Squarespace vs. WordPress: Choosing the Right CMS for Your Website
Are you in the process of building a website but unsure which content management system (CMS) to choose? Look no further! In this blog post, we'll compare two popular CMS platforms, Squarespace and WordPress, to help you make an informed decision. I have many years experience in building WordPress websites and Squarespace websites so I can definitely see the pros and cons of both platforms. Let’s dive in.
Hosting your website
Squarespace
Is a hosted platform, which means your website is managed by Squarespace itself. It offers reliable hosting, security, and regular updates, making it a hassle-free option for small to medium-sized websites. Squarespace implements and maintains technical and organisational security measures to protect your assets and data from everyday security threats. Our fully-managed cloud hosting supports billions of monthly views and provides 99.9% uptime. Including SSL, Two Factor Authentication, Denial of Service Protection, Login Activity, Password Protected Pages, 24/7 Security Monitoring, Data Privacy and PCI Compliance for payment gateways. Reference.
WordPress
Is a self-hosted platform, you'll need to handle hosting, security, and updates yourself or through a third-party service example, GoDaddy or Ventra IP or a provider of your choice. These hosting services also offer similar security measures as Squarespace does eg, DDoS Protection, Next-Generation Firewall, SSL certificate, CMS Caching. Hosting plans usually go on file size, CPU and memory size needed to host your WordPress files. There is different platforms like C-panel or cloud hosting to choose from.
Design
Squarespace
Makes it really easy to design a website using the latest fluid engine builder of Squarespace 7.1. Fluid engine has a fair amount of options on designing each element you add to the page. When you go to add a new section, there is templated layouts you can choose from or you can design from a blank canvas. When you first setup your website you have the option to also choose a template theme or start blank. You can design in both Mobile and PC view, currently there is no ipad view to edit. You can add in CSS to achieve certain effects on your Squarespace website, however this is not friendly for the everyday user, and more suited to a Squarespace expert.
WordPress
Depending on the theme or page builder you add into your website you can really have all of the options for designing a very custom layout. Take for example Elementor page builder, it has a surplus of settings on each element which really gives the designer full creative control over the design. Elementor also have mobile, iPad and desktop editing views, so potentially you can create custom designs on each device if you wanted
Plugins and Extensions
Squarespace
While Squarespace has a limited number of built-in features and integrations, it covers the essentials for most websites. It provides seamless integration with popular tools like Google Analytics and Mailchimp, ensuring smooth functionality. There is a variety of extensions that Squarespace work with, you can see those here. There is also a wide variety of 3rd party plugins to purchase to customise your website.
WordPress
One of the key advantages of WordPress is its vast ecosystem of plugins and extensions. With thousands of options available, you can enhance your website's functionality, from SEO optimisation and e-commerce capabilities to membership portals and social media integration.
On-page SEO optimisation
Squarespace
Has the all the basic necessities for On-page SEO optimisation that you need, you can write meta titles, descriptions, alt tags for images. It’s in no way as advanced as the WP plugin Yoast - there is no coloured lights to critique and help you, you need to do a little research before implementing in the site. The sitemap is not editable either, which is okay for small service websites, but it’s something if you are a big company with hundreds of pages or products than you’ll ‘outgrow’ Squarespace pretty quick.
WordPress
You would install an SEO plugin of your choice, a popular one is Yoast SEO. Once installed you are able to add and edit meta titles and descriptions for each of the pages, this plugin also guides you to writing the correct keywords and character length, it has coloured lights to show you the strength of the phrase you are inputting which is really helpful. The Sitemap within WordPress can be fully customised too, so this is helpful in categorising the URLs for Google.
Usability & Support
Squarespace
With its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality, Squarespace is perfect for beginners. You don't need coding skills to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily. Squarespace have a community forum, webinars, live chat and customer email support.
Wordpress
While WordPress has a steeper learning curve, it offers a higher level of flexibility and customization. It's ideal for users with some technical knowledge or those who want more control over their website's design and functionality. WordPress.com support forums, webinars, and videos are available for free on any plan. Premium email support is available on the Personal plan and above. Live chat support is available on the Premium plan and above.
Conclusion
Both Squarespace and WordPress have their strengths and cater to different needs. Squarespace excels in its user-friendly interface and stunning design templates, making it ideal for beginners and those who prefer a hassle-free experience. On the other hand, WordPress offers unparalleled customization options and flexibility, making it the go-to choice for users with technical knowledge or specific requirements.
Ultimately, the choice between Squarespace and WordPress depends on your unique needs, preferences, and long-term goals for your website. Take the time to evaluate your requirements and consider the factors discussed in this post. Whichever CMS you choose, you're on your way to creating an impressive and successful online presence. Feel free to contact me if you need any assistance, thanks.
