These days, there are dozens of on-line platforms that make web site constructing tremendous easy. Whether or not it’s to showcase your artistic work, enterprise, on-line retailer, or private weblog, there are a lot of choices to select from.
Nonetheless, ease of use won’t be your primary consideration – particularly if this comes on the expense of design capabilities.
Should you can relate, it appears like an internet site builder specializing in lovely designs and suppleness would swimsuit you higher. That is why on this evaluation, we’re evaluating Squarespace and Webflow – two web site builders well-known for his or her cutting-edge designs and customization capabilities.
There’s heaps to say about each these platforms, so let’s dive straight into the meat and potatoes of this weblog put up:
Squarespace vs Webflow: Who’s Squarespace?
Launched again in 2003, Squarespace is now probably the most well-known web site builders on the net. It is usually in contrast in opposition to Wix and even WordPress as a turnkey resolution with its big selection of built-in options. Nonetheless, in contrast to these two rivals, Squarespace focuses on providing a broader toolkit somewhat than making an enormous deal out of its extensions and third-party apps.
The platform actually shines on the subject of fantastically designed templates and customization instruments. With Squarespace, you could have every little thing you could create actually beautiful portfolios, on-line shops, and web sites.
As such, it particularly stands out to designers and creatives trying to show their work in the very best mild. That mentioned, Squarespace can be a well-liked contender for small to mid-sized eCommerce companies.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Who’s Webflow?
In comparison with Squarespace, Webflow’s a comparatively new child on the block. Though based again in 2012, it is solely just lately began to make a splash on a extra international stage.
In comparison with different web site builders, Webflow presents a really distinctive worth proposition. It presents the identical visible interface and intuitive drag-and-drop instruments, running a blog performance, eCommerce options, and so forth., as most of its rivals. Nonetheless, the platform was developed with conventional net design processes in thoughts and makes use of business jargon that almost all amateurs could be unfamiliar with.
Webflow pays homage to mocking up net designs utilizing instruments like InDesign and Photoshop by offering comparable management over many facets of your design. What’s extra, you will be assured that your web site’s code is immaculate. Plus, you possibly can even delve into the code your self and edit it manually must you want.
If that sounds difficult, it’s as a result of it may be. Webflow’s an internet site builder with a a lot steeper studying curve, however if you wish to convey your precise imaginative and prescient to life, Webflow offers the instruments to make that occur.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Their Professionals and Cons
Nothing makes an intensive analysis as clear and simple as a pro-cons listing. So, that is what we have performed. Hopefully, it will show you how to shortly gauge from the get-go whether or not one of many suppliers is extra more likely to catch your curiosity.
Let’s begin with Squarespace:
Squarespace’s Professionals:
- Squarespace comes with a simple-to-use editor.
- You will profit from highly effective picture modifying instruments constructed into the editor.
- Squarespace consists of sturdy options straight out of the field, so that you received’t need to depend on untested third-party extensions.
- Squarespace presents inexpensive pricing.
- It is a terrific eCommerce engine for small to mid-sized companies.
- You get plenty of flexibility over the structure and design of your web site.
- You’ll be able to create on-line member areas.
- Squarespace has just lately launched new search engine optimisation instruments.
- There’s a cell app that allows you to edit and handle your web site when you’re on the go.
Squarespace’s Cons:
- For the reason that latest 7.1 model of Squarespace, you possibly can’t change templates with out dropping your content material.
- There is not any free plan, solely a trial.
- The editor doesn’t can help you merely drag-and-drop components, which might really feel a lot much less intuitive for first time net designers.
- You’ll be able to solely create one sub-navigation menu, making it more durable to create bigger or extra advanced web sites.
- Squarespace’s web page speeds aren’t fairly as spectacular as Webflow’s
Webflow’s Professionals:
- You profit from immense design freedom with unmatched design customizability.
- Creatives accustomed to utilizing Adobe software program for skilled design work could discover Webflow’s capabilities refreshingly intuitive.
- There are versatile pricing plans obtainable to swimsuit companies of various sizes and wishes – companies may even use Webflow to work with their shoppers.
- You may get entry to a strong suite of eCommerce options appropriate for small to mid-sized companies.
- Customers profit from quick web site speeds.
- Webflow’s customer support is dependable.
- There’s an energetic neighborhood of friends you possibly can community with and get recommendation from
- There is a free plan obtainable the place you possibly can totally check Webflow’s capabilities.
Webflow’s Cons:
- Webflow comes with a a lot steeper studying curve in comparison with different web site builders.
