WordPress vs Squarespace: an honest comparison

Two different models

Squarespace is a hosted platform. One subscription covers the editor, templates, hosting, security certificate and built-in features such as forms, simple shops and scheduling, depending on your plan. Squarespace handles the technical side and you work within its system.

WordPress is free, open source software. You install it on hosting you choose, add a theme and plugins, and run it yourself or pay someone to. You have full access to the files and database, so the site is yours to move, change or extend.

Neither is better in every case. The question is which trade-off suits your business: Squarespace's tidy, controlled environment or WordPress's freedom with more responsibility.

Design and templates

Squarespace is known for clean, design-led templates, and they suit portfolios, studios, restaurants and service businesses that want a polished look quickly. The editor keeps layouts consistent, which helps people without a design background avoid messy pages.

WordPress design depends on the theme and builder you choose. With Elementor or a well-built theme, you can match or exceed Squarespace's look, with more control over every section. The flip side is that you can also make a mess more easily, because nothing stops you. Starting from a good theme helps; see best themes for Elementor.

Ease of use and maintenance

Squarespace is easier to keep running. There are no plugins to update and no server to think about. You log in, edit and publish.

WordPress needs regular updates to core, themes and plugins, plus backups and some attention to security. Day to day editing is straightforward, especially with a visual builder, but someone has to own the upkeep. That can be you, a developer, or a host that takes it on as part of a managed plan. Our guide on managed vs shared WordPress hosting explains the difference.

Features and flexibility

Squarespace includes a well chosen set of features and a smaller range of extensions. If what you need is in the box, it works smoothly. If not, you may be limited to code injection on certain plans or a workaround with an external service.

WordPress can be extended for almost anything through plugins: complex booking, memberships, multilingual content, directories, learning platforms, detailed forms and full online shops with WooCommerce. You can also hire a developer to build something custom. This is the main reason growing businesses move to WordPress.

Selling online

Both can run a shop. Squarespace commerce is simpler to set up and tightly integrated. Transaction fees and which features are available depend on the plan, so check their current pricing page. WooCommerce on WordPress gives more control over products, shipping, payment providers and integrations, and the shop data stays with you, but it needs more setup and upkeep.

Ownership, exporting and costs

Who holds the site

Squarespace offers an export, but it is limited. It is designed to produce a WordPress-compatible file for some content types, while other parts of the site, including design and some page types, do not come across. Check Squarespace's help pages for what their export currently includes.

With WordPress you hold the whole site. A full backup can be restored on any other WordPress host, and you are not tied to any one company. If long-term control matters, that is a significant point in WordPress's favour.

Costs over time

Squarespace pricing is tiered, with features and transaction fees varying by plan, and annual billing usually cheaper than monthly. Check their current pricing page rather than relying on figures quoted elsewhere.

WordPress costs are made up of hosting, domain, and any paid theme or plugins. A simple site can be inexpensive. Costs rise if you buy several premium plugins or pay for maintenance. When comparing, list everything you need for two or three years, including renewals, and price both options against that same list.

Remember to include the cost of help. On Squarespace you may need little outside support. On WordPress, either you spend time on updates and occasional fixes, or you pay a developer or a managed host to do it. Neither is wrong; just make sure the comparison is like for like.

Which suits you?

Squarespace is a good fit if

• You want a beautiful, simple site with very little upkeep.
• Your needs fit within its built-in features.
• You are happy for the site to stay on one platform long term.

WordPress is a good fit if

• You want full ownership and the option to change host or developer.
• You need features beyond a typical brochure site, now or later.
• You want access to a large pool of designers, developers and plugins.
• You are prepared to handle updates, or pay a host to handle them.

Questions to ask before you decide

1. What will the site need to do in two years, not just at launch?
2. Who will update content, and how comfortable are they with technology?
3. Who will handle updates, backups and problems?
4. How important is it to be able to take the whole site elsewhere?

Moving from Squarespace to WordPress

If you decide to switch, plan the move: list every page and its address, export what Squarespace allows, rebuild the design in WordPress, and set up redirects from old addresses to new ones so you keep search rankings. Test forms and email before pointing your domain at the new site.

Keep the Squarespace subscription running until the new site is live and checked, so you can refer back to the old pages and nothing goes offline in between. Once the domain points to WordPress, submit your new sitemap in Google Search Console and watch for errors over the following weeks.

WP Web Hosting gives you WordPress with Elementor pre-installed in every plan, so you can rebuild a Squarespace design visually, and plans are monthly with no price jump after year one.

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