Best Squarespace Alternatives: Which Website Builder Should You Actually Use?

Squarespace is a solid website builder, but it's not for everyone. Maybe you're hitting its limitations with ecommerce, frustrated by the template restrictions, or just want something cheaper. Whatever your reason for looking at Squarespace alternatives, I've got you covered.

I've tested all these platforms extensively. Here's what actually matters when you're making the switch—not marketing fluff, but real pricing, real limitations, and honest opinions about who should use what.

Quick take: If you want Squarespace-level design simplicity but more flexibility, go with Wix. If you need serious design control and are willing to learn, choose Webflow. For ecommerce at scale, Shopify is the move. And if you want maximum control (and don't mind getting your hands dirty), WordPress remains the most flexible option.

Wix: The Most Direct Squarespace Alternative

Wix is the closest thing to a drop-in replacement for Squarespace. Similar drag-and-drop interface, similar template quality, but with more flexibility in how you can position elements on the page.

Wix Pricing

• Free: $0 (Wix-branded domain, ads on your site)
• Light: $17/month (custom domain, remove Wix branding)
• Core: $29/month (ecommerce, bookings, analytics)
• Business: $39/month (100GB storage, professional ecommerce)
• Business Elite: $159/month (unlimited storage, VIP support)

All prices are annual billing. Monthly rates are higher. Wix frequently runs 50% off promotions, so don't pay full price if you can avoid it.

Where Wix Beats Squarespace

• True drag-and-drop freedom (not locked to section-based design)
• Larger app marketplace with more third-party integrations
• More affordable entry-level plans
• AI-powered design tools are genuinely useful
• Better booking and scheduling features built-in

Where Wix Falls Short

• Templates aren't quite as polished as Squarespace's best designs
• Can't switch templates without rebuilding your site
• Page speed can suffer on heavier sites
• Professional email costs extra ($6/month through Google Workspace)

Who Should Choose Wix

Small businesses, service providers, and anyone who wants design flexibility without learning code. If you're comfortable with Squarespace but want more creative freedom, Wix is your best bet. The Core plan at $29/month is the sweet spot—you get ecommerce, booking tools, and analytics without breaking the bank.

For a detailed comparison of these two platforms, check out our Squarespace vs Wix breakdown.

Webflow: For Designers Who Want Full Control

Webflow isn't a beginner platform. But if you have design experience or you're willing to invest time learning, it produces the cleanest, most professional websites of any website builder. Period.

Webflow Pricing

Webflow's pricing is genuinely confusing because you need both a Site plan (for hosting) and potentially a Workspace plan (for collaboration). Here's what matters:

Site Plans (per website):

• Starter: Free (webflow.io subdomain, 2 pages, 1GB bandwidth)
• Basic: $14/month (custom domain, 150 pages, 10GB bandwidth)
• CMS: $23/month (2,000 CMS items, blog functionality)
• Business: $39/month (10,000 CMS items, 100GB bandwidth)

Ecommerce Plans:

• Standard: $29/month (500 products, 2% transaction fee)
• Plus: $74/month (5,000 products, no transaction fee)
• Advanced: $212/month (15,000 products, priority support)

Where Webflow Beats Squarespace

• Pixel-perfect design control—nothing is off limits
• Cleaner, more semantic code output
• Better for complex animations and interactions
• More powerful CMS for content-heavy sites
• Can export your code and host elsewhere

Where Webflow Falls Short

• Steep learning curve—expect 20+ hours to get comfortable
• Pricing adds up fast (site plan + workspace plan + add-ons)
• Limited native ecommerce features compared to dedicated platforms
• No phone support on most plans
• Can feel over-engineered for simple projects

Who Should Choose Webflow

Design agencies, developers, and businesses that need highly custom websites. If your brand demands unique design that templates can't deliver, Webflow is worth the learning curve. But if you just need a nice-looking portfolio or small business site, it's overkill.

Want more detail? Read our Squarespace vs Webflow comparison.

Shopify: The Ecommerce-First Alternative

If you're leaving Squarespace because its ecommerce features are holding you back, Shopify is the obvious answer. It's built from the ground up to sell products—everything else is secondary.

Shopify Pricing

• Basic: $39/month (online store, unlimited products, 2 staff accounts)
• Shopify: $105/month (professional reports, 5 staff accounts)
• Advanced: $399/month (custom reporting, 15 staff accounts)

Transaction fees range from 0.5% to 2% unless you use Shopify Payments (then they're waived). Credit card processing is around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction on Basic.

