Webflow vs. Squarespace: Differences, pros and cons in 2024

A website is an essential tool for most businesses, but there are so many website platforms available that it can be overwhelming to know where to start. It’s important to review a website platform with the following things in mind: what you need your website to accomplish, how you want to use and manage your website and how much you’re willing to spend. 

Below, we compare two of the most prolific website builders: Webflow and Squarespace. While reviewing Webflow and Squarespace, we considered cost, functionality, marketing, e-commerce, mobile apps and other features to help you determine which solution is the best choice for you.

Webflow vs. Squarespace: Quick overview

Webflow advertises itself as a platform built for designers, without requiring in-depth knowledge of code. Users tend to say it has lots of flexibility and customization, but does have a steep learning curve on the back-end. 

Squarespace touts its easy, professional design, available with free templates and customization. Its integration with Square makes it a good choice for syncing e-commerce with a brick-and-mortar business, and it tends to target users who know less about web development. 

Pricing and value

Verdict: Squarespace

Squarespace’s lowest tier option, the Personal plan, is priced at $25 per month and has no limitations on pages, bandwidth or traffic. Webflow limits all of these features, tier by tier, but its higher-priced levels have a high ceiling that most non-professional websites are unlikely to surpass. 

For the casual user, Squarespace easily outpaces Webflow in value, even though its various tiers are priced slightly higher.

Webflow pricing and value

In addition to a free site option, Webflow has three separate paid service tiers before the enterprise level. The free level is advertised as an “entry-level” tier, best suited for personal, hobby and staging sites. As such, many of its features are heavily limited, with only two pages allowed, 50 lifetime form submissions and 1 GB bandwidth.

The Basic plan is $14 per month when billed annually ($18 if billed monthly). The CMS plan costs $23 a month billed annually ($29 if billed monthly). The highest cost tier is the Business plan at $39 per month when billed annually ($49 if billed monthly).

The chief differentiators between Webflow’s tiers are CMS items and bandwidth. A CMS item is a content management item, or an individual item on your website like a blog post or restaurant menu item. The Webflow design depends on dynamic items on the back end of your website that are then referenced in your design. 

This is the concept on which Webflow places its value as a platform. The Free and Basic plans do not support CMS items, while the CMS plan provides 2,000 CMS items, and the Business plan allows for 10,000.

To enable e-commerce on your Webflow website, you’ll have to purchase an additional plan to enable features like a cart and checkout. E-commerce plans start at an additional $29 per month with a 0% to 2% transaction fee. 

Webflow offers SEO support, starting at their first paid tier, with 301 redirects, sitemap controls, schema markup support, meta tagging and structured search support. While custom, self-referential design is Webflow’s differentiator, it does ofter templates that are fully customizable. 

Squarespace pricing and value

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial, but no extended free tier. The platform has four different tiers that vary in price depending on whether you pay monthly or annually. 

The Personal plan is available for $16 per month when paid annually ($25 if billed monthly). Similarly, the Business plan is $23 per month annually ($36 if billed monthly). The Basic Commerce tier runs $28 per month paid annually ($40 if billed monthly), while the Advanced Commerce tier costs users $52 per month paid annually ($72 if billed monthly). 

Many features are available with the lowest cost tier, but full e-commerce integration is only an option at the Business tier and above. Starting with a Personal plan, you can utilize:

• SEO support. 
• Website design templates.
• Unlimited bandwidth.
• 24/7 support.
• Digital product add-ons.
• Website merch.
• Audience management.

At higher subscription tiers, fully integrated e-commerce is available, with a 3% transaction fee for Business plans and no fee for physical products at the higher tiers. Additional features at higher tiers include personalized Gmail business accounts, complete customization with CSS and Java, customer accounts, an in-person POS app, subscriptions and abandoned cart recovery. 

Web editor

Verdict: Tie

As with most functionality comparisons, the pros and cons of Webflow and Squarespace come down to what you need to get out of your platform. Squarespace is built, first and foremost, for users who do not have extensive knowledge of website development. 

Webflow is designed for users who want to be able to fully customize every element of their website. Webflow offers the most flexibility, while Squarespace is user-friendly. 

