Best Squarespace alternatives in 2024

Best Squarespace alternatives

• Strikingly: Best for creating quick and simple websites.
• WordPress.com: Best for experienced bloggers.
• Wix: Best for small businesses looking to eventually scale up.
• Shopify: Best for solo e-commerce.
• Weebly: Best for e-commerce businesses on a budget.
• ClickFunnels: Best marketing funnel solution.
• Duda: Best for marketing agencies.
• Square: Best for e-commerce platforms already using Square.
• Web.com: Best for businesses that want to pay annually.
• Zyro: Best for new e-commerce sites.

Best for creating quick and simple websites

Strikingly

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$0

Free trial

14 days

Features

Large template library, custom domains, drag-and-drop editor, 24/7 support

What you should know

For simple websites, it’s hard to beat Strikingly’s easy-to-use website builder. With drag-and-drop tech, a wide variety of templates and straightforward UX, Strikingly is built for novice users. And if you do need support, all paid plans come with 24/7 customer support. But it’s not as comprehensive or customizable as some alternatives, like Wix or Weebly.

Strikingly sells a variety of plans, including a free forever plan that is excellent for small websites (five pages or less) or stores selling only one product. But if you need more pages or products, it offers three paid monthly plans ranging from $12 to $59.

Its most popular plan, the Pro plan, is $20 per month and includes up to 100 pages, 300 products, a free domain, customer membership options, custom codes and fonts and pop-ups.

Pros and cons

Pros

• 24/7 support on all paid plans.
• Dedicated account manager and phone support included in VIP plan.
• Free forever plan available.

Cons

• Only five pages on free forever and limited plans.
• Storage capped at 100 GB per site.
• Limited customization and e-commerce options.

Best for experienced bloggers

WordPress.com

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$0

Free trial

No

Features

AI tools, marketing suite, business growth tools, personal site recommendations

What you should know

WordPress.com has long been a leader in the website builder arena, powering more than 43% of the web. It’s primarily known for its blogging features, with over 70 million new monthly posts across all of its sites.

With thousands of plug-ins, many different themes, ample SEO tools (Creator plan only) and add-ons, fast speeds and enhanced security, WordPress.com is designed to work fast and efficiently for a wide variety of sites.

But, all of these options make it one of the more complex builders of any on our list, meaning only experienced bloggers needing these enhanced capabilities should choose WordPress. And if you sell anything, be prepared for high commission fees (up to 10%).

Pros and cons

Pros

• Six plans to choose from, including a free plan.
• Affordable pricing tiers with a variety of options.
• Many website templates to choose from.
• Thousands of website plug-in options.

Cons

• Free domain only included in annual plans.
• Up to 10% commission fees on e-commerce sites.
• 50 GB website cap.

Best for small businesses looking to eventually scale up

Wix

Blueprint Rating

Learn More

Via Wix's website

Monthly fee

$0

Free trial

No

Features

AI tools, marketing suite, business growth tools, personal site recommendations

What you should know

Wix offers a unique artificial design intelligence feature called the ADI website designer that really changes the game when it comes to creating a well-designed, UX-friendly and mobile-responsive website. The tool also offers features like business growth tools and personal site recommendations.

From a free plan to one costing upward of $172 per month (and three other plan options in between), Wix is a good choice for businesses of all sizes — but especially ones that may have plans to grow in the future. With features like advanced marketing and e-commerce, increased developer tools and unlimited storage space, Wix’s higher tiers offer abundant features that can help businesses grow beyond just building a website.

Pros and cons

Pros

• All paid sites receive a free domain for a year.
• Advanced AI tools.
• Advanced marketing, analytics and e-commerce features.

Cons

• Higher tiers are pretty costly.
• Free plan displays Wix ads.
• Very limited storage on lower-tier plans.

