautiful websites. You can start a new or existing website with Strikingly in minutes.
The platform offers a free trial and comes with several pre-built templates that you can use to build your site. You can then add any content you want using the drag-and-drop editor.
You can also use Strikingly’s visual editing tools to add images, videos, text, and more to your website without worrying about technical skills.
7. Webnode
Webnode is a perfect alternative for WordPress users who want a professional website with the same functionality.
Webnode is an open-source platform that has a lot of features and allows you to create an awesome website in a short time. It is free, but you will need to pay if you want to use premium features such as creating your domain name or hosting your site on your server.
Webnode uses the same system as WordPress, so it is easy for anyone who has used the latter before to transition into Webnode without any trouble. You can also use third-party plugins on Webnode, which makes it even more flexible than WordPress.
How Do You Choose the Best Alternative to Squarespace?
Are you on the lookout for a website builder that’s right for you? You should be searching for the best alternative to Squarespace for your own use case.
Here are some tips that will help you do exactly that:
Think About Your Goals
It’s best to start by knowing your goals. What do you want your site to look like? Do you want it to be a blog? A portfolio? A store? You need to decide on how you plan to use your site before looking at any alternatives.
Once your goals are clear, it’s time to check out some options for building it. If this interests you and would make sense for your business, consider hiring someone else to build your site for you.
Don’t Overlook The Cost
The cost of a website is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing your next website. A website that costs less than $5 a month will likely be useless and lead you to waste money in other ways.
If you’re just starting, you might think you can go cheap on your site. However, spending more money on a good quality site is better if you’re trying to build a brand and get traffic. This way, you will have something that will last for years and grow with your business.
Consider Technical Expertise and Marketing Needs
One thing that you should look at is the technical expertise of your current provider. Is it an industry-specific company? If so, will they be able to handle the technical side of building your site? If not, maybe you should investigate other options.
The second thing is what kind of marketing goals you have for your website. Are you looking for a space where you can publish blog posts or other content written by yourself or others? Or are you hoping to get people to visit and purchase products from your store?
You’ll want to find someone who can help grow your business through social media marketing and paid marketing campaigns.
An Overview of Squarespace Alternatives
This post has described some major websites that are alternatives to Squarespace. WordPress will be your best option in terms of features and design, though it may not offer as terrific support as Wix or Weebly.
E-commerce platforms like Shopify are even better when you prefer to sell products rather than just create a nice website. The platforms are highly recommended for all aspiring entrepreneurs and graphic artists who may want to take their business to the next level.
