Five Best Squarespace Alternatives that are Cheaper and Better (Updated to 2023) --
If you're looking getting started with the process of creating your own website it is likely that you have heard of Squarespace as one of the site builder alternatives. In this day and age, creating a website is straightforward as websites built on platforms such as Squarespace allow anyone to build beautiful websites with no coding or design skills.
However, Squarespace might not be for everyone. There are many reasons why users who require more advanced eCommerce options and cheaper websites may not consider Squarespace as a viable option.
Here we'll discuss five Squarespace alternatives which are more affordable as well as more powerful and enable you to build any amazing web page you could imagine, all while having a bit of fun in the process.
This is our top list of the most effective Squarespace options:
What is Squarespace used for?
Founded in 2003, Squarespace is a well-known content management platform that lets you create websites. It provides user-friendly tools as well as templates that can help you get started on making your own website with a drag-and-drop editor, blogs, eCommerce tools, CMS along with other.
How Much Does Squarespace Charge?
As a new user on Squarespace, you can start with the Personal plan for only $23 per month. However, the personal plan doesn't allow you to accept transactions i.e. it is not possible to offer anything on an online store.
Beyond that Squarespace offers an Business plan that costs $33 per month as well as The basic Commerce plan at $36/month. Pricing plans range all the way to $65 for the Advanced Commerce plan at $65/month where you can unlock all sorts of functions. The plans all include eCommerce capabilities (i.e. it is possible to accept transactions through your site).
If you're considering using Squarespace to run an online shop take note that the Business Plan comes with additional fees of 3% for each sale, in addition to the cost per month.
Squarespace also has the option of a free trial period for 14 days to test it out before you purchase one of their plans for subscription.
5 Best Squarespace Alternatives that are Cheaper and better
1.
If you're wondering whether there's a web-based builder program that permits you to design a gorgeous site for no cost (no, I mean trulyfree and with no irritating ads and everything else) If so, this is it!
Psst..here is the web's best-kept secret:If you're looking to develop a site that doesn't require selling anything or take payments, creating your website on the internet is completely no cost. Only charges are charged when you receive the transactions or orders. In the event that you decide to publish a bunch of listing of products in the future, you still won't have to pay anything until you've actually received customers on your website. The pricing is in effect for a long time, so it gives you assurance that this pricing isn't going anywhere.
is the best Squarespace alternative for all purposes in terms of price and quality.
PRICING:
If you're only beginning your journey and are just beginning your journey, then you should consider the most well-known Free-forever packagewith no fees for monthly subscriptions and 5% fees per transaction (excluding shipping fees). You'll have access to the entire features that has to offer.
When your business is growing then you may change to the Plus plan for $29 per month fees + 2percent fees per sale or the Pro plan at the price of$99 per month fees (no other fees per sale).
If you have an online store and you're determined to use Squarespace, you can inject eCommerce capabilities into your current Squarespace website by embedding into it.
PROS :
- Perfect for anybody who wants to own a powerful and professional website with no expense. It is the cheapest alternative to Squarespace
- Domain for free with the option to link to a customized domain
- Easy drag and drop site creator with comprehensive customizability
- Website templates for free
- Instant payments through integration with Paypal and Stripe
- Unlimited product listings and revenue
- Bonus: pays and collects UK & EU VAT on your behalf
CONS :
- No automated shipping label integration (e.g. Shippo and ShipStation). Its platform was initially designed to sell digital products, but you're still able to easily sell physical goods when you'd like to.
- A single storefront or website per email (if you have more than one account, you'll need to set up separate accounts with separate email addresses)
- No third party app store. But, it has an connection with Zapier (which in turn provides access to over 5000 applications) All the eCommerce features you need are integrated into the platform.
2. Wix
It is one of the most popular alternatives to Squarespace since both offer the same features. Wix is yet another builder of websites that offers powerful drag-and-drop website builders tools, as well as many web templates that you can choose from.
PRICING:
Wix has a plan for free that allows you to create a website with limited features. It is possible to build your website using their basic drag and drop website creator, however you will not be able to join a custom domain or do something more complex beyond that. Your site will also be featured in a variety of brand-name Wix advertisements.
In addition, if you're not intending to sell something online, you have a choice between plans like the Combo($16/month) or Unlimited($22/month), Pro($27/month) as well as the VIP ($45/month) plans. These plans do not offer any tools for eCommerce i.e. you cannot sell any products or services from your website.
If you're planning to turn your website into an online store then choose one of Wix's Business and eCommerce plans, starting from Business Basic($27/month), Business Unlimited($32/month) as well as Business VIP($59/month) .
PROS :
- Wix is a company that takes user-friendliness very seriously when it comes to website building. The drag-and-drop builder is simple and easy to use for beginners.
- A variety of website templates for free you can pick from. You'll then be able to customize those website templates accordingly
- Wix has a trial plan with limited features
CONS
- The free plan may be ideal in terms of saving the cost, other aspects of it isn't great. Your site is covered with annoying Wix advertisements, and you will not have the ability to join a custom domain as well as forget about features for eCommerce.
