Squarespace ranks highly on our list of the best website builders with professional templates and easy-to-use features. You can create attractive sites without any technical skills. It’s great for creative pros, small businesses, and anyone who values design without complexity. Its drag-and-drop interface and full hosting service make it an all-in-one solution for both design and deployment.
But, Squarespace has its downsides. Its template-based system looks nice, but limits you to basic changes only. There’s no free plan, although limited free trials are available for all new users. Plus, Squarespace’s search tools are lacking and page speed can be slow. If you’re running an online store, transaction fees can stack up quickly as your site grows.
If you want more design choices, better ecommerce, or improved SEO, we’ve got a few Squarespace alternatives to look at in 2025.
The best alternatives to Squarespace in full:
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Best alternative to Squarespace overall
Wix is our top choice for users wanting freedom. During testing, we found the drag-and-drop editor extremely freeing. You can place elements anywhere on the page, creating complex layouts that cookie-cutter templates can’t match. Even the new AI-generated layouts can be edited extensively after they have been created.
Wix’s app marketplace is massive. It has over 300 integrations that go far beyond simple website building. We added everything from booking systems to membership portals without any coding. The platform’s SEO tools are also much better than Squarespace, giving us control over meta tags, structured data, and on-page optimization.
However, flexibility has its downsides. We noticed that performance can drop when sites become too heavy with features. Plus, the many options can overwhelm beginners. You can’t switch templates after publishing, so careful planning is a must. Still, Wix provides the creative control and scalability that many Squarespace users don’t get. It’s an excellent alternative for businesses ready for more hands-on website management.
Check out our full Wix review to learn more about what the platform has to offer.
Best alternative to Squarespace for affordability
Hostinger offers unbeatable value at a very low price. Starting at just $2.99 per month (intro rate), it offers features that rival many pricier options while delivering solid performance. With its AI-powered website builder, you can create complete sites with content and images from simple prompts. While you’ll still need to customize it, the starting point is much better than picking a cookie-cutter template to customize.
Performance remained strong throughout our evaluation, with loading speeds often beating premium competitors. Hostinger’s interface balances simplicity and functionality well. We especially liked the AI heatmap feature, which let us understand user behavior without costly third-party tools.
But there are still trade-offs. With no app market, you’re limited to built-in functions only. While the ecommerce tools are good for basic selling, they lack the sophistication of Shopify or WooCommerce. Customization also feels limited compared to some other flexible builders. Still, for small businesses or personal projects that prioritize cost, Hostinger offers exceptional power and value.
Read our full Hostinger website builder review to learn more about the platform.
Best alternative to Squarespace for flexibility
WordPress is the polar opposite of Squarespace, offering unlimited possibilities for those willing to invest some time in learning. It’s no surprise that this platform powers over 40% of all websites — the combination of thousands of themes, 59,000+ plugins on higher plans, and complete code access means you can do just about anything.
You’ll find that the SEO advantages became apparent almost immediately. WordPress sites consistently loaded faster than Squarespace, plus the granular control over technical SEO elements like schema markup, custom URLs, and caching gave us significant ranking advantages. WooCommerce can transform basic WordPress installations into online stores with features that rival even Shopify, all while maintaining the flexibility to customize every aspect of the experience.
There’s an obviously steeper learning curve than Squarespace, though. Dealing with plugin conflicts, security updates, and performance considerations all contribute to extra legwork for non-developers. But for businesses that have outgrown Squarespace’s limitations, WordPress offers unmatched freedom and long-term value. Some initial investment in learning pays dividends through reduced ongoing costs and complete control over your digital presence.
Read our full WordPress.com website builder review here.
Best alternative to Squarespace for ecommerce
Shopify offers one of the best ecommerce platforms on the market. Unlike the basic monetization tools from Squarespace, Shopify is built for advanced online selling. Features include abandoned cart recovery, behavioral analytics, and multi-channel selling across social media. It also has a much better checkout process, with higher conversion rates and a better user experience.