- General, Webflow is dearer than Squarespace, particularly in the event you’re a web-based retailer proprietor desirous to promote many merchandise.
- Webflow’s eCommerce performance continues to be comparatively new, and a few options are nonetheless lacking. Nonetheless, these capabilities are evolving on a regular basis – so watch this house!
- The location plans restrict what number of web site guests you possibly can deal with monthly, forcing you to improve in the end if you wish to develop.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Squarespace’s Foremost Options
Each Squarespace and Webflow include plenty of nifty built-in options and exceptionally well-developed web site editors. That mentioned, let’s examine how their core options examine, beginning with Squarespace:
The Squarespace Editor
As we have already hinted at, Squarespace boasts a strong web site editor (learn our full Squarespace evaluation). From right here, you possibly can customise your website’s fonts, colours, and web page configurations to create the web site of your desires. As well as, there are tons of professionally designed Squarespace templates to select from.
Nonetheless, Squarespace doesn’t provide a pure drag-and-drop editor. So, you possibly can’t drag components anyplace you need and drop them into place. As an alternative, you possibly can edit content material areas utilizing block varieties and their related choices. You may as well entry and tinker along with your web site’s CSS code.
With the current 7.1 replace, Squarespace modified the way it treats its templates. Beforehand, templates would come with a weblog or retailer structure, and the one option to change these layouts could be to change the entire template. Whereas now, you possibly can add structure sections unbiased of the template, giving the person far more management over their website’s setup.
Nonetheless, this comes at a price. Whereas now you can make extra substantial edits to your website, on account of the replace, you possibly can not change templates with out dropping all of your content material.
Squarespace’s Picture Editor
One among Squarespace’s hottest options is its design-focused picture editor. You’ll be able to simply drag pictures out of your desktop and drop them into the editor to add them.
The picture loader is responsive and instantly resizes the picture to swimsuit totally different gadgets, which is a good time saver.
From there, you possibly can edit photos straight: i.e., you possibly can crop, resize, rotate, and alter the brightness and distinction of every add.
Ecommerce
For small and mid-sized companies, Squarespace is a wonderful eCommerce resolution. You’ll be able to select from a number of eCommerce templates and profit from options like:
- Fast product views
- Restricted availability labels (to create a way of urgency surrounding your product gross sales)
- Picture zoom
- Embeds
- Web site-wide bulletins and promotional pop-ups
- Coupons and reductions (a terrific advertising instrument)
- Product descriptions and variations
You may as well promote limitless bodily and digital merchandise, and clients can create their very own accounts. That is unbelievable for constructing electronic mail lists and inspiring repeat purchases.
Nonetheless, Squarespace‘s primary plan comes with a 3% transaction payment, however that is lifted with the extra ecommerce-centered plans.
Squarespace Running a blog
In contrast to lots of its rivals, Squarespace has an intuitive and highly effective running a blog system. Identical to a daily net web page, you possibly can edit the structure of your weblog posts, which offers unbelievable flexibility to create a weblog that fits your model.
You may as well:
- Manage weblog posts utilizing classes and tags
- Scheduled posts to go reside at pre-set instances
- Set posts as printed, drafted, scheduled, and even mark them for evaluation
- Save supply URLs and excerpts
You may as well customise your weblog put up’s URL and allow social sharing.
Squarespace search engine optimisation
Squarespace comes with built-in search engine optimisation instruments, so that you don’t want to put in a third-party integration. You’ll be able to edit your net web page’s titles, meta descriptions, and extra.
As well as, you possibly can disguise pages from serps, create and mechanically submit sitemaps to serps, edit picture alt textual content and create clear URLs.
The platform additionally comes with built-in cell optimization and clear automated code markup in order that serps have a better time indexing your pages.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Webflow’s Core Options
Now, let’s examine what Webflow has to supply…
The Webflow Editor
There are almost 200 high-quality templates to select from. Nonetheless, the templates are nowhere close to the peak of this editor’s capabilities! When you decide a template, you possibly can absolutely edit any side of your website by accessing the HTML, CSS, and even Javascript.
In contrast to Squarespace, Webflow’s editor is completely visible and absolutely drag-and-drop. As such, you possibly can drag components anyplace you need to a pixel-perfect commonplace and luxuriate in the identical design freedom when optimizing your website for cell.
The design instrument is harking back to Adobe software program. By this, we imply you’ll get choices to regulate the:
- Mixing mode of components and pictures
- Add borders
- Add shadows
- Add glows
- Modify the site-relative positioning of things
- Edit your typography
The latter even goes so far as permitting you to vary the letter spacing, top of the textual content, and extra. As well as, you possibly can simply create advanced gradient backgrounds, results and overlay these with pictures.
