Top SquareSpace Alternatives & Competitors For 2024

Squarespace helps businesses and individuals promote their brands digitally by launching professional websites and integrating every social account in a unified platform. According to reviews, the drag-and-drop website builder and intuitive user interface are the primary pros of the software.But, users have noted that the drag-and-drop editor lacks intricate customizations like moving image blocks, using multiple fonts, changing website structures and more. If you’re looking to deploy the software, we advise having technical expertise in WordPress coding or CSS editing for in-depth personalization. In conclusion, Squarespace is ideal for creating fashionable landing pages for individuals and smaller businesses, especially those looking for a simple option. It’s less effective for larger organizations with big inventory and that need hyper-detailed websites.

During testing, I noticed right off the bat that BigCommerce is a feature-rich platform that needs a lot of customization to fit my exact needs. Plus, there aren’t guided onboarding experiences, making implementation time-consuming. You must manually explore the interface to learn how to create or connect a domain, add products, set up fulfillment workflows, connect sales channels and design a storefront.Secondly, what caught my eye was the platform's speed and operability. BigCommerce boasts a 99% website uptime, and I could see why. It automatically optimizes images, minimizes HTTP requests and uses browser cache to identify customers. Also, a global content delivery network allows visitors worldwide to view your site from the nearest server.I loved how intuitive it is to connect and manage sales channels using BigCommerce. You can set up differentiated experiences for each channel using dynamic pricing, multiple product views, product swatches and bulk pricing tools. A robust customer segmentation module automatically groups similar customer personas based on your rules and helps design personalized experiences.The storefront editor uniquely lets you design a carousel for the website header. However, I didn’t like anything else about the storefront editor. It has limited free themes, and paid ones are comparatively more expensive than what competitors offer. That said, the platform's headless architecture helps compensate by enabling custom storefront development.My only point of contention was its unique pricing model. It charges a base subscription fee and puts a cap on your business's annual sales. If you exceed this cap, BigCommerce takes a percentage of your revenue based on your subscription plan.Also, if you connect the platform to a POS, every POS sale is considered an eCommerce sale, leading to a higher sales volume and cost. This leads to complex TCO calculations for enterprises with large sales volumes and international customers.Overall, BigCommerce is one of the best options for growing mid-sized businesses that can offset the platform cost with their sales revenue. It's flexible and can adapt to multiple business models, including B2B, D2C and dropshipping, with separate storefronts for each.However, the platform can be overkill for small businesses and may require significant investments to unlock its full potential. That's because all the good features like multi-storefront, personalization, customer segmentation and headless architecture are available in higher-tier plans. Also, lower-tier plans are comparatively more expensive than those of competitors like Shopify.

Is Etsy really as easy as everyone says it is to buy and sell unique items? Etsy is an eCommerce platform known for its distinctive, handcrafted goods from independent sellers. Users rave about the platform's user-friendly design, which makes it simple to navigate and discover those one-of-a-kind treasures. Etsy's strength lies in fostering a community of passionate creators and buyers seeking unique, personalized items. This dedication to small businesses and artisans distinguishes Etsy from mass-produced goods found on platforms like Amazon. For instance, a buyer looking for a handmade ceramic mug with a specific design is more likely to find it on Etsy than on a more generalized platform. However, Etsy's dependence on individual sellers can lead to inconsistencies. Shipping delays, variable product quality, and customer service challenges arise from dealing with numerous independent entities. While Etsy has policies in place, enforcing them across a vast network poses a challenge. Potential buyers should prioritize individual seller ratings and reviews to ensure a smooth experience. Ultimately, Etsy is best suited for shoppers seeking unique, handcrafted items and willing to embrace the nuances of buying directly from independent creators.

Optimizely is a powerful tool for managing and optimizing digital shopper experiences. Its content management capabilities are particularly impressive. The platform offers a centralized hub for storing, editing and approving multimedia content, making it easy to maintain consistency across channels.Customers can quickly reach their desired location and find products with built-in search and navigation tools combined with AI-powered recommendations. The integrated customer data platform (CDP) is also a valuable addition, helping organize customer data for efficient support services and personalized suggestions.The platform’s real strength lies in its experimentation capabilities. It offers a robust set of tools for A/B testing, multivariate testing and feature flagging. These tools help you fine-tune your online store to better match your audience’s taste and test variations of designs, features or products to see how effectively they boost customer conversions.However, the platform is far from an all-in-one eCommerce solution. It offers basic backend tools to manage inventory, orders and shipping. For example, you can’t manage multiple inventory locations and set up packaging and kitting workflows.Also, it doesn’t support product bundling, contract-based pricing, purchase orders and complex promotional structures. This makes the platform less suitable for B2B businesses with complex needs.Overall, Optimizely is ideal for large enterprises and D2C businesses with an existing backend setup, looking to manage, personalize and deliver branded shopping experiences across multiple sales channels. However, SMEs and growing companies must consider other options in the market, as Optimizely can be a costly investment and may not cover the full spectrum of eCommerce store management needs.

Kibo has garnered positive feedback for its comprehensive suite of eCommerce tools, including order management, personalization, and B2B commerce features. Users appreciate the platform's ability to handle complex workflows and its flexibility in adapting to unique business needs. The user-friendly interface and intuitive design have also been praised, making it easy for teams to adopt and utilize the platform effectively. However, some users have noted that the initial setup and configuration process can be time-consuming, requiring careful planning and potentially additional support. Compared to similar products, Kibo stands out with its robust B2B commerce capabilities, catering to businesses with complex wholesale operations. The platform's strength lies in its ability to manage large product catalogs, intricate pricing structures, and diverse customer segments. Additionally, Kibo's personalization engine empowers businesses to deliver tailored experiences, enhancing customer engagement and driving conversions. While other platforms may offer similar features, Kibo's integrated approach and focus on B2B functionalities set it apart. Kibo is best suited for mid-market and enterprise-level businesses with sophisticated eCommerce requirements, particularly those operating in the B2B space. Its comprehensive feature set, scalability, and flexibility make it an ideal choice for companies seeking a robust and adaptable eCommerce solution to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.