With the built-in app ecosystem, we easily added features like subscription-based billing and complex shipping calculators without coding. Shopify’s inventory management features were amazing too. It managed everything from simple product variants to complex multi-location stock with ease. AI features, like the new automated product descriptions and smart recommendations, make selling even easier.
However, Shopify’s focus on ecommerce makes it useless for content-heavy sites or portfolios. Its blogging capabilities are basic compared to more content-driven platforms. While design flexibility has improved, it still trails behind more creative builders. Also, costs can add up quickly due to app dependencies and transaction fees. This could make it too pricey for smaller operations.
Discover more with our full Shopify review.
Best alternative to Squarespace for developers
Webflow lets you use visual design tools to create hand-coded websites. For agencies and developers, the visual editor offers detailed control without learning how to code. You can create complex layouts and interactions that traditional drag-and-drop tools can’t match.
Unlike other builders that create bloated code, Webflow generates clean and semantic HTML and CSS. This means faster loading times and better search rankings, even with complex designs. Animations are equally powerful. They create engaging user experiences that can compete with custom-built sites. The CMS is also notable, offering flexible content types that handle complex data structures beyond simple blogs or product listings.
That said, Webflow requires a significant time investment to learn. And its premium pricing reflects its professional focus. We found the interface challenging for beginners, which means you’ll need to invest some time into becoming good at it. While the ecommerce features are improving, they still fall short for complex selling needs. But for design-focused businesses or agencies seeking creative control, Webflow is very much the best option.
Get the full picture with our WebFlow website builder review.
Best alternatives to Squarespace: FAQs
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
Squarespace offers basic SEO tools, but our testing found some limitations. You can optimize meta tags and descriptions, but it lacks advanced features like schema markup control, custom URL structures, and detailed page speed optimization.
The built-in code can slow loading times. This happens because editor functionality loads even when you’re not editing. For businesses focused on search rankings, platforms like WordPress provide more robust SEO tools with better performance.
Can I switch templates after publishing my Squarespace site?
Sadly, no. This is one of Squarespace’s biggest drawbacks. After you choose a template and start adding content, you’re stuck with that design.
Switching templates means rebuilding your whole site, leading to hours or even days of lost work. This is a real issue as businesses grow to require new layouts or features that their original template can’t support.
How many pages can I have on Squarespace?
Squarespace allows up to 1,000 pages on current plans. However, they suggest keeping it under 400 pages for better performance. Sites near this limit may load slowly and have less functionality, especially on mobile.
Any users on the Legacy Personal plan have a stricter limit of 20 pages. For content-heavy publications or growing businesses, this can be a big hurdle for scaling content.
Is Squarespace suitable for large ecommerce stores?
Squarespace has trouble handling high-volume ecommerce compared to platforms like Shopify. Our tests showed performance issues during traffic spikes and flash sales. These problems don’t happen on dedicated ecommerce platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce.
Squarespace also limits stores to 10,000 products. It works well for small to medium stores, but serious retailers often outgrow its ecommerce features quickly.
Can I customize Squarespace beyond the templates?
Customization options are very limited unless you know CSS coding. The platform uses a template-based approach that restricts design flexibility. Even simple changes, like mobile typography adjustments, need custom CSS.
Unlike platforms with more flexible editors, Squarespace keeps you within set design limits. This can frustrate businesses that want unique branding or special features that don’t match their template’s structure.
How we test
To test Squarespace, we began by creating an account and exploring its interface. We checked out the template collection, tried the drag-and-drop editor, and looked at customization options. We built several test pages to evaluate design flexibility, mobile responsiveness, and user experience on different devices.
Next, we examined the pricing structure. We compared the various plans to assess value. We also evaluated features like SSL certificates, custom domains, storage limits, and ecommerce capabilities. This helped us understand the cost-effectiveness of each tier.
Check out our full guide to how we test website builders to learn more.
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ritoban@nutgraf.agency (Ritoban Mukherjee)