Best for solo e-commerce

Shopify

Blueprint Rating

Learn More

Via Shopify's website

Monthly fee

$5

Free trial

3 days

Features

Unlimited products and contacts, enhanced e-commerce features, fraud analysis, tax tracking, marketing tools

What you should know

Shopify is a website builder designed for e-commerce, so it’s packed with powerful tools and features like more than 1,000 inventory locations, abandoned cart recovery, gift cards, store performance reports and unlimited contacts.

But its features extend beyond just an online store with custom marketing automation, multiple sales channels and customer segmentation. It also offers tax features like tax liability tracking, automatic updates based on tax law and product categorization.

All these features come at a price, though — with plans starting at $39 per month. There is also a smaller plan that starts at $5 per month. Its other plans are $105 and $399 per month, but they come with added savings like a discount on shipping, lower credit card rates and lower third-party transaction fees that may offset the cost based on the size of the store.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Embedded tax tools and features.
• All plans include 24/7 customer support.
• Unlimited products on every site.

Cons

• Higher monthly fees than many other options.
• Cheapest plan has high transaction fees.
• No free domain name.

Best for e-commerce businesses on a budget

Weebly

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$0

Free trial

No

Features

Inventory management, in-person pickup options, tax calculators, unlimited products, website themes

What you should know

Weebly is an e-commerce builder powered by Square, a financial services platform developed by Block, Inc. While its features aren’t as robust as Shopify’s, the site is quite a bit more affordable, with monthly prices starting at $13 (plus a free option). And its plans still pack a punch with tools like inventory management, in-person pickup options, gift cards and tax calculators.

Like Shopify, Weebly offers unlimited products, some marketing features and a variety of website themes, among other features. But, it doesn’t share what its transaction fees are, and its customer service options aren’t as robust.

If you’re just starting out in e-commerce or are a smaller site, Weebly’s affordability, paired with its solid e-commerce features, can be very attractive.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free plan available.
• Low costs compared to other e-commerce builders.
• Unlimited products on all sites.

Cons

• Unclear transaction fees.
• Limited customer support hours and options.
• Must connect to your own domain on most sites.

Best marketing funnel solution

ClickFunnels

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$147

Free trial

14 days

Features

Unlimited email marketing and courses, analytics, 10,000+ contacts, unlimited products

What you should know

ClickFunnels is a fairly specific solution designed for companies that want to create, maintain and maximize marketing funnel campaigns. While some builders on this list can maintain massive e-commerce websites, ClickFunnels is best for small sites or one-off sales pages.

Its platform utilizes drag-and-drop technology to create pages easily from dozens of templates. To help convert users, it offers features like one-click upsells, customer membership portals, automated CRM funnels and email marketing.

While it is marketed as a one-stop shop for funnel marketing, that comprehensiveness comes at a high price — starting at $147 per month. And some customers complain about its sales approach, saying they’ve been bombarded with ads or targeted newsletters trying to upsell them on courses and other items.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Easy design technology.
• All-in-one marketing funnel platform.
• Unlimited email sequences, workflows, pages and courses.

Cons

• Limited website templates.
• Highly specific website builder.
• Much more expensive than competitors.

Best for marketing agencies

Duda

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$25

Free trial

Only on White Label plan

Features

Team collaboration tools, multiple site hosting, custom client access, unlimited storage and bandwidth, white label option

What you should know

Duda starts at $25 per month with somewhat limited features and services. But while Duda’s two lower-tier plans don’t offer great value, its Agency plan does.

At $69 per month, the Agency plan can include up to four websites (at $12.99 extra per month per site), priority phone and chat support, collaboration tools for up to six team members and custom client access. These benefits make it a great choice for agencies that host multiple sites and can offset some of the higher costs by charging their clients.

Duda can also be white-labeled for $199 per month, including sales and marketing materials, email domain and stats and analytics.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Can include multiple sites in one membership.
• Includes collaboration tools for up to six members.
• Offers free client portals and access.
• White label option.

Cons

• More expensive starting prices.
• Limited editing and customization options.
• White label features are expensive.