Webflow web editor

Webflow boasts a library of more than 2,000 templates. Only a handful of those templates are free, however, and templates can be restricted to the type of website (and thus payment tier) that you have. The platform also features drag-and-drop elements, customizable building blocks and claims you can use “any font.”

Its drag-and-drop feature hinges on developing your own unique “components,” and you may need to visit its learning center to understand exactly how these components can be built and used. Users agree that Webflow comes with a learning curve and a steep one at that. While it offers pre-existing templates and content building by blocks, its interface is designed with web developers in mind and can seem daunting to the casual user. 

For developers, Webflow offers a unique feature with “Export.” You can export any design you create as HTML code, ready for download. This enables you to build website designs and then make them available to others or easily transfer the design to another site.

Squarespace web editor

Squarespace offers more than 160 templates for websites, all of them free with whatever subscription tier you choose. The platform is built for users who don’t know where to start, with templates allowing customization, drag-and-drop content blocks for building each page, automatically synced mobile and desktop designs and the ability to utilize your own code with CSS, Java or HTML. 

Squarespace makes Google fonts available to its users as well as free photos through Unsplash, custom color palettes and in-platform photo editing. The Squarespace app allows you to edit your website or review analytics from your mobile phone. 

E-commerce functionality

Verdict: Squarespace

Both platforms support the sale of physical, digital and subscription-based services, but Squarespace’s e-commerce functionality does not require an additional fee on top of your website subscription. Additionally, Squarespace orders and inventory can be managed from their mobile app and synced across your Square POS to share inventory with in-person sales. Webflow does not offer its own app. 

Webflow e-commerce functionality

Webflow dedicates a lot of its e-commerce space to talking about how customizable its design and workflows are, touting product features, customizable animations and customized transactional emails.

The platform allows for a wide variety of products, both physical and digital, and supports custom fields for individual products. Its optionality for shipping is more flexible than competitors with download links, custom shipping, no shipping or other order confirmation screens. 

Webflow’s payments are protected by Stripe and PayPal technology and also accepts Google Pay, Apple Pay and credit card payments from over 200 countries. To enable e-commerce on your Webflow website, you’ll have to purchase an additional plan to enable features like a cart and checkout. E-commerce plans start at an additional $29 per month with a 0% to 2% transaction fee. 

Squarespace e-commerce functionality

Squarespace heavily emphasizes the dexterity of what can be sold on its sites – not just physical items but also services, gift cards, digital content and customized merchandise. It also allows for a donation feature. 

Squarespace offers shipping label support, so you don’t have to invest in any additional shipping software to run a business on its platform. Its tagging system allows you to add flags and labels to products like low inventory or out of stock and also to support discount codes. 

Squarespace also interfaces with Square POS technology, so you can sync in-person sales and online sales if you’re using Square products or Squarespace’s own POS app. The platform supports all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Afterpay, PayPal and Stripe payments.

Blogging

Verdict: Squarespace

Blog functionality is an afterthought use-case for Webflow, whereas Squarespace has a dedicated landing page in its main navigation for bloggers.

Webflow blogging

Webflow offers blog-specific, pre-built templates, but only a handful of them are free. Blogging is not highlighted as a key feature on its main website, but its own blog features an article on how to build a blog for your website, mostly focused on Webflow’s design features. 

Webflow also emphasizes its responsive SEO options as a great tool to leverage traffic, but much of its guidance depends on utilizing Google’s tools, which are in no way exclusive to Webflow.

The greatest limiting factor for blogging with Webflow is the platform’s static page limit – 150 pages per project. If you have a lot to say, this might not be the solution for you. 

Squarespace blogging

Squarespace features templated designs specifically for blog-based websites, going so far as to support monetizing blog content. With Squarespace Member Areas, you can sell your expert knowledge, develop premium content, provide online courses and create a paid newsletter. 

Squarespace allows you to tag and organize your posts, as well as manage different access permissions, schedule posts ahead of time and select individual posts to feature. The platform also supports built-in SEO optimization from titles to keywords and has a pre-built pipeline for turning blogs into email campaigns to drive traffic to your site.

Marketing and SEO

Verdict: Squarespace

Most users will find Squarespace more straightforward for basic SEO and Marketing efforts, with drag-and-drop templates for newsletters and email campaigns that don’t require additional integrations. 

