The short answer. If selling products online is the main job of the site, choose Shopify. If the site’s job is to explain what you do and get people to call, book or visit, choose Squarespace. If neither fits, that’s when custom code earns its cost.
This is one of the first questions owners ask us, and the honest answer is that both are good. They’re built for different jobs. We’ve built on both: Girebaan, a handmade Indian fashion label, runs on Shopify, and Pizzeria Madre, a pizzeria in London, Ontario, runs on Squarespace. Here’s how we decided in each case, and how you can decide for yours.
Start with what the site has to do
Forget features for a moment. Ask what a visitor should do when they arrive.
- Buy something, right now, online. That’s a store. Products, sizes, stock, cart, checkout, shipping and discount codes all matter. Shopify is built around this.
- Call, book, enquire or walk in. That’s a business website. Clear pages, good photos, an easy contact path and simple editing matter more than a checkout. Squarespace is built around this.
When Shopify is the right choice
Girebaan sells shirts, jackets and streetwear in several sizes, with around 90 products across topwear and bottomwear, and runs regular sales. That’s exactly what Shopify handles well.
- Many products with variants. Sizes, colours and stock levels are managed in one place.
- A checkout that converts on phones. Most fashion and product traffic is mobile, and Shopify’s checkout is mature and fast.
- Selling features out of the box. Discount codes, abandoned-cart emails, shipping rules and order management.
- Room to grow. An app store for reviews, subscriptions, wholesale and more, when you need them.
Things to check first: which payment gateways work in your country, and whether Shopify adds a transaction fee when you use a third-party gateway on your plan. Fees change, so read Shopify’s current pricing page for your country before you commit.
When Squarespace is the right choice
Pizzeria Madre doesn’t need a cart. Visitors want to know if they can eat in, how to order takeout, when the place is open and where it is. Their team also needs to change hours and menus without calling anyone.
- Service, hospitality and local businesses. Restaurants, clinics, studios, consultants and trades.
- Easy editing. Owners and staff can update text, photos, menus and opening hours themselves without breaking the design.
- Everything included. Hosting, security updates and a built-in blog, with appointment booking available as an add-on.
- A small shop on the side. Gift cards or a handful of products work fine. A large catalogue is where Shopify pulls ahead.
Things to check first: that Squarespace supports a payment option available in your country if you plan to sell, and that the template you like works well on phones with your own photos, not just the demo ones.
The comparison, side by side
| Question | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Selling products online | Presenting a business and getting enquiries |
| Best for | Fashion, food products, D2C brands, many products | Restaurants, services, studios, local businesses |
| Editing by your team | Good for products and orders | Very easy for pages, menus and photos |
| Extra features | Large app store | Fewer add-ons, more built in |
| Payments | Check gateways and fees for your country | Check supported providers for your country |
| Our example | Girebaan | Pizzeria Madre |
When to skip both and go custom
Custom code makes sense when you need something a builder can’t do well: very fast pages, an unusual feature, a tight connection to your own systems, or full control over every detail. This website is custom code for that reason. The trade-off is that changes usually need a developer, so it suits businesses with someone to look after the site, or a care plan.
Five questions to decide in ten minutes
- Will most of your revenue from the site come from online orders?
- How many products do you have, and do they come in sizes or colours?
- Who will update the site every week, and how comfortable are they with tools?
- Which payment methods do your customers expect, and are they supported in your country?
- Do you need bookings, menus or a blog more than a checkout?
If you answered yes to the first two, start with Shopify. If the last one matters most, start with Squarespace. If your answers are mixed, that’s a good conversation for a free call.
Questions owners ask
Can I switch later?
Yes, but it takes work. Products, pages and images have to move, and every old address needs a redirect so you don’t lose Google traffic. Choosing well at the start is cheaper.
Who owns the website?
You should. The account, the domain and the content should be in your name, with your developer added as a staff user. That’s how we set up every site we build.
Does the platform affect Google rankings?
Much less than people think. Both can rank well. Clear content, fast pages on phones, good titles and real links matter far more than the platform.
Not sure which fits? See how we build websites, or send us a few lines about your business.