Webflow vs Squarespace, which is the best tool for building a website?

Publié le 1 August 2022 - Mis à jour le 18 May 2024 - Écrit par Fabien Manent

Webflow and Squarespace are 2 no-code website building tools. So which one fits your needs and expectations best? In this Webflow vs Squarespace comparison, we review them point by point to help you decide.

There are now a huge number of platforms for building a website. That makes it hard to know which one best meets your needs and what you are looking for.

Squarespace, the all-in-one solution

1. What is it?

Squarespace is an all-in-one website building solution, launched in 2003. It is best known for its polished templates, which suit many styles, and for its ease of use. It mainly targets artists, photographers and designers. That said, anyone can build a site with Squarespace.

2. The advantages

  • Templates set Squarespace apart from its competitors. If you want to build a site simply by adding your content, you can choose from their templates. They are sorted into several categories, which helps you find the template that best meets your needs.
  • The templates are designed and tested to adapt automatically to every device (phone, tablet, computer). This improves the user experience.
  • The platform lets you build a site in very little time. It is designed for beginners and requires no design or coding skills.
  • Customer support is available 24/7. You send a request and someone helps you solve your problem.
  • Squarespace lets its users import and export their content easily.
  • Creating redirect URLs is simple. You can send visitors from a page that no longer exists to an active page.
  • Squarespace offers additional services, such as buying a domain name, creating a logo or SEO tools.

3. The drawbacks

  • The cost climbs fast. You pay monthly or yearly depending on the plan, but extra fees quickly add up to access all the features. Define the type of site and the features you need from the start so you do not spend money for nothing.
  • Design customization is limited. The choice of templates is wide, but customizing them stays very restricted without solid coding knowledge.
  • The editor is not always intuitive. Some features, such as changing the font or color of an element, are hard to find. The platform also does not save your work automatically, so remember to save your project.
  • Squarespace is poorly suited to large sites with a complex structure. It only has one navigation system. Avoid it if your site needs a deep menu hierarchy or several languages.
  • Loading speed suffers. The tools built into Squarespace make your pages take longer to load, which can cost you potential customers.

4. Who it is for

With these pros and cons in mind, let's look at who Squarespace is really for.

Squarespace is ideal for showcasing design or creative work, your own or a client's. It also suits people who want to build their site themselves, quickly and without help.

For a more complex project, however, Squarespace is the wrong choice.

Webflow, the tool for custom websites

1. What is it?

Webflow is a no-code website building tool, and also a CMS and a hosting platform. It lets web designers create professional, custom websites. You get a lot of freedom to customize, with the option to start from scratch and build a site that fully reflects your brand.

2. Reasons to choose Webflow

  • Design and development come together. Before Webflow, designers had to handle the code on one side and the visual design on the other. Now you design and build your site with a single tool.
  • Loading speed is preserved. Unlike Squarespace, Webflow does not add unnecessary code that would slow down your pages.
  • You can create advanced interactions. The web is an interactive experience, and Webflow lets you create animations so your site stands out from its competitors. Animations are built visually, with no particular CSS or JavaScript skills.
  • Adapting to different screens is simple. You preview and adjust your layouts for each device by clicking on the format you want.
  • The interface is user-friendly. Its dashboard is clean and has everything you need to work.
  • The SEO settings are quick and easy to access on every page.
  • Help resources are plentiful. A lot of content already exists online to help you master the tool. For example, you can check Webflow University, the Webflow blog, the forum, the community or customer support.
  • Design customization is complete. Webflow is the best solution for fully customizing your site, which you can build from scratch and give free rein to your creativity.

Webflow vs Squarespace, our conclusion

After this overview of the 2 no-code platforms, Webflow stands out as the most suitable solution for designing fully custom websites.

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