Though we know Wordpress as the most popular content management system, there still exist it competitors like SquareSpace. SquareSpace is a dedicated website builder that aims at the same audience. Both the platforms hold good reputation and support a lot of websites but it is a dilemma in choosing the better one out.
The Basics
Both SquareSpace and Wordpress serve a different purpose hence they cannot be compared directly. We can have a look at their basics.
Wordpress is a free service and an online open source tool that allows you to build websites. It facilitates you with number of themes and plugins so that you can customize your site on your own. No coding skills are required if you are just limited to adding content but you will need some coding brain if you want to take the benefits of its full potential by unlocking it.
SquareSpace is an all-in-one platform as it acts as a blogging platform, website builder and hosting service. With is Software-as-a-Service based CMS; it allows you to create an entire website without any coding knowledge. However, it doesn’t come as an open source so your use of theme and plugins is limited to those that are provided. It is also not a free service.
Ease of Use
From beginners to advanced-level users, Wordpress is suitable for anyone and everyone. It is reputed for its ease of use. The only things the beginners need to understand are the terms like posts, pages, categories and tags. Once they understand the basics, they must maintain a good grip over it.
SquareSpace doesn’t provide the same as Wordpress yet is I easy to use. It works on the basis of what-you-see-is-what-you-get. People are driven towards SquareSpace more than Wordpress due to its easy usability.
Design
Wordpress users possibly have unlimited number of themes to use. Some of the themes are free to use whereas better one range from $50 to $100 each. The amazing thing about the themes on Wordpress is you can customize them using custom code. So if you want to change your needs as your business proceeds, your website have the potential to grow with you.
SquareSpace on the other side provides limited options. It has only a few templates to choose from but each of them is very professional in appearance and is customizable. However, even by using CSS code, you are bound by limitations and hit the boundary line, especially if your business grows and your website represents that.
Features
When it comes to features, Wordpress takes away the cake as it is very flexible in terms of features and functionality of your site. This is because there are 41000 plugins available for you. You can modify these plugins the way you need even if you have very little knowledge of coding. It is not always the same as not all the plugins available are there to serve you as you want. So before you go for any plugin, just check if it is of good quality or not.
SquareSpace on other side provides just limited features and functionality as there are few plugins available for use. However, the plugins available are developed by SquareSpace’s own developers so there is no doubt in their quality.
Cost
When we talk about cost, Wordpress doesn’t charge anything as it is free of cost. But you will need to pay for the hosting account to run your site and also pay for the better themes and plugins. You may also come across a situation in which you will need to hire a developer to customize your site.
SquareSpace offers a 14 day trial period after which it chargers you. If you go for personal package, it will cost you $8 per month if you pay annually and $12 per month if you pay monthly. For this, you will get 20 pages, galleries and blogs with unlimited bandwidth and storage. If you go for business package, it will cost you $18 or $26 per month and provides you unlimited pages and gives you the permission to sell 25 products. The Basic commerce package costs $26 or $30 monthly with unlimited product selling. The Advanced Commerce package will $70 or $80 monthly that offers some advanced features.
Ecommerce
Wordpress becomes the clear winner when ecommerce is concerned. You can install a plugin that converts your website into a functioning site such as WooCommerce. It allows you to sell unlimited products and also integrate payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe and GoogleCheckout.
SquareSpace provides very limited options. You can use Stripe for payment during the initial time which limits your audience instantly. IF personal package is chosen, it allows you to sell only single product. If you want to sell more products you will have to go for the Business package. Commerce package allows you to sell over 25 products.
Support
Wordpress will provide no official tech support and no point of contact however it depends on your problem. But there are many video tutorials out there that provide large general support community accessible via forums.
The tech support that SquareSpace provides is just outstanding. It provides 24/7 tech support. It provides live chat options plus emails are answered within an hour. They will help you deal with problems and bugs but won’t be there to aid you with the small issues to your site.
Data Portability and Scalability
Wordpress is flexible when you want to transfer your data to different CMS. You can export data through various in-built tools and backup your theme, plugins and even the whole of database. Later, you may transfer it to another CMS and store it anywhere you want.
We already know that SquareSpace comes with limited functionality it is every time that you will be bound by the walls if your business outgrows what’s on offer. The export feature also faces some limitations like you have the permission to export contents in XML file but you cannot move all of your content.
Wordpress or SquareSpace?
Wordpress here is a clear winner if you expect full flexibility over appearance and functionality from your website. It is also thumbs up for Wordpress if you want the benefits of ecommerce functionality. In a nutshell, Wordpress provides you the potential to modify your site the way you want.
On the other side, SquareSpace allow you to create website even if you have no coding knowledge, no experience and do not want to hire any developer. It allows you to develop an elegant website and get it online with minimum bucks ad it also provides you a 24/7 tech support.
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