If you’re planning a website redesign in Marin, you’ve probably wondered whether to build on WordPress or Squarespace. Both are strong platforms, and both have changed a lot in the past couple of years. Here’s an updated, plain-English comparison.

What’s changed since the last time you looked

Squarespace overhauled its plans. In February 2025 it announced four new plans (Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced) to replace the old Personal, Business and Commerce tiers, and the rollout finished globally in February 2026. Independent trackers estimate the new tiers cost noticeably more than the entry plans they replaced. If you’re comparing costs, check Squarespace’s current pricing page rather than relying on an older article.

WordPress had a major release. WordPress 7.0 came out on May 20, 2026, and brought new blocks, design tools, and groundwork for AI-powered workflows. It also added a refreshed dashboard and a Command Palette for jumping to tools quickly. Some of the AI features may need an extra plugin or setup.

Ease of use

Squarespace is the simpler of the two. Hosting, security, and updates are handled for you, and the templates look polished out of the box. For a small business that wants a clean site and doesn’t want to think about maintenance, that’s a real advantage.

WordPress asks more of you. You choose hosting, keep plugins updated, and make more decisions. In return you get far more control over how the site looks and works.

Design and flexibility

Squarespace gives you beautiful, consistent design within boundaries. WordPress has almost no boundaries: custom layouts, custom functionality, and thousands of plugins for bookings, memberships, and more. If your business has unusual needs, WordPress is usually the better fit.

Cost

Squarespace bundles hosting, templates, and support into one subscription, which makes budgeting easy. WordPress itself is free, but you’ll pay separately for hosting, a domain, and sometimes premium themes or plugins. Costs can come out lower or higher than Squarespace depending on how you build the site.

SEO and speed

Both platforms can rank well on Google. Squarespace covers the basics automatically. WordPress offers deeper control through SEO plugins, but speed depends on your hosting and how many plugins you run. A well-built site on either platform beats a neglected site on the either.

Which should you choose?

Choose Squarespace if you want a polished site quickly, you prefer predictable monthly costs, and you don’t need heavy customization.

Choose WordPress if you need custom features, want full ownership and control, or expect your site to grow in complexity.

Not sure which fits? That’s where a local web design partner helps. At Blue Oak Web Design, we build on both platforms and recommend whichever suits your goals. If a redesign is on your list for next year, get in touch to book your January launch.