Webflow vs Squarespace: Expert Advice
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Webflow and Squarespace are both popular website builders, offering tools that let you create professional websites without needing to write much, if any, code. While they serve a similar purpose, each platform takes a different approach when it comes to design, flexibility, and user experience.
Both options allow you to build stunning, functional websites, but the right choice depends on your specific goals, skill level, and desired features.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through a full comparison of Webflow vs Squarespace, covering everything from pricing and ease of use to design templates, plug-ins, and more. Our goal is to help you decide which platform fits your needs best.
Webflow Overview
Webflow is a visual website builder that allows users to design, build, and launch responsive websites without writing code. It combines the flexibility of custom development with the ease of a drag-and-drop editor, making it ideal for designers and tech-savvy beginners. Webflow offers powerful design control, CMS functionality, and hosting all in one platform. Users can create dynamic content with its built-in CMS and customize interactions and animations with precision. While there’s a learning curve, especially for complete beginners, Webflow is a strong choice for those wanting more design freedom than traditional website builders.
Squarespace Overview
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder known for its sleek templates and beginner-friendly interface. It’s ideal for creatives, small businesses, and anyone looking to build a polished website without technical skills. Users can easily customize pages, add content, and manage a blog or online store using its drag-and-drop tools. Built-in features like SEO tools, analytics, and e-commerce make it convenient to run a full website out of the box. While it’s less flexible for advanced customizations, Squarespace shines when it comes to simplicity and beautiful design.
Squarespace and Webflow Pricing
When comparing Squarespace and Webflow, it’s important to look at the plans that most users actually choose.
The most popular option is Squarespace’s Core Plan ($23/month, billed annually). It gives you access to all templates, custom domains, basic e-commerce features, and analytics - everything you need to run a solid website with minimal fuss. Most features are built-in, so you don’t need to rely on third-party tools.
Webflow’s CMS Plan ($23/month, billed annually) is also their most commonly chosen plan. It’s designed for blogs and content-heavy websites, offering dynamic CMS features and more design flexibility. However, it requires a bit more technical know-how, and some key features - like advanced forms, filtering, or memberships- often depend on third-party integrations.
Recommendation: If you want an easy, all-in-one solution that looks professional and works right out of the box, Squarespace offers better value - especially for beginners and small businesses. The interface is beginner-friendly, support is fast, and you get access to beautiful templates and essential features without needing extra tools.
Webflow, while powerful and flexible, is better suited for those who want full control over design and are comfortable spending more time learning the platform.
Ease of Use
Squarespace
When it comes to ease of use, Squarespace is often the go-to choice for beginners. It’s designed for people who want to build a website quickly without needing to know anything about coding or design tools. The interface is clean and straightforward. You pick a template, drag and drop elements like text or images, and your site starts coming together. Everything is neatly organised, and you don’t have to worry about breaking anything by mistake.
Webflow
Webflow, on the other hand, offers more control but comes with a steeper learning curve. It’s still a visual editor, but it uses design terms and layout options that might feel a bit technical if you’re just starting. You’ll need some time to get used to how Webflow works, especially if you’ve never worked with design software before. However, once you get the hang of it, Webflow gives you much more flexibility to create a custom, professional-looking site exactly the way you want.
In short, if you want something simple and ready to go, Squarespace is easier for beginners. If you’re okay with learning a bit more upfront for greater creative control, Webflow is worth considering.
Template and Design
Squarespace Template and Design
When it comes to templates and design, Squarespace is a favourite among beginners, thanks to its polished and professional-looking templates. It offers around 160+ designer-made templates, all of which are free to use once you’re on a paid plan or trial. These templates are sorted by categories - like online stores, portfolios, blogs, and services - so it’s easy to find one that fits your needs. Each template is fully responsive, meaning it looks good on mobile, tablet, and desktop. You can easily customize fonts, colors, images, and layouts using drag-and-drop tools, and no coding is required. Squarespace also offers a 14-day free trial, giving you time to explore the design tools and build your site before committing to a subscription.
Webflow Template and Design
Webflow also has a template library with over 2,000 templates available, including both free and paid options (paid templates usually range from $24 to $149). While it does offer some ready-made designs, Webflow stands out because it lets you build from scratch or deeply customize templates using a visual editor that behaves more like design software.
