I used Squarespace again after only using Showit. And Whoa...I have thoughts.

Let’s just say, I didn’t expect to revisit Squarespace after five years of being a Showit girl.

But here I was, testing it out again with fresh eyes and a whole lot more website design experience under my belt. Showit vs Squarespace will be an ongoing mystery. But as someone who’s built brands, launched digital products, and DIY’d more websites than I can count, I was curious:

How does Squarespace stack up to Showit in 2025?
And more importantly, would it tempt me away from my beloved Showit?

The short answer? Squarespace has definitely improved, however, Showit still holds the crown for creatives who care deeply about custom design, flexibility, and standing out online.

Let’s unpack it all.

See how other platforms compare: Why I Chose Showit for my Business and Love it!

Showit vs Squarespace: Why I Gave Squarespace Another Shot

When I first used Squarespace years ago, it was the go-to platform for beautiful, minimal websites. Think: coaches, bloggers, and small businesses wanting clean templates and an all-in-one setup.

It was good, but back then, I often felt boxed in by the layouts. That’s what pushed me to try Showit, and once I did, I never looked back.

But Squarespace recently released a few new features that caught my attention:

More flexible layout options
E-commerce updates
Integrated email marketing
Some pretty solid SEO improvements

So, when I was asked to create a website on Squarespace, I figured… why not give it another chance?

Was it time to change my view change on Showit vs Squarespace?

Squarespace vs. Showit: What’s Changed in 5 Years?

Here’s a side-by-side look at what stood out. Both the good and the “hmm, not so much.”

1. Ease of Use: Squarespace is Still Simpler (At First)

Let’s be honest: Squarespace is super beginner-friendly.

If you’re starting from zero tech experience and want to get something live fast? Squarespace is your friend. You can plug in your content, switch out a few photos, and launch in a weekend. I had to relearn Squarespace on the fly, and was continually surprised how simple it was.

But that simplicity also comes at a cost: limited creative freedom.

With Showit, there’s more of a learning curve up front, but the drag-and-drop interface is completely open-ended. You’re not locked into a grid or a section structure and you can literally move elements wherever you want.

Bottom line: Squarespace is easier to start, but Showit gives you way more freedom to grow and evolve creatively.

2. Design Flexibility: Showit Wins. Hands Down.

I cannot stress this enough: if design is important to you, Showit is unmatched.

With Squarespace, even with the newer Fluid Engine editor, you still feel the limits. The templates are lovely, but you’re customizing within a framework.

With Showit, your creativity leads. Want a full-screen video header with text overlay that animates in? No problem. Need a mobile version that’s completely different than your desktop layout? Done.

I have been talking about Showit’s design flexibility for years, but to go back to Squarespace, after the unlimited freedom in Showit, this was honestly the most heart-breaking part. Without using copious amounts of code and additional time, there isn’t a simple shortcut for the freedom that Showit provides.

For brand-forward businesses, that level of design control is everything.

3. Mobile Design: Showit’s Dual Layouts are Game-Changing

Squarespace auto-adjusts your mobile layout—which sounds nice in theory… until it doesn’t work. I found myself constantly tweaking sections to “fix” things that didn’t translate well from desktop.

Showit? It lets you design mobile and desktop separately.
This is a huge deal if you care about how your site actually looks on your phone (which is how most of your traffic probably finds you!). Yes, we are talking extra time, but the with the continual rise of mobile-users, you will want to make sure your beautiful website translate perfectly onto mobile.

4. Blogging and SEO: Showit + WordPress = A Power Combo

Squarespace’s blogging has improved since I last used it, and you can now optimize title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs easily.

But here’s where Showit shines: it integrates directly with WordPress for blogging. So you get:

Better SEO tools
More control over blog layouts
Access to powerful plugins
Greater content flexibility

If blogging is part of your content marketing strategy, Showit + WordPress is hard to beat.

5. Built-in Tools: Squarespace is More “All-in-One”

If you want a website that:

Sells products
Schedules appointments
Sends emails
Collects form submissions

…all without needing third-party tools, Squarespace is a strong contender.

But for many business owners, this “convenience” can also be limiting. With Showit, you’re free to integrate only the tools you actually love. Flodesk for email? HoneyBook for clients? Shopify for a small shop? Showit plays well with them all.

