Squarespace alternatives
IONOS editorial team
Even though Squarespace is a market-leading website builder, various Squarespace alternatives are available to design a website with an online store in just a few hours. Here are the best ones.
Overview of the best Squarespace alternatives
The following Squarespace alternatives are suitable for building your own online platform for eCommerce. (Current as of November 2021)
| Squarespace alternatives | Function |
| IONOS eCommerce Website Builder (incurs fee) | Online store builder with many designs, extra apps, store interface, hosting, domain, and email inboxes |
| Shopify (incurs fee) | Cloud-based eCommerce software (SaaS) for online stores and logistics outsourcing |
| BigCommerce (incurs fee) | Hosted eCommerce software (SaaS) for online store creation and product management |
| Strikingly (incurs fee) | Website builder with HTML and CSS features, many templates, and WYSIWYG editor |
| PrestaShop (free / open source) | Open source software for online store creation and management |
| WooCommerce (free WordPress plugin) | Open source WordPress plugin for web store integration in WordPress sites |
| Volusion (incurs fee) | Cloud-based online store software (SaaS) with website builder, analytics tools, and intuitive user interface |
A brief overview of Squarespace
Squarespace is a website provider, website builder, and an online store system you can use to create modern websites and online stores. Attractive templates and designs are available and are complemented with analytics tools, SEO optimization, and practical payment features. In addition, it offers SSL security, various storage capacities, optimization for mobile devices and, depending on the selected pricing model, almost unlimited scaling capabilities. However, if you’re not a fan there are plenty of alternatives to Squarespace.
The best Squarespace alternatives in detail
Below we’ve summarized the top Squarespace alternatives to create websites and online stores.
IONOS eCommerce Website Builder
With the IONOS eCommerce Website Builder you can design your online store with a responsive web design with little effort and in no time. Additional software is not required because the setup occurs in the browser without any programming knowledge. The store can be set up in up to 15 languages (Plus plan or higher) and linked to other sales platforms and marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Facebook, or Google Shopping.
Design and management are intuitive and can be configured via the mobile eCommerce app. A domain and email address are included. All the major payment and shipping methods are supported and sales data can be analyzed using integrated statistics tools.
Cost:
- Starter plan from $1 per month (12 months, $12 per month thereafter)
- Plus plan from $5 per month (6 months, $20 per month thereafter)
- Pro plan from $25 per month (6 months, $35 per month thereafter)
- Expert plan from $35 per month (6 months, $50 per month thereafter)
Suitable for:
Particularly suitable for eCommerce beginners, startups and medium-sized companies and retailers with an online store.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Favorable rates for newcomers, new customers and small to medium-sized online retailers | Only available via the cloud |
| SSL encryption and hosting via secure servers | Limited functions with low-cost plan |
| Integrates common payment and shipping service providers | No dropshipping |
| SEO optimization, multilingual pages, analytics tools (Google) | |
| Integration of social media marketing and selling (e.g. Facebook, Instagram) | |
| Great scalability for B2B and large online retailers | |
| Very user-friendly and optimized for mobile devices | |
| No transaction fees; international tax rates included | |
| Multi-level pricing model according to demand, number and size of websites |
With the IONOS Website Builder you can create a professional website with a high-quality design – including domain, SSL certificate, and an email inbox.
Shopify
Shopify is one of the most successful cloud-based eCommerce systems for online stores and, as SaaS (Software-as-a-Service), offers plenty of flexibility and ease of use. Shopify can be used to create a modern online store and can be expanded through apps and extensions without prior programming knowledge. The system makes it easy to manage inventory, statistics, payment processing and product data as well as marketing strategies from a single interface. It’s easy to create an appealing store tapping into the large selection of store building and management tools and professionally designed templates.
Cost:
- Basic Shopify plan: $29 per month
- Standard Shopify plan: $79 per month
- Advanced Shopify plan: $229 dollars per month
Suitable for:
Suitable for both small/medium and large businesses and online retailers due to high scalability and ease of use.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Intuitive user interface for beginners without programming knowledge | Only more expensive plans are suitable for comprehensive store functions |
| SEO functions for meta data | URL structure with subpages not optimal for SEO |
| Wide range of apps and extensions for website and store functions | Multilingual store features are limited |
| Fast load times | Does not include email hosting |
| Responsive website creation with optimization for mobile devices | |
| New, individual functions can be added via API | |
| Scalable and due to international distribution very compatible and reliable | |
| More than 170 professional templates and designs (fee required) |
BigCommerce
BigCommerce much like Shopify, is a practical SaaS solution for creating a powerful, scalable online store. Design tools make it easy to create store and sales pages in the theme of your choice. Numerous other tools for SEO, statistics and sales processing are included. The backend is very user-friendly for managing sales options and offers built-in connectivity to popular sales platforms. Support is excellent and use of the system is recommended for both beginners and large merchants.