In different phrases, Webflow comes with superior full-site-editing capabilities!
Or, suppose you’re working with a developer? In that case, you’ll be glad to listen to that Webflow helps you to export your clear code to ship elsewhere. Useful, proper?
Webflow Ecommerce
Webflow solely launched eCommerce in the previous couple of years. Nonetheless, it’s completely able to creating a great eCommerce retailer for small to mid-sized companies. You’ll be able to promote bodily and digital merchandise and add {custom} fields for additional information.
You may as well add product variants and tailor the checkout expertise to swimsuit totally different transport strategies. Webflow additionally presents primary stock administration, which means you possibly can monitor orders, preserve buyer accounts and evaluation each account’s order historical past.
As well as, the platform mechanically calculates gross sales tax and VAT and offers primary eCommerce efficiency stats.
In the identical vein as its highly effective editor, you can also make your retailer immensely fashionable with parallax and animation results, and like Squarespace, you may also create particular presents and reductions.
Webflow Running a blog
Webflow’s running a blog engine divides opinion.
It has a strong CMS that, in some methods, is like WordPress. You have got plenty of management over your weblog templates, layouts, search engine optimisation parameters, and so forth. That mentioned, it may be difficult to arrange.
Advertisment ⓘ
Webflow’s content material administration system permits you to arrange posts into collections and assign them classes and tags. You may as well modify different particulars, similar to your put up’s URL.
However, sadly, it’s not as straightforward as hitting “write a brand new put up” and publishing it. So, to begin running a blog on Webflow, we suggest following some guides.
Webflow search engine optimisation
Webflow offers granular management over your search engine optimisation markup. This goes past Squarespace and most different rivals. As an example, you possibly can create indexing guidelines, sitemaps, redirects, and extra.
You additionally add and edit schema markup that is simply understood by serps, edit meta titles and descriptions, picture alt attributes, and extra.
Webflow web sites boast spectacular load instances powered by over 100+ knowledge facilities worldwide and have clear, semantic code. All of which is nice for search engine optimisation.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Pricing Plans
Like most web site builders, Squarespace and Webflow are Saas’, which implies you’ll pay a month-to-month or annual payment to entry their platform.
Nonetheless, there are totally different pricing plans obtainable that unlock various options, so let’s check out what’s included:
Squarespace
Squarespace, sadly, doesn’t provide a free plan. However there is a 14-day trial obtainable. After that, there are 4 pricing tiers to select from. All of which provide a selection of month-to-month or annual billing. Should you choose to pay yearly, you will save as much as 30%.
Let’s take a more in-depth these pricing plans:
The Private Plan
Priced at $16 monthly ($12 a month in the event you pay yearly); the Private plan consists of:
- An SSL safety certificates
- search engine optimisation options
- A good selection of fantastically designed templates
- Limitless bandwidth and storage
- 24/7 buyer help
- Entry to Squarespace extensions
- You’ll be able to invite as much as two contributors to work in your website
The Enterprise Plan
For $26 a month ($18 a month in the event you pay yearly), the Marketing strategy provides:
- As many web site contributors as you need to add
- Full CSS and JavaScript customization capabilities – i.e., you possibly can tweak the supply code nonetheless you want!
- Entry to superior web site analytics
- You’ll be able to create and use promotional pop-up banners
- Built-in eCommerce – however buyer funds incur a 3% transaction payment.
- You’ll be able to create and handle present playing cards
- You’ll be able to listing and promote limitless merchandise
- You’ll be able to settle for donations in your website
- You profit from $100 value of Google Adwords credit
The Fundamental Commerce Plan
At $30 a month ($26 a month if paid yearly), the Fundamental Commerce Plan unlocks:
- No extra transaction charges
- Prospects can create accounts
- Entry to a point-of-sale performance
- Entry to extra highly effective eCommerce analytics
- You’ll be able to show ‘associated merchandise.’
- Prospects can be part of ‘product waitlists.’
- You’ll be able to sync your stock along with your Fb and Instagram Product catalog, permitting you to promote through social media.
- You’ll be able to edit merchandise in bulk through spreadsheets.
