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When you plan to start an online business, finding the right eCommerce platform becomes a big challenge, especially when you are struggling to choose between Shopify and Squarespace. Shopify and Squarespace are both great for an eCommerce store, but their roles and functionalities are very different.
In this blog, we will provide an overview of Shopify vs. Squarespace, comparing key factors such as ease of use, pricing, speed, theme options, customization options, functionalities and much more, so that you can make an informed decision for your online shop.
Overview of Shopify and Squarespace
Shopify – With around 5.2 million live websites, Shopify is one of the biggest eCommerce platforms which helps you start, run and grow your eCommerce business. It’s a subscription based software that allow merchants to create an online store and manage sales in order to market their products and services to customers. You can even accept payments online and offline (in person). Shopify is super easy to use, no coding required.
Many big companies, such as Allbirds, Gymshark, Netflix’s merchandise shop, and Kylie Cosmetics, are using the Shopify platform.
Squarespace – Squarespace has around 4.8 million live websites. It’s an all-rounder website builder that lets you create websites for any purpose; the platform is not limited to eCommerce businesses and is suitable for all types of businesses. If you are a freelance artist, owner of a small business, or any individual who requires a website, then Squarespace is a good platform for you.
It does not require any coding skills, decide on the template and customize it according to your business requirements.
Shopify vs. Squarespace Statistics
1. 2024 was a milestone for Shopify as around 875 million shoppers made purchases through the Shopify online store. And if we see the stats so it’s probably 1 in 6 users worldwide.
2. In the first quarter of 2024, Squarespace had 4.91 million subscriptions, and in 2023, it was 4.63 million, so yes, it increased in 2024, bringing its revenue run rate to $1.12 billion.
3. Around 2.7 million Shopify stores are operated in the USA, which represents half of the total active Shopify stores, making the USA the largest country to use Shopify.
As of 2025, approximately 3,127,900 Squarespace websites are live in the USA, representing almost 78% of all active Squarespace sites globally.
https://trends.builtwith.com/shop/Squarespace
Shopify vs. Squarespace Comparison
| Features | Shopify | Squarespace | Winner |
| Pricing | The basic Shopify plan starts at $29/month if paid annually. | The basic Squarespace plan starts at $16/month if paid annually. | Squarespace |
| Ease of Use | Good for beginners. No coding or prior knowledge of coding is required. | Beginner Friendly | Tie |
| Website Loading Speed | Shopify website loads faster, and takes around 0.7 seconds to open a page. | Squarespace website, compared to Shopify, loads slowly. It takes around 0.7 seconds to 0.9 seconds. | Shopify |
| AI Tools | It has Sidekick and Shopify Magic, which makes things easier to start and run a business. | It features Blueprint AI and Design Intelligence to help you in designing your website. | Shopify |
| Marketing Features | It provides advanced analytical and marketing features, which help you grow your business and track traffic, sales, and performance. | The platform provides you with basic analytical features. | Shopify |
| Dropshipping | Provide you with a wide range of Dropshipping apps, including both built-in and third-party options. | Very limited tools/apps available for Dropshipping. | Shopify |
| eCommerce Features | A huge selection of sales and payment related apps and tools for all types of products. | It has options, but for digital products. | Shopify |
| Support | Shopify provides email, live chat, phone support, help center & forum to help you with your store. | Squarespace provides you with email support, live chat, a contact page, and a help center to resolve your queries. | Shopify |
| Security | Maintains PCI DSS Level 1 compliance—free SSL/TLS certificate for all domains connected to your store. | Built-in SSL certificates, security measures like firewalls and DDoS protection, and maintain PCI DSS for e-commerce sites. | Tie |
| Content | No coding is required to add exclusive content on Shopify. | No coding experience is needed to add exclusive content. | Tie |
| Apps & Extensions | 8000+ apps available on the Shopify app store. | Around 44 extensions are available. | Shopify |
| Internalizing | Shopify supports multiple languages along with multiple currencies. | Squarespace supports multiple languages but allows only 1 currency. | Shopify |
| POS System | The Shopify POS system is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. | Squarespace works well with iOS only. | Tie |
| Backup & Storage | Requires extra steps for backup and storage. | Requires no extra step for backup, storage, and conversion. | Squarespace |
| Theme and Templates | Around 24 free themes and 860 paid themes are available. | More than 170 free theme available. | Shopify |
Shopify vs. Squarespace for Ecommerce: Detailed Comparison
Shopify vs. Squarespace: User Friendly
From a user-friendly perspective, both Shopify and Squarespace are easy to use. But… Shopify is more user-friendly; its entire layout makes it easy to build an online store. You don’t need to code anything.. all the steps are designed in an easy way and perfect flow. Everything is self-explanatory and the support team is always here and ready to help.
