SQUARESPACE VS SHOPIFY
There are so many options now to open an online store, start a blog, or just have an online presence. I have experience with Squarespace and Shopify as they are the two platforms that I use for JB and this blog. Both platforms are great but depending on what you are planning to do one might work better than the other.
First you need to ask yourself what is the purpose of your website?
If you are planning to open an online store I would recommend Shopify (almost always). The reason I say almost always is that if you only have a few products Squarespace might be a good place to start and test out the market. However, if you are looking to grow your product offering, having to make the switch to Shopify will be annoying. Shopify is hands down the best for product modification, options, and shipping.
If you are looking to start a blog, photobook, or information website Squarespace is unreal. Squarespace is way more user friendly for non-computer people (join the club) and visually so appealing. Their templates are super impactful and really easy to work with.
Price
Both platforms offer free trials and monthly packages, depending on your shop needs. For basic websites, Shopify’s base price is cheaper but I wouldn’t base your decision on price. It’s more important to get the platform that is going to work for you.
Ease of Use
Like I mentioned above Squarespace is a lot more user friendly for non techy people. Either way you are going to have to spend time with whichever platform you choose and figure out how it operates. Shopify does have way more flexibility if you are, or know someone, who is a programmer. Shopify also has a huge app store where you can find plugins for your website to make your life easier. For example at JB we use an app that lets us set up a calendar at check out so our customers can choose specific days to pick up their order or get it delivered. We have another app that integrates a customer rewards program with our online store as well as our POS system at the shop.
Other Comparables
There are a lot more ways I can go through and compare the two but at the end of the day you have to pick which will work best for your project. I would highly recommend taking advantage of both Shopify and Squarespace free trials and spend some serious time playing around. It’s a good idea to plan your website out on paper first like menu options, pages, ect so you can really get the most out of your free trial. With one of my free trials I actually got the entire website complete before having to pay for it. Lastly, what you set out to do might change so don’t be discouraged if you feel like you picked the wrong platform. It might take some extra unplanned time but you can always switch for a better fit!
Ps. If you have any questions about either Shopify or Squarespace let me know! Building the website is one of my favourite parts so I’d be happy to help.