Cost:
- Standard plan: $29 per month
- Plus plan: $79,95 per month
- Pro plan: $299,95 per month
- Enterprise plan with customized pricing
Suitable for:
Suitable for small/medium businesses and online retailers who wish to scale their business easily and effectively.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Practical all-in-one solution for creating high-quality product pages with good scalability | Uses annual revenue thresholds that result in higher fees when profits climb |
| Numerous free templates and themes as well as paid premium themes available | Multilingual functions insufficient |
| Intuitive user interface and great SEO functions | Themes limited on lowest plan |
| Up to 600 different product options | |
| Useful insight features such as analytics tools and data reports | |
| Good support for BigCommerce customers | |
| SSL encryption and high data protection | |
| Supports multiple payment methods with 60 payment gateways (no transaction fees) | |
| Marketing integration for social media and optimization for mobile devices |
Strikingly
Strikingly is a website builder that lets you create comprehensive websites in no time. The software offers both a low-cost plan with standard features and templates for beginners and a Pro plan for up to three websites, additional themes, and personalized domains. Creation is intuitive and incorporates drag-and-drop, with no prior programming skills required; blog features for content marketing and mobile optimization are integrated.
Cost:
- Limited plan: $8 per month
- Pro plan: $16 per month
- VIP plan: $49 per month
Suitable for:
Suitable for anyone who wants to create a high-quality website easily and low-cost. The Pro plan is suitable for small online resellers with a limited product range.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Optimizes websites for mobile devices | SEO optimization only useful with Pro plan |
| SSL certificates for websites included free of charge | Adding your own code not possible with Limited plan |
| Good rates for multiple sites at once (per-rate includes three sites) | Ad-free websites only in Pro plan |
| Drag-and-drop principle makes website creation particularly easy | |
| Editor for single page layouts | |
| Great customer support |
PrestaShop
PrestaShop is a free open-source software to create an optimally scalable online store based on PHP. However, basic programming skills are required to create and manage a store, and customize functions. Thanks to a large selection of designs, templates, extensions, and SEO tools on the PrestaShop marketplace, the use of PrestaShop can be adapted to suit your eCommerce plans. Since the system is modular, you can include or remove tools for payment processing and shipping.
Cost:
Free
Suitable for:
Suitable for small and medium-sized startups and companies with online stores and different business models and services (e.g. for reservations, downloads, online services, retailers, manufacturers, producers or pure players).
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Great scalability for online stores | Basic knowledge of HTML and CSS required |
| Comprehensive PrestaShop community support | Cloud version not available |
| Powerful free program when hosting is already available | Custom extensions and themes are expensive |
| Multilingual version for international stores | |
| Checkout preconfigured on single page | |
| Numerous extensions and SEO tools available | |
| Simple installation and numerous interfaces |
Dedicated PrestaShop Hosting from IONOS offers a strong basis for your PrestaShop online store.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free WordPress plugin with plenty of additional features (e.g. POS or widgets) to turn your WordPress website into a powerful online store. It is easy to use because WooCommerce draws upon all the advantages of the CMS.
Even though the plugin is technically free, you should factor in some costs with WooCommerce when creating a highly personalized store.
Costs:
Free WordPress plugin that can be extended with free and paid apps.
Suitable for:
Suitable for both startups or companies with a small product range or those with a broader or unlimited number of products alike.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Expandable to a powerful store system through additional free or paid plugins | Basic programming skills required |
| Large selection of free and paid designs and themes that can be customized with programming skills | No official support |
| Supports guest checkout without account creation | Only available with WordPress |
| Great scalability for growing stores |
Find the powerful hosting for your WooCommerce store at IONOS.
Volusion
Volusion is a cloud-based eCommerce software for creating online stores that offers numerous features such as a website builder and compelling analytics, marketing, sales, and business tools. Integrated features include dropshipping, multichannel sales, and POS support, among others.
Cost:
- Personal plan: $29 per month
- Professional plan: $79 per month
- Business plan: $299 per month
- Prime plan: (price available on request)
Suitable for:
Due to the limited range of functions, the website builder is best suited for small to medium-sized online retailers.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Numerous all-in-one functions for marketing, listing and upselling | Limited options for apps |
| Functions for promotions and special deals | Unsuitable for content marketing due to lack of blog integration |
| No transaction fees | Setup and customization is somewhat complicated and requires training time |
| Good team features and employee accounts | |
| Tools for SEO, social media, and inventory | |
| Intuitive operation through drag-and-drop | |
| Provides analytics tools and data reports |
Create your online store with IONOS, benefitting from a personalized design and numerous additional features.
