1. Introduction
If youโve ever created a website, chances are youโve faced the classic question: Should I use WordPress or Squarespace?
Both are leading website builders trusted by small businesses, creatives, and nonprofits alike. Squarespace is known for its simplicity and elegant templates, while WordPress powers over 40% of all websites worldwide โ from personal blogs to major corporate and nonprofit sites.
In this guide, weโll break down the key differences between WordPress and Squarespace, helping you choose the best platform for your goals.
2. WordPress vs. Squarespace at a Glance
WordPress
- Type: Open-source Content Management System (CMS)
- Used by: Over 40% of all websites
- Customisation: Thousands of themes and plugins
- Hosting: Self-hosted (you choose your provider)
- Best for: Organisations that want full control, flexibility, and scalability
Squarespace
- Type: Closed, all-in-one website builder
- Used by: Small businesses, artists, and entrepreneurs
- Customisation: Limited to built-in templates and integrations
- Hosting: Fully hosted (everything in one subscription)
- Best for: Beginners who want a quick, visually appealing site with minimal setup
3. Ease of Use
Squarespace: Intuitive and simple website builder
Squarespaceโs biggest selling point is simplicity. You can sign up, choose a template, and start editing within minutes. Its drag-and-drop interface means what you see is what you get โ no need to handle hosting, domain setup, or software updates.
This makes Squarespace ideal for beginners or small teams who want a clean, functional website fast.
WordPress: Steeper learning curve but more control over design and functionality
WordPress has a steeper learning curve, but it gives you total control over your design, functionality, and content.
Once installed, WordPress opens up a world of customisation: from advanced SEO tools to donation integrations and community plugins. However, managing plugins, updates, and security requires a bit more ongoing effort.
Verdict: Squarespace wins for ease of use; WordPress wins for flexibility and control.
4. Design & Customisation
Squarespace: Beautiful templates but limited layout flexibility
Squarespace offers a library of professionally designed templates that look stunning out of the box. However, youโre largely restricted to its built-in design options, meaning less creative freedom if you want a completely unique layout or custom features.
WordPress: Thousands of free and premium themes; fully customisable layouts
With WordPress, you can choose from thousands of free and premium themes, or even build your own using page builders like Beaver Builder, Divi, or the native Gutenberg editor.
For nonprofits and mission-driven organisations, this flexibility is key. You can align your websiteโs look and feel with your brand identity, accessibility standards, and storytelling goals.
Verdict: WordPress offers more creative freedom, enabling you to design a website thatโs truly your own.
5. Functionality & Integrations
Squarespace: Fewer built-in integrations and limited third-party options
Squarespace offers a smaller set of built-in features and approved integrations. While it covers basics like email marketing, forms, and eCommerce, it can feel restrictive if your organisationโs needs evolve over time.
WordPress: Extensive plugin library (SEO, donations, events, multilingual support)
WordPressโs plugin ecosystem is unmatched. Whether you need donation forms, event calendars, multilingual support, or CRM integration โ thereโs a plugin for that.
For example:
- GiveWP for donations
- RankMath for search optimisation
- TranslatePress for multilingual content
- Contact Form 7 or Gravity Forms for lead capture
This makes WordPress particularly powerful for nonprofits or growing organisations that need advanced functionality.
Verdict: WordPress wins for functionality and adaptability, allowing you to build a website that grows with you.
6. Website Hosting
Squarespace: Built-in hosting services make the process simple
Squarespace is a hosted platform meaning hosting, security, and updates are all handled for you. This simplicity is great for beginners but limits flexibility. You canโt choose your own hosting provider or fine-tune server performance.
WordPress: Self-hosted platform allowing you to choose your own website hosting provider
WordPress is self-hosted, meaning you pick where your site lives. Many hosting companies offer affordable, WordPress-optimised plans with automatic backups and updates. Most modern hosting providers (like Prostack or 20i) offer one-click WordPress installation, so getting started is easier than ever.
While this adds an extra step at setup, it also gives you control over performance, storage, and scalability, which are essential for growing websites.
Verdict: Squarespace wins for convenience; WordPress wins for control and flexibility.
7. Cost & Maintenance
Squarespace: Fixed monthly fee includes hosting, templates, and security
Squarespace charges a fixed monthly fee that includes hosting, templates, and security.
Pricing: Starts at $16/month (billed annually) for the Basic plan, up to $99/month for the Advanced plan.
Thereโs no free plan beyond a 14-day trial, but everything is managed for you.
WordPress: Free core plan with option custom costs
WordPress itself is 100% free and open-source, but youโll need to pay for:
- Hosting (around $5โ15/month)
- Premium themes or plugins (optional)
- Maintenance or website care plans if you outsource management
Over time, WordPress is more cost-effective, especially if you want flexibility and scalability without being tied to a subscription.
Verdict: Squarespace is predictable in cost; WordPress is often cheaper long-term and offers greater ownership.
8. Scalability & Ownership
Squarespace: Limited scalability making it more suited for small-to-medium sites
Squarespace works beautifully for small to medium websites but struggles with complex features or large-scale growth. Youโre tied to their ecosystem, meaning your site canโt easily migrate elsewhere.
WordPress: Fully scalable for sites and able to handle complex functionality.
WordPress can scale from a one-page site to a full-scale enterprise platform. Because itโs open source, you own your website, data, and content forever.
This transparency aligns beautifully with nonprofit and social enterprise values – including our own social promise. Open-source software encourages collaboration, accessibility, and innovation, and these are things you simply donโt get with a closed platform like Squarespace.
Verdict: WordPress offers freedom, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
9. WordPress vs. Squarespace: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Squarespace if you want:
- A quick, beginner-friendly setup
- Built-in hosting and maintenance
- A simple, attractive website with minimal fuss
Choose WordPress if you want:
- Full creative and technical control
- The ability to scale and add advanced features
- True ownership of your content and data
- A platform that grows with your mission
While both offer great tools for building a professional online presence, WordPressโs flexibility, scalability, and open-source nature often make it the better long-term choice โ especially for mission-driven organisations.
At Circular Design, weโve helped countless nonprofits and social enterprises get the best out of WordPress: building websites that are not only beautiful but also ethical, accessible, and built to last and scale.
Explore our WordPress website design and care plan services to learn how we can help you create an impactful, scalable online presence for your organisation.
