Guide
What's better than Squarespace?
Squarespace makes beautiful sites with little effort, which is why it is popular. But it isn't the best fit for everyone. Some owners want more layout freedom, some want to spend less, and some would rather not design anything. Here are the alternatives worth considering and who each one suits.
When Squarespace is the right choice
If you run a design-led business, such as a salon, a studio or a photographer, and you want a polished site you can edit yourself without much fuss, Squarespace is hard to beat. Its templates are strong and it's difficult to make one look bad.
People usually look elsewhere for four reasons: the editor feels restrictive, every Squarespace site starts to look familiar, the annual cost adds up, or they simply don't have time to design anything.
The alternatives, and what each does better
Wix: more freedom. You can place almost anything anywhere, and its AI builder can generate a starting site. The trade-off is that freedom makes it easy to create a cluttered page.
Framer: the most designer-grade results and animation. Best if you are, or have, a designer.
Webflow: professional-level control for complex sites. More to learn than most owners want.
Shopify: better if selling products is the main point of the site.
WordPress: the most control and ownership, and the most upkeep.
GoDaddy, Hostinger and Durable: faster and often cheaper, with more generic results.
GetDigital: built for trades and local services. You start from three finished designs of your own business and change anything, instead of starting from a template.
Why owners outgrow Squarespace
Design that looks like other Squarespace sites. The templates are good, which is exactly why so many businesses use the same ones. A customer comparing three local businesses may see the same layout three times.
An editor that fights you. Squarespace's section-based editor is tidy but opinionated. Moving one element where you want it can mean rebuilding the section around it.
Cost over time. A few years of annual plans, plus any add-ons, can cost more than a one-time build. It is worth adding up what you've actually paid.
No time. The most common reason of all. The site was built in a burst of energy and hasn't been touched since, because updating it means logging in and learning the editor again.
How the costs compare
At the time of writing, Squarespace starts at about $16–$19 a month and Wix at about $17 a month, both billed annually, with business plans costing more. Framer and Webflow are priced similarly for simple sites and rise with features.
GetDigital works differently: designing is free and putting your site live is a one-time $750, with no monthly builder subscription. Our cost guide has the full picture across every route.
What to check before you switch
What you'd lose. Blog posts, product listings, form submissions, customer lists. Squarespace exports only some content, so list what you need to keep before you start.
Your domain. If Squarespace registered it for you, you can transfer it out, but it takes a few days. Keep the old site live until the new one is ready, then point the domain across.
Your search rankings. Keep the same page addresses where you can. Where you can't, set up redirects from old addresses to new ones so Google and bookmarks follow you.
Your email. If your business email is set up through your domain, make sure the email records move with it. This is the step that most often breaks during a switch.
Is it worth switching at all?
Switching costs time, and for many businesses the better move is fixing the site you have: sharper photos, a clearer headline with your town in it, your phone number at the top, and a page for each main service.
Switch when the platform itself is the problem: you need something it can't do, the cost no longer makes sense, or you've outgrown editing it yourself and want it done for you.
If you're curious what a fresh start would look like, type your business into our builder. It's free, it takes seconds, and it shows three finished designs you can compare with what you have now.
Choosing quickly
Want more freedom than Squarespace: Wix. Want it to look like an agency made it: Framer, or a studio. Selling products: Shopify. Want it done for you, for your trade: try our free builder, or see Wix vs Squarespace vs custom for a deeper comparison.