You’re ready to build (or grow) your online store, and now you’re staring down a long list of platforms, feature tables, pricing pages, and endless YouTube reviews.

Let’s simplify it.

 

If you’re choosing between Shopify and Squarespace, you’re already in the right zone.

Both are powerful, modern platforms that can host a professional e-commerce experience.

But they’re built very differently, and knowing which one is right for you depends on what your business actually needs.

This post is here to help you figure that out; no jargon, no filler, just a clear breakdown of what each platform can (and can’t) do for you.


🚀 Quick Overview

  1. Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform, built for selling at scale. Think: thousands of products, advanced shipping, and a massive app store to plug in pretty much any feature you could imagine.
  2. Squarespace is more of a design-led, all-in-one website builder, perfect if you’re running a product-based business alongside services, blogging, content creation, or digital downloads.

🛒 Let’s Talk About Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace is loved by creative business owners for good reason; it’s beautiful, intuitive, and doesn’t feel like a tech headache.

✅ Pros:

  1. Affordable monthly plans (especially for smaller shops)
  2. User-friendly backend, easy to update products, tweak layouts, or write a blog post
  3. Design-first, everything looks good, straight out of the box
  4. All-in-one builder, you can sell products, book services, run a blog, and host digital downloads all in one place

❌ Cons:

  1. Limited shipping and tax settings, no real-time shipping rates or dynamic tax calculations
  2. Only supports Stripe and PayPal, so if you need more complex payment options, you’ll feel restricted
  3. No bulk editing tools; managing a large product catalogue gets slow, fast.
  4. Missing advanced e-commerce features, things like product customisers, filters, variant control, and multi-currency aren’t native

👉 Best for: Creators, service-based businesses, or small product shops where the store is one part of a wider brand ecosystem.

 

🏬 Now, Shopify.

Shopify is the gold standard for serious e-commerce. If your entire business is centred around selling products and you want full control over that experience, Shopify delivers.

✅ Pros:

  1. Purpose-built for selling, everything is optimised for e-commerce from day one
  2. Advanced features, real-time shipping, automated taxes, advanced product filtering, and powerful inventory tools
  3. Massive app ecosystem; if there’s a feature Shopify doesn’t have natively, there’s probably an app that does
  4. Built to scale, from five products to five thousand, Shopify won’t break

❌ Cons:

  1. Setup is more involved; you’ll likely need a developer to get the most out of it
  2. Monthly cost adds up, especially once you start layering in apps and premium themes
  3. Less flexible on content, blogging, service pages, and “non-shop” content often require more customisation to feel on-brand

👉 Best for: Product-based businesses that need scalability, flexibility, and robust e-commerce tools to grow fast.

 

✨ What If You Want the Best of Both?

Here’s a smart option we recommend to some clients: the Squarespace–Shopify hybrid.

  1. Your main site (home, about, blog, etc.) is built in Squarespace, easy to manage, and beautifully branded.
  2. Your shop lives on Shopify, where you get all the advanced e-commerce features and product control.

When set up right, it feels completely seamless for your customers; most won’t even notice they’re switching platforms.

The catch? You’ll be paying for two subscriptions and may need a bit of dev support to get the integration right.


But what if your business needs both content flexibility and e-commerce power? This setup might be your sweet spot.


So… Which One Should You Choose?

Ask yourself:

  1. How many products am I selling?
  2. Do I need advanced shipping, tax, or filtering tools?
  3. Is my shop the main part of my business or one piece of a bigger brand?
  4. How much do I want to manage day-to-day?
  5. What’s my upfront vs. ongoing budget?

 

Our Take?

  1. If e-commerce is your whole business, and you want to scale, automate, and go global → Shopify
  2. If e-commerce is part of a broader brand, maybe you’re also a coach, designer, content creator, or service provider → Squarespace
  3. If you want the best of both and have the budget to support it → Hybrid setup


Final Word

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but there is a right platform for where your business is heading.

Whatever route you choose, make sure your site is doing more than just sitting there looking nice. It should convert. It should move. It should work.

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