Best for e-commerce platforms already using Square

Square

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$0

Free trial

No

Features

Seamless Square integration, abandoned cart emails, multiple payment methods, unlimited items

What you should know

Although Weebly is owned by Square, it also has its own website builder. This builder is much less robust than Weebly (which is already less robust than Shopify), and it’s designed to streamline sales through the Square payment platform and POS. Businesses already using Square can build their own sites for free.

For access to its 26 customizable themes, you must pay for a monthly plan starting at $29 per month, billed annually. This plan also includes other e-commerce features like QR codes, personalized ordering, more item categorization, PayPal payments and a free domain.

If you don’t use Square, there are many other better solutions. But if you do, the Square online builder is fairly easy and straightforward for businesses that just simply want to sell online.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Easy Square POS integration.
• Free plan available.
• Unlimited items on all plans, including free.

Cons

• Only 26 website themes to choose from.
• No custom domain on free site.
• Limited marketing features.

Best for businesses that want to pay annually

Web.com

Blueprint Rating

Learn More

Via Web.com’s website

Monthly fee

$19.99

Free trial

No

Features

AI website builder, free hour of professional design support, email marketing tools, social marketing tools

What you should know

Web.com offers up to 70% savings when you sign up for an annual plan — easily the biggest discount we’ve seen between paying monthly and annually. Its prices start at $19.99 per month or $15.99 when signed up annually.

Plans also include additional benefits like free domain privacy for a year, three months free of a professional email and one month free of an SSL certificate. And like Wix, Web.com offers a free AI-powered web builder — plus a free hour of expert design support — which is a big benefit to many businesses that need more support in the building process.

And if you want to take the work off your plate completely, its $250 QuickStart website service is a great added benefit.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Most plans include social and email marketing tools.
• Up to 70% savings when signed up annually.
• Plans designed based on needs.

Cons

• Amazon, eBay and Etsy selling only on highest tier.
• Somewhat more expensive than other options.
• E-commerce features only available on higher plans.

Best for new e-commerce sites

Zyro

Blueprint Rating

Monthly fee

$11.99

Free trial

No

Features

Free hosting, unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, over 100 templates, 0% transaction fees

What you should know

With a free 30-day trial, plus the ability to build and launch a website in under an hour, Zyro is a great platform for businesses that want to start selling online fast. Its plans are affordable while still including many unique features like professional templates, SEO and reporting tools and responsive designs.

Zyro also offers more AI tools than some other competitors, including a heatmap, AI writer, AI image upscaler or background remover, blog title generator and slogan generator. However, none of its AI tools are specific to design, like Wix or Web.com.

But unlike every other company we reviewed, Zyro doesn’t offer a Pricing page to compare plans and see prices easily. While it does have a Pricing Wizard to help you find the best-fit plan, it’s simple and extremely short, so it can’t be all that comprehensive. If you want to compare your options, consider contacting them directly.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Low starting price.
• Doesn’t charge commission on sales.
• Free domain for a year.

Cons

• Free domain only available on annual plans.
• Can’t compare all of its plans easily in one place.
• Confusing to understand your options.

Top Squarespace competitors compared

What is Squarespace and how does it work?

Squarespace is a comprehensive content management system (also referred to as CMS). As a Squarespace subscriber, you can:

• Build a website.
• Host your website.
• Produce website content.
• Register a custom domain.
• Sell e-commerce products.
• Track site analytics and visits.

The builder offers more than 150 website design templates as a starting point, so anyone with any level of design skill can create and host a website with the platform. And once you pick a template, you can use its drag-and-drop editor to customize it to fit your style and brand. 

Squarespace also offers industry-specific tools and features, like e-commerce payment portals, scheduling platforms, email campaigns and mailing lists — plus other third-party extensions for tools like finance, shipping and fulfillment and marketing.

When should you look for Squarespace alternatives?

Squarespace is an excellent website builder, but it has limitations. Here are some times you may want to consider a Squarespace alternative.

