Bluehost vs Squarespace: A Comparison of Features, Pricing, and Performance

Creating a website can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available. How do you choose the best platform for your needs?

If you are looking for a popular and reliable platform, you may have heard of Bluehost and Squarespace. These are two of the most widely used platforms for building websites, but they are not the same. They have different features, pricing, and performance levels that may suit different users and goals.

In this article, we will compare Bluehost vs Squarespace in detail and help you decide which one is right for you.

Bluehost is a web hosting provider that lets you build your website using WordPress or other third-party website builders. It offers affordable plans, a free domain name, unlimited storage, and 24/7 customer support. It also has a drag-and-drop builder that is easy to use for beginners. However, it does not offer a free trial, and you may need some technical skills to customize your site.

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that provides everything you need to create a professional-looking website. It has stunning design templates, a 14-day free trial, and ecommerce hosting features. It also has a user-friendly interface that allows you to customize your site without coding. However, it is more expensive than Bluehost, and it does not host your site on WordPress.

Let’s take a closer look at each platform and see how they compare in detail.

Two of the Most Popular Website Builders on the Market

Bluehost and Squarespace are both well-known platforms for creating websites, but they have different approaches and features.

Bluehost is a web hosting provider that lets you use WordPress or other website builders to create your site. It is cheaper, faster, and more flexible than Squarespace, but it also requires more technical skills and does not offer a free trial.

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that provides everything you need to design and publish your site. It is more expensive, but it also has more customization options, a 14-day free trial, and a simpler interface. Depending on your goals, budget, and preferences, you may prefer one over the other.

Different Strengths and Weaknesses for Different Users

Bluehost and Squarespace are not the same kind of platforms. Bluehost has the advantage of being cheaper, faster, and more flexible, but it also requires more technical skills and does not offer a free trial. Squarespace has the advantage of being simpler, more elegant, and more customizable, but it also costs more and does not host your site on WordPress.

Features

1. Bluehost vs Squarespace Features

Bluehost and Squarespace have different features that cater to different users. 

Bluehost Website Home Page

Bluehost offers unlimited storage, free domain name, 24/7 technical support, and security suite. It also has a drag-and-drop builder that is easy to use for beginners. Bluehost do not offer a free trial, and you need some technical skills also for this.

Squarespace provides an all-in-one website builder that includes everything you need to design and publish your site. It offers stunning design templates, 14-day free trial, ecommerce hosting features, and built-in email marketing capabilities. It also has a user-friendly interface that allows you to customize your site without coding. However, it is more expensive than Bluehost, and it does not host your site on WordPress.

2. Website Templates

You can utilize website templates, which are pre-designed layouts, to build your website. Both Bluehost and Squarespace offer a variety of templates that suit different purposes and industries. However, there are some differences in the quality and quantity of their templates.

Bluehost has over 800 premium templates that are hosted on WordPress, the most popular website platform in the world. You can customize them using Bluehost’s drag-and-drop builder or WordPress plugins. However, some of the templates may look outdated or generic. 

Squarespace has 113 templates that are not hosted on WordPress, but are designed by Squarespace’s own team. You can customize them using Squarespace’s user-friendly interface or CSS code. The templates are known for their stunning design quality and elegance, but they may not be as flexible or diverse as Bluehost’s.

3. Drag-and-Drop Editors

Drag-and-drop editors are tools that let you create and customize your website by simply dragging and dropping elements on the page.

Both Bluehost and Squarespace offer drag-and-drop editors that are easy to use for beginners. 

Bluehost has two drag-and-drop editors: Bluehost Builder and Bluehost Website Builder. Bluehost Builder is a standalone site builder that does not integrate with WordPress, but works for blogs and online stores. It is no longer available for new websites, but it is still supported for existing ones. Bluehost Website Builder is a new version of the editor that integrates with WordPress, but does not support blogs or online stores yet. It allows you to edit your site using WordPress or the drag-and-drop interface.

Squarespace has one drag-and-drop editor that uses a grid system to arrange blocks on the page. It does not integrate with WordPress, but it offers more design customization options than Bluehost. It also has built-in email marketing capabilities and ecommerce hosting features. It offers a 14-day free trial to test out the editor before committing to a plan.

4. Blogging Tools

Bluehost use WordPress or other platforms to create your blog. WordPress is the most popular blogging platform in the world, with thousands of themes and plugins to customize your blog.

Bluehost provides 24/7 support, security suite, and unlimited storage for your blog.

Squarespace has its own blogging system. It offers stunning design templates, user-friendly interface, and built-in email marketing capabilities for your blog.

Squarespace does not have as many features or flexibility as WordPress. Squarespace provides mobile-friendly designs for your blog.

5. E-Commerce Features

Both Bluehost and Squarespace offer ecommerce features, but they have different levels of functionality and ease of use. 

Bluehost allows you to use WordPress or other platforms to create your online store. WordPress has many plugins that enable you to add ecommerce features to your site, such as WooCommerce, Shopify, or BigCommerce.

However, you may need to pay extra for some plugins or extensions, and you may need some technical skills to set up and maintain your store. Bluehost provides unlimited storage, free domain name, 24/7 support, and security suite for your online store. 

Squarespace has its own ecommerce system. It offers stunning design templates, user-friendly interface, and built-in email marketing capabilities for your online store. Squarespace provides a 14-day free trial, ecommerce hosting features, and mobile-friendly designs for your online store.

6. Other Features

Other features include things like image library, social media integration, SSL certificate, analytics, and extensions. Both Bluehost and Squarespace offer other features, but they have different levels of functionality and ease of use. 

