WordPress vs. SquareSpace
I design websites with two of the most popular platforms that are used today: SquareSpace and WordPress. I often get asked which one is better and, to be honest, it really depends. It’s hard to give a clear answer without knowing your unique situation because SquareSpace and WordPress shine bright in different ways. To answer the question of which is best, I broke it down into 4 important topics that need to be considered:
Site Setup
Security/Maintenance
Designing the Site
Cost
At the end of the blog, you will find a few questions you can ask yourself to help find the best option for you. Let’s get to it!
SITE SETUP
Wordpress
To have a website on Wordpress, you will need to consider three things:
Where will you buy your domain name (also called a URL)?
How will you host your site?
What theme will you be using to build your website on Wordpress?
Psst…does none of this make sense to you?
Not to fear! Think of your website as a house:
Domain Name = Home address
Hosting Site = Plot of ground for your new home
Wordpress Theme = Building plans for your new home
Domain names are the little addresses that take us to a particular site. For example, my domain name is www.DesignByHeatherRae.com. In order to purchase your own, there are a variety of different websites you can choose from. Some of the most popular platforms I have used include SiteGround, HostGator, GoDaddy and Google.
Hosting sites give you a little spot on the internet where your website will live. (Remember, it’s like the plot of ground where you build a new house.) The most popular platforms include SiteGround and HostGator.
Side Note:
You may have noticed that you can purchase a domain name and host a website in the same place. Many people do this! However, some do not and here are a couple reasons why:
If you want to change your website host in the future, it is sometimes harder to move if your domain name and site are hosted/purchased from the same platform.
It may be cheaper to purchase a domain name from another website.
A Wordpress Theme will be used to create the look of your website. It’s important to keep in mind what kind of plugins you will need to ensure those specific plugins will work with that particular theme. A plugin is an added feature that you download to your site. For example, if you have a commerce website, you will need to download a plugin like WooCommerce which allows your customers to input payment information in exchange for your product directly on your website. If you hire a web designer, they will be able to choose the best theme or template for your specific needs.
SquareSpace
SquareSpace is a completely in-house platform and does not require any 3rd party services. I wanted to explain Wordpress first so you can clearly see why so many people adore the ease of SquareSpace! You first purchase your domain name and then choose a theme that you want to build your site on. Once your theme is chosen, you have 14 days before you have to choose what plan you would like to purchase for your site. Annnndd….that’s it! You’re site is all set up!
There are 2 drawbacks to using SquareSpace. One is that you are limited to what SquareSpace has to offer. If there are other themes or plugins you want to use, you are (usually) not able to integrate them with SquareSpace. It can also be difficult to move your site from SquareSpace to another platform like WordPress, but it is doable if you are careful to follow their instructions.
SECURITY / MAINTENANCE
Wordpress
I’ll just be honest - WordPress is easier to hack into than SquareSpace. Since you have a separate hosting site and multiple plugins, this gives hackers many different opportunities to break into your site. For example, if a popular plugin is hacked into that you use on your site, they now have total access to your site because you have that plugin downloaded.
However, before you panic, there are steps to take to keep your site safe! Be sure your plugins and themes are always up to date and always download some type of security on your site. If you are not sure how to do this, hiring someone to maintain your site is really an investment worth considering.
SquareSpace
Since SquareSpace websites do not allow 3rd party integrations, they are very hard to hack into. All the updates are done automatically and there is no need to worry about adding more security to your site. To me, this is probably the biggest advantage SquareSpace has over WordPress.
DESIGNING THE SITE
Wordpress
I’ve talked about plugins before and now I will talk about them again. There are hundreds of thousands of plugins available - the sky is the limit when it comes to design in WordPress! There’s a plugin for just about any design idea or functionality you could ever want. In my opinion, this is the biggest advantage WordPress has over SquareSpace and is usually the reason why people choose WordPress.
SquareSpace
SquareSpace has beautiful templates available along with many different functions in each theme. I have never felt limited in my designs when I have worked with SquareSpace. However, if you have a very particular, specific design feature that your website needs to have, it’s possible you won’t be able to do it with SquareSpace. (Side note: For anyone who has ever heard that SquareSpace websites are too limited in their design, I would check out these live websites that all use SquareSpace.)
Another advantage WordPress has is you can build a “Login” area which is not possible with SquareSpace. One workaround is that SquareSpace allows you to have password protected pages but if you want specific portals for each individual person, you will need to go with WordPress.
COST
Wordpress
There are many different moving parts that can influence the cost of your WordPress site. Some plugins are paid, domain names vary greatly in cost and hosting services are also very different depending on what you purchase. To help you get started in figuring out how much your own website may cost, here are the pricing pages of the two most popular hosting services (my personal favorite is SiteGround but I have also had positive experiences with HostGator):
Depending on your website, you may also need to purchase a plan through WordPress:
Don’t forget to factor in paid plugins (if you need them) and the cost of purchasing a domain name.
SquareSpace
I love the simplicity of SquareSpace’s pricing packages. You can view their subscription plans here:
CONCLUSION
Which should you choose?
If you are still having trouble deciding which option is the best for you, I would base if off of one thing: how you want to maintain the site once it’s launched.
Is it important that you maintain the site yourself or are you wanting to hire that job out?
Is it in your budget to hire someone to maintain your site? You can check out my pricing here to see if it fits into your budget.
Remember, SquareSpace is very easy to maintain. WordPress requires a bit more know-how to keep it healthy. If you want to maintain it yourself, my advice would be to commit to learning WordPress or go with SquareSpace.
Are you still unsure which platform is best for you? Hop on a call with me! It costs you a total of $0 to ask for my opinion.
I hope this article gave you a clear idea of what to do next. I wish you all the best in your new website endeavors!
With love,
- Heather
Heather Brockell is a Web Designer and Copywriter based out of North Dakota, USA. When she isn’t designing websites or writing, she performs as a professional figure skater and singer in ice shows all around the country.
Want to hire Heather to create something magical for your online presence?