Webflow vs. Squarespace: a data-backed comparison

Explore Webflow and Squarespace features, pricing, adoption trends, and ideal use cases to help you determine which website builder best fits your team.

Webflow vs. Squarespace at a glance

Webflow offers a visual website builder focused on design flexibility, responsive layouts, and clean, production-ready code export. It primarily caters to designers and marketing teams seeking fine-grained control over web design without requiring backend coding.

Squarespace provides an all-in-one platform with ready-to-use templates, integrated ecommerce, and hosting, ideal for small businesses and creatives who want simplicity and speed without technical overhead.

Metrics

Webflow

Squarespace

Relative cost

75% lower cost than category average

91% lower cost than category average

Adoption trend

10% QoQ adoption growth

15% QoQ adoption growth

Primary user segment

Best for

Micro businesses that need professional website design capabilities without technical coding complexity.

Micro businesses that need professional website design and content management without technical complexity.

Webflow overview

Webflow is a no-code platform combining a visual design interface, a powerful CMS, and hosting on a global CDN. It enables the creation of custom, responsive websites with precise control over layouts, animations, and SEO settings.

Webflow suits teams that need designer-level customization and production-ready code output without relying on developers.

Webflow key features

Features

Description

Visual website builder

Design and develop responsive websites visually using a drag-and-drop interface without writing code.

CMS and dynamic content

Create collections and manage content dynamically with custom fields, reference types, and structured templates.

Hosting and CDN integration

Host websites with built-in global CDN, SSL, and automated performance optimization.

Responsive layout control

Adjust grid, flexbox, and spacing for different screen sizes with breakpoints and device previews.

Custom animations and interactions

Build scroll effects, hover animations, and trigger-based interactions directly within the design interface.

Code export

Download production-ready HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for use outside of Webflow.

SEO and performance tools

Configure meta tags, alt text, and page hierarchy while benefiting from fast-loading, optimized pages by default.

Squarespace overview

Squarespace is a user-friendly website builder offering stylish templates, integrated ecommerce, and managed hosting. It simplifies site creation and maintenance through drag-and-drop editing, marketing tools, and customer support. Squarespace is a good fit for small businesses, creatives, and individuals who need polished websites quickly without complex setup.

Squarespace key features

Features

Description

Fluid engine drag-and-drop editor

Visually build and customize pages using a flexible, grid-based layout

Professional designer templates

Launch with polished, responsive templates tailored for blogs, portfolios, and business sites.

Integrated e-commerce platform

Sell products, services, or subscriptions with built-in checkout, inventory, and payment tools.

Built-in SEO tools

Optimize search visibility with auto-generated sitemaps, clean URLs, and editable meta tags.

Mobile-responsive design

Ensure your site looks and works great on phones and tablets with automatic layout adjustments.

Analytics and reporting dashboard

Monitor traffic, sales, and user behavior to inform design, content, and marketing decisions.

24/7 customer support and security

Get round-the-clock help and built-in protections like SSL, backups, and DDoS mitigation.

Pros and cons

Tool

Pros

Cons

Webflow

  • Offers visual CMS and dynamic content management for custom collections and blogs
  • Provides integrated hosting with fast CDN delivery and SSL by default
  • Supports custom animations, interactions, and layout control using a no-code interface
  • Exports clean HTML/CSS/JS for developer handoff or migration
  • Built-in SEO tools and performance optimization features
  • Limited backend extensibility compared to traditional CMS platforms like WordPress
  • Collaboration features are basic unless on higher-tier plans
  • Not ideal for large-scale web apps requiring custom databases or server logic
  • Pricing can increase significantly with higher traffic or CMS item limits
  • Steeper learning curve for non-designers due to advanced layout tools and UI complexity

Squarespace

  • Supports up to 1,000 pages for large, content-rich sites
  • Wide selection of professional, mobile-ready templates
  • Easy drag-and-drop editor with no coding needed
  • Built-in SEO and analytics for better visibility and insights
  • Integrated e-commerce with multiple payment options
  • 24/7 support via chat, email, and forums
  • Fewer third-party app integrations than Wix or WordPress
  • No phone support; live chat only during business hours
  • Limited template flexibility for advanced customizations
  • Higher pricing, especially for full e-commerce features

Use case scenarios

Webflow excels for teams requiring advanced design control and marketing-oriented site management, while Squarespace delivers an accessible, all-in-one platform for rapid website and online store deployment.

When Webflow is the better choice

  • You need granular control over responsive breakpoints and custom animations.
  • You need clean, exportable code for developer collaboration or platform migration.
  • You need sophisticated CMS capabilities and advanced SEO features for your marketing strategy.
  • You need complex design requirements with pixel-perfect layouts and advanced styling options.
  • You need to build multiple sites that benefit from reusable components and design systems.

When Squarespace is the better choice

  • You need rapid deployment with integrated hosting and commerce features.
  • You need professional templates that work beautifully with minimal tweaking.
  • You need comprehensive support and streamlined, all-inclusive functionality for your operations.
  • You need budget-friendly solutions with predictable pricing without additional app or plugin costs.
  • You need robust content creation and blogging capabilities as central to your business model.

Time is money. Save both.