I’ve helped many small business owners set up their business tech stack, using Showit as the base. It’s so important to do your research before hand, to find the perfect platforms to serve your business. Teckstack is a great place to start exploring your tech options.

Showit isn’t trying to be everything. But it is the better option if you are value stunning, custom design that’s easy to update as you grow. I also like pairing Mailerlite with Showit for a cost effective way of linking emails, forms and digital product sales.

Squarespace is the better option if you are setting up your business on your own, are primarily an ecommerce business (also consider using Shopify), or are feeling overwhelmed by researching different platforms and want a versatile all-in-one.

Discover The online business tools and platforms I recommend to run an online business

6. Bonus One for the Web Designers: Template Set Up and Transfer

This one’s for the designers, the template sellers, and the “I build sites for other people” folks. Because not all platforms are created equal when it comes to duplicating and transferring sites.

Let’s talk template logistics and what you need to consider when designing, selling and working with website templates.

Showit Makes Template Sharing Effortless

One of the reasons I keep coming back to Showit is their genius template sharing system. It’s called a Design Key, and it works a lot like Canva’s share-a-template link.

When you’re done creating your design in Showit, you can generate a unique key that someone else can enter into their Showit account and *BOOM* your entire template appears in their dashboard, ready to go. Instantly.

No downloads, no duplicating workspaces, no weird email transfers.

As a designer, this makes your life 1000x easier:

You can build templates for clients or customers
Share them with one click
Start selling templates in your shop without managing complex tech

It’s fast, clean, and honestly… kinda fun.

Squarespace? Not Quite as Seamless as I’d Hope

Now let’s talk Squarespace, because this caught me off guard when I recently tried to set up a new site using a gorgeous template from Go Live.

Unlike Showit, there’s no simple “template share” option. If you want to reuse a design, you’ll need to:

Duplicate the entire site
Transfer ownership to another account (if it’s for a client)
Wait for the transfer process to go through — which can sometimes take days

This isn’t ideal if you’re used to quick turnarounds or are launching a semi-custom site in a short timeframe. It slows down your workflow and can add friction to client projects. However, this process does add a little more protection for your business to stop people from illegally resharing your website templates.

In short:

Showit’s Share Key system = instant, automatic, stress-free template sharing.
Squarespace = manual duplication + delayed transfers.

So if you’re planning to sell templates, build client sites quickly, or run a streamlined design business, Showit’s workflow just makes more sense.

What I Loved About Squarespace (Yes, There’s Some Love Here Too!)

Let me give credit where it’s due. Here’s where Squarespace impressed me:

The learning curve is super low
Their mobile app is handy for quick edits on the go
Great for service providers who need a simple site with built-in tools
E-commerce setup is quick and intuitive for basic stores
All-in-one features like emails and scheduling

If you’re a beginner, or you’re DIYing a business website, personal blog or portfolio and don’t want to worry about extra tools or tech, Squarespace totally works.

What Brought Me Back to Showit (Every Time)

But after building a brand new site on Squarespace, I couldn’t help but miss the creative freedom of Showit. The way I could:

Layer text over photos
Easily use custom fonts
Animate sections
Design my homepage like a magazine cover
Control every pixel without touching code
And all round create a drool-worthy website

It felt like coming home.

Showit vs Squarespace: So Which Platform is Best in 2025?

Here’s my honest breakdown:

Feature	Best Platform
Total beginner, simple site	Squarespace
Gorgeous, custom design without code	Showit
Blogging and SEO	Showit (WordPress integration)
Quick portfolio or resume site	Squarespace
Service-based business with bold branding	Showit
All-in-one tool with built-in features	Squarespace
Mobile design perfection	Showit
Larger e-commerce store	Shopify (but Showit + Shopify Lite = 🔥 for small shops)

Final Thoughts: It’s Not About “Better,” It’s About What You Need

If you’re reading this and wondering, “Which one should I pick?” You’re already asking the right questions.

Both Squarespace and Showit are incredible tools. But they serve different purposes.

Choose Squarespace if you want simplicity, fast setup, and don’t care much about full design control.
Choose Showit if you want a website that feels like you, looks completely custom, and gives you space to grow as your brand evolves.

Personally? Showit still has my heart. It’s what I recommend for my clients, my own business, and any creative who wants to build a website that feels unforgettable.