BigCommerce vs. Squarespace
BigCommerce is an ecommerce-focused platform built for businesses that need robust selling tools and room to grow. Squarespace is a general-purpose website builder known for polished templates, simple editing, and built-in options for selling online.
Users often compare them when choosing between advanced ecommerce capabilities and an easier, design-led way to build a website. The right fit depends on factors such as features, pricing, ease of use, customization, and the scale of the business.
BigCommerce VS Squarespace: Which tool is the most popular?
| Tool | Reviews | Average rating | Review sentiment | Popularity summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace | 105 | 2.63/5 | 42 positive, 6 neutral, 57 negative | Most reviewed, but has the lower average rating and more negative than positive reviews. |
| BigCommerce | 94 | 3.22/5 | 58 positive, 4 neutral, 32 negative | Fewer reviews, but the higher average rating and more positive feedback. |
Squarespace is the most popular by review volume, while BigCommerce is least reviewed. By average user rating, BigCommerce performs better; Squarespace has the lower rating.
BigCommerce and Squarespace: Quick Comparison Overview
I can’t perform a live web search in this chat, so this overview reflects established product positioning; features and plan limits may change.
| Ahrefs | Semrush | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary features | Backlink and competitor analysis; keyword research; site audits; rank tracking; content research. | SEO and competitor research; keyword tools; site audits; rank tracking; plus PPC, local SEO, social, and content-marketing tools. |
| Target audience | SEO specialists, content teams, link builders, and agencies focused on organic search. | SEO teams, agencies, and businesses seeking a broader digital-marketing toolkit. |
| Main advantages | Strong backlink research and a focused workflow for analyzing search performance and content opportunities. | Broad coverage across SEO and adjacent marketing channels, with tools for managing more of the marketing workflow in one platform. |
| Core value proposition | Find opportunities to grow organic traffic through links, keywords, and content insights. | Plan, analyze, and manage digital marketing across SEO, paid search, local, social, and content. |
| Ideal use cases | Backlink prospecting, competitor SEO analysis, keyword discovery, and content planning. | Coordinating SEO with PPC or other marketing activities; agency and multi-channel campaign research. |
Most liked vs most disliked features of BigCommerce and Squarespace
| Platform | Overall sentiment | What users appreciate | Main concerns |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce | Generally positive, especially among users seeking a flexible e-commerce platform with capable support. | Easy setup and usability; responsive technical support; store customization, API access, and PageBuilder; support for B2B and B2C sales; inventory and mobile-commerce features. | Configurable products may require custom development; some users want better integrations and geo-targeting; checkout could be improved; order notes and tracking lack transparency; advanced features can take time to learn. |
| Squarespace | Mixed but often positive about design and ease of building a polished website; experiences with support and account management are less consistent. | Intuitive drag-and-drop editing; attractive, professional templates; helpful support experiences for some users; e-commerce, analytics, and SEO tools; mobile-responsive sites. | Limited template customization; inconsistent access to timely support; domain and email-management problems; an interface some find unintuitive; frustration with pricing and publishing requirements. |
Key Features of BigCommerce vs Squarespace
BigCommerce
BigCommerce is primarily an ecommerce platform with website-building tools. Its features are designed to help businesses build a storefront and manage selling across channels. BigCommerce product page
| Feature | How it benefits users |
|---|---|
| Visual Page Builder | Lets users arrange and customize store pages visually, reducing the need to code for common design changes. |
| Customizable themes | Provides a starting design for a storefront while allowing businesses to tailor its appearance to their brand. |
| Built-in ecommerce tools | Supports product catalogs, checkout, payments, and order management in one platform, helping merchants run their store without assembling every core function separately. |
| Omnichannel selling | Connects selling across online marketplaces, social channels, and other storefronts, making it easier to reach customers in more places. |
| Multi-storefront capabilities | Helps businesses manage multiple storefronts—such as different brands or regional sites—from a shared platform. |
| B2B features | Offers tools for business-to-business commerce, which can help companies serve wholesale or other business buyers alongside retail customers. |
| APIs and headless options | Gives developers more freedom to connect other systems or build a custom front end while using BigCommerce’s commerce functionality behind it. |
| SEO and reporting tools | Helps merchants improve how their store is found and monitor sales and business performance. |
What’s distinctive: BigCommerce’s emphasis is on commerce depth and flexibility—especially multichannel selling, B2B, and options for custom or headless builds. It’s a strong fit for businesses whose store operations may become more complex.
