WordPress vs Squarespace: which is better for UK businesses?
By Tom · Last reviewed · 6 minute read
For most UK small businesses that want to grow online, WordPress is the better choice: you own the site, you get far more control over SEO, and there's no platform subscription. Squarespace suits very simple sites where you want the easiest possible editor and no technical responsibility at all.
On this page
Choosing between WordPress and Squarespace is one of the most common decisions UK businesses face when getting a website. Both have their place, and the right choice depends on what you need.
Full disclosure: I build websites for a living, including WordPress sites, so I'm not neutral. But I'd rather you picked the right platform for your business, even if that's Squarespace. This comparison is based on my experience of building and looking after sites, and on UK pricing at the time of writing.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is an open-source content management system (software for editing your website without code). It runs over 40% of all websites, according to W3Techs. The software is free, but you need to arrange your own hosting. It can be customised almost without limit through themes and plugins, and you own your website completely.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that bundles hosting, design templates and tools into one package. It's known for attractive templates and being easy to use. You pay a monthly subscription and build your site with its drag-and-drop editor.
Side-by-side comparison
How the two compare on the things that matter most to UK businesses.
| WordPress | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Hosting from about £100 to £150 a year, plus any premium theme. No platform fees or transaction fees. | Roughly £144 to £420 a year on a monthly subscription. Some plans charge a fee on each sale. |
| Ease of use | Takes longer to learn. Page builders make it easier; expect a week or two to get comfortable. | Beginner-friendly drag-and-drop editor. You can build a basic site in hours. |
| Customisation | Almost unlimited: around 60,000 free plugins in the WordPress.org directory, thousands of themes and full code access. | Limited to templates. Some custom CSS allowed, but adding your own features is limited. |
| SEO | Full control, with plugins like Yoast and Rank Math, flexible schema markup and full technical control. | Good basics but no SEO plugins and less control over technical SEO. |
| Selling online | WooCommerce: unlimited products, many payment providers and lots of extensions. | Built-in and simple to set up, with fewer payment options. Fine for small shops. |
| Growing with you | Scales from a small site to a very large one. | Good for small to medium sites, but can feel restrictive as you grow. |
| Ownership | You own everything and can move to any host. | You rent the platform. Leaving means rebuilding your site. |
| Support | A huge community plus your host's support. Complex problems may need a developer. | Official support by email and live chat, with good documentation. |
| Design | Quality depends on the theme or developer. | Consistently modern, polished templates, with less variety. |
| Maintenance | Plugins and themes need regular updates. You can automate this or pay someone to do it. | The platform handles all updates for you. |
Real costs over three years
Approximate UK costs at the time of writing. Check the current prices before you decide.
WordPress (three years, built yourself)
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Hosting (good managed hosting) | £300 to £450 |
| Domain registration | £30 to £45 |
| Premium theme (one-off) | £0 to £80 |
| Premium plugins (optional) | £0 to £200 |
| Three-year total | £330 to £775 |
If you have a WordPress site professionally built, add the build cost. The build is a single payment (mine is £800), and hosting is separate: my care plans (from £10 a month) cover UK hosting, SSL, backups, monitoring and security.
Squarespace (three years)
| Plan | Cost over three years |
|---|---|
| Personal (about £12 a month) | £432 |
| Business (about £18 a month) | £648 |
| Commerce Basic (about £26 a month) | £936 |
| Commerce Advanced (about £35 a month) | £1,260 |
Squarespace's free domain only lasts for the first year, and these are recurring costs that carry on for as long as you have the site.
The bottom line: built yourself, WordPress costs less to run. A professionally built WordPress site costs more upfront, but you own it outright and your running costs can stay low.
What each platform does best
WordPress strengths
- You own your website and its content outright
- No platform fees, just hosting
- Almost unlimited customisation through plugins
- Stronger SEO tools for ranking in Google
- Powerful e-commerce with WooCommerce
- A huge community and plenty of developers
- Scales from a small site to a very large one
- You can switch hosts without rebuilding
Squarespace strengths
- The easiest platform for beginners
- Attractive, professional templates
- Everything in one place, with no hosting decisions
- No maintenance: updates happen automatically
- Good for simple websites and portfolios
- Reliable uptime and performance
- Built-in analytics and basic marketing tools
- Customer support included
Which is better for ranking in Google?
For UK businesses trying to rank locally or nationally, WordPress gives you more to work with.
WordPress SEO advantages
- SEO plugins: Yoast SEO and Rank Math cover keyword guidance, readability, schema markup, XML sitemaps and more.
- Technical control: full access to robots.txt, server settings and speed improvements.
- Schema markup: add any type of structured data to help your pages stand out in Google's results.
- Speed: more ways to make pages load faster, through caching, a CDN (a network that serves your files from servers near your visitors) and image optimisation.
- Web addresses: complete control over your URL structure and redirects.
