You may have heard of Squarespace and Shopify if you want to open an online store. Which platform is better for you, though? In this article, I’ll talk about the pros and cons of both platforms and help you make the right choice for your business.
The best e-commerce platforms in comparison: Squarespace vs Shopify
Two major e-commerce platforms have proven to be among the best in the market: Squarespace and Shopify. Both offer users a great user interface, a wide range of features and extensions, and excellent customer support.
Squarespace vs Shopify: the pros and cons
1. Cost: Squarespace is a little bit cheaper than Shopify. The basic plan for Squarespace is $16 per month, while Shopify costs $29. However, both platforms have fees for payment methods. For Squarespace, these are 2.9% + $0.3 per transaction, while Shopify charges 2.6% + $0.3.
You can see the Shopify plans here:
You can see the Squarespace costs here:
2. Features: Both platforms have a lot of useful features for e-commerce websites. But in the end, Shopify has more features and also more apps to extend the features.
3. Usability: Both platforms are very user-friendly and easy to use. However, Squarespace has the advantage that it doesn’t require any technical knowledge to create or manage a website. Even if you have never created a website before, you can easily get started with Squarespace. Shopify, on the other hand, requires a bit more technical knowledge and can therefore be a bit overwhelming for beginners.
4. Customer support: Both platforms offer excellent customer support via email and live chat.
Introduction to Squarespace
A lot of people only know Squarespace as a website builder, but in the last few years the company has invested a lot in its eCommerce offering and now a serious competitor to Shopify.
- With Squarespace, businesses of all sizes can afford to build and manage online stores. Squarespace doesn’t have an app store like Shopify does, so you have to rely on the builder’s built-in features. However, this isn’t much of a problem, as Squarespace provides all the essential features for most stores.
- What makes Squarespace different from Shopify is its highly visual approach: the platform is easy to use, allowing you to design your online store exactly the way you want it. Squarespace is ideal for those who don’t have much experience in web design or don’t have the time to deal with it.
Introduction to Shopify
Shopify is an excellent eCommerce platform for all businesses. It’s easy to use, has many features, and allows businesses to market their products online quickly and effectively.
- Shopify has a user friendly system that lets people set up and run their own online stores. The platform also comes with a number of built-in security features that will keep your store and your customer’s data safe.
- There are hundreds of themes and templates you can choose from to customize your store to your business image. Moreover, Shopify also lets you create custom themes and templates.
- Shopify has a number of advanced features that allow you to further customize your store. These include features like product import/export, coupons and discounts, email marketing integration, and more. With these features, you can design your store to fit your exact needs.
I wrote an even more detailed review of my Shopify experience, which you can find here.
The big comparison: Squarespace vs Shopify
Shopify is an eCommerce platform with all the features you need to sell online. There are many Shopify themes and plugins that you can use to make your online store look best for your business. The platform is very easy to use and understand, so you can set up your store quickly and easily.
Squarespace is also a popular eCommerce platform. Unlike Shopify, Squarespace isn’t as well-equipped and doesn’t have as many functions and themes. But the platform is very well thought out and easy to use, so you can also set up your store quickly and easily here as well. The prices for both platforms are similar.
However, Shopify offers a wider selection of payment methods, which can be beneficial for international merchants. In addition, Shopify offers extended customer support, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So in terms of features, Shopify has the edge. However, if you are looking for an intuitive and clear platform, Squarespace is the right choice for you.
Conclusion – Which is the best e-commerce platform for you?
At the end of the day, it really comes down to the best eCommerce platform for you is the one that best fits your business and your goals. So if you’re not sure which platform is right for you, it might help to simply make a list of the most important features you need and compare that list to the features of the two platforms. That way, you can see which platform offers more of what you’re looking for.