Squarespace
Squarespace combines website design and ecommerce with tools for publishing and running a broader online presence. Squarespace features page
| Feature | How it benefits users |
|---|---|
| Templates and visual editing | Gives users professionally designed starting points and a way to customize pages without building a site from scratch. |
| Fluid Engine editor | Provides flexible visual page layout controls, making it easier to position and style page content. |
| Blueprint AI website creation | Helps users generate a site structure and design direction more quickly; users can then refine the result. |
| Ecommerce tools | Lets businesses display products and sell through their website, with supporting tools for managing an online shop. |
| Blogging and portfolio tools | Supports articles, projects, and visual work, making it useful for creators, service businesses, and brands that rely on content. |
| Scheduling and member areas | Helps service providers take bookings and lets businesses offer gated content or member experiences. |
| SEO, analytics, and social tools | Helps users promote their site, understand audience activity, and connect their web presence with social channels. |
| Domains, email campaigns, and extensions | Brings common website operations and marketing tools together, reducing the need to manage everything through separate providers. |
What’s distinctive: Squarespace puts design, content, and business tools in one polished website-building experience. Its breadth beyond store management—such as blogging, portfolios, scheduling, and member areas—makes it appealing to creators and service businesses as well as sellers.
In short: BigCommerce is generally more commerce- and scale-oriented; Squarespace is more design- and all-purpose-site-oriented. Specific tools and availability can vary by plan or require integrations.
BigCommerce vs Squarespace Pricing Comparison
| Brand and tier | Monthly billing | Annual billing (monthly equivalent) | Main differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce Standard | $39/month | $29/month, billed annually ($348/year) | Core ecommerce features, including unlimited products, sales channels, coupons and gift cards. Designed for stores with up to $50,000 in annual online sales. |
| BigCommerce Plus | $105/month | $79/month, billed annually ($948/year) | Adds customer groups and segmentation, an abandoned-cart saver, and a persistent cart. Designed for stores with up to $180,000 in annual online sales. |
| BigCommerce Pro | $399/month | $299/month, billed annually ($3,588/year) | Adds features such as product filtering and custom product filtering options. Designed for stores with up to $400,000 in annual online sales; higher sales can increase the price. |
| BigCommerce Enterprise | Custom quote | Custom quote | For larger or more complex businesses; pricing and features are tailored to the business. |
| Squarespace Basic | $25/month | $16/month, billed annually ($192/year) | Website and commerce essentials. Includes a 2% Squarespace transaction fee on online store sales. |
| Squarespace Core | $36/month | $23/month, billed annually ($276/year) | Adds features such as custom code, integrations and advanced website analytics. Removes Squarespace’s commerce transaction fee. |
| Squarespace Plus | $56/month | $39/month, billed annually ($468/year) | Adds more advanced selling capabilities, including subscription sales and abandoned-cart recovery. No Squarespace commerce transaction fee. |
| Squarespace Advanced | $139/month | $99/month, billed annually ($1,188/year) | Adds advanced commerce tools, such as advanced shipping options and commerce APIs. No Squarespace commerce transaction fee. |
| Pricing and discount detail | BigCommerce | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Annual-billing savings | The listed annual rates are about 25% lower than paying month to month. | Annual rates are lower than monthly rates; the savings vary by plan, from about 29% to 36%. |
| Free trial | 15 days. | 14 days. |
| Other price considerations | Online-sales thresholds apply to Standard, Plus and Pro; exceeding a threshold may trigger an upgrade or a higher price. Payment processing charges may also apply. | Annual plans typically include a free custom domain for the first year. Payment-processing fees are separate from Squarespace’s own commerce transaction fee. |
Prices are in U.S. dollars. Annual prices are monthly equivalents billed upfront for a year.
Support Options Comparison: BigCommerce vs Squarespace
| Support option | BigCommerce | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Live chat | Available 24/7 through the BigCommerce support portal. | Available Monday–Friday, 4 a.m.–8 p.m. Eastern Time. |
| Phone support | Phone support is available 24/7. Contact options may depend on your account or location. | No phone support. |
| Documentation | The BigCommerce Help Center provides setup instructions, troubleshooting articles, and product guidance. | The Squarespace Help Center offers step-by-step guides for building and managing a site. |
| Additional resources | Offers self-service learning and community resources, including product education and developer documentation. | Provides video tutorials and webinars alongside its Help Center. |
| Overall | A stronger choice for customers who want round-the-clock access to a live agent by chat or phone. | Emphasizes written and video learning, with live chat during set weekday hours and no phone support. |
Unique Features of BigCommerce Vs Squarespace
| Brand and feature | Added value | Why it may be a deciding factor |
|---|---|---|
| BigCommerce — B2B commerce tools | Supports business-to-business sales workflows, such as company accounts, buyer roles, and quote-based purchasing, alongside standard online retail. | A business selling to both companies and individual customers may avoid stitching together separate storefronts or specialist B2B tools. |
| BigCommerce — Multi-Storefront | Lets a business manage multiple storefronts from one platform, with different brands, audiences, or markets. | Useful for businesses expanding into new regions or running several brands without maintaining entirely separate commerce systems. |
| BigCommerce — Headless commerce and APIs | Separates the commerce back end from the customer-facing website, allowing businesses to connect BigCommerce to custom websites, apps, or other digital experiences. | A better fit for companies that need more control over design and customer journeys than a standard, template-led builder usually offers. |
| BigCommerce — Omnichannel selling | Connects online commerce with channels such as marketplaces and social platforms, helping manage sales across more than one destination. | Matters to retailers whose customers discover and buy products across multiple channels and who want to coordinate those operations. |
| Squarespace — Integrated appointment scheduling | Squarespace offers scheduling tools through its platform, including appointment booking and calendar management. | Service businesses can take bookings through their website without assembling a separate site and scheduling system. |
| Squarespace — Memberships and courses | Supports paid access to member-only content and online courses, connecting content delivery with the site’s broader business tools. | A creator or educator can sell subscriptions or learning materials from the same site used to publish and promote them. |
| Squarespace — Built-in marketing and business tools | The feature set includes tools such as email campaigns and analytics alongside site and commerce features. | Fewer separate services may be needed to publish a site, communicate with an audience, and monitor performance—especially for a small business prioritizing simplicity over extensive customization. |
These features are less common in basic website builders; availability and specific capabilities may depend on the plan.
