Squarespace is a leading platform in the website-building space. Known for its designer templates, responsive and intuitive web builder, e-commerce functionality, and strong customer support, the platform may be perfect for some. However, you may need more customization options or different integrations. Whatever your reasons, exploring Squarespace alternatives is a smart move.
In this article, we’ll explore 8 of the best Squarespace alternatives, covering each platform’s top features, pricing plans, customer reviews, and more.
Let’s dive in!
- Alternatives to Squarespace
- Choosing the right Squarespace alternatives 2024
- Best Squarespace alternatives: final thoughts
| Squarespace alternative | Features | Pricing plans |
| 1. Thinkific |
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| 2. WordPress |
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| 3. Wix |
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| 4. Shopify |
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| 5. GoDaddy |
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| 6. Duda |
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| 7. Strikingly |
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| 8. BigCommerce |
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Alternatives to Squarespace
While Squarespace is known for its comprehensive suite of features, the web-building landscape is rich with diverse platforms, each coming with its own set of strengths. From tailored solutions for educators and e-commerce businesses to platforms offering unmatched customization and unparalleled design flexibility, the alternatives to Squarespace cater to various specific needs and preferences.
(Check out our picks for 2024’s best blogging platforms here.)
Let’s start with Thinkific.
Trusted by brands like Shopify and Hootsuite, Thinkific is a robust online platform with tons to offer. Known mostly for its online course-building capabilities, Thinkific enables users to build custom websites, develop branded mobile apps, grow and engage with communities, diversify monetization, and integrate with trusted tools.
Thinkific’s web builder comes with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. You can leverage theme settings to create a branded experience for visitors, customize the core components of your web pages, and drive traffic to monetizable assets like online courses.
Top features:
- Easy-to-use website builder
- Branded mobile app experience
- Customizable course content delivery
- Advanced sales and marketing tools
- Community building features
Pricing plans:
- Free
- Basic ($49/month)
- Start ($99/month)
- Grow ($199/month)
- Thinkific Plus (Enterprise)
Thinkific is rare, as it offers a generous free plan without a transaction fee. This means you can try out the platform, commitment-free, and start driving revenue without the costly fees of similar platforms—some of which are in this list.
User reviews or testimonials
“The best part about Thinkific is that it is very intuitive and simple to use. Key features like course builder and site builder are quite robust and reliable. I also like how responsive and supportive the team is with responding to all queries.” – Somya B., Product Marketing Manager
“I have been using the Thinkific platform for over two years, and I have found it very easy to use and very adaptable. There is also great flexibility with branding, and I have built a system that matches my entire brand online. Thinkific is a product I would not hesitate to share with my friends and business associates.” – Gregory D., Small Business Owner
WordPress earns its place amongst free Squarespace alternatives as a tried-and-true website builder that’s been around since the early 2000’s. Home to more than a third of the world’s websites, WordPress is known for its customization and integration abilities. Fly solo and create a site from scratch with little coding knowledge, or employ experienced developers—the platform appeals to almost everyone.
Key features:
- Extensive customization with themes and plugins
- SEO optimized sites
- Multilingual support
Pricing plans:
WordPress.org is free. However, it’s only a publishing platform, which means you’ll have to pay to host your website on a separate company’s servers. Depending on your hosting needs, hosting services can cost anywhere from a few dollars per month, to several hundred. Most beginners will only need to spend $5 to $10 per month.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that some plug-ins and themes may add additional costs, which may raise your month-to-month expenses.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I like the versatility of WordPress as it can power a wide range of websites from blogs and small businesses sites to e- commerce platforms and large enterprise websites. Its SEO plugins help users improve their website search. Many of its themes are mobile responsive and function well on various devices.” – Asna F., Writer
“WordPress has been around for a while and caters to developers of different skill levels, but I found it to be most useful when I was a beginner and an intermediate developer. There are a lot of free plugins with some requiring a premium version. The other feature that adds functionality to WordPress is its themes which cater to different industries, layouts, and styles.” – Gabriella N., Small Business Founder
Wix is one of the most popular Squarespace alternatives and is a powerful website builder that offers users an easy and intuitive web-building experience. The platform is known for its easy-to-use interface, which allows users to launch their website quickly. Like many Software-as-a-Service companies in 2024, Wix has embraced AI innovation and brings AI-powered solutions to its users through graphic design, content creation, and web building.
