Squarespace vs Etsy: Where To  Craft Your Digital Store

With the eCommerce industry abuzz with opportunities, it’s only natural to want a slice of the ever-growing pie. 

Two enticing options to embark on your online business journey are Squarespace and Etsy. While Squarespace offers a platform to build your own fully-fledged store, Etsy provides a vibrant marketplace to monetize your passions. 

But here’s the truth: there’s no definitive answer as to which one is the best. Both platforms have their merits and cater to different types of businesses. 

In this article, we’ll delve into the nuances of Squarespace and Etsy, dissecting their strengths and features to help you make an informed decision. Let’s get started.

Squarespace Vs Etsy At A Glance

We’ll explain the basic differences of both platforms first before digging into the details.

Squarespace Overview

Let’s start with Squarespace, a powerful website-building platform that can turn your online dreams into reality. 

Imagine having a virtual space that showcases your products and services beautifully – that’s what Squarespace offers. 

It’s like having your own virtual stylish storefront. 

With Squarespace, you have the freedom to fully customize your website, making it a true reflection of your unique brand. 

Plus, it seamlessly integrates eCommerce functionality, empowering you to sell your products with ease.

Etsy Overview

Now, let’s shift gears and talk about Etsy – a bustling online marketplace that’s a treasure trove for handmade, vintage, and craft enthusiasts.

It’s like a vibrant online bazaar where artisans and creative minds come together to showcase their extraordinary creations. 

With more than 90 million buyers, Etsy provides a ready-made audience for your items – even when it comes to vintage products. 

The best part? Etsy takes care of much of the transactional side, allowing you to focus on what you do best – crafting your masterpieces.

Etsy Vs Squarespace: Detailed Comparison Of Features

Without further ado, let’s talk about the main comparison.

Customization and Design

Winner: Squarespace.

Squarespace has a huge edge here – it’s all about customization.

They offer a wide range of beautifully designed templates that can be fully customized to create a stunning and unique website. 

You have the freedom to match your brand identity and create a professional online store. Plus, some plans even include a custom domain for free for one year.

On the other hand, Etsy takes a more streamlined approach. They provide ready-to-use shop designs that allow you to quickly set up your store without needing extensive design knowledge.

Neither option is free, though Etsy’s Plus subscription is the more affordable choice. 

If you’re looking to save money and still have decent customization options, Etsy is a good option. 

However, if you want more advanced customization features, Squarespace offers a more advanced solution.

Custom Domain

Winner: Squarespace.

This comparison is rather brief, but it deserves its own spot.

A custom domain is a great way for a business to stand out and increase its reputation. If you want one for yourself, Squarespace is the only way to go. 

Since it’s a website builder, you have no obligation to set up shop in a marketplace environment. You can make your own site, and a completely unique domain.

However, that might make you torn with the ease of use Etsy offers – luckily, there’s still a workaround. 

You can have your own domain, it’ll simply have to redirect customers to your Etsy shop if you want to sell. 

eCommerce Functionality

Winner: Tie. Both are equally good.

Both Squarespace and Etsy are fundamentally different. The former is primarily a website builder unlike Etsy, which was meant to be a marketplace and an eCommerce tool from the start.

Squarespace still offers a solid eCommerce platform that seamlessly integrates with your website, though. 

It provides shipping tools, payout options, tax tools and many other basic but important eCommerce tools, allowing you to manage your products and orders efficiently. 

Etsy, meanwhile, is a well-known marketplace that provides a built-in audience and extensive multi-channel management capabilities. 

It’s an excellent choice if you want to leverage their existing marketplace and reach a broader customer base.

Marketing and SEO

Winner: Etsy.

With Squarespace, you have access to a range of marketing tools and features such as email marketing and SEO to help drive traffic and increase sales. 

Etsy will give it to you easier – it already has a large community of users, so you can tap into an existing audience in minimal time. They also offer Etsy Ads on top of all that, so you can promote your products within the marketplace and attract more potential buyers.

So for its ease of use and extra features, Etsy gets the spot this time.

Community and Support

Winner: Etsy.

Both Squarespace and Etsy boast a large and supportive community, but the community for the latter is more relaxed and interactive. 

Squarespace provides excellent customer support through various channels, including live chat and email. They also offer in-depth training materials to help you get started and succeed with your online store. 

Etsy also has a strong community of sellers and offers support options through their Etsy Seller Dashboard and active Facebook groups, where sellers can exchange tips, strategies, and experiences.

Inventory Management and Store Management

Winner: Tie.

Squarespace provides built-in tools for creating and managing listings, handling product inventory, and processing orders. 

You can create product listings, upload images, set prices, and add descriptions. The platform also supports various product options such as size, color, and variants.

It even has specialized features for more niche business models, such as dropshipping and PoDs.

