Squarespace vs Shopify: Which Website Builder Is Right for Your Business?
Water colour illustration of construction equipment building a computer
Choosing the right website builder can feel like picking between a flat white and a long black—both have their perks, but which suits your taste (or business) better? In the bustling digital café of 2025, Squarespace and Shopify stand out as two of the most popular choices for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Whether you're a creative showcasing your portfolio or a retailer aiming to scale your online store, understanding the strengths and quirks of each platform is crucial.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll brew up a detailed comparison between Squarespace and Shopify, helping you determine which platform aligns best with your business goals.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Design and Customization
- E-commerce Capabilities
- Pricing and Plans
- SEO and Marketing Tools
- Customer Support
- Real-World Use Cases
- Summary
- FAQs
Overview
Squarespace is renowned for its sleek, designer-friendly templates and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It’s especially popular with photographers, writers, and service-based businesses that need an elegant yet functional online home. From portfolios to wedding websites, Squarespace makes it simple to look sharp.
Shopify, however, is a juggernaut built specifically for e-commerce. If your primary goal is to sell products online—be they physical goods, digital downloads, or subscriptions—Shopify gives you the tools to scale. It supports everything from garage-based businesses to major online retailers.
Key Differences at a Glance:
- Purpose: Squarespace is a content-centric builder with optional e-commerce. Shopify is commerce-centric with optional content.
- Ease of Use: Squarespace’s interface is more beginner-friendly. Shopify takes a bit longer to master but offers powerful selling tools.
- Growth Potential: Shopify is ideal for long-term scaling. Squarespace is great for leaner operations.
Whether you're looking to showcase your work or shift serious product, your end goal should guide your platform of choice.
Design and Customization
Squarespace is the aesthetic darling of the web builder world. With over 160 professionally designed templates and the new “Fluid Engine” editor, you can create layout masterpieces with very little effort. Want an image collage that overlaps with stylish text and animations? Done. Need to adapt your site perfectly to mobile? Easy.
Shopify, while not winning any beauty contests out-of-the-box, offers strong design flexibility—especially if you're comfortable tweaking HTML and CSS. Its themes are optimised for performance and sales, meaning conversion rates are a core priority.
Why Design Matters:
Imagine you’re a Melbourne-based yoga studio. A Squarespace template like “Hester” will let you display beautiful session photos, class schedules, and testimonials with ease. Conversely, if you're launching an activewear brand, Shopify's design tools let you build a product-focused homepage that guides visitors straight to checkout.
Squarespace Wins For:
- Creatives and content-heavy websites
- Visual storytelling
- Portfolios and service pages
Shopify Wins For:
- Conversion-optimised designs
- Product-centric layouts
- Advanced theme editing with Liquid (Shopify’s template language)
E-commerce Capabilities
Shopify is the king of e-commerce—and for good reason. It supports everything from multi-channel selling (Instagram, Amazon, eBay) to automated tax calculations and international shipping rates. Shopify’s app store adds immense functionality, from dropshipping integrations to loyalty programs and subscription billing.
Notable Features:
- Real-time shipping rates
- Abandoned cart recovery emails
- Built-in fraud analysis
- Multiple staff accounts for team-based workflows
- Custom checkout with Shopify Plus
Squarespace’s e-commerce features are adequate for light to moderate needs. You can manage inventory, accept payments via Stripe/PayPal, and even sell digital products or services. But features like multi-currency, complex shipping logic, or detailed sales reports? They’re either limited or require workarounds.
Use Case Example:
If you’re selling handmade ceramics at weekend markets in Melbourne and just want to offer some products online, Squarespace is plenty. But if you’re building an international DTC skincare brand, Shopify is your golden ticket.
Pricing and Plans
Squarespace Pricing:
- Personal: $16/month – Great for basic websites
- Business: $23/month – Adds basic commerce, analytics
- Basic Commerce: $27/month – No transaction fees, product reviews
- Advanced Commerce: $49/month – Abandoned cart, advanced shipping
Shopify Pricing:
- Basic: $39/month – Best for new online stores
- Shopify: $105/month – Mid-sized business tools
- Advanced: $399/month – Analytics, custom reporting
Transaction Fees: Shopify charges extra if you don’t use Shopify Payments. Squarespace uses Stripe/PayPal, and charges a 3% fee on the Business plan.
Is the Price Worth It?
If you’re primarily a content site, Squarespace is more affordable. But if e-commerce is your bread and butter, Shopify’s advanced tools justify the price, especially as your business grows.
SEO and Marketing Tools
Squarespace includes solid SEO features out of the box—auto-generated sitemaps, clean URLs, mobile responsiveness, and image optimisation. You can edit meta titles/descriptions and link your site with Google Search Console.
Shopify, on the other hand, includes everything Squarespace does and then some:
- Customisable robot.txt
- Built-in schema markup for rich results
- App integrations with SEO plugins
- Integrated blogging tools (not as strong as Squarespace but functional)
Email Marketing:
- Squarespace: Native email campaigns with drag-and-drop design
- Shopify: Shopify Email or integrations like Klaviyo/Mailchimp
Content Marketing Use Case:
Let’s say you run a boutique travel agency and blog about destinations. Squarespace’s elegant blog layouts and native email tools will help you build an audience. But if you’re running an online fashion store, Shopify's remarketing integrations will drive more repeat customers.
For tips on how to use your website to attract traffic and conversions, see seo marketing for small business.
Customer Support
Customer support becomes crucial when something breaks—and it will.
Squarespace Offers:
- 24/7 email support
- Live chat during business hours
- Community forum and help centre
Shopify Offers:
- 24/7 email, phone, and live chat
- Dedicated support for Shopify Plus
- Massive community forum and active third-party developer network
Verdict: Shopify wins for accessibility and scope. For time-sensitive issues—like your checkout not working during a sale—Shopify’s around-the-clock help can save serious dollars.
Real-World Use Cases
Here’s how these platforms stack up in practical business scenarios:
Photographer Portfolio – Squarespace
- Need: Beautiful galleries, booking forms, testimonials
- Why Squarespace: Stunning templates and easy scheduling integrations
Fitness Coach Selling Programs – Shopify
- Need: Digital downloads, recurring subscriptions, CRM integration
- Why Shopify: App support for memberships, Stripe billing, lead tracking
Ecommerce Web Design Melbourne Business – Shopify
- Need: Scalability, inventory syncing, shipping automation
- Why Shopify: Built for e-commerce; works seamlessly with fulfillment services
Local Café with Online Menu – Squarespace
- Need: Menu, gallery, contact form
- Why Squarespace: Visual emphasis, fast launch, Google Maps integration
FAQs
1. Can I switch from Squarespace to Shopify later?
Yes, but it can be tricky. You’ll need to manually transfer content or use migration tools like LitExtension or Cart2Cart.
2. Which is better for international selling?
Shopify. It offers multi-currency, multi-language support, and international tax handling.
3. Is Squarespace or Shopify better for SEO?
Shopify has more advanced SEO tools and integrations, but both platforms are SEO-friendly with proper setup.
4. Can I hire a professional to build my site on either platform?
Absolutely. Agencies like GoClearcut offer custom web design Melbourne services tailored to your platform of choice.
5. Do I need coding skills for either platform?
No. Both offer no-code solutions. But Shopify allows deeper customisation if you do know HTML/CSS or want to hire a developer.
Need help deciding or building your dream site? Chat with the experts at GoClearcut—your trusted web design agency Melbourne.