Squarespace Alternatives: Should You Try Another Website Builder?

• Wix Pricing: Free – $159 per month, or get 10% off your plan with code “TAKE10”
• Wix Review: Learn more about the key features and benefits

Wix is our top-rated website builder, outperforming all other platforms in this year’s round of testing. It offers an impressive suite of built-in features, high-quality templates, and an easy editor for beginners to wrap their heads around. So, how does it differ from Squarespace?

Since Wix accommodates a diverse audience, it’s difficult to recommend the website builder for specific needs or website types. It’s great for tech novices and experienced website builders alike, whether you’re looking to create a personal website or start an online store.

However, Wix’s well-rounded approach might not suit your needs if your website has a real focus or niche. In this regard, Squarespace is a better option, particularly for artist websites and those with a more creative angle.

For a full comparison of the two, read our Wix vs Squarespace article to see who comes out on top. 

How Much Does Wix Cost?

The great news is that Wix offers a free plan so you can test things out and get familiar with the website builder before making the switch from Squarespace. Unfortunately, the free plan comes with ads and limited storage, plus there’s no option to use a custom domain name. Because of this, we recommend upgrading to a premium plan if you want your site to appear professional.

Wix’s pricing ranges from $17 to $159 per month (billed annually).

To sell online, you’ll need to opt for the Core plan ($29 per month) or above – this is more expensive than Squarespace’s Business plan ($23 per month).

• Shopify Pricing: $29 – $299 per month, get your first month for $1
• Shopify Review: See if the builder is the right fit for your online store

Shopify is the best ecommerce website builder, offering powerful sales features, such as multichannel selling and a customizable checkout to help you sell products. While Squarespace offers ecommerce functionality too, its features pale in comparison to the dedicated support provided by Shopify.

Because of this, Shopify is ideal for growing businesses and leading enterprises. It helps business owners manage and scale their inventories and audience in one swoop – though its top-quality features are better suited for merchants selling lots of products instead of just a small handful.

We compare the two website builders closely in our detailed Shopify vs Squarespace article, helping you determine which is best for your business.

How Much Does Shopify Cost?

Shopify is more expensive than Squarespace – its three premium plans range from $29 to $299 per month (billed annually). While this seems like a considerable step up from Squarespace’s cheapest plan ($16/mo), you must remember that all of Shopify’s plans come equipped with ecommerce functionality from the get-go.

Squarespace’s cheapest ecommerce plan costs $23 per month, so it’s not too far off Shopify’s price point.

• GoDaddy Pricing: Free – $20.99 per month 
• GoDaddy Review: Get a detailed breakdown of the website builder

GoDaddy is your best bet if you’re looking to get online quickly and affordably. When testing GoDaddy myself, the setup process took less than 30 seconds, meaning I could get my site live in minutes if I only made a few minor tweaks here and there.

In comparison, when I tested Squarespace, it took over a minute for me to create a website when using the AI-powered Squarespace Blueprint builder.

GoDaddy’s AI sites and design options aren’t the most eye-catching, but if you want to build a simple website, GoDaddy’s got you covered.

You won’t create anything as beautiful by switching from Squarespace, but if speed and simplicity are your priorities then we recommend GoDaddy to you. It’s especially great for personal websites, side hustles, and hobbyists.

Compare GoDaddy vs Squarespace using our article where we review features, security, marketing, and more.

How Much Does GoDaddy Cost?

Like Wix, GoDaddy also offers a free plan to users – this is a helpful starting point but we recommend upgrading to a premium plan to remove ads. GoDaddy’s pricing ranges from $9.99 to $20.99 per month (billed annually), spread across three plans.

You’ll need the most expensive Commerce plan ($20.99) to sell products online, but this is still considerably cheaper than Squarespace.

Of the 16 website builders we tested, GoDaddy is the best value for money, outperforming Squarespace in this category. GoDaddy’s affordability makes it ideal for beginners and budget-conscious businesses.

• Hostinger Pricing: $2.99 – $3.99 per month
• Hostinger Review: A complete look at the builder’s pros and cons

Like Squarespace, Hostinger is incredibly beginner-friendly and a great option for anyone lacking confidence when it comes to building a website. For ease of use, Hostinger is the closest match to Squarespace – just at a cheaper price point.