Squarespace SEO limitations
- Basic features: page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text, but no advanced tools.
- No SEO plugins: you're limited to what's built in.
- Limited technical control: no access to server settings or advanced configuration.
- Less flexible URLs: fewer options for how your web addresses are structured.
- Less control over speed: fewer ways to improve performance.
What this means for your business
If being found on Google matters to your business, and for most UK businesses it does, WordPress gives you more tools to compete. That's especially true for local SEO, where ranking for "[service] near me" or "[service] in [town]" can bring in a lot of work.
Squarespace sites can rank, but you'll have fewer ways to improve your rankings over time.
Which should you choose?
Choose WordPress if you...
- Want full control over your website
- Plan to grow your business online
- Need more SEO control to rank locally
- Want to sell products online seriously
- Have a budget for professional help
- Want to avoid ongoing platform fees
- Need custom features
- Value long-term flexibility over short-term ease
Choose Squarespace if you...
- Need a simple portfolio or brochure site
- Have very little time to learn
- Don't want any technical responsibility
- Have a small, fixed budget with nothing for a developer
- Don't need advanced SEO or e-commerce
- Are happy working within a template
- Prefer a single monthly bill
- Don't expect to move or grow the site much
My honest view
For most UK small businesses that are serious about their website, WordPress is the better investment. It takes more learning or professional help at the start, but you get lower running costs, more SEO control, complete ownership and room to grow.
Squarespace is a good choice for very simple sites where you want zero technical responsibility and aren't worried about long-term growth or competing hard in search. It's also a sensible way to test a business idea quickly before spending more.
Tip: Not sure what a proper build would cost? The website pricing guide and the website cost calculator give you a realistic figure before you speak to anyone.
Questions people ask
Is WordPress or Squarespace better for UK small businesses?
For most UK small businesses, WordPress is the better choice. It offers more flexibility, better SEO tools, lower long-term running costs, and you own your website completely. Squarespace is simpler to use but ties you to its platform with ongoing monthly fees. WordPress runs over 40% of all websites, according to W3Techs, so there's a huge choice of plugins, themes and developers.
Which is cheaper, WordPress or Squarespace in the UK?
WordPress is usually cheaper over time if you build it yourself. At the time of writing, Squarespace plans cost roughly £12 to £35 a month, or £432 to £1,260 over three years. A self-built WordPress site costs roughly £330 to £775 over three years for hosting, a domain and any premium theme or plugins. If you have a WordPress site built for you, add the build cost: mine are £800, plus hosting from £10 a month.
Is Squarespace easier to use than WordPress?
Yes, Squarespace is easier for complete beginners. Its drag-and-drop editor needs no technical knowledge, and everything is managed in one place. WordPress takes longer to learn but is far more flexible. Modern WordPress editors like Gutenberg and page builders like Elementor have narrowed the ease-of-use gap a lot.
Which is better for SEO, WordPress or Squarespace?
WordPress gives you more SEO control. It has SEO plugins like Yoast and Rank Math, full control over technical SEO, more ways to speed up your site, and more flexibility for schema markup (code that helps search engines understand your page). Squarespace covers the basics but limits what you can change. For UK businesses competing locally, WordPress gives you more tools to work with.
Can I move my website from Squarespace to WordPress?
Yes, but it takes effort. You can export your content from Squarespace and import it into WordPress, but your design won't come with it. You'll need to rebuild the design, redirect old addresses and possibly replace some features. That's why starting on the right platform matters: moving later costs time and money.
Which is better for e-commerce, WordPress or Squarespace?
WordPress with WooCommerce is better for a serious online shop. It handles unlimited products, supports many payment providers, adds no platform transaction fees and has thousands of extensions. Squarespace Commerce is simpler but has fewer features, and some plans charge a fee on each sale.
Do I need a developer for WordPress or can I do it myself?
You can build a WordPress site yourself using a pre-made theme and a page builder. For a professional result that turns visitors into enquiries, most businesses benefit from having it built for them. A good developer makes sure the SEO basics are set up properly, the site loads quickly, it's secure, and the design fits your brand.
Which platform is more secure, WordPress or Squarespace?
Squarespace handles security for you as a hosted platform. With WordPress you need to keep it updated and secure, but with good hosting and regular maintenance it's just as safe. WordPress runs some very large websites, including government sites. The key is keeping it updated and using good hosting.
Can I use my own domain with WordPress and Squarespace?
Yes, both support your own domain. Squarespace includes a free domain for the first year on annual plans. WordPress works with any domain registrar. Domain costs are similar either way, typically £10 to £15 a year for a .co.uk.
Which is better for blogging, WordPress or Squarespace?
WordPress was originally built for blogging and is still the stronger platform for serious content. It's more flexible for categories, tags, archives, author pages and organising lots of content. Squarespace has good blogging features but can't match WordPress for managing a large amount of content.