Key features:
- “Hire a professional” on Wix Marketplace
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- AI integrations, known as Wix ADI
Pricing plans:
- Light ($16/month)
- Core ($27/month)
- Business ($32/month)
- Business Elite ($159/month)
- Enterprise
While there are a variety of Wix pricing options available, most users will quickly find themselves in need of the pricey Business and Business Elite plans. The small storage space, limited marketing suite, and limited site analytics of the smaller plans can easily limit your growth over time.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I’ve designed about two dozen websites for clients using Wix. Very easy to use. The templates are excellent. New features are cutting edge. Customer service is a bit more difficult to reach, but once you’ve got them, they are top-notch.” – Cathy G., Small Business Owner
“I had NO idea how to build a website, but as a new business owner, I needed something ASAP. We had a very small budget, so we could not afford a professional to create something for us. Wix made everything so easy, and I have gotten SO many compliments from various groups of people. It sure felt good to be able to create something I could be proud of, and that helped us grow tremendously and gave us credibility to our clients.” – Megan F., Small Business Owner
Shopify is well known amongst dedicated sellers, whether exclusively online or across multiple channels. As a staple in e-commerce, Shopify is designed to be an all-in-one platform for those with a product, digital, physical, or both, and a need to create an online presence, sell their products, and market and manage their business. This platform is one of the best Squarespace alternatives, especially for physical retailers.
Key features:
- Comprehensive e-commerce tools
- User-friendly interface
- Multi-channel selling
Pricing plans:
- Basic ($39/month)
- Shopify ($105/month)
- Advanced ($399/month)
Shopify’s pricing structure is less incremental than other pricing plans featured in this list. However, this structure appears to be aligned with Shopify’s target audience—dedicated sellers and shop owners—as checkout and shipping rates decrease as your monthly payment increases. This means, business owners may benefit more from higher subscription costs.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I’ve been using Shopify since 2018, and I think it’s the best E-commerce platform out there. It’s very organized and has all the information that you need to process an order. We also use this to assist customers regarding their concerns about tracking, discounts, gift cards, products, etc. because it has all the information that you need.” – Jeleene M., Small Business Owner
“The features and app ecosystem that Shopify offers, along with its user-friendliness, customization options, and dependability, are what I find most appealing. Regardless of your level of experience, Shopify offers the resources and assistance required to establish and manage a profitable online business.” – Ashvin K., Content Creator
With GoDaddy, and the optional help of AI, you can start designing a custom website in minutes, for free. While advanced features like adding a custom shop, improved SEO and analytics, or advanced marketing tools are only available on premium plans, GoDaddy has a lot to offer regardless of budget.
Key features:
- AI-assisted web design
- Domain registration, management, and SSL certification
- E-commerce solutions
Pricing plans:
- Free
- Basic ($12.99/month)
- Premium ($14.99/month)
- Commerce ($26.99/month)
GoDaddy’s free plan includes email and social media marketing tools, SSL certification, and GoDaddy payments. However, you’ll need to purchase a paid monthly plan if listing products, hosting an online store, improving SEO, or offering a branded experience are of interest to you.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I love how it’s very easy to use. I use other website builders, and none of them compare to GoDaddy as far as easy to use and great price. I can change my website in a minute and have it active within seconds. Overall, GoDaddy is the best website builder hands down from my personal experiences with multiple platforms.” – Erica B., Small Business Owner
“It is an intuitive tool with an easy-to-use interface to build a basic website. It is especially useful if you are working on one-page websites. It is also integrated with GoDaddy Hosting, which makes it a great one-stop solution for basic websites, like personal ones.” – Luis M., Small Business Owner
Duda is a comprehensive platform that rivals other all-in-one platforms in this Squarespace alternatives list. This platform offers e-commerce solutions, widgets and a widget builder, client management tools, and more. Perfect for businesses looking to monetize their digital content, Duda also allows web builders to monetize with memberships and gated content. Duda’s AI initiatives also push the boundaries of web design by helping creators generate AI-assisted content.
Key features:
- AI content assistant
- E-commerce solutions
- Native widgets and widget builder
Pricing plans:
- Basic ($25/month)
- Team ($39/month)
- Agency ($69/month)
- White Label ($199/month)
- Customer (Enterprise)
Like Thinific, Duda also offers white label services to businesses with larger budgets and the need for highly custom experiences. However, most Duda users will find the Basic and Team plans to be more than suitable for their business needs.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I have been using Duda for eight years now! What I love about Duda is the simplicity of the Duda dashboard, the Duda editor, and how to publish and unpublish the site. With their new rollout of features for the SEO part, I must say, it is easier to use now than ever!” – Iceal G., CRM Automation Specialist
“Some of the upsides of using Duda are the easy to use UI, extensive list of customization options, and the ease of connecting outside domains to your site. Integrating custom assets is a breeze. The customer support on Duda is quick, friendly, and super helpful. All in all, Duda provides a wonderful experience for new and tenured web developers alike.” – Jacob B., Small Business Owner
Strikingly is lauded as one of the easiest web builders to use, with Forbes reporting that it’s even easier and more intuitive than some drag-and-drop builders on the market. Offering basic marketing and e-commerce tools, this platform is an excellent choice for entry level professionals and small business owners. Users will be able to scale their business with native forms and a blog integration, but may find themselves wanting more when it comes to storage and bandwidth.
