Why You Should Avoid A Squarespace Website

The Other Major Disadvantages of Using Squarespace Over WordPress

The other significant difference with the two platforms is that WordPress is open-source, whereas Squarespace is closed source.

This means WordPress is free to download and use on any web server and host you choose; however, Squarespace does not afford users the same luxury. If you opt to build your website on Squarespace, you will be stuck with their hosting and servers.

To make matters worse, Squarespace also places limitations on server resources. This means you cannot scale your website down the track if it becomes popular. While Squarespace promotes all of their plans as having unlimited bandwidth, the fine print on their pricing page clearly states that the service is limited to normal usage. Since there is no clear definition for normal usage, Squarespace can shut your site down at any time if they deem it is attracting too much traffic.

WordPress gives users the liberty to choose their own hosting so they can find one that will work now and later on when traffic increases.

You Can’t Change The Code on Squarespace

Being open-source, WordPress allows users to make changes to the code to customise their website to their specific needs, however Squarespace is not as flexible.

While Squarespace does allow you to change content, tweak the design and even add custom HTML, CSS and JavaScript to make minor customisations, the absence of third-party plug-ins hampers a lot of control and limits bespoke functionality.

No Plugins on Squarespace

WordPress enjoys tremendous benefit from an unlimited supply of plugins. These plugins are designed to extend the capabilities of your website in limitless ways. You can find a plugin that is designed to fulfil any requirement that you have, including anything from contact forms and photo galleries, to search engine analytics and security.

Less Flexibility For eCommerce

You may not require eCommerce on your new site, but if you do, you may want to consider the greater flexibility WordPress eCommerce affords.

While Squarespace does support eCommerce, it is relatively limited compared with the robust functionality of WordPress eCommerce.

Firstly, you are limited to only three payment gateways; Stripe, PayPal & Apple Pay. Compare that with the payment gateways available on WordPress, and you will see options for payments are limited.

WordPress includes a plethora of specialised eCommerce plugins that gives a great level of flexibility for any business type – no matter how odd ball it might be.

In terms of licensing, unless you upgrade to a more expensive eCommerce plan on Squarespace – starting at over $30 per month – Squarespace charges a 2-3% transaction fee in addition to credit card processing fees. Meaning, to run eCommerce and to avoid paying transaction fees on Squarespace, you need to pay around $400 a year.

With popular plugins like WooCommerce, you will never need to pay transactions fees running an online store on WordPress. Furthermore, you can use specialised plugins for more advanced functionality and customising; for example, setting up an affiliate network for your online shop.

Unlimited Websites on WordPress

There is no limit on how many times you can download a new installation of WordPress. You can create as many websites as you like and as many as your hosting plan allows, at no cost.

Compare that to Squarespace, where you are limited to only one website, and if you want to create an additional site, you need to sign up for another paid subscription. This added expense can get expensive, particularly, if you want multiple websites later.

Furthermore, WordPress has a feature called Multisite. Multisite allows you to create a network of websites using a single installation. Multisite allows you to access all of your sites from one central dashboard, making it easy to manage multiple sites.