Etsy, as a marketplace, offers its own set of tools for managing your shop, handling product sales, and organizing your inventory.  

It covers all the basics you’d need from an eCommerce platform and goes further – it even has its own Ads.

Besides being slightly different in terms of effort needed to fully utilize both platforms, they’re equally powerful.

Mobile Optimization

Winner: Etsy.

In today’s mobile-driven world, having a mobile-optimized website is important. 

Squarespace ensures that all their templates are responsive and look great on mobile devices, providing a seamless user experience across different screen sizes. 

Etsy also offers a mobile-optimized experience for both buyers and sellers, making it convenient to manage your shop and reach customers on the go. 

The one slight edge it has over Squarespace is that since its stores are located in one place, it can also offer a handy mobile app for customers. 

With a little bit of polishing, you can easily make the perfect Etsy store for both PCs and smartphones.

Analytics and Reporting

Winner: Tie.

Understanding your business’s performance and gathering valuable insights is essential for growth. 

Squarespace offers built-in analytics and reporting tools that provide you with valuable data on your website’s traffic, sales, and customer behavior. 

Etsy also offers analytics and sales reports specific to your shop’s performance within the marketplace. It doesn’t have its own tools, but it integrates well with Google Analytics, which can be powerful on its own.

Integration with Third-Party Services

Winner: Tie.

Integrating with third-party services can enhance your store’s functionality. Both platforms support some very effective integrations.

Squarespace provides a wide range of integrations with popular services like payment gateways, email marketing platforms, and shipping providers. 

Etsy, as a standalone site, offers integration options that allow you to connect with various services to support your business operations, such as inventory management and shipping solutions.

One more similar thing between both in terms of integrations is that they can integrate well with social media services – so they can both be great for creative entrepreneurs.

Payment Options

Winner: Tie.

Both Squarespace and Etsy offer multiple payment options for your customers. Squarespace supports popular payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay, ensuring smooth transactions. 

Etsy offers its own payment system called Etsy Payments, which provides buyers with various payment options, including credit cards, Etsy gift cards, and more.

Shipping Options

Winner: Squarespace.

When it comes to shipping, Squarespace provides advanced shipping options, allowing you to set up shipping rules based on factors like weight, location, and order total. 

Etsy offers shipping profiles that enable you to customize shipping costs and methods for your products.

If you want to provide attractive pricing and retain loyal customers, going for Squarespace might be a better idea. However, Etsy’s simplicity is still a good second option to consider if you like everything else the platform offers.

Listing and Transaction Fees

Winner: Tie. Depends on preferences.

One aspect to consider is the fees associated with listing and transactions, as that can add significantly onto yearly expenses. 

Squarespace charges a monthly fee based on your chosen plan, without any additional listing or transaction fees. 

Etsy, on the other hand, charges listing fees for each product and applies a transaction fee to each sale made through their platform. 

The right choice here is based on your preferences. Do you want to leave one or a few products up for a while? Go for Etsy. You won’t have to pay its renewal listing fees until four months have passed.

However, if you sell regularly, Etsy’s fee structure can cause costs to add up. For regular sales, Squarespace is the better option.

Etsy Vs Squarespace – Pricing

For pricing, the two platforms have different approaches. 

Squarespace offers a range of paid plans, starting from a cheaper monthly option and scaling up to more feature-rich plans. 

Etsy’s subscription-based, and it’s only package is very cheap, costing only $10. They also provide a forever free plan that allows you to test the platform and get your feet wet. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of all the plans:

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers a range of paid plans that are suitable for individuals and businesses like yours:

Personal Plan

Ideal for establishing a basic online presence and selling a limited number of products. The Personal Plan provides essential features to get you started with eCommerce.

Business Plan

Designed for growing businesses like yours that require more advanced features. It includes professional email from Google, promotional pop-ups, and advanced analytics to help you optimize your online store.

Basic Commerce Plan

If you’re ready to scale up your eCommerce operations, the Basic Commerce Plan is a suitable choice. It offers additional features such as customer accounts, advanced shipping options, and integrated accounting solutions.

Advanced Commerce Plan

The top-tier plan, tailored for businesses that need advanced eCommerce functionality. With features like flexible discounts, gift cards, and abandoned cart recovery, the Advanced Commerce Plan can take your online store to the next level.

Etsy Pricing

Etsy, on the other hand, offers two main options:

Etsy Standard

As an aspiring entrepreneur, the Etsy Standard plan is available to you for free. It provides access to the Etsy marketplace, a shop dashboard, and community support. 

This plan allows you to leverage the existing marketplace and reach a large audience with your products.

Etsy Plus

If you want to elevate your shop’s visibility and branding, the Etsy Plus premium plan is worth considering. It includes additional features like advanced shop customization options, listing credits, promotional tools, and access to exclusive discounts. 