So, how do the two compare and why do we recommend Hostinger as an alternative to Squarespace?

Hostinger’s simplicity regarding features and design means it’s only suitable for smaller businesses or personal projects. In comparison, Squarespace’s easy-to-use editor is accessible for all but it has advanced capabilities too, accommodating both beginners and designers.

That said, Hostinger’s suite of AI tools (available on the new Business Website Builder plan) is impressive, especially for the low cost. I particularly like the AI Heatmap tool which helps you track your visitor behaviour and engagement.

How Much Does Hostinger Cost?

Hostinger recently introduced a second website builder plan, meaning Hostinger’s pricing now ranges from $2.99 to $3.99 per month (for a 48-month subscription). Out of all of Squarespace’s competitors, Hostinger is the cheapest website builder alternative.

You’ll need the $3.99 Business Website Builder plan to unlock ecommerce features and Hostinger’s AI tools – though the AI website builder is available with both plans.

Hostinger doesn’t have a free plan, but you can take advantage of the 30-day free trial to try the AI website builder out for yourself. However, unless you’re set on Hostinger, we recommend checking out one of the other alternatives first since you can experiment with their free plans or trials until you find a comfortable fit.

We’ve covered the best alternatives to Squarespace, but when do you know if it’s the right time to switch? Squarespace has its benefits and drawbacks, like any platform or software, and there might come a time when you need more from your website builder.

Here are a few factors to consider when debating the move:

• Budget: Squarespace lacks a free plan and while you get a lot of bang for your buck from its plans, it’s not as cost-effective or affordable as other website builders. For example, GoDaddy is the best value for money and has plans starting from $9.99 per month.
• Business tools: If you want to sell services, Squarespace has well-rounded features to support your online store, such as Acuity Scheduling to help you manage appointments and take payments. However, we recommend choosing a dedicated ecommerce website builder, like Shopify, if you want to sell products thanks to its advanced sales features and growth opportunities.
• Creative control: Wix’s drag-and-drop editor gives you total freedom to move elements wherever you want, whereas Squarespace’s editor imposes restrictions on your creativity because of its grid framework. While this is useful for beginners and keeping your web pages neat, it does limit you.
• Third-party integrations: Squarespace Extensions, the builder’s home for third-party apps, only boasts a handful of options for users (around 40). This falls behind the number of apps offered by other builders, such as Wix and Shopify, so if you want lots of additional functionality, Squarespace won’t be the right solution long-term.

Take a look at the key differences between the website builders below:

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Squarespace	Wix	Shopify	GoDaddy	Hostinger
Overall Rating 4.6	Overall Rating 4.8	Overall Rating 4.4	Overall Rating 4.3	Overall Rating 4.3
Starting from $16 $14.40 with code “WBE10”	Starting from $17 $15.30 with code ‘TAKE10’	Starting from $29 $1 for first month	Starting from $9.99	Starting from $11.99 85% off for Black Friday: $1.95 + 3 months free (48-month term)
Free plan or free trial 14-day free trial	Free plan or free trial Free plan	Free plan or free trial 3-day free trial	Free plan or free trial Free plan	Free plan or free trial 30-day free trial
Number of templates 150+	Number of templates 900+	Number of templates 150+	Number of templates 200+	Number of templates 150+

To determine the best Squarespace alternatives, we put 16 popular website builders through our research process. After 200+ hours of testing and hands-on experience, covering 398 areas of investigation, we can confidently discuss where Squarespace excels and where it falls short.

Thanks to our 2024 rankings, we’ve recommended four of the best alternatives to Squarespace, based on categories such as website features, value for money, and user experience.

While Squarespace might be the easiest website builder we’ve built with, it won’t be the right fit for everyone. We’ve discussed the four best Squarespace alternatives in this article. To recap:

• Wix is the best alternative overall, offering a diverse range of templates and features to cater to all website types and businesses
• Shopify is better for selling online thanks to its dedicated ecommerce sales features
• GoDaddy offers a quicker way to get your website up and running and it’s better value for money than Squarespace
• Hostinger is incredibly easy to use and more affordable than Squarespace, but its suite of features are more limited