• Technical SEO is essential to your marketing strategy. Many agree that Squarespace isn’t the best option for SEO. Without going too deep into the science behind SEO, Squarespace doesn’t offer as many built-in technical SEO tools as some competitors do, like WordPress.com.
• You’re a beginner. Squarespace offers 165 website templates and has easy-to-use drag-and-drop web design tools. But, it’s a little more complicated than some of the alternatives, like Wix, that pare down options to expedite efficiency. 
• You’re an e-commerce store. Squarespace offers e-commerce tools and benefits, but not as many as other builders like Square or Shopify. If you’re looking for lower costs and more flexibility, one of the Squarespace alternatives may be a better choice.
• Budget is your top priority. Squarespace is a bit more expensive than some of its competitors (starting at $25 per month), and it doesn’t offer a free plan. If you want to create a website for free, we recommend Square, Wix or Weebly.

How to choose the best website builder

Website builders aren’t created equal. When looking for the best platform for your business, take time to consider what features you need to have on your site. 

If you’re an e-commerce platform, that may mean a reservation system or an online store with inventory management. If you’re a blogger, enhanced SEO and CMS tools will be critical to your business operations. 

Here are a few other tips for choosing the best website builder for your needs:

• Be honest about your skills. You may not be the best designer, and that’s okay. Take an honest look at your design, writing and marketing skills, and look for a platform that fills in any gaps. For example, an AI writing assistant may be a great feature if you’re not a great writer.
• Set a budget. Prices can range significantly for a website builder, anywhere from free to upward of $399 (or more) per month. The average starting cost is about $24, but more extensive or more complex sites could require a more comprehensive plan with a higher price. Decide how much you can realistically afford to pay. 
• Decide what you need. The best thing you can do is write a list of features you need, paired with an additional list of features that may be nice. As mentioned, the more features you need, the higher your cost will be, so keep that in mind.
• Get inspiration from competitors. See what your competitors are using. You can look at the footer of their site to see what website builder they use. 
• Consider your growth potential. Not all sites can grow and expand alongside your business. If you expect to grow substantially in the next few years, make sure the platform has more expansive options or can be exported to another platform that does.

Key features to look for

While website builders can vary significantly in features, there are a few key elements to look for:

• Many templates to choose from. Unless you’re a skilled designer, a template is a great place to start. WordPress has over 20,000 to choose from, although most Squarespace alternatives have a number in the hundreds.
• Multiple price points. Most companies offer multiple plans to choose from with varying features to make sure you get the best bang for your buck. Only one software on this list (Zyro) only has one plan.
• Mobile responsiveness. Responsiveness refers to the ability of a site to automatically adjust to the type of device a user is on, whether it’s a computer, tablet or phone. It’s absolutely critical today that a builder offers responsiveness tools or features.
• Compatibility with multiple browsers. Users will visit your site from a variety of browsers. Your builder should be able to support the most popular browsers identically without manually adjusting each design. 
• SEO and social tools. Builders can vary in terms of SEO and social capabilities. Features may include social sharing, SEO AI integrations and alt text editors.
• Image editing. Most offer image capabilities, but having one that provides editing and other customization options can help save you the extra step of editing your images in another platform, like Adobe Photoshop. 
• E-commerce capabilities. Not all website builders offer a variety of e-commerce capabilities. Depending on the complexity of your site, you may have to pay for a higher tier — but make sure the builder offers what you need at an affordable price.

Add-ons and extras 

There are many software integrations (often called plug-ins) to consider. Some platforms, like WordPress, offer so many integrations that the possibilities seem almost endless. 

Plug-ins fit into various categories, including live chat, social media integrations, website analytics, client management tools, booking tools, page design tools and more. Sometimes, these plug-ins are created by the website builder itself; other times, they’re third-party integrations. 

