Pick the platform based on two things: what the site's main job is and who will update it. Squarespace fits most service businesses that want to edit their own site. Shopify fits businesses where selling products online is the main job. WordPress fits sites that need custom features or a lot of content, and someone to maintain them.
We build on all three, and this blog runs on Squarespace. Most comparisons list features. They skip what each platform costs to sell on, maintain and leave, which is where owners get surprised.
Which platform fits a service business?
For most service businesses, Squarespace. A contractor, salon, law office or agency needs clear service pages, reviews, a contact form and a booking or quote path. Squarespace handles all of that, hosting and security are included, and your team can edit pages without calling a developer. Pick WordPress only if you need features Squarespace can't do.
Signs you've outgrown it are specific: a custom quoting tool, hundreds of pages generated from data, or integrations that need server-side code. If none of that is coming in the next two years, the simpler platform wins.
When is Shopify the right call?
When selling products online is the main job of the site. Shopify is built around products, inventory, checkout, shipping and payments, and its app store covers almost any selling need. If online orders are where most of your revenue comes from, or will be soon, start on Shopify instead of moving there later.
Two things owners don't hear until they're live:
- Payment provider fees. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus, on top of your provider's own rates. On stores created on or after May 12, 2025, the fee also applies to the part of an order paid with store credit or gift cards.
- Fixed URLs. Products always live at /products/, collections at /collections/ and pages at /pages/. You control the part after the prefix, not the prefix itself, and Shopify won't let you redirect those fixed paths. It rarely hurts rankings, but it matters when you're moving an existing site with years of links.
If you only sell a few items next to your services, Squarespace can handle it. Its current Basic plan charges a 2% commerce fee, and Core, Plus and Advanced charge 0%. Courses and memberships have separate fees.
When does WordPress make sense?
When you need flexibility the hosted platforms can't give you: custom functionality, a large content library, specific integrations, or full control of the code and server. WordPress can do almost anything, but it's a system someone has to look after. Plan for hosting, updates, backups and security before you choose it.
"WordPress" can mean two things. WordPress.org is the free software you install on your own hosting. WordPress.com is a hosted service built on it. Most comparisons mean the self-hosted version, and that's the one with the full control and the maintenance.
On maintenance, WordPress applies minor and security core updates in the background on most sites. Plugin and theme auto-updates are opt-in, one by one. So the question isn't whether WordPress is secure. It's who on your side, or ours, is responsible for keeping every plugin current.
What happens if you switch platforms later?
You rebuild the design on every platform, and how much content comes with you varies a lot. WordPress exports nearly everything as one file. Squarespace exports pages and one blog, but not store pages or styles. Shopify exports products, customers and orders as spreadsheets. Check this before you pick, not when you're leaving.
The details, from each platform's own help pages:
- Squarespace exports a WordPress-format file with layout pages, one blog and its posts, and text and image blocks. Store pages, product blocks, video and audio blocks, drafts, style settings and custom CSS don't come with it. Products export separately as a spreadsheet.
- WordPress exports posts, pages, comments, custom fields, terms, menus and custom post types in one file that another WordPress site can import.
- Shopify exports products, customers and orders as CSV files from the admin. Plan how you'd move pages and blog posts before you need to.
Whatever you choose, map old URLs to new ones with 301 redirects on launch day. Skipping that is how a redesign loses its search traffic. Before any move, confirm who owns every account. Our post on whether you own your website covers those questions.
Which platform is best for Google and AI search?
None of them wins on its own. All three can produce fast pages, clean titles, structured data and a sitemap. What gets you found and cited is the content: clear answers, real service details and consistent business information. The platform mostly decides how much control you have over technical settings.
The biggest difference is robots.txt, the file that tells crawlers, including AI ones, what they can read:
- Squarespace doesn't let you edit robots.txt. You get one AI crawler setting under Settings > Crawlers, and it's off by default.
- Shopify lets a developer customize robots.txt through a theme template.
- WordPress gives you full control of the file through your hosting or an SEO plugin.
For most small businesses, the defaults are fine. Just don't change crawler settings without deciding it on purpose.
How do you decide in 15 minutes?
Answer four questions in order, and stop at the first clear yes. Is selling products online the main job? Shopify. Do you need custom features or hundreds of data-driven pages? WordPress, with a maintenance plan. Otherwise, Squarespace. Then confirm who will edit the site every week.
That last question decides more projects than features do. A WordPress site nobody on your team can update goes stale. A Squarespace site your office manager edits every week stays current.
Two more checks before you sign anything:
- Price the full monthly cost, not the plan: transaction fees, paid apps or plugins, hosting and the time someone spends maintaining it.
- Make sure the platform account, domain and payment processor are in your name.
FAQ
Is Squarespace or WordPress better for SEO?
Neither is better by default. Both can handle titles, meta descriptions, structured data, sitemaps and fast pages. WordPress gives more technical control, including robots.txt. Squarespace covers the basics with less setup. Rankings come from content, links and reviews more than platform.
Can I sell products on Squarespace instead of Shopify?
Yes, for a small catalog. Squarespace's Basic plan charges a 2% commerce fee, and Core, Plus and Advanced charge 0%. If online sales are your main revenue, Shopify's commerce tools and apps usually fit better.
Is it hard to move a website from Squarespace to WordPress?
Squarespace exports layout pages, one blog and text and image blocks as a WordPress file. Store pages, styles, custom CSS and video blocks don't export, so the design has to be rebuilt. Set up 301 redirects from old URLs so you keep search traffic.
Does WordPress need ongoing maintenance?
Yes. WordPress applies minor and security core updates automatically on most sites, but plugin and theme auto-updates are opt-in. Someone needs to own updates, backups and hosting.
Want help choosing?
Most owners can make this call with the four questions above. If you'd rather have a second opinion on your platform before a redesign or a move, that's part of our website development work. Our prices are on our pricing page, and you can get in touch or read our FAQ first.