Superior Commerce
And at last, the Superior Commerce plan for $49 monthly ($40 a month if paid yearly) offers you entry to:
- Deserted cart restoration emails
- You’ll be able to promote subscriptions
- Entry to superior transport choices (mechanically calculated transport charges)
- Commerce API, so you possibly can construct your individual {custom} plugins for order achievement, stock administration, and so forth
- Superior options for reductions
- You should use ‘restricted availability labels’ to create a way of urgency
Other than these pricing tiers, Squarespace additionally presents Squarespace Choose. That is an enterprise choice that is custom-priced for particular person companies. If that is of curiosity to you, you will need to contact Squarespace’s gross sales staff for a custom-made quote.
Webflow
In contrast to Squarespace, Webflow comes with a free plan. That is the right place to check out its design capabilities and change into comfy with them earlier than launching your web site. As a result of that’s the catch – though you possibly can create two tasks without cost, you possibly can’t host them reside on-line.
So, if you’re able to launch, you will have to decide on between Webflow’s Web site or Account Plans. Web site plans are priced per particular person website, whereas Account plans are charged per person account and are extra suited to companies and small companies.
There are fairly a number of plans to get via, so let’s have a look.
Let’s begin with the Web site Plans:
Fundamental
For $15 monthly (or $12 monthly billed yearly), this plan unlocks:
- A free {custom} area
- You’ll be able to create as much as 100 pages
- Help for as much as 25,000 month-to-month visits
- Help for as much as 100 type submissions
- 50 GB bandwidth
CMS
This plan prices $20 monthly (or $16 paid yearly) and provides:
- Help for as much as 100,000 month-to-month visits
- Help for as much as 2,000 assortment gadgets (that is the utmost variety of information you possibly can have in your CMS database. A file may very well be a weblog put up or a chunk in your portfolio)
- Help for as much as 1,000 type submissions monthly
- 200 GB bandwidth
- 60 API requests per minute
- You’ll be able to register three content material editors.
- Web site search
Enterprise
The Marketing strategy at $45 monthly ($36 monthly paid yearly) additional consists of:
- Help for as much as 500,000 month-to-month visits
- Help for up 10,000 assortment gadgets
- Help for up 2,000 type submissions monthly
- You’ll be able to allow guests to add recordsdata to types in your website and retailer these on Webflow
- 400 GB bandwidth
- You’ll be able to register as much as 10 content material editors
- 120 API requests per minute
- Entry to the worldwide CDN
There’s additionally an Enterprise plan with {custom} pricing providing limitless type submissions and {custom} month-to-month visits.
Subsequent, there are eCommerce plans, which additionally apply to particular person websites:
Customary
For $42 monthly ($29 if you pay yearly), you get every little thing within the CMS plan above, plus:
- Help for as much as 500 gadgets (this consists of eCommerce merchandise, variants, classes, and CMS gadgets)
- Entry to eCommerce design choices for {custom} checkouts, purchasing carts, and product fields.
- E-mail advertising customization
- An built-in CMS for running a blog
- The power to make gross sales with a 2% transaction payment
- Integrations with social media platforms and Analytics instruments
- You’ll be able to configure handbook transport guidelines
- A yearly most gross sales quantity of $50k
Plus
The Plus plan at $84 monthly (or $74 monthly if you pay yearly) consists of every little thing within the Marketing strategy above, plus:
- Help for as much as 1,000 gadgets
- The removing of Webflow’s branding from transactional emails
- No transaction payment
- A yearly most gross sales quantity of $200K
Superior
And at last, the Superior plan prices $235 monthly (or $212 monthly if you pay yearly):
- Help for as much as 3,000 gadgets
- You’ll be able to register as much as 15 employees accounts
- Limitless annual gross sales quantity
Should you’re an company or freelancer in search of account plans, there is a additional differentiation between particular person and staff plans. This largely is dependent upon how many individuals you’re employed with. As a result of this evaluation is especially aimed toward smaller enterprises constructing their very own web site, we’ll solely shortly listing the pricing for these plans right here.
The person plans are:
- The Free Starter Plan: You’ll be able to arrange two tasks, as mentioned above.
- Lite at $24 monthly, or $16 monthly if billed yearly
- Professional at $42 monthly, or $35 monthly if billed yearly
The Group Plan prices $42 monthly per particular person, or $35 if billed yearly, and requires no less than two seats per staff. This consists of all options from the Professional account plans.
Whereas Webflow’s pricing is very versatile by providing so many choices, it is also tough to wrap your head round. You’ll be able to discover the whole function comparability right here that can assist you higher perceive which plan would possibly swimsuit you.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Ease of Use
Should you’re a newbie, constructing an internet site utilizing a totally new instrument would possibly sound daunting. And neither Squarespace nor Webflow are essentially the most intuitive builders available on the market. However which is essentially the most user-friendly?