Webflow marketing and SEO

Webflow offers robust site mapping, 301 redirects, open graph meta tags, schema mark-up support and structured search support available at every paid tier. Webflow puts its focus on dynamic SEO settings, encouraging you to customize SEO preferences per-page on your website. 

The platform doesn’t have a dedicated page for any additional marketing support but does offer customizable emails as part of its e-commerce workflow. Additional tools are available as integrations with other services. 

Squarespace marketing and SEO

Marketing support at Squarespace includes email campaigns, social media design with a dedicated app, customer profiles for targeted segment marketing, integrated SEO tools, social media integrations, website banners and access to your analytics from your desktop or the Squarespace app. 

Its templates for email campaigns and newsletters feature Squarespace’s signature drag-and-drop design. It also allows you to integrate the existing designs from your website into campaigns. 

Squarespace’s SEO support features keyword ranking and metrics, which can help you adjust your copy for better site traffic. It also provides a .xml version of your site from its inception, so you don’t have to create one. The standout SEO feature is optimizing automatic translations of your website to increase international reach. 

Performance and security

Verdict: Tie

Though presented differently on their pricing pages, the Webflow and Squarespace security services are largely the same. Squarespace doesn’t articulate what additional support may be offered at the enterprise level, but for all its paid tiers, it offers the same assurances as Webflow.

Webflow performance and security

Webflow offers two-factor authentication (2FA) for users and basic protection against Denial of Service (DoS) at every tier, as well as website and individual page password protection and free SSL certificates. Beyond that, you’ll need to have an Enterprise plan to benefit from:

• Advanced DoS protection.
• Single sign on.
• Custom security headers.
• Custom SSL certificates.
• Private website staging.

Squarespace performance and security

Squarespace boasts a “white-glove” website security and reliable protection for every user. Among Squarespace’s security highlights are:

• SSL certification.
• Password-protected pages.
• Protection against Denial of Service (DoS).
• 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC).

Mobile app

Verdict: Squarespace

Of the two web design platforms, only Squarespace has an official application that allows you to edit and manage your site. 

Webflow Mobile App

Webflow does not have an official application. 

A third party has developed an application called Phoneflow, available on the Apple App Store. To use the application, you must pay a monthly subscription fee, and its features are limited. 

Squarespace mobile app

The Squarespace mobile app carries a high rating In the Apple App Store. From its mobile platform, you can:

• Launch and manage your website.
• Fulfill orders.
• Manage inventory.
• Make in-person sales.
• Execute email campaigns.
• Review metrics.

Final verdict

Winner: Squarespace

While Webflow has many of the same drag-and-drop customizable options that Squarespace offers, its limited functionality at lower price points makes it a poor choice for the casual website user. 

Webflow may be a great choice for a professional web developer or enterprise accounts, but Squarespace is better for most else, built to be user-friendly without hidden fees or additional widgets necessary. 

Who is Webflow best for?

Webflow is built for web developers. Features like its Figma integration and fully customizable code showcase how the platform is developed for users who know what they’re doing and who want full creative control of their final product. Webflow is best for freelance web developers, large businesses and enterprise-level websites. 

Who is Squarespace best for?

For small business owners, bloggers and artists looking to establish a website to showcase and sell their products or expertise, Squarespace is the best bet. Squarespace has an intuitive design platform with hundreds of available templates. Websites can be managed on the go from its dedicated app, and its SEO and Marketing tools support your business’ e-commerce needs.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Which is better, Webflow or Squarespace?

Webflow may be a great choice for the professional web developer or enterprise accounts, but Squarespace is better for pretty much everything else, built to be user-friendly without hidden fees or additional widgets necessary.

Is Webflow more expensive than Squarespace?

Not at first. Webflow’s subscription tiers are a few dollars per month cheaper than Squarespace’s on average. However, Webflow’s design incorporates add-on features at an additional cost.

What is the best website builder?

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you have limited coding or design experience and need an easy solution, Squarespace offers plenty of beautiful website templates. If you want the flexibility to build your own website, pick and choose functionality and have full creative control, then Webflow is the right choice for you. 

You can also find other website builders by reading our guide on the best website builders in 2024.