Key features:
- Easy-to-use blogging pages
- Simple social media integrations
- Integrated sign up and contact forms
Pricing plans:
- Free
- Limited ($12/month)
- Pro ($20/month)
- VIP ($59/month)
While Strikingly does offer a free plan with unlimited free sites, you’ll likely find the 5GB monthly bandwidth and 500MB monthly storage restrictions severely limiting. Move one tier up and you’ll find the aptly named Limited plan, with a marginal 1GB of storage per site, 50GB of bandwidth, and a steep 5% transaction fee. If Strikingly is the platform for you, we recommend investing in the Pro or VIP plans.
User reviews and testimonials:
“I love how wildly simple it is to use Strikingly. You can micromanage/customize every aspect of your site if you wish, or you can pick a quick template, import your information from LinkedIn, and be ready to publish in minutes. The templates are eye-catching, and there is a lot to choose from, even in the free version.” – Nicole H., Content Writer
“Strikingly is an easy-to-use web builder for people looking to launch a website quickly. I love how simple it is to build a modern website for those with very little knowledge of web development. The drag and drop interface doesn’t take away from the quality of the code behind the design. It helps both developers and designers create great looking websites quickly.” – Kenny K., Web Production Manager
BigCommerce is a platform designed for, well, big brands. Brands looking to go global with their sales will benefit most from this platform, as it allows businesses to manage multiple storefronts from the same backend—you can even integrate brick and mortar stores. BigCommerce’s SEO features are highly rated, along with its drag-and-drop web builder and available integrations.
Key features:
- Multi-storefront, multi-language, multi-currency
- B2B and B2C functionality
- Integrates with common industry software and physical storefronts
Pricing plans:
- Standard ($39/month)
- Plus ($105/month)
- Pro ($399/month)
- Enterprise
Most notably, BigCommerce plans charge a percentage and flat rate fee per transaction. The percentage rate decreases as you move up in pricing plans, with the Pro plan having the lowest rate. Users of the higher-end pricing tiers will also enjoy increasingly complex marketing and sales features, like an abandoned cart saver and persistent cart features.
User reviews and testimonials:
“BigCommerce has a lot of great features out of the box—there are many options for integrating 3rd party software, which is a very helpful thing as more and more solutions are becoming more important and necessary for online retailers to connect and maintain.” – Rachel G., Marketing Manager
“Our ecommerce business basically doubled overnight once our BigCommerce stores went live earlier this year. SEO seems to be really good, we’re able to create robust product listings with plenty of quality photos, video, etc. We love the multi store platform as we have 5 websites and are able to sell across all of them with one backend experience.” – Vanessa G., Small Business Owner
Choosing the right Squarespace alternatives 2024
Finding the perfect web-building platform is no easy task. To do so, especially as you search for a Squarespace alternative, you must consider several key points, which include:
- What’s the purpose of your website? Are you creating a personal blog, portfolio, business site, or online store? Understanding the purpose of your site will help you identify which features are most important to your site’s success. For example, e-commerce solutions are much more critical to an online plant store than a lifestyle blogger.
- What experience level do you need to navigate the platform? As with all software tools, your comfort with navigating a digital platform can significantly impact which platform you choose. While some platforms offer unmatched customization, like WordPress, they’re equally as complex and have a more significant learning curve than entry-level drag-and-drop platforms.
- Speaking of customization, what level of customization does the platform offer? Businesses with high-end clientele or a large following will need to offer a higher-end experience to match. This likely means you’ll need a white-label mobile app or ad free website. On the other hand, smaller businesses can likely get away with having another brand’s logo at the bottom of their email campaign while they scale.
- Does the platform integrate with your current tools? If you’re migrating away from Squarespace, rather than building a website from scratch, you likely already have a tech stack full of creative, marketing, and e-commerce tools you’re currently using. Migrating to a new web-building platform is already monumental enough, do you really want to also change your email marketing or social media planning tools?
- Will the platform scale with your business? Be sure to look at website storage and bandwidth as you assess different platforms and pricing plans. Not all Squarespace alternatives are equipped to handle large amounts of storage, bandwidth, or traffic.
- What level of support does the platform offer? Customer support can make or break initiatives like product launches, customer adoption, and retention. Invest in a platform with a level of customer support you’re comfortable with.
- Is the platform actively improving the user experience? Finally, aim to select a platform that actively seeks out and listens to user feedback. The goal is to find a platform that is both preventative and sympathetic to the user experience, capable of apologizing when things go wrong or don’t measure up, and working to improve the product. Similar to scaling with your business, this quality ensures that you select a platform that will evolve with the times and its user base.
Best Squarespace alternatives: final thoughts
While Squarespace is a stellar web-building platform, that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect solution for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a platform that helps you quickly and easily create a website or offers robust customization and extensive integrations, there’s no shortage of Squarespace alternatives. So, try them out and see what works for your business.
Sign up with Thinkific and start building your website for free today.
