Squarespace vs Square: Which Platform is Best for Service-Based Businesses?

Square and Squarespace, despite their familiar naming, are not the same software. I get asked this a lot, actually, with many people conflating Squarespace with Square because it’s a common name in many small businesses as a payment processor.

While they offer similar services, like a website builder, payment processor, and scheduling system, they differ in several aspects that you should know before choosing software for your business.

Square

Square is an easy-to-use payment processor, website builder, and online scheduler. They are common choices for small businesses and restaurants because of their backend software. You can have an online store, track inventory, and sales all in one platform. Having everything in one place definitely has its perks when you’re the only one running the show.

However, as a website builder, it’s minimal and templated. It doesn’t allow for much creative freedom—which is sometimes a good thing if you don’t feel confident in your design abilities. But this also means your website will be limited to Square’s built-in features and won’t leave a lasting impression with your visitors. When I was using Square’s website builder, I also found it had fewer options for SEO when comparing it to dedicated website builders.

It’s important to remember that Square is a payment processor and scheduling system first, then it’s a website builder. Those two features are their strongest, and they put a lot of effort into them.

Pros:

• Easy to use for beginners

• (Almost) Everything is all in one place

• Basic website to get you started

• Allows you to collect deposits and payments from appointments

• Built-in consent forms

• Built-in rewards system for customers

• Processing fees are on par with other processors

Cons:

• Many base features, like appointment reminders, require you to upgrade to a paid plan

• Limited website features for customization and SEO

• A common complaint among service providers is that Square lets clients add fake cards to their accounts (though this is anecdotal, I experienced it as a service provider as well)

• Less control over your schedule than some other appointment schedulers

Overall, Square is a decent option for newer businesses. You may find, as a wellness provider, that you need additional features that Square doesn’t offer, but their payment processor plays well with many other website builders and scheduling systems.

Squarespace

Squarespace is a truly drag-and-drop website builder. They offer templates, or you can build your own website from scratch. While some people find Squarespace’s grid limiting, I don’t consider it to be much of an issue. You learn how to work with it after a while, but I can definitely see how it would be frustrating to new users.

Squarespace also offers more robust customization and SEO optimization features than Square does. I found that my website started ranking higher once I made the switch, and that Squarespace overall felt more intuitive to use.

Squarespace easily integrates with Acuity, which is one of the most customizable scheduling systems available right now. When I moved my booking system to Acuity, I made the switch because I could easily set up custom schedules for specific days. I also loved being able to set specific start times for certain appointment types as a new lash artist who was struggling to stay on time (if you know, you know! 😅)

Pros:

• Easy-to-use website builder that’s drag and drop

• Very customizable without code

• More robust SEO features and AI-assisted optimization

• Build from a template or start from scratch

• Integrate Acuity scheduler easily into your website

• An online store that allows for pick-up or shipping

• Set up memberships for services or classes

• Members-only area of the website

• Monetize your blog

• Integrate your online store or scheduler with Square payments

Cons:

• Some people find the grid creatively stifling

• More expensive on average than other website builders

• Fewer third-party integrations than a builder like WordPress has

• More complex customizations require some light coding

• Acuity is billed separately from your website plan

I think Squarespace is a great choice if you prioritize your web presence and desire to bring in more organic traffic. I find it’s a good option for a lot of different businesses, regardless of the industry. Acuity even has a HIPAA-compliant tier if that’s something your industry requires!

TLDR:

While they each have similar goals, some of their unique features can be a deal breaker for service providers. For me personally, my major issues with Square were the lack of customization (I love web design, obvs) and their removal of appointment reminders from their free plan. Their scheduler wasn’t robust enough for me to justify paying for it, so I opted for Acuity, which gave me way more flexibility and control over my schedule.

Square and Squarespace can also be used together. You can easily integrate Square payments into your Squarespace account to use for online shopping or appointment bookings. You can also use Acuity with your Square website now with the Acuity plug-in. So this allows you some freedom of choice if certain features from both platforms stand out to you!

Ultimately, I recommend Squarespace over Square for websites and find that Square as a payment processor is easy and accessible for new businesses. If you’re curious to learn more about Squarespace and why it’s our website builder of choice for our design clients, drop me a line, and we can set up a free discovery call. :)