Where Shopify Beats Squarespace

• Vastly superior inventory management
• More payment gateway options
• Better shipping and fulfillment integrations
• Abandoned cart recovery on all paid plans
• Point-of-sale for physical retail
• More apps for everything ecommerce-related

Where Shopify Falls Short

• More expensive than Squarespace for basic stores
• Design customization is more limited without coding
• Transaction fees add up if you don't use Shopify Payments
• Blogging features are weak
• Can get expensive fast with apps

Who Should Choose Shopify

Anyone serious about selling online. If products are your primary business, not a side feature, Shopify's the right tool. The ecosystem, integrations, and ecommerce-specific features are worth the premium price. But if you're selling a few items alongside a content site, Squarespace or Wix might still be enough.

See our Squarespace vs Shopify comparison for the full rundown.

WordPress: Maximum Flexibility (With a Catch)

WordPress powers over 40% of the internet. It can do literally anything. But that flexibility comes at a cost: complexity.

WordPress Pricing

WordPress itself is free. The costs come from hosting, themes, and plugins:

• Hosting: $3-30/month for shared, $30-100/month for managed
• Premium themes: $50-200 one-time
• Premium plugins: Varies wildly ($0-500+/year)
• Domain: $10-15/year

Total realistic cost: $5-50/month for basic sites, potentially hundreds for complex builds.

Where WordPress Beats Squarespace

• Unlimited customization possibilities
• Own your content and hosting (no platform lock-in)
• Massive plugin ecosystem (60,000+)
• Better for SEO if you know what you're doing
• Scales from blog to enterprise
• Generally cheaper at scale

Where WordPress Falls Short

• Steeper learning curve than any all-in-one builder
• You're responsible for security updates and backups
• Plugin conflicts are a real headache
• Quality control is hit-or-miss (lots of bad themes/plugins)
• No built-in support—you're on your own

Who Should Choose WordPress

Content-heavy sites, bloggers who want full control, and businesses that need specific functionality no website builder offers. If you're comfortable with technology and value ownership over convenience, WordPress remains the most powerful option. Just don't underestimate the maintenance overhead.

Read our detailed Squarespace vs WordPress breakdown.

Other Alternatives Worth Mentioning

Weebly (Now Square Online)

Simpler than Squarespace, owned by Square. Good if you already use Square for payments. But the design options are limited and it feels dated compared to modern builders. Free plan available, paid starts around $10/month.

GoDaddy Website Builder

Super simple, integrates well if you're already on GoDaddy hosting. But the templates are generic and you'll outgrow it quickly. Only worth considering for the most basic brochure sites.

Hostinger Website Builder

Budget option starting under $3/month. Surprisingly capable for the price. Worth considering if cost is your primary concern and you don't need advanced features.

How to Choose the Right Squarespace Alternative

Choose Wix if...

• You want design freedom without learning code
• You need booking/scheduling features
• Budget is a concern but you still want quality
• You're a service-based business

Choose Webflow if...

• Design quality is your top priority
• You have design/development experience
• You need complex animations or interactions
• You're an agency building client sites

Choose Shopify if...

• Ecommerce is your primary focus
• You need advanced inventory management
• You want the best checkout experience
• You're selling more than 20-30 products

Choose WordPress if...

• You need maximum flexibility
• You want to own everything
• You're building a content-heavy site
• You have technical resources available

Making the Switch: What to Know

Before you migrate, a few practical considerations:

1. Export your content first. Squarespace lets you export blog posts and products. Do it before canceling.
2. Check your domain situation. If your domain is through Squarespace, you'll need to transfer it or point it to your new host.
3. Don't forget redirects. If you're changing URL structures, set up 301 redirects to preserve any SEO value.
4. Budget for the transition. Factor in time to rebuild, potential downtime, and any premium themes/plugins you'll need.

For more on Squarespace specifically, check out our Squarespace pricing guide and Squarespace reviews to make sure you're comparing against the right baseline.

The Bottom Line

There's no universally "best" Squarespace alternative—it depends entirely on what's driving your switch. Frustrated with ecommerce? Go Shopify. Want more design control? Webflow's your answer. Looking for similar simplicity with more flexibility? Wix is the move.

Don't overthink it. Pick the platform that solves your specific problem, sign up for a free trial, and spend a weekend testing it. You'll know pretty quickly if it's the right fit.