Here are a few of the most popular website integrations available: 

• HoneyBook
• OpenTable
• Gravity Forms
• MailChimp
• Google Analytics
• PayPal
• Nimble
• Instapage
• Disqus
• Password Protect
• Shipstation

These add-ons sometimes come with their own cost (like $12 per month for Gravity Forms) depending on the functionality and what the plug-in includes. This is important to remember as you head into deciding your budget.

Pricing and budget

Website builders range anywhere from free to $399 (or more) per month. This includes the initial cost of building a site, plus monthly hosting, customer support and a certain number of users. The more features you need, the more you should expect to pay per month.

And if you’re an e-commerce site, you can also expect to pay an additional fee per transaction — usually a percentage of the cost — in addition to credit card fees (usually 2.9% plus $0.30).

You’ll notice that many companies offering a free plan don’t offer a free trial. So, if you want to test out their platforms, simply sign up for the free plan. While you may be limited on features, users or other functionalities, it can still provide some key insights into the back-end functionality and UX.

UX and ease of use

Unless you’re a skilled website designer, UX and ease of use will be key deciding factors between website builders — and not just for your customers. It’s vital that you and any other applicable team members are able to quickly and efficiently update, manage and optimize your website at any given time.

When comparing companies, there are a few key features to look for that can indicate the website is easy to use, like:

• WYSIWYG live editor. WYSIWYG stands for “what you see is what you get.” This editor lets you edit the site while looking at it, not just on the backend, where you often can’t see the effects of a change until you hit “live.” WordPress and Wix both offer this feature. 
• Drag-and-drop designer. Traditionally, you’d need to be able to code a site to make any changes to a template. Most builders now offer drag-and-drop designers where you can place pre-designed entire sections easily within a site.
• Responsive design. Responsive design is absolutely crucial to the overall experience of your site. Look for a builder that allows you to edit the site based on the device.
• ADI Wizard. Some sites, like Wix, offer Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI) tools that help expedite and streamline the process of designing a site that checks all the best practices boxes.

Customer service

A broken website can cause missed opportunities, lost sales and frustrated customers. Some website builders offer free or paid 24/7 customer service, including Wix and WordPress, while others provide robust help desk centers with ample support options.

In many cases, the higher-tiered plan you have, the more likely you will receive faster or more comprehensive customer service. 

But in general, expect to either be on hold for a while or have to wait for an email back from a website platform in the event of an issue. That’s pretty common in the industry and frustrating for many customers.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the best alternative to Squarespace?

The best Squarespace alternative depends on what you want from a website builder. If you’re looking for an all-encompassing e-commerce site, it’s hard to beat Shopify. But if you’re looking to make a site fast and affordably, Strikingly is a great choice. And if you’re simply unsure what to pick, there’s a reason why almost half of all websites are powered by WordPress.com.

What is Squarespace best for?

Squarespace is suitable for individuals or small businesses with the budget for its somewhat expensive plans. It offers a decent variety of e-commerce tools, attractive design templates and unique add-on features—although certainly not as many as some of the competitors. But it’s easy to use and very intuitive, making it a decent choice for novice designers.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, especially as a bigger e-commerce site, there are better Squarespace alternatives on the market.

What are the biggest drawbacks of Squarespace?

Some of the biggest cons of using Squarespace include its minimal SEO tools, expensive transaction and monthly fees and somewhat limited customization options.

Squarespace also doesn’t have a phone number that customers can call for real-time support, which is a huge drawback — especially for larger businesses or those with an e-commerce platform. Instead, it recommends contacting them through live chat, email, Facebook Messenger or X (formerly Twitter).

How do I cancel my Squarespace account?

To cancel your website subscription with Squarespace, open the Billing panel of your site and follow these steps:

1. Under Subscriptions, click your subscription plan.
2. Click cancel subscription.
3. Select the reason for cancellation.
4. Fill out the rest of the form to share your experience.

This will immediately take your site offline. If you just want to cancel your auto-renew, meaning your site will be taken down at the end of your billing cycle, simply switch the Renew toggle off after the first step.