Etsy Plus is a great option for taking your shop to the next level and having access to advanced shop management features.

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Etsy vs. Squarespace

Before we go into recommendations and FAQs, let’s quickly go over the pros and cons of both.

Upsides And Downsides Of Etsy:

This is what you get with Etsy.

Pros of Etsy

• Built-in marketplace for handmade and vintage items.
• Active Etsy community for networking and collaborations.
• Easy-to-use interface for creating listings and managing your store.
• Etsy handles payment processing, but charges transaction fees.
• Access to an existing audience actively searching for unique products.
• Additional features available with Etsy Plus premium plan.

Cons of Etsy

• Limited design freedom with predefined templates.
• Transaction fees can eat into profits.
• Competition from thousands of other Etsy shops.
• Reliance on Etsy’s policies and potential changes.
• Listing fees for each product added to your shop.

Upsides And Downsides Of Squarespace:

Meanwhile, this is what Squarespace brings to the table, and what issues it comes with.

Pros of Squarespace

• Design freedom with customizable templates and options.
• Fully hosted solution with web hosting and security.
• Advanced features like abandoned cart emails and analytics tools.
• Large community of users for support and resources.
• Excellent customer support.

Cons of Squarespace

• Limited marketplace exposure; you need to drive traffic to your own site.
• More time-consuming to build and manage your own website.
• Less emphasis on handmade and vintage items.
• Need to invest effort into building your own audience and marketing.

Is it Better to Have an Etsy Shop or Squarespace?

Deciding between an Etsy shop or Squarespace depends on many factors, including business type, design preferences, marketing strategies, and the level of control you need. 

Here are our recommendations for both.

Who Should Use Squarespace?

Squarespace is an ideal choice for the following types of businesses:

• Small Businesses: If you’re a small business looking to establish your online presence with a diverse inventory of products, Squarespace offers the flexibility and customization features you need.

• Entrepreneurs: For individuals who want to create their own store and have full control over their branding, Squarespace provides an excellent value with its design freedom and integrated tools.

• Digital Product Sellers :If you primarily sell digital products such as e-books, music, or software, Squarespace’s eCommerce features are well-suited to handle your specific needs.

• Artists And Illustrators: You might have expected Etsy to have this, but Squarespace is objectively better. You can make your art stand out further with the extra website design options. Having your own proper site will also add some weight to your works.

• Businesses with Existing Audiences: If you already have an existing audience or customer base, Squarespace enables you to create a stand-alone site to cater to their needs while expanding your reach.

Who Should Use Etsy?

Etsy is a recommended platform for the following businesses or individuals:

• Handmade Product Sellers: If you specialize in selling handmade goods or craft supplies, Etsy’s focus on handmade and vintage items aligns perfectly with your business.

• Creative Entrepreneurs: Etsy’s marketplace and large community are advantageous for artisans, and creators who can benefit from exposure to a built-in audience.

• Beginners: For those new to eCommerce, Etsy offers an easy-to-use platform with in-depth training materials and support options.

• Smaller Retailers: If you have a limited inventory or are starting on a smaller scale, Etsy’s affordable pricing plans and unlimited product listings make it an attractive choice.

FAQs

Can you use Squarespace with Etsy simultaneously for your business?

Yes, you can use both platforms simultaneously. You can sell your products on Etsy while leveraging Squarespace to create a professional website and expand your online presence.

Are there any limitations on the number of products you can sell on Squarespace or Etsy?

Squarespace does not impose limitations on the number of products you can sell, allowing you to scale your inventory as needed. On Etsy, you can list an unlimited number of products.

How much does the average Etsy and Squarespace seller make?

The income of Etsy and Squarespace sellers varies greatly depending on various factors such as product demand, marketing efforts, and the uniqueness of their offerings. There is no fixed average income for sellers on these platforms.

Etsy or Squarespace: Which one is good for beginners?

Both Etsy and Squarespace cater to beginners with user-friendly interfaces and support options. However, Etsy’s marketplace and resources specifically tailored for beginners make it an attractive option for those new to eCommerce.

Can you link your website to Etsy or Squarespace?

Yes, you can link your Squarespace website to your Etsy shop by directing visitors to your Etsy listings or vice versa. This integration allows you to leverage the advantages of both platforms.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there’s no objective winner between both. Each is specifically good in regards to various factors, such as what you’re selling or the type of business you have.

Squarespace offers design freedom and advanced features, while Etsy provides a ready-made marketplace for handmade and vintage items. 

Rather than seeing it as an either-or decision, you can integrate both platforms to create a powerful online presence.

Whatever choice you make, remember that success in eCommerce comes from not only choosing the right platforms, but also from your own dedication and creativity.