November 12, 2026
WordPress Site Hacked? What to Do in the First 24 Hours
Read article →
Squarespace and WordPress can both produce a good-looking business website. The difference is what happens next: when you want a feature the platform does not offer, when traffic grows, or when you want to move. This comparison is written for business owners deciding between the two, or wondering whether to switch.
The short version
| WordPress | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | More decisions up front | Sign up and start |
| Running it | You or a professional handle updates | Handled for you |
| Design freedom | Nearly unlimited | Within the template system |
| Features | Tens of thousands of plugins | What the platform offers |
| Ownership | You own the files and can move hosts | Tied to the platform |
| Cost | Hosting plus any premium tools | Monthly or yearly subscription |
Ease of use
Squarespace wins for getting started. Hosting, security and updates are included, and the editor is simple. WordPress needs hosting, a theme or builder, and some setup. Once a WordPress site is built with a visual builder, though, day-to-day editing is just as easy.
Design
Squarespace templates look polished, and that is also their limit: you work inside the template's structure. With WordPress and a builder such as Breakdance, any layout a designer can draw can be built, including fully custom headers, blog templates and landing pages.
Features and growth
This is where the two separate. Squarespace covers the common needs: pages, a blog, a simple shop, bookings and email campaigns. When you need something outside that list, such as a membership area with custom rules, a directory, a multilingual site or a specific CRM integration, you either cannot do it or need a workaround. WordPress has a plugin or a custom solution for almost anything.
SEO
Both can rank. Squarespace handles the basics. WordPress gives finer control over titles, structured data, redirects, sitemaps and page speed, which matters more as competition for your keywords increases.
Cost
Squarespace is a predictable subscription. WordPress software is free, and you pay for hosting, a domain, and any premium plugins. A simple WordPress site can cost less to run than Squarespace, while a complex one costs more, because it is doing more. The larger difference is the build: a custom WordPress site is usually built by a professional.
Ownership
A WordPress site is yours. You can copy it, change hosts, or hire a different developer at any time. A Squarespace site lives on Squarespace. You can export some content, but not the design or all the features.
Choose Squarespace if
- You need a simple site online this week and will build it yourself.
- You do not expect to need custom features.
- You want no technical upkeep at all.
Choose WordPress if
- The website is central to how you win customers.
- You want a custom design, not a template.
- You expect to add features over time.
- You want to own the site and keep your options open.
Moving from Squarespace to WordPress
Many businesses start on Squarespace and outgrow it. A migration involves:
- Exporting pages, posts and images.
- Rebuilding the design in WordPress, which is a good moment to improve it.
- Matching the old URLs or redirecting them, so you keep your search rankings.
- Reconnecting the domain, email forms, analytics and any shop data.
Done carefully, visitors notice only that the site got better. We have moved sites to WordPress from other platforms, including a Scorpion CMS site rebuilt in Breakdance for Colorado Preferred Roofing.
If you are considering the move, see our website creation and development service or book a free call.
