The e-commerce market is growing at a breakneck speed. All the retailers are trying hard to make the most of this digital revolution. No wonder this screws up the competition to a great extent and makes it difficult for the newbies to make their mark.
In the exclusive domain of retail & Ecommerce, companies are now investing in small business marketing App that help them in getting more subscribers, leads and sales. In this context, interactive pop-ups play a significant role in engaging customers and retaining them. And, a specialist like “Tada” can be your perfect business partner, when it comes to designing Shopify email pop ups for increasing sales and conversion rate.
In 2021, the global e-commerce revenue amounted to approximately 4.9 trillion U.S. dollars. These figures are forecasted to grow 50 percent by 2025 to 7.5 trillion U.S. dollars, according to Oberlo.
That’s all the reason why we see a lot of businesses taking their chances with online stores. But the question is, what platform should they use?
Shopify and Squarespace have been two of the most popular e-commerce platforms for quite some time now. They both come with their features and offer different things to their users.
To help you decide, we have compared the two platforms in-depth regarding pros & cons, pricing, features, design, scalability, and more.
So, scroll down to get started with the comparison.
What is Shopify?
Shopify is a premade e-commerce platform that helps businesses of all sizes to create and run their online stores. It ranks top of the most popular e-commerce platforms, with around 1,000,000+ active users.
The e-commerce platform was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Shopify went public in 2015, and since then, its share prices have increased by almost 100%.
Major Pros of Shopify
1. User-Friendliness: The best thing about Shopify is that it is highly user-friendly. No special technical skills are needed to build a store on Shopify. The platform is designed so that even a non-specialist can understand and use it to create an online store. Shopify caters to brands of all types and sizes, making it a supportive platform for different eCommerce requirements. Businesses can conveniently set up a website that includes all the fundamental functions and uses Shopify plus benefits to incorporate details that reflect their work while maintaining ease of navigation at different stages of the store.
2. No Transaction Fees: One of the significant issues with other e-commerce platforms is that they charge you a fee for each transaction. But with Shopify, you don’t have to worry about anything. You can accept payments without paying any transaction fees to Shopify.
3. Lots of Themes and Apps: Another great thing about Shopify is that it offers a variety of themes and apps. There are 100+ themes available on Shopify, which can be used to create a unique and professional-looking online store.
Moreover, tons of apps are available in the Shopify app store that can add extra functionality to your store, including Shopify marketplace apps or other tools.
4. 24/7 Customer Support: One of the most significant advantages of using Shopify is 24/7 customer support. You can always reach out to the Shopify support team to resolve your issues no matter what time it is.
5. Secure and Reliable: Shopify is one of the most reliable platforms for security. It makes sure that your confidential data is always kept safe and secure. All the stores created on Shopify are hosted on Shopify’s secure servers.
Major Cons of Shopify
1. Limited Customization: One of the significant downsides of using Shopify is that you can’t do much customization. The themes available on Shopify are pretty limited, and you can’t change the looks or functionality of your store without coding skills.
2. Expensive Apps: Although Shopify offers a lot of apps, most of them are paid. And the thing is, you have to pay for each app separately. It can quickly add up and increase your overall costs.
3. Limited Reporting Tools: Another downside of using Shopify is that it doesn’t offer many reporting tools. Only a few basic reports are available, which might not be enough for some businesses.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is another premade e-commerce platform that helps businesses create and run online stores. It is also one of the popular e-commerce platforms, with around 3.79 million active users.
This popular e-commerce platform was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in New York City. The company began trading on the stock market in 2016, and since then, its share prices have increased.
Major Pros of Squarespace
1. Modern & Sleek Templates: One of the best things about Squarespace is that it offers a variety of modern and sleek templates. These templates are perfect for companies looking for a professional-looking online store.
2. Affordable Price: Squarespace is one of the most affordable e-commerce platforms available. You can start a store for as low as $16/month to $46/month, which is relatively cheap compared to other platforms.
Major Cons of Squarespace
1. No App Store: One of the most significant downsides of using Squarespace is that it doesn’t have an app store. You can’t add extra functionality to your store without coding skills.