Most frequently asked questions about BigCommerce vs Squarespace
Which is easier to use, Squarespace or BigCommerce?
Reviewers commonly describe Squarespace as more approachable for beginners: its visual editor and ready-made templates make it relatively easy to build and update a polished site. BigCommerce is also manageable for basic tasks, but reviewers often say its broader commerce settings take more time to learn. Choose Squarespace for a simpler setup; choose BigCommerce if the extra ecommerce controls are worth a steeper learning curve.
Which platform is better for ecommerce?
BigCommerce is generally the stronger choice for a store-first business. Review feedback often highlights its extensive built-in selling tools and support for larger product catalogs. Squarespace can handle online sales well, especially for smaller shops, creators, and service businesses, but reviewers tend to see it as a website builder with ecommerce rather than a platform centered on complex retail operations.
Which has better design templates and customization?
Reviewers frequently praise Squarespace for attractive, professionally designed templates and a consistent visual result without much setup. BigCommerce offers customizable storefront themes, but feedback more often emphasizes commerce functionality than design simplicity. If visual presentation and a cohesive brand site are your priority, Squarespace is often the more appealing starting point; both platforms allow customization, though the amount of effort differs.
Which is better for managing products and inventory?
BigCommerce is typically better suited to stores with many products, variations, or more involved catalog needs. Reviewers value its commerce-focused features, while also noting that managing all the options can feel complex at first. Squarespace’s product management is often described as simpler and sufficient for smaller catalogs, but it may feel limiting as inventory and operational requirements grow.
Which platform costs less?
There is no universal winner: total cost depends on the plan, payment processing, add-ons, and the features your business needs. Reviewers often appreciate Squarespace’s straightforward all-in-one approach, while BigCommerce’s value is easier to justify when a store uses its advanced selling capabilities. Compare current plan limits and transaction or processing costs against your own sales volume before deciding.
Which is better for SEO?
Both platforms provide core SEO capabilities, including tools for managing page information and site structure. Review feedback does not point to a guaranteed ranking advantage for either one; content quality, technical setup, and ongoing optimization matter more. Squarespace is often viewed as convenient for basic SEO, while BigCommerce may suit retailers who need more control over a larger product catalog and its pages.
Which offers better integrations and selling channels?
BigCommerce is commonly favored by reviewers who need a commerce ecosystem with connections to external business tools and sales channels. Squarespace supports integrations too, but feedback often frames its ecosystem as more streamlined and less expansive. Check that the exact services you rely on—such as accounting, shipping, marketing, or marketplaces—are supported on the plan you intend to use.
Which platform is better for a small business or beginner?
For a small business focused on a polished website, portfolio, services, or a modest shop, reviewers often find Squarespace easier to get started with. BigCommerce can still work for a small business, but its extensive retail features may be more than a beginner needs. If you expect your operation to grow into a larger, more complex online store, BigCommerce may be worth learning early.
Which platform scales better as an online store grows?
BigCommerce is generally the more natural fit for scaling a retail operation, particularly as product catalogs, sales channels, and business workflows become more involved. Reviewers often praise its breadth but caution that the added options bring complexity. Squarespace can support growing businesses too, but feedback suggests it is most comfortable when the site and store remain relatively straightforward.
Which has better customer support?
Support experiences can vary, and reviewer feedback does not establish a consistent winner for every issue or customer. Users of both platforms value access to help resources, but the usefulness and speed of support can depend on the question and plan. Before committing, review each provider’s current support channels and documentation, especially if you will need help with store setup, integrations, or technical changes.
