The best alternatives to Squarespace make it simple and easy to create your own website.
If you're about to get started on creating your own website, you might be on the hunt for the best alternatives to Squarespace.
Not that Squarespace is a bad service, quite the opposite: it's an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder where even total design newbies can build a professional site within minutes.
That simplicity has earned Squarespace millions of customers, but there's a down side. Your Squarespace site will look great, but it could also look and feel very similar to a myriad of others, because you've all used the same templates and page layouts.
Finding the best alternatives to Squarespace allows you to keep the same simple drag-and-drop design process, but also may help give your website and brand that unique style you're after, ensuring it stands out from the crowd.
We've come up with our top five Squarespace alternatives by taking a deep dive into the key functions for every website builder. So read on for an in-depth guide as to each provider's template and theme selection, editor, user experience, customer support, analytics and data provision, and of course, cost.
Wanting to create a site to showcase your work? Here are the best portfolio website builders.
The best alternatives to Squarespace of 2024 in full:
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Wix effortlessly stands out from the alternative Squarespace crowd for its easy and intuitive website editor and massive stockpile of stunning themes. Find a theme that works for you (no problem, as there are so many), add your content and you'll have a stylish site immediately.
This isn't just about visuals, though, amazing as they are: we think Wix is just as strong on the under-the-hood fundamentals. Your site is hosted on Wix's own speedy platform, for instance, so you won't need to find a web host. You get (depending on your plan) a decent amount of storage, a domain, Google Analytics to learn more about your visitors, and 24/7 support if you get stuck at any point.
There's even a free tier. Okay, it's limited, and the Wix branding and very long URL (youraccountname.wixsite.com/yoursitename) mean it won't work for serious or business use, but it's still a great way to check out the templates, see how the editor works, and find out if Wix is right for you.
If you decide to sign up, four standard paid plans range from $16 to $159 a month, with the higher products adding some very impressive business functionality (an advanced ecommerce platform, detailed analytics, a comprehensive marketing suite, developer tools and more.)
Read the full Wix review.
WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com, a web hosting service) is the home of WordPress, the world's most popular website builder, which now powers some 43% of all websites on the internet.
WordPress is open-source, and can be easily installed for free with most hosting packages (see the best WordPress hosting.) If you've simple website needs then WordPress allows you to build a basic site at speed, at no charge beyond your hosting plan.
This isn't as easy to use as the likes of Wix or Squarespace, at least with the free version of WordPress, and the free templates and page components are far more basic. If visual style is a priority, you might need to buy a paid theme (prices typically range from $20-$100..)
Where WordPress excels, though, is in the total control it gives you over your site, along with its vast ecosystem of paid extras and addons. That means, unlike almost any other platform, WordPress can scale infinitely to suit your future website needs. If, in a couple of years, you need some specially designed custom theme, to add a massive web store, or integrate with any web platform or service, WordPress will have more and better solutions than anyone else.
GoDaddy is a top hosting provider with a wide range of plans, but its Website Builder service is a highlight. An extensive library of quality templates gets your website off to a great start, and the intuitive editor (which we think is one of the easiest around) provides all the tools you need to quickly build your website.
The blogging section is simple but appealing, with a range of layout options. Creating new blog posts is straightforward because it works much like the editors you use already, with all the text styling, URL, list types and other features you need.
For all its simplicity, GoDaddy's Website Builder has some advanced features, including support for building web stores. This even includes extras such as a tool to import your inventory from Square or other platforms (via CSV), an excellent time saver.
If you’re on the lookout of a service that allows you the flexibility and creativity to design your own web presence, with a flexible layout that will look good on any screen, you should definitely take a look at GoDaddy’s web builder offering.
GoDaddy offers four plans, with Basic plan priced at around $6 per month when billed annually.
Read the full GoDaddy Website Builder review.
Website Builder’s got the perfect name. Talk about doing what it says on the tin! The initial creation process is straightforward and easy: just move through the steps and fill in the right information for your business, such as what it’s about, your company name, select a background image (your own or one from Unsplash), your preferred font (from a list of 6), your choice of colours, and your contact details. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll be good to explore the service’s ‘Intelligent Builder’.
Sections (known as blocks in other similar services) are a great way to build a page quickly. As you browse through the various categories, you’ll notice that the templates are merely variations on a theme, with minor changes. There are limits to what you can change regarding the structure of the section, but you have a lot more freedom when it comes to customising the content.
One major aspect of a website is usually its blog, and Website Builder has you covered. Editing is very simple, just type away and insert images and videos at your convenience. Another great addition is e-commerce. Its payment system is managed through PayPal, and all accounts can make use of this feature, even the free one, although you’re limited to only being able to sell three products.
Website Builder is an excellent service which enables you to create a site for your business in very little time. It comes with interesting tools to help you run your business more efficiently, and is good value for money.
Web.com doesn’t offer a free trial, nor does there seem to be a money-back guarantee. You have to commit to at least four weeks, but on the plus side, that first payment is only $1.95. This could put off a few people, but as the focus of this service is on businesses, the initial outlay is tiny for what you’re being offered.
The customization process is done using templates, of which you have more than a hundred to choose from, all broken down by categories. The whole concept of web.com’s website creation process is centered around dragging and dropping ‘features’ or ‘blocks’.
Blogging itself is pretty straightforward. You add a title, write your piece, and pepper it with images. Adding an online store isn’t included with the standard plan, and is only available with the E-Commerce package. You’re able to sell physical and digital products, deal with taxes, handle shipping options, and set up electronic payments, as you’d expect.
We found web.com to be a very good website builder. Its features and blocks allow you to create a unique and visually interesting page (or series of pages) in minutes. Beefing up the blogging, and offer bulk product imports for the online store, would make it even better. It’s a simple, and affordable solution.
Read the full Web.com review.
How to choose the best alternatives to Squarespace for you
What we see is a powerful website with all the essential functionalities, stunning aesthetics and ease of navigation. What website builders see are long hours of website creation adding element after element to make all this possible. Having easy to use platforms that let us create websites from scratch is a wonderful thing, giving every entrepreneur a chance at the necessary online presence to reach the world.
Whether you’re building your site in full confidence or have absolutely no idea where to start, the freedom to personalise your site makes it easier for you to create a name for your brand, and a good platform to showcase your designs, products, ideas, etc. in a stunning website whose elements have been carefully selected and created by you.
With that all in mind, take into account your previous experience with website builders, and why it is you want the best alternatives to Squarespace. If you’re brand new to this game then you’ll need a platform that is easy to use and intuitive, though those who consider themselves more expert (who perhaps want more freedom and variety than Squarespace provides) may want to search out for something more complex.
As always, consider your budget and whether free trials are included, and any website elements that are integral to your requirements, whether that be e-commerce capabilities, or gallery functionality, or SEO and analytics support.
The best alternatives to Squarespace: How we test
We've taken a robust and detailed deep dive into some of Squarespace's rival website-building platforms and compared each according to their respective strengths and weaknesses.
For those with little or even no budget to play with, we've considered the costs of each builder and listed where some come with free trial periods or even longer-term freemium versions. We've compared the levels of customisation offered, and whether the templates at your disposal cover a wide array of topics and services, or whether the selection is limited. We've also considered ease-of-use, such as whether each builder features beginner-friendly drag-and-drop functionality, or whether a more advanced knowledge of coding is required.
To whittle down our list of best alternatives to Squarespace, we also examined compatibility with popular add-ons and services, such as PayPal and Google Analytics.
