Shopify vs Squarespace (2025): Best Ecommerce Platform for You
Shopify and Squarespace are popular website platforms with ecommerce capability, but they target different needs. Shopify is an ecommerce first solution that scales from small shops to complex catalogs. Squarespace is a content first website builder with a beautiful design system and lighter commerce tools. This guide compares features, pricing, ease of use, and who each platform fits best.
Quick Comparison
| Area | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Ecommerce first with deep inventory, payments, and app ecosystem | Content and design first with optional commerce features |
| Catalog size | Great for large catalogs and many variants | Best for small to medium catalogs |
| Customization | Theme code access with Liquid and many apps | Template customizer with strong visual controls and less code access |
| Scalability | Strong. Multi location inventory, staff roles, international features | Good for small to growing brands that stay simple |
| Learning curve | Moderate. More features to set up | Low. Very friendly for non technical users |
Pricing and Value
| Platform | Entry plan and what you get | Transactions and extras |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Entry plan includes secure checkout, basic reports, discount engine, abandoned checkout tools. Higher plans add advanced reports, better shipping, more staff accounts | Use Shopify Payments to avoid extra transaction fees. Paid themes and apps may add to total cost |
| Squarespace Commerce | Commerce plans add checkout, inventory, basic analytics, and merchandising on top of the core website builder | Transaction fees vary by plan. Fewer third party app costs. Extensions are available for added features |
Store Setup and Product Management
- Shopify: Handles large product counts, many variants, collections, tags, and metafields. Bulk edit tools and imports are robust
- Squarespace: Clean product editor for simple catalogs. Variant support is present, but bulk operations are lighter
Design and Content
- Shopify: Many free and paid themes, section based editing, full code access for developers. Great visual control with room for custom logic
- Squarespace: Best in class templates and typography out of the box. Visual editor is intuitive and fast for content heavy sites
Apps, Extensions, and Integrations
- Shopify: Very large app marketplace for shipping, taxes, subscriptions, B2B, loyalty, and more
- Squarespace: Smaller extension marketplace. Integrations cover common cases with fewer specialized options
Payments, Checkout, and Shipping
- Shopify: Shopify Payments plus many gateways worldwide, accelerated checkouts, draft orders, flexible shipping and rates
- Squarespace: Stripe and PayPal for most regions, basic shipping rules, and simple tax settings that suit small shops
Marketing and SEO
- Shopify: Built in discounts, gift cards, sales channels for social and marketplaces, native email, and many marketing apps. Technical SEO can go deep with theme edits
- Squarespace: Strong content publishing. Good on page SEO controls and simple email campaigns. Fewer advanced sales channels
Analytics and Reporting
- Shopify: Dashboard, cohort and sales reports on higher plans, plus easy connection to GA4 and pixels
- Squarespace: Clean site analytics and basic commerce insights. External analytics recommended for deeper work
Support and Ecosystem
- Shopify: 24 by 7 support, a huge partner network, agencies, and communities
- Squarespace: Helpful guides, community, and support with focus on website creation and light commerce
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Shopify if you:
- Plan to grow product count, channels, or locations
- Need apps or custom features and want code access
- Expect complex shipping, taxes, or international sales
Choose Squarespace if you:
- Care most about design and content with a small catalog
- Want the easiest path to a beautiful site with light selling
- Do not need heavy integrations or complex operations
Conclusion
Shopify is the better fit for serious ecommerce and growth. Squarespace is excellent for content first brands that sell a tight catalog with simple needs. Start with the platform that matches your next stage, not only your first step.