2. Limited Payment Options: Another downside of using Squarespace is that it doesn’t offer as many payment options as Shopify. You can only accept payments through payment software like Stripe and PayPal.
3. Tricky Dashboard: The dashboard of Squarespace can be pretty tricky to use. It can be confusing for first-time users. Thus, it may take some time to get used to it.
Detailed Comparison of Shopify and Squarespace:
1. Ease of Use-Which provides an easier user experience?
Shopify is known for being extremely user-friendly. The platform is easy to navigate and even easier to set up your store. You can be up and running in no time without hiring a developer or designer.
While Squarespace isn’t relatively as easy to use as Shopify. It’s still relatively user-friendly. No coding experience is required, and most basics are effortless to figure out. However, there is more of a learning curve than with Shopify.
2. Ease of customization-How complex is it to change the design or functionality of each platform?
Shopify is very easy to customize. There are no code changes required, and you can easily change the look and feel of your store using the theme editor. You can also add functionality with apps from the Shopify app store.
Squarespace also provides easy customization. However, you do need some technical experience to make more significant changes. There are also far fewer themes and apps available than on Shopify.
3. Overall cost- Which platform will save you more money in the long run?
Shopify has 3 price packages, as shown above. Shopify is a bit more expensive than Squarespace. However, it’s important to note that you get what you pay for. Shopify is a more robust platform and offers more features than Squarespace.
Squarespace is less expensive than Shopify. It’s a better option for those on a tight budget or who don’t need all of Shopify’s bells and whistles. However, you don’t get as many features and customization.
4. Payment processing fees- How much will you be charged for each transaction?
Shopify has a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee for all online purchases. It is slightly higher than the industry average, but it’s still very competitive. In contrast, physical goods have a 2.7% fee for each transaction.
Squarespace does not charge any transaction fees. However, you will be charged a 3% processing fee on its business plans. It’s important to note that these fees can add up if you’re processing many transactions.
5. Performance-What is the speed and performance of the platform?
Shopify is a very fast platform. The servers are optimized for speed and they have a lot of features that help ensure quick page load times. Additionally, they offer a suite of performance-monitoring tools that you can use to troubleshoot any speed issues.
Squarespace is also a very fast platform. However, they’re not quite as fast as Shopify. They also don’t have as many features that help ensure quick page load times. So, you may experience a bit of a slowdown when using Squarespace.
6. Supported Features- What features are available on each platform?
Shopify is a very feature-rich platform. In addition to the essential eCommerce features, you also get things like gift cards, abandoned cart recovery, and product reviews. A vast app store also allows you to add even more functionality to your store.
Squarespace is a bit lacking in terms of features. It doesn’t have as many built-in features as Shopify, and there’s a minimal app store. However, it does offer some unique features like membership Areas and Donations.
7. Security: SSL and PCI Compliance-How safe is your data?
Shopify is a very secure platform. All of your data is stored on their secure servers, and they use 256-bit SSL encryption to protect it. They’re also PCI compliant, which means that they meet all of the security standards for online businesses.
Squarespace leverages SSL certificates for all of its websites. They’re also PCI compliant, which means that they meet all of the security standards for online businesses. However, it’s also essential to note that not all Squarespace plans include an SSL certificate. So, you might have to pay extra for this feature.
8. SEO- How well will your website rank in search engines?
“93% of Online Experience Begins with a Search Engine”.
Shopify is built with SEO in mind. The platform is optimized for Google and other major search engines. Some of its major SEO features include automatic sitemaps and 301 redirects. This makes it easy for your website to rank high in search results.
Squarespace is also built with SEO in mind. However, it’s not quite as robust as Shopify. The platform doesn’t offer as many features, and it can be a bit more challenging to customize for SEO.
9. Customer Service- What kind of customer service do they offer?
Shopify offers excellent customer service. There are various ways to consult their team, including phone, email, and chat. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base and blog that can help you solve common problems.
Squarespace also offers excellent customer service. However, it’s not as easy to get in touch with their team as with Shopify. They also don’t have a comprehensive knowledge base, and blog like Shopify does.
10. Future Development- Where is the platform headed in the future?
Shopify
Shopify is constantly innovating and adding new features to its platform. They’re always looking for ways to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start and grow their businesses.
