Squarespace vs Webflow: Guided Templates or Custom CMS Builds
Squarespace starts from a template and lets you rearrange blocks on the Fluid Engine grid, with a store built into every plan: checkout on your own domain, subscriptions and abandoned cart recovery. Email Campaigns and Acuity Scheduling come from the same company as separate subscriptions. Webflow is a visual designer for people who want control over layout, animation and structured content. CMS Collections, a GSAP-based Interactions timeline, Localize for translated subdirectories and Webflow Cloud app hosting cover the custom end, while selling products needs a separate Ecommerce site plan.
Squarespace
Best for: Creatives and small businesses that want a polished template-based site with a built-in store and branded email from one vendor.
Webflow
Best for: Designers, agencies and marketing teams that want pixel-level control over a custom site and a structured CMS without managing hosting.
| At a glance | Squarespace | Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19/mo (annual billing) | $15 per site/mo (annual billing) |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | No |
| Market Signal | 78 / 100 | 65 / 100 |
| Built for | Freelancer, Small Business | Freelancer, Small Business, Mid-Market, Enterprise |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, API | Web |
| Founded | 2003 | 2013 |
Choose Squarespace if...
you want a template-based site that can sell products, take subscriptions and recover abandoned carts on any plan, with bookings and email campaigns available from the same vendor.
Choose Webflow if...
your site depends on structured CMS content, timeline animations or translated subdirectories, and someone on the team is comfortable working in a visual designer that exposes layout and styling controls.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Dimension | Squarespace | Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Design control | Stronger here | |
| CMS and content APIs | Stronger here | |
| Online store | Stronger here | |
| Bookings and email | Stronger here | |
| Custom code | Stronger here | |
| Starting without paying | Stronger here |
We name a winner for each dimension and never one overall winner. The right pick depends on which of these matters most for your use case.
Plans and Pricing Side by Side
Squarespace
From $19/mo (annual billing) · Free trial
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $25 | $19 |
| Core | $39 | $29 |
| Plus | $65 | $49 |
| Advanced | $139 | $99 |
Checked September 28, 2026 on Squarespace's pricing page.
Webflow
From $15 per site/mo (annual billing) · Free plan
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (mo) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Free | |
| Basic | Not listed | $15 |
|
| Premium | Not listed | $25 |
|
| Team | Custom | Custom |
|
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Checked October 12, 2026 on Webflow's pricing page.
Annual columns show the monthly cost when billed yearly. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their site before you buy.
Market Signal Compared
| Score (0 to 100) | Squarespace | Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Market Signal | 78 | 65 |
| Market strength | 83 | 69 |
| Momentum | 58 | 49 |
| Traffic strength | 85 | 71 |
| Search visibility | 80 | 66 |
| Authority | 86 | 74 |
| Brand and market presence | 82 | 64 |
| Data confidence | Medium | Limited |
Market Signal measures each product's online footprint and momentum from Ahrefs and Semrush data, scored against other tools in its category (Website Builders (23 tracked)). It shows market presence, which is not the same as product quality. Data through September 2026. How the score works
Integrations and Support
Both connect with: Mailchimp, Google Analytics
| Squarespace | Webflow | |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations only one lists | None listed | Zapier, Make |
| Support | Live chat, Email, Help center, Community forum | Email, Community |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Italian | English |
| Headquarters | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
From each vendor's integrations and support pages. Lists show notable integrations, not every connector.
Other Tools to Consider
If neither Squarespace nor Webflow fits, these are the closest alternatives we list, ordered by Overall Score.
Wix
Drag-and-drop website builder with built-in SEO tools, tiered ecommerce plans and an app market.
WordPress.com
Hosted WordPress platform with block editing, plugin installs on paid plans, and SFTP on Business.
Framer
Visual site builder with built-in CMS, AI localization, cookie-free analytics and native A/B tests.
Duda
Agency-focused website builder with white labeling, client controls, dynamic pages, and automation APIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I publish a Webflow site without a paid plan?⌄
Yes, on a webflow.io subdomain. The free Starter plan allows two static pages, a limited CMS and 50 form submissions. Connecting your own domain starts with Basic, which allows 300 static pages but no CMS. The Premium site plan adds the CMS, site search and code components.
Does Squarespace have a free plan?⌄
No. Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card, then Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced plans. Annual subscribers get a year of domain registration included. Basic charges an online store fee that Core and the higher plans drop, and it allows two contributors where Core and above allow unlimited contributors.
Do I need a separate plan to sell on Webflow?⌄
Yes. Webflow sells Ecommerce site plans named Standard, Plus and Advanced, which allow 500, 5,000 and 15,000 items. Each includes a custom cart and checkout. Payments run through Stripe, with Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal also supported, and products can be physical goods, digital downloads or services.
Can I add JavaScript to a Squarespace site?⌄
On Core, Plus and Advanced you can use JavaScript in code blocks and add scripts site-wide through code injection. Basic is limited to HTML, Markdown and CSS in code blocks, plus the CSS editor available on every plan. Squarespace does not run server-side languages such as PHP or Ruby.
How does Webflow handle sites in several languages?⌄
Webflow Localize translates static pages and CMS items, either with AI translation you refine by hand or through translation management apps. Each locale can live in a subdirectory such as /es/, with translated metadata and an auto-generated sitemap carrying hreflang tags. The Team plan includes two locales, and Webflow sells extra locales separately.
Written by SEM Solutions Editorial Team
Last updated October 13, 2026