- Wix has limitations on the storage capacity based on what pricing plan you're in. This doesn't work well for creatives or other users who require tons of storage space to store large files and videos on their websites
- Wix's eCommerce functionalities do not include the features that you require to sell digital products. You'll need to install separate applications (most of them at extra cost) for the ability to market products such as online downloads, courses as well as coaching and memberships.
3. Shopify
On the next list of Squarespace alternatives is Shopify, which is an e-commerce marketplace that has become a favorite for business owners to easily build and manage their online stores. Shopify offers a variety of subscription plans that are geared towards people beginning their journey and may require only basic functions as well as larger companies that require greater marketing capabilities and integration with other platforms. With a 14-day free trial option, Shopify is worth exploring in the event that you are looking to launch with an online shop.
PRICING:
Shopify provides a 14-day free trial that is ideal for businesses with small budgets who want to try out different platforms before selecting one that is suitable for the needs of their business.
The most well-known pricing plan offered by Shopify is $29/month for the Basic Plan with a monthly cost of $29. Beyond that, there is an Shopify Plan that costs $79 per month, Advanced Shopify Plan which costs $299/month, as well as a Shopify Plus/Enterprise Plan that will run more than $2000 per month.
PROS :
- Thousands of third party apps on Shopify. Shopify application store. A lot of them cater to various online shop needs. On the other hand, Squarespace only offers a few extensions, as you can see here
- There are plenty of small-scale businesses using Shopify along with Content creators who write content exclusively for Shopify businesses. You'll most likely be able to gain a wealth of tips for success from these communities
- Multi-channel sales including brick-and-mortar
CONS
- The whole platform of Shopify is focused on eCommerce/online store functionalities. This is not suitable for creatives, artists or companies seeking extensive web-based builders capabilities, or for the creation of static websites that don't need eCommerce functionalities
- Shopify's blog CMS is not as robust as Squarespace
4. GoDaddy Website Builder
Another alternative to Squarespace can be GoDaddy. GoDaddy is a less popular feature as this giant company has been historically popular for providing domain names and hosting services. Even though the platform has a lot to go when it comes to meeting the needs of eCommerce for small businesses The GoDaddy website builder offers a straightforward interface that is beginner friendly.
PRICING:
The GoDaddy website builder price starts at its Basicplan at $11.99/month however no of their plans include an eCommerce feature, unless they have their highest eCommerceand Commerce Pluspricing plans that cost $24.99/month and $29.99/month respectively. You can enjoy a 30-day trial for free to determine how this website builder platform holds good as an alternative to Squarespace alternative.
PROS :
- Offers ADI for helping you create websites swiftly and efficiently
- Very affordable when compared to Squarespace
- Beginner friendly drag and drop editor
CONS :
- Comparatively to Squarespace, GoDaddy severely lacks the ability to grow. GoDaddy's pricing plan places limits on the number of emails you can send out and the amount of listing for products and the amount of orders that can be placed through particular sales channels. So keep this in mind while your business expands in terms of orders
- While the process of creating websites is quite simple and easy however, its e Commerce functionalities are not as robust as Squarespace or other eCommerce platforms.
5. Webflow
The final Squarespace alternative is Webflow. Webflow is a web-based builder platform that elevates the web design experience to a whole new height. No longer do web designers or developers need to rely on scattered HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code because Webflow does everything coding-related for you. With intuitive drag-and-drop customization tools that allow you to easily design and modify your Webite web pages with no code.
PRICING:
If you first visit Webflow's pricing page, you'll notice the features that are listed don't match your usual eCommerce and/or website builder platforms like Squarespace. Webflow's pricing for Plans for websitesstarts from Freewhich is essentially a way for you to learn how to utilize Webflow. Pricing plans go through until the Businessplan with a price of $49/month. The plans listed come with eCommerce capabilities.
The eCommerce pricing plans of Webflow start at $42/month for the Standardplan starting at $42/month, and increase until the Advanced plan at $235/month.
Be aware that there's an extra Workspaces monthly subscription if you want to grant different access points to employees of your company to control your website.
PROS :
- In contrast to Squarespace is more focused on simplicity access, Webflow offers more customizable and appealing to actual web developers with programming skills. Webflow gives you more control over how your site will appear
- Webflow's platform is also built with team functionality in mind. It is possible to have several users managing your site (but be wary of the additional Spacessubscriptions)
CONS
- Webflow's eCommerce plans come with limitations on the number of items you can offer and also the amount of annual sales. This doesn't work well for scalability if you are a small business that owns an online store
- If you are planning to create several people oversee your site frequently Webflow's price may be harder to understand as you need to cover their Website Plan and also the Workspaces Plan
- While Webflow has its own advantages over Squarespace but the system is designed specifically for web developers and designers. The ease of use isn't as easy as Squarespace, and it's not recommended for those seeking a an easy-to-use website builder for beginners.
The Final Thoughts: Finding The Best Alternative to Squarespace
There you go! Five top Squarespace alternative options that's cheaper more efficient, superior, and enable you to build any gorgeous web page you could imagine. Be sure to avail no-cost trials on these site builder tools to find one that caters to your needs specifically and let you enjoy a little more fun when building your beautiful web page.