Squarespace is also constantly innovating. However, they’re not as aggressive as Shopify when updating their platform. So, it might not have all of Shopify’s latest features.
11. Compatability with other platforms- Can your website be integrated with other platforms?
Shopify is fully compatible with other platforms. This means that you can quickly integrate it with your accounting software, shipping company, and social media accounts.
Squarespace is also compatible with other platforms. However, it’s not as easy to integrate with other platforms like Shopify. So, you might have to do a bit more work to get everything set up.
12. Multicurrency-Does the platform support multiple currencies?
Shopify supports multiple currencies. It means that you can quickly sell to customers all over the world. You can also accept payments in different currencies and have your profits deposited into a bank account in any currency.
Squarespace does not support multiple currencies. So, you can only sell to customers in the countries they support. You can also only accept payments in the currency that Squarespace supports.
13. Ecommerce features-What kind of features does the platform offer for e-commerce?
Shopify offers a lot of great features for ecommerce. These include a built-in shopping cart, product pages, discount codes, and abandoned cart recovery. They also provide a lot of integrations with popular third-party apps that can help you run your business more efficiently.
Squarespace also offers a lot of great features for ecommerce. However, they don’t have as many features as Shopify does. They also don’t have as many integrations with popular third-party apps. So, you might have to do a little more work to get everything set up.
14. Multicurrency-Does the platform support multiple currencies?
Shopify supports multiple currencies. It means that you can quickly sell to customers all over the world. You can also accept payments in different currencies and have your profits deposited into a bank account in any currency.
Squarespace does not support multiple currencies. So, you can only sell to customers in the countries they support. You can also only accept payments in the currency that Squarespace supports.
15. Ecommerce features-What kind of features does the platform offer for e-commerce?
Shopify offers a lot of great features for ecommerce. These include a built-in shopping cart, product pages, discount codes, and abandoned cart recovery. They also provide a lot of integrations with popular third-party apps that can help you run your business more efficiently.
Squarespace also offers a lot of great features for ecommerce. However, they don’t have as many features as Shopify does. They also don’t have as many integrations with popular third-party apps. Thus, you might have to do a little more work to get everything set up.
16. Multilingual Support-Does the platform offers multilingual support?
Shopify offers multilingual support. It means that you can easily create a website in multiple languages. You can also accept payments and checkout in different currencies. Therefore, you can easily do business all over the world.
Squarespace also provides multilingual support, but there are certain limitations. Like on the checkout page, it displays built-in text in one language only. Thus, it’s challenging to switch languages on the Squarespace platform.
17. Reporting and Analytics: What kind of reporting and analytics does the platform offer?
Shopify offers a lot of excellent reporting and analytics features. These include sales reports, traffic reports, and Abandoned Cart reports. They also provide a lot of integrations with popular third-party apps that can help you track your progress.
For additional support or guidance, you can always reach out to the top Shopify web development company in India. Being experts, they can provide you with the best possible support.
Squarespace has a lot of good reporting and analytics features. However, they don’t have as many features as Shopify does. They also don’t have as many integrations with popular third-party apps. Thus, you have to do more work to get all the data you need.
18. Payment Gateways-What payment gateways does the platform offer?
Shopify supports 70+ payment gateways. It means that you can easily accept payments from customers worldwide. They also have a lot of integrations with popular third-party apps that can help you run your business more efficiently.
Squarespace provides simple yet powerful payment and checkout options. It accepts payments via Stripe, Paypal, Apple Pay, and Afterpay. Thus, it only supports four payment gateways which are pretty lower than Shopify.
Final Thoughts
After comparing Shopify and Squarespace, it’s clear that Shopify is the better platform. It has more features, is easier to use, and is more secure. Shopify is constantly innovating and adding new features, while Squarespace is more stagnant. Shopify is a bit more expensive than Squarespace. However, it’s important to note that you get what you pay for. Shopify is a more robust platform and offers more features than Squarespace.
So, if you’re looking for an e-commerce development platform to grow your business, then you can hire dedicated Shopify developers in India. Many entrepreneurs start on Squarespace but eventually switch to Shopify because it offers more of what they need to succeed.
Go Ahead & Good Luck!
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