Squarespace
Squarespace is more difficult to familiarize yourself with than the typical web site builder. It is because it doesn’t make the most of a easy drag-and-drop interface. As an alternative, you edit sections in a sidebar, making it just a little more durable to position components precisely the place you need them.
Nonetheless, when you’re used to this, the interface is comparatively straightforward to make use of and offers you with loads of alternatives for personalization.
You additionally begin with a variety of fantastically designed templates that make many of the further design work pointless. Plus, with Squarespace’s current replace, you possibly can add pre-designed structure sections to simply combine issues up.
Webflow
Compared, Webflow does function a drag-and-drop interface that permits you to place your components on a pixel-perfect grid. Nonetheless, the place Webflow’s issue picks up is within the overwhelming variety of design choices which you can tweak and optimize and the terminology it makes use of.
You’ll discover a variety of customization instruments labeled as they might in skilled software program. Nonetheless, suppose you’re not overly accustomed to Photoshop, Indesign, and the coding course of. In that case, you could have to spend a while of their on-line assist heart to essentially perceive what is going on on.
Nonetheless, professionals with some expertise with conventional design could discover this extremely liberating and intuitive.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Ease of Use – the Winner is Squarespace
General, Squarespace retains issues extra easy. Whereas it doesn’t present essentially the most intuitive modifying interface, there’s solely the tiny hurdle of getting used to how issues are performed. When you get that down, you’ll be capable of customise your website with ease.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Buyer Service
Whilst you won’t ever run into a problem with these widespread web site builders, it’s vital to know the place you possibly can flip if one thing goes improper. Their buyer help groups ought to show you how to clear up queries shortly so that you could get again to bettering your website.
That mentioned, right here’s how Squarespace and Webflow’s customer support examine:
Squarespace
Squarespace presents reside chat help, obtainable from a beneficiant 3 am to eight pm EST, Monday to Friday. That is nicely as its energetic person discussion board and on-line self-help documentation. On its Assist Middle, you’ll discover webinars, video tutorials, and workshops. E-mail help can be obtainable 24/7, and Squarespace guarantees a response in simply an hour!
Webflow
Webflow’s help staff can be contactable through reside chat and electronic mail. Their help is accessible Monday via Friday, from 6 am to six pm PT.
Moreover, there’s an energetic neighborhood of net designers that novices can positively be taught from. To not point out a useful weblog and in depth self-help documentation on all its options. Lastly, the Webflow College consists of varied video assets outlining the platform’s options.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Buyer Help – the Winner, is Squarespace
Whereas on-line assets are important, we expect essentially the most essential side of customer support is getting in contact with the staff and receiving a fast reply. That is the place Squarespace takes the sting with its quick, 24/7 electronic mail help and longer reside chat opening hours.
Squarespace vs Webflow: Which is the Finest Web site Builder for You?
So, there you could have it our Squarespace vs Webflow evaluation! If you need an internet site builder that empowers you to convey your dream web site to life, each Squarespace and Webflow are nice choices.
General, Webflow is the extra superior web site builder, making it more durable for novices to select up. Nonetheless, it is a instrument geared in the direction of companies and net design professionals for a purpose. You’ll be able to obtain genuinely limitless and distinctive outcomes and depend on all of the basic encompasses a net designer would possibly need of their toolbox. Throw in nice search engine optimisation performance, sturdy eCommerce options, and nice collaboration instruments for working with programmers, and Webflow boasts a very distinctive worth proposition.
Due to this, Webflow’s additionally on the dearer facet. It presents many options and doesn’t prohibit them, however you will have to improve to increased plans to achieve extra bandwidth, promote extra merchandise, and retailer extra content material information.
In distinction, Squarespace is a greater compromise for anybody up for a problem however doesn’t need to spend too lengthy trudging up that studying curve. It’s intuitive sufficient to select up shortly and presents a bunch of customization choices as well. Squarespace additionally comes with sturdy eCommerce options and a way more intuitive running a blog engine. As well as, because it just lately added membership areas into the combination, it is now a superb platform for a variety of companies.
In different phrases, select Squarespace because the extra accessible all-around resolution. However, strive Webflow you probably have a selected imaginative and prescient or need a platform to match your skilled web site design requirements.
Nonetheless on the fence? Why not give each platforms a strive? Join Squarespace’s free trial or Webflow’s free undertaking plan, and tell us what you concentrate on their editors within the feedback under! Or, are you contemplating certainly one of their rivals like Shopify?
