"Should I go with WordPress or Squarespace?" It's one of the first questions I get asked when a Brisbane business owner is ready for a new website. And it's a good one, because the platform you choose shapes how your site looks, how easy it is to update, and how well it can grow with your business.
I build websites on both platforms, each one is brilliant for the right business. Here's how I help clients work out which one suits them.
The short answer
Squarespace is usually the better choice if you want a beautiful, simple site that you can update yourself with minimal fuss.
WordPress is usually the better choice if your site needs to do more, grow bigger over time, or connect with other systems your business already uses.
That's the quick version. The longer version depends on how your business works day to day.
When Squarespace is the right fit
Squarespace is an all-in-one platform. Hosting, security and updates are handled for you, so there's very little to look after once your site is live.
It's a great match for:
Photographers, makers, studios and creatives who want their work to look stunning
Service businesses that need a clean, professional site with a handful of pages
Business owners who want to make their own text and image updates without calling a developer
Smaller online shops with a modest product range
The trade-off is flexibility. You're working within Squarespace's system, so highly custom features, complex integrations or very large sites can be harder to achieve.
When WordPress is the right fit
WordPress powers a huge share of the world's websites, and for good reason. It's open source, endlessly flexible, and backed by thousands of plugins that can add almost any feature you can think of.
It's a great match for:
Corporate, government and industry organisations with lots of content, resources or member areas
Tourism operators who need bookings, events, maps or multiple languages
Businesses that publish regularly and want strong control over SEO
Sites that need to connect with CRMs, booking systems, membership tools or custom databases
Organisations that want to own their site outright and choose their own hosting
The trade-off is upkeep. WordPress needs regular updates to its core, theme and plugins to stay secure and running smoothly. That's not a dealbreaker, it just needs a plan (more on that below).
Five questions to ask yourself before you choose
Who will update the site? If it's you or your team, and you want it simple, Squarespace is hard to beat. If you'd rather hand updates to a professional, either works.
How big will it get? A ten-page site and a two-hundred-page site have very different needs. Think about where your business will be in three years, not just today.
What does it need to do? Make a list of must-haves such as bookings, online payments, member logins, event calendars or integrations. The longer the list, the more WordPress makes sense.
How important is search? Both platforms can rank well on Google. WordPress gives you finer control, which matters if blogging and SEO are a big part of your marketing.
What's your budget for the long term? Look beyond the build. Factor in hosting, subscriptions, plugins and ongoing care so there are no surprises later.
Don't forget about maintenance
A website isn't a set and forget project. Whichever platform you pick, your content, images and contact details need to stay current so your site keeps working for you.
With WordPress, maintenance also means keeping software up to date, running backups, and checking that everything still works after each update. Skipping it can leave your site slow, broken or vulnerable to hackers.
If that sounds like one more thing on your plate, a WordPress maintenance package takes it off your hands. I look after updates, backups and security checks so you can get on with running your business.
Still not sure? Let's chat
There's no wrong answer here, only the right fit for your business. With over 17 years in design and plenty of sites built on both platforms, I can help you weigh the options and choose something you'll be happy with for years to come.
Whether you're a small studio on Brisbane's Northside or a larger organisation anywhere in Australia, I'd love to hear about your project. Get in touch and let's create something extraordinary together.
