Choosing Between Shopify and Squarespace: Which is Right for Your Online Store?
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Background of Shopify and Squarespace
- Pricing
- Templates and Customization
- Payment Gateways
- Mobile Apps and Point of Sale
- URL Structure and SEO
- Shipping and Label Printing
- Scalability
- Customer Support
- Conclusion
Introduction
Choosing between Shopify and Squarespace can be a difficult decision for individuals looking to establish an online presence. Both platforms have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, making it essential to understand their features and offerings. In this article, we will compare Shopify and Squarespace across various factors such as pricing, templates, payment gateways, mobile apps, SEO, shipping, scalability, and customer support. By the end, you will have a clear understanding of which platform suits your needs best.
Background of Shopify and Squarespace
Shopify and Squarespace have different backgrounds and focuses. Shopify is an ecommerce platform, exclusively designed to support online businesses. On the other hand, Squarespace is primarily a website and blog building tool, with an additional option for selling products online. This fundamental difference influences the pricing tiers and available features on each platform.
Pricing
When considering pricing, it is crucial to compare similar plans on both platforms. Squarespace starts at $12 per month, while the cheapest Shopify plan is $26 per month for an annual subscription. It's important to note that there is no Squarespace equivalent to Shopify's Advanced plan. To make an informed decision, evaluate the features that are essential to your business requirements.
Templates and Customization
Shopify offers a vast selection of templates, including 10 free options and over 60 paid ones ranging from $140 to $180. These templates are modern and fully customizable. On the other hand, Squarespace provides 10 free ecommerce templates that can be customized using HTML and CSS, similar to Shopify. However, Shopify wins this round due to its larger selection and stronger focus on ecommerce.
Payment Gateways
Shopify charges additional transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments, their own payment gateway. However, this option is not available in all countries. For English-speaking countries, there are alternatives such as Stripe and PayPal, along with manual payment methods like bank deposit or cash on delivery. Squarespace, on the other hand, only offers Stripe and PayPal as payment gateways. The versatility of payment options makes Shopify the winner in this category.
Mobile Apps and Point of Sale
If your business extends beyond online operations, Shopify provides the advantage of activating mobile apps for Point of Sale functionality. This feature is not available on Squarespace. Therefore, for companies with a physical presence, Shopify offers more extensive capabilities and takes the lead in this round.
URL Structure and SEO
URL structure and page speed play a vital role in SEO. Shopify has a certain pattern for URLs, with additional words added for blog posts and product pages. Squarespace also had limitations in the past but has recently resolved them, providing users with flexibility in choosing their URLs. However, in terms of mobile page speed, Shopify outperforms Squarespace. The artistic nature of Squarespace websites, with photo galleries and animations, can impact page speed. Thus, there is no clear winner, as both platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of SEO.
Shipping and Label Printing
Both Shopify and Squarespace offer features for defining shipping zones and adding prices based on weight or order value. They also provide label printing solutions. However, the distinction lies in carrier calculated shipping rates. Shopify requires a $266 per month plan to access this feature, while Squarespace includes it in their $40 per month plan. Considering this affordability, Squarespace emerges as the winner in this category.
Scalability
When it comes to scaling an online business, Shopify proves to be an excellent choice. With its international commerce readiness and a wide range of marketing features available through the app store, such as loyalty programs, Shopify ensures future growth and expansion. Squarespace, lacking an app store, makes it more challenging to add advanced features. Therefore, if long-term scalability is your goal, Shopify wins this round.
Customer Support
Both Shopify and Squarespace offer dedicated customer support, with Shopify ranked higher in terms of ecommerce-focused assistance. Shopify provides phone support, while Squarespace only offers email and live chat support. Acknowledging Shopify's comprehensive support options, it secures victory in this category.
Conclusion
After an in-depth comparison, it is evident that both Shopify and Squarespace have their own strengths and weaknesses. Squarespace proves to be a suitable choice for smaller operations, especially those seeking robust blogging functionality. However, for ambitious businesses aiming to establish an ecommerce empire, Shopify is the preferred option due to its extensive features and scalability. Assess your unique requirements and make an informed decision between these two powerful platforms.
Highlights:
- Shopify and Squarespace offer distinct advantages for different types of businesses.
- Pricing, templates, payment gateways, mobile apps, SEO, shipping, scalability, and customer support are essential factors to consider when choosing between the two platforms.
- Shopify focuses on ecommerce, while Squarespace offers website and blog building tools with an online selling option.
- Shopify provides a wider selection of templates and customization options.
- Squarespace has limited payment gateways compared to the versatility offered by Shopify.
- Shopify caters to businesses with physical locations through mobile apps and Point of Sale functionality.
- URL structure and page speed affect SEO, with Shopify performing better in terms of mobile page speed.
- Squarespace offers affordable carrier calculated shipping rates, making it a preferable choice for some businesses.
- Shopify's app store and marketing features make it an excellent option for scalability and future growth.
- Shopify offers more extensive customer support options, including phone support.
- Consider your unique business requirements and objectives when deciding between Shopify and Squarespace.
