What can you expect?
This comparison will help you understand the strengths of each platform and decide which is best for your specific needs.
Ease of use
Customization
SEO
E-commerce
Hosting
Templates
Plugins
Performance
Support
Cost
Learning curve
Security
Scalability
Webflow
Cost starts at
Visual user-friendly editor
Services offered
Highly customizable without code
Capabilities
Integrated SEO tools
Projects
Misses a lot of important features
Revisions
Secure integrated hosting
Requests
Ready-to-use templates
Starting work
Approved apps library
Communication
Built-in optimization features
Client manager
Direct customer support
Client manager
Higher, scalable costs
Client manager
Intuitive but takes some time
Client manager
Regular updates and SSL certification
Client manager
Scalable with supported features
Squarespace
Cost starts at
Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
Services offered
Customizable, but less flexible
Capabilities
Built-in SEO tools
Projects
Comprehensive e-commerce options
Revisions
Secure integrated hosting
Requests
About 200 templates
Starting work
Extensions library
Communication
Responsive, can be slower with heavy templates
Client manager
24/7 support, live chat
Client manager
Generally lower, simple pricing
Client manager
Intuitive for beginners
Client manager
Regular updates and SSL certification
Client manager
Scalable for small to medium-sized websites
Ease of use
Webflow is known for its intuitive visual drag-and-drop editor, making it suitable for users with a design background. It simplifies the process of building and managing websites without code, although knowing some basic HTML and CSS can be helpful.
Squarespace excels in terms of simplicity with its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. Squarespace's cohesive platform makes it particularly beneficial for beginners with no coding knowledge who want an easy and efficient website building experience.
Customization and flexibility
Webflow excels in design flexibility with its visual editor, allowing users to create unique designs. However, it lacks a large ecosystem of plugins, which can limit its extensibility compared to other platforms. The recent introduction of Webflow Apps is trying to address this gap.
Squarespace offers extensive customization through its templates and styling options. While it may not match Webflow’s flexibility in design, Squarespace provides a wide range of built-in features and a robust set of tools for customization, making it a solid choice for many.
SEO and performance
Webflow offers built-in SEO tools and generates clean, semantic code, which is advantageous for search engine rankings. Its integrated hosting ensures optimized performance and security, making it a reliable choice for high-performance needs.
Squarespace provides strong SEO capabilities with built-in tools for optimizing site content. However, its JavaScript-heavy templates can sometimes affect site speed, which may impact SEO. Despite this, it remains a good choice without extensive manual optimization.
E-commerce capabilities
Webflow supports built-in e-commerce features, allowing users to manage products, transactions, and design unique shopping experiences directly within the platform. However, its e-commerce capabilities are still developing and may not cover all advanced needs.
Squarespace excels in e-commerce with comprehensive tools integrated into its platform. It offers features like product management, inventory tracking, and payment processing, making it a strong choice for users looking to set up and manage an online store.
Cost and pricing
Webflow's pricing includes hosting and ranges from free to premium plans with advanced features. Although it simplifies the cost structure, it tends to be more expensive overall. However, it allows for scalable costs based on every user’s needs.
Squarespace generally offers lower and more straightforward pricing plans. It includes hosting and provides a variety of plans to suit different needs, from personal blogs to e-commerce stores. While it may be cheaper, it delivers good value with its integrated features.
Security
Webflow provides integrated security features including SSL certificates, DDoS protection, 2F authentication, and regular backups. Its closed system reduces the risk of security vulnerabilities, ensuring a secure environment for website management.
Squarespace also prioritizes security, offering SSL certificates and regular updates. Its integrated hosting and security measures protect users from common vulnerabilities, making it a reliable choice for those concerned about website security.
Scalability
Designed to scale with growing businesses, Webflow handles increased traffic and content effortlessly. Its integrated hosting ensures consistent performance even with traffic spikes, making it suitable for high-growth scenarios.
Squarespace is suitable for small to medium-sized websites but may face limitations when scaling up for large businesses or complex projects. Its recent enterprise version aims to address some of these scalability issues.
Market position comparison
The graph displays the market positions of selected content management systems (CMS) based on their usage by high and low traffic sites.
Webflow’s position indicates that it’s used by high-traffic sites but fewer in number. This suggests Webflow is favored for quality, high-traffic projects but lacks widespread adoption.
Squarespace’s position shows it’s used by fewer sites overall, and primarily by low-traffic sites. This suggests that Squarespace is popular among small to medium-sized websites.
Webflow vs Squarespace summary
Webflow
Webflow offers superior design capabilities with an intuitive and user-friendly visual editor, making it ideal for businesses that require fast iteration times without relying on developers. Webflow is best for users needing highly customizable websites, streamlined hosting solutions, and collaborative tools for teams. It’s perfect for high-traffic, premium projects.
Squarespace
Squarespace stands out with its user-friendly interface, beautiful templates, and comprehensive built-in features. It’s the go-to choice for small to medium-sized websites and online stores, offering a seamless, all-in-one solution. Squarespace is a reliable choice for users with no technical knowledge that want an easy website building experience.