And the best part about Shopify is that… it offers a wide range of eCommerce features and functionalities that help you enhance your store and stand out from the competition.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: Pricing
When comparing the costs of Shopify vs. Squarespace, Squarespace is a more affordable option. We know Shopify has all the functionalities and features to grow your business online, but if you are just starting your eCommerce business journey, then Squarespace is a more affordable option.
Shopify monthly prices if paid yearly.
Shopify monthly prices if you not opting for yearly package.
Both Shopify and Squarespace provide a wide range of website themes according to your business. You can choose between the free theme and paid themes. And if your business needs more, you can always take the free trial of both platforms and then decide which one works best for you.
Squarespace monthly prices if paid yearly.
Squarespace monthly prices if you not opting for yearly package.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: SEO Friendliness
SEO is a crucial factor for your online store; both Squarespace and Shopify provide basic SEO features. However, Shopify is a bit more advanced in terms of SEO compared to Squarespace.
Shopify lets you control your robot. files and also auto-generate the titles and meta descriptions for your store pages. You can easily optimize your website and redirect URLs.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: Apps & Integration
When it comes to apps and integration, trust me, you should blindly trust Shopify Marketplace. You can easily make your online presence strong by using apps. Shopify has 8000+ apps available on the Shopify app store including Joy Loyalty Program & Rewards, Wiser AI, Parcel Panel Order Tracking, SEO Expert Pro ‑ SEO Optimizer, and much more.
And it’s not just limited to these apps, the big social media players like TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp Chat and others are also available on the Shopify app store.
Shopify integrates with multiple service providers, like email marketing, to send promotional emails, retention emails, new product addition emails, cart abandonment emails and boost your sales. It works like magic for you.
Squarespace has less integration option compared to Shopify.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: Payment Gateways
Shopify has more payment gateway options compared to Squarespace.
Shopify gives you 100+ payment options so that your customers can take all the benefits. In comparison… Squarespace has 3 payment options.
With Shopify you can pay using Shopify Payments, the built in payment processor of Shopify. You can also use a third-party payment gateway. Shopify also provides features like Shop Pay, which will enhance your shoppers’ experience.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: Inventory Management
Shopify has a streamlined process for inventory management, from dropshipping to Point-Of-Sale (POS) features, Shopify has it all.
When compared to Squarespace, Shopify provides a wide range of dropshipping apps to help you calculate shipping charges and make the most of the shipping offers.
Shopify vs. Squarespace: Customer Support
Shopify and Squarespace both have good customer support. But if we really compare it, then Shopify has better customer support. It has live chat, emails and phone support, whereas Squarespace only provides live chat and email support.
Shopify offers help material in more than 20 languages and Squarespace offers help material in 6 languages, but Squarespace has a more better, well explained help materials.
Which One to Choose – Shopify or Squarespace?
Let me tell you the truth, everything depends on your business requirements. It’s all about what you are trying to build, what features you want, and functionalities you require to grow your business. Both platforms have their own set of benefits and cons.
If I talk about Shopify then it’s best for eCommerce stores who want to build a powerful and growing brand online. And if we see Squarespace then it also works well in creating a beautiful website. Both are best at their own place, so keep your needs in front of you in order to create your online presence.
If you are someone who is interested in Shopify, then our experts at Expert Village Media are here to help. We have a team of Shopify experts, Shopify SEO Experts, eCommerce experts, marketing experts and development experts, who are ready to help you grow your business.
Amit Porwal
CEO and FounderAmit Porwal is the CEO and Founder of Expert Village Media and Wiser AI . He’s passionate about e-commerce, and loves helping Shopify store owners boost sales with upselling, cross-selling, digital marketing, & personalized shopping experiences. With years of experience in e-commerce web development Amit believes in building simple and effective online store that actually make a difference. He is always excited to talk about the power of personalization and how he can make e-commerce smarter and more customer-friendly with the help of AI.
