Squarespace vs Webflow (2026): Which Website Builder Should You Use?

A factual comparison of Squarespace and Webflow covering pricing, design flexibility, CMS power, and migration steps for small teams choosing a website builder.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

Squarespace

All-in-one website builder for small businesses and creators

$16month (billed annually, Basic plan)

Strengths

+Very fast to launch a polished site with templates
+Built-in email marketing, scheduling, and basic commerce tools
+Simple flat pricing with hosting included

Weaknesses

-Limited custom layout control compared to Webflow
-CMS is basic — not built for complex content structures
-Exporting a site design out of Squarespace isn't really possible

Best for

Solopreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses that want a good-looking site fast without touching code

Webflow

Visual web design tool with production-ready code and a real CMS

$14month (billed annually, Basic site plan)

Strengths

+Pixel-level design control without writing HTML/CSS
+Powerful CMS with custom collections and dynamic content
+Exports clean, semantic code — no vendor lock-in on the front end

Weaknesses

-Steeper learning curve than Squarespace
-Ecommerce and CMS features cost extra on top of the site plan
-Hosting and CMS plans are billed separately, so real cost adds up

Best for

Designers, agencies, and teams that need custom design, a real CMS, and don't want to touch a developer for every change

Feature Comparison

Feature	Squarespace	Webflow
Free plan	No (14-day trial only)	Yes, limited (webflow.io subdomain)
Starting paid price	$16/mo	$14/mo
Design flexibility	Template-based, limited customization	Full visual freedom (like Figma for the web)
CMS	Basic blog/collections	Advanced, structured CMS with custom fields
Ecommerce	Built-in, plan-tiered	Separate ecommerce plans, add-on cost
Custom code access	Limited (CSS/JS injection only)	Full HTML/CSS/JS export and embed
Built-in email marketing	Yes (Squarespace Email Campaigns)	No (requires third-party tool)
SEO controls	Basic	Advanced (custom meta, schema, sitemap control)
Learning curve	Low	Moderate to high
Hosting included	Yes	Yes
Team/client collaboration	Limited	Strong (roles, staging, client billing)
Best use case	Quick launch, small business	Custom design + content-heavy sites

The Verdict

Squarespace wins on speed and simplicity — pick it if you want a good site live this weekend without learning a new tool. Webflow wins on control and scalability — pick it if you need custom design, a real CMS, or plan to hand the site to a designer. For most small teams outgrowing a template, Webflow's extra learning curve pays off within a few months.

How to switch from Squarespace to Webflow

1Export what you can from Squarespace: go to Settings > Advanced > Import/Export and export your blog content as WordPress-compatible XML, and export product/customer data as CSV — there's no full-site export option.
2Manually download all images and media from your Squarespace site's media library since they aren't included in the XML/CSV export.
3Rebuild your page structure in Webflow using its Designer, or start from a Webflow template close to your original layout, then recreate your CMS collections (blog, products) using the exported XML/CSV as reference data.
4Recreate integrations that Squarespace handled natively — set up Mailchimp or another ESP for email marketing, and connect Zapier/Make for any automations you had running.
5Set up 301 redirects for every old Squarespace URL to its new Webflow equivalent to preserve SEO rankings before pointing your domain's DNS to Webflow.
6Test the new site fully (forms, checkout if applicable, mobile layout) on the webflow.io staging URL, then update your domain's DNS records to go live and monitor for broken links for the first few weeks.

Squarespace vs Webflow: common questions

How do I export my Squarespace site to move to Webflow?+

Squarespace doesn't let you export your design — you can only export content like blog posts and products via Settings > Advanced > Import/Export (WordPress-style XML for blog content, CSV for product/customer data). Images and pages have to be manually re-downloaded or rebuilt in Webflow since there's no full site export.

What do I lose by switching from Squarespace to Webflow?+

You lose Squarespace's built-in email marketing and simple all-in-one billing, since Webflow doesn't include email campaigns and charges CMS/ecommerce separately. You'll also lose your existing template's structure entirely — Webflow builds are done from scratch or from a Webflow template, not migrated automatically.

Is Webflow's free plan enough for a small team?+

Only for prototyping or internal staging — the free plan uses a webflow.io subdomain and has no custom domain support. For a real client-facing site you'll need at least the Basic ($14/mo) or CMS ($23/mo) plan.

Does Webflow integrate with the tools I already use?+

Yes, via native integrations (Zapier, Make, Mailchimp, HubSpot) and Webflow's own API for custom builds. It's generally more integration-friendly than Squarespace because it exposes CMS data through an API.

Is Webflow actually cheaper than Squarespace long term?+

Not necessarily — Webflow's base site plans are similar or slightly cheaper, but adding CMS, ecommerce, or a Webflow developer/agency for custom builds can push costs higher than Squarespace's all-in-one pricing. It's cheaper if you're comparing apples-to-apples on a content site; it's pricier if you need ecommerce plus CMS plus hosting.