This means more creative freedom, but it can feel a bit technical if you’re not used to layout terms like “containers,” “margins,” or “flexbox.” However, once you learn the basics, you can create unique and detailed designs that go far beyond the limits of most drag-and-drop builders. Webflow also offers a free Starter plan, which lets you experiment with the design tools and build a website without paying, though to connect a custom domain or remove Webflow branding, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan.
Quick FAQs:
Are templates free?
Squarespace: Yes, all templates are free to use within your subscription.
Webflow: This offers both free and paid templates.
Can I customize templates easily?
Squarespace: Yes, it is very beginner-friendly, with simple customization tools.
Webflow: Customization is powerful but more complex; it is better for users with some design confidence or willingness to learn.
Is there a free trial?
Squarespace: Yes, there is a 14-day free trial with full access.
Webflow: Yes, there is an unlimited free Starter plan (but with limited features until you upgrade).
Do templates work on mobile?
Both Squarespace and Webflow templates are fully responsive and mobile-friendly.
Recommendation: If you want beautiful templates that are easy to set up and customize, Squarespace is the clear winner for beginners. But if you want more design control and are open to learning, Webflow gives you the tools to build something truly custom.
Plugins and Add-Ons
Plugins and Add-Ons for Squarespace
When it comes to plugins and add-ons, Squarespace keeps things simple by offering most features built directly into the platform. This means you won’t need to install a lot of extra tools just to get your website working. Things like contact forms, image galleries, email marketing, basic SEO, social media integration, and even e-commerce features are already included.
While it doesn’t have a traditional plugin marketplace like WordPress, Squarespace does support some third-party integrations, such as MailChimp, PayPal, OpenTable, and Acuity Scheduling. If you’re after more advanced features, you can also add custom code blocks, but most beginners won’t need to.
Plugins and Add-Ons for Webflow
Webflow, on the other hand, is more open-ended. It doesn’t have a traditional plugin marketplace either, but it supports third-party integrations and tools through custom code embeds or via platforms like Zapier, Memberstack, Finsweet, and Jetboost.
This gives Webflow more flexibility if you want to connect your site to things like forms, memberships, CMS filtering, or advanced animations. However, using these tools usually requires a bit more setup and some understanding of how things work behind the scenes. It’s more hands-on but opens the door to advanced functionality.
Customer Service and Community Learning
When you’re building a website - especially as a beginner - hitting a roadblock can be frustrating. Whether it’s something simple like fixing a broken layout or something more serious like your site going offline, having responsive and reliable customer support can make all the difference.
Your website is often the first place people go to learn about your business, book a service, or buy your products. If your site isn’t working properly and there’s no one to help, you risk losing visitors, trust, and potential clients. That’s why strong customer service and an active community are just as important as the features of the platform itself.
Squarespace Customer Service and Community
Squarespace is known for having very responsive customer support. They offer 24/7 email support and live chat support available Monday through Friday. The live chat isn’t a bot - it connects you with a real person, usually within a few minutes, and most users find the responses friendly and helpful. If you prefer self-help, Squarespace also has a large Help Center filled with tutorials, guides, and video walkthroughs.
The Squarespace Forum and community groups (especially on Reddit and Facebook) are also very active, which is great if you want advice or ideas from other users.
Webflow Customer Service and Community
Webflow, on the other hand, offers email support during business hours (Monday - Friday, 6am - 6pm PT). They don’t offer live chat or phone support, and email replies can sometimes take a day or two, depending on the issue. Webflow does have an extensive Webflow University, filled with detailed video lessons and guides that walk you through nearly every feature.
There’s also a strong community of designers and developers in the Webflow Forum, on Slack channels, and in various online groups like Facebook and Reddit. While helpful, some beginners find that it takes a bit more time to find answers, especially if the issue is technical or urgent.
Recommendation: Squarespace wins when it comes to fast and easy customer support, making it a safer option for beginners who want help right when they need it. Webflow has a passionate and knowledgeable community, but if you’re facing a time-sensitive issue, you might find yourself waiting a bit longer for support.
How to Decide Between Webflow and Squarespace
Our expert recommendation is Squarespace. If you’re just starting and need a simple but powerful website built quickly, Squarespace is an excellent choice. It’s user-friendly, beautifully designed, and has all the tools you need built right in. However, if you’re looking to build a more complex site with advanced animations and interactions, Webflow might still be worth exploring.
These are just two popular options - every business has different needs. We recommend doing a bit more research to see which platform suits your goals best.
If you decide to go with Squarespace and need expert help, feel free to reach out to Rex Marketing and CX.
