If you sell products online, especially more than a handful or products with custom options, Shopify is usually the better fit. If your business is built around services, bookings, or showcasing your work, Squarespace is usually simpler to manage and just as polished.
That's the short answer. The longer answer depends on how your business actually runs day to day, and that's what I walk through with every client before we pick a platform.
I'm a Shopify Partner and a Squarespace Gold Circle member, and I build on both. I don't have a favorite I try to steer everyone toward. I just want you on the one that fits.
What's the main difference between Shopify and Squarespace?
Shopify was built for selling. Its tools are designed around products, inventory, orders, shipping, and checkout, and everything else is layered on top of that.
Squarespace was built for presenting. It started as a way to make beautiful websites easy, and its strengths are design, simple editing, and features for service-based businesses like scheduling and portfolios.
Both can do a lot of what the other does. The real question is which one does your core work best.
When is Squarespace the better choice?
Squarespace is usually my recommendation for service-based businesses, such as:
- Photographers, coaches, consultants, and wellness providers
- Event planners, designers, and other creatives who need a strong portfolio
- Businesses where the main goal is getting someone to book a call, fill out a form, or schedule an appointment
The editor is visual and straightforward, which makes it a good fit if you want to update your own site without feeling like you're going to break something. Everything lives in one place, so you're not juggling as many add-ons.
When is Shopify the better choice?
Shopify is my go-to for businesses where selling products is the heart of it. That includes:
- Makers and shops with a growing product catalog
- Products with lots of variations, like sizes, colors, or materials
- Personalized or custom products where customers need to enter names, upload files, or choose options
- Businesses that also sell in person at markets or pop-ups and want everything tracked in one place
Shopify's app store is a big part of why. If you need something specific, like a product customizer, subscriptions, or wholesale pricing, there's usually an app built for it.
I have a soft spot for this one. I opened my first Shopify store while I was a full-time college student, hoping to pull in traffic from Pinterest for the digital invitations I was selling on Etsy. I learned a lot about what a product-based business needs from its website by running one myself.
Can you sell products on Squarespace?
Yes. Squarespace has built-in commerce features, and it works well if you sell a small number of simple products alongside your services, like a few digital downloads, a signature product, or gift cards.
Where it starts to feel limiting is when your catalog grows, your products have a lot of options, or you need specialized features. That's usually the point where Shopify becomes worth it.
Which platform is easier to update yourself?
Most of my clients find Squarespace a little more intuitive at first, because you edit pages visually, right where the content appears.
Shopify has a bit more of a learning curve, mainly because there are more moving parts: products, collections, apps, and theme settings. Once you learn where things live, day-to-day tasks like adding a product or updating a page are very manageable.
Whichever platform we choose, every site I build includes a one-hour training session before launch. I show you how to edit your pages, add products, and handle the updates you'll make most often, so you feel ready to manage your site from day one.
If you'd rather hand those updates off, I also offer a maintenance plan with one-time or quarterly hours at a discounted rate.
How do the costs of Shopify and Squarespace compare?
Both platforms charge a monthly or annual subscription, and both offer several plan levels. Pricing changes from time to time, so I always recommend checking their current pricing pages before you decide.
A few things affect your real monthly cost beyond the plan itself:
- Apps and add-ons: Shopify's flexibility often comes from apps, and some have their own monthly fees.
- Payment processing: Both charge fees on transactions, and the rates vary by plan and payment method.
- Your domain and email: These may be separate costs depending on how you set them up.
When I put together a proposal, I help you estimate the ongoing platform costs too, so there are no surprises after launch. If you're also wondering what the design itself costs, I cover that in this article.
Which is better for SEO and AI search?
Honestly, either platform can rank well. Both handle the technical basics, like mobile-friendly pages, editable page titles, meta descriptions, and clean URLs.
What makes a bigger difference is how the site is set up and what's on it: clear page structure, well-written content that answers real questions, descriptive image alt text, and a site that loads quickly.
That's why every website I build includes SEO and AI search setup, mobile design, and ADA accessibility features, no matter which platform it's on.
What if you offer both services and products?
This is more common than you'd think, and it's the exact situation I'm in. Lilly Belle Paperie offers web design and branding services, and I also sell business cards, stickers, and custom stationery.
My own site runs on Shopify, because once you're selling physical products with custom options, Shopify handles that side much better, and it can still present services beautifully.
A general rule of thumb I use:
- Mostly services, a few simple products: Squarespace
- Products are a major part of your income, or growing: Shopify
Can you switch platforms later?
You can, but it's a bigger job than most people expect. Moving products, pages, images, and customer data from one platform to another takes time, and some things have to be rebuilt instead of transferred.
That's why I'd rather spend time up front choosing the right platform for where your business is headed, not just where it is today. If you're selling five products now but plan to launch a full line next year, that matters.
How do I choose the right platform for my business?
Start with these questions:
- Is selling products the main way you make money, or a small side piece?
- Do your products have lots of options or need personalization?
- Do clients mainly need to book, inquire, or view your work?
- How comfortable are you editing your own website?
- Where do you see your business in the next two to three years?
If you're still not sure, that's exactly what my free 30-minute consult is for. We'll talk through how your business works, and I'll give you my honest recommendation, even if it's a platform you weren't expecting.
You can learn more about my Signature Web Design packages, see the kinds of sites I've built in my portfolio, or explore the Branding + Web Design Suite if you want your brand and website designed together!