Bluehost has thousands of WordPress themes and plugins that enable you to customize and optimize your site. However, you may need to pay extra for some themes or plugins.

Bluehost also provides free domain name, free SSL certificate, 24/7 support, and security suite for your site. 

Squarespace offers stunning design templates, user-friendly interface, and built-in email marketing capabilities for your site. Squarespace provides image library, Getty Images integration, social media functionality, SSL certificate, analytics, and Squarespace extensions for your site.

Pricing

1. Bluehost vs Squarespace Pricing Plans

Bluehost and Squarespace have different pricing plans that reflect their different services and features. 

Bluehost offers four shared hosting plans, ranging from $2.95 to $13.95 per month. These plans include a free domain name for the first year, free SSL certificate, unlimited storage, and 24/7 support.

Bluehost do not include a website builder or ecommerce features by default. You need to install WordPress or other platforms to create your site and add ecommerce functionality.

Squarespace offers four website plans, ranging from $12 to $40 per month. These plans include a free custom domain for the first year, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth, and stunning design templates. They also include ecommerce features, such as product catalog, shopping cart, payment gateway, and inventory management.

However, they do not include hosting on WordPress or other platforms. You need to use Squarespace’s own system to create and manage your site.

2. Bluehost Pricing Plans

Bluehost pricing plans for shared hosting

Bluehost offers five different types of web hosting services, each with its own pricing plans and features. The most popular service is shared hosting, which is suitable for beginners and small to medium websites. Bluehost has four shared hosting plans, ranging from $2.95 to $13.95 per month.

These plans include a free domain name for the first year, free SSL certificate, unlimited storage, and 24/7 support. However, these prices are only available for the initial three-year term, and they renew at higher rates. 

3. Squarespace Pricing Plans

Squarespace pricing plans

Squarespace has four plans for its website builder: Personal, Business, Basic Commerce, and Advanced Commerce. The prices range from $16 to $49 per month (paid annually) or $23 to $65 per month (paid monthly).

The plans differ in features, such as ecommerce functionality, customization options, and transaction fees. You can choose a plan based on your website’s needs and goals.  

4. Which Platform Offers the Best Value for Your Money?

Bluehost and Squarespace have different pricing plans that reflect their different services and features. Bluehost is cheaper than Squarespace, with plans ranging from $2.95 to $13.95 per month.

Bluehost only provides hosting services, and you need to use another platform, such as WordPress, to create your website. You may also need to pay extra for some plugins or extensions to add functionality to your site. 

Squarespace is more expensive than Bluehost, with plans ranging from $16 to $49 per month.

Squarespace provides an all-in-one solution, where you can design and publish your website within the platform itself. It also offers more features and design options, such as ecommerce functionality, email marketing capabilities, and stunning templates. 

The best value for your money depends on your needs and preferences.

If you want a simple, low-cost, and flexible option, and you are confident working with WordPress or another platform, Bluehost may be a better choice.

If you want a convenient, fast, and elegant option, and you are willing to pay more for an all-in-one solution, Squarespace may be a better choice.

Performance

1. Bluehost Vs Squarespace Performance

Performance is a crucial factor for any website, as it affects user experience, SEO, and conversions. Performance can be measured by metrics such as speed, uptime, and server response time.

Bluehost and Squarespace have different performance levels, depending on their services and features.

Bluehost offers fast loading speeds, high uptime, and low server response times. However, it also depends on the platform you use, the plugins you install, and the optimization you do for your site. 

Squarespace is a website builder that provides everything you need to design and publish your website. It offers decent loading speeds, high uptime, and average server response times.

Squarespace uses more scripts and resources than Bluehost, which can slow down your site. It also does not allow you to choose your server location or use a CDN (content delivery network) to improve your performance.

2. Loading Speed

Loading speed is the time it takes for a web page to load completely. It is an important factor for user experience, SEO, and conversions.

A fast-loading website can keep visitors engaged, improve rankings, and increase sales. A slow-loading website can frustrate visitors, lower rankings, and lose customers.

Bluehost use WordPress or other platforms to create your website. It offers fast loading speeds, with an average of 0.8 seconds for a single visitor.

Loading speed also depends on the platform you use, the plugins you install, and the optimization you do for your site. You may need to use caching, minify your code, optimize your images, and use a CDN (content delivery network) to improve your loading speed. 

Squarespace provides everything you need to design and publish your website. It offers decent loading speeds, with an average of 1.2 seconds for a single visitor.

Squarespace also uses more scripts and resources than Bluehost, which can slow down your site. You may not have much control over the optimization of your site, as Squarespace does not allow you to choose your server location or use a CDN.

You may need to use Squarespace’s own tools and extensions to improve your loading speed.

3. Uptime

Uptime is the percentage of time that a website is available and accessible to visitors. It is an important factor for user experience, SEO, and conversions.

A high uptime means that your website is trustworthy & reliable. A low uptime means that your website is prone to errors and downtime.

Bluehost offers a high uptime of 99.95%, which means that your website is down for less than 20 minutes per month on average. However, it does not have an uptime guarantee or a compensation policy for downtime. 

Squarespace Website Home Page

Squarespace offers a slightly lower uptime of 99.89%, which means that your website is down for almost an hour per month on average. However, it does have an uptime guarantee of 99.9% and a compensation policy for downtime.

4. Security

Security is an important factor for user experience, SEO, and conversions.

A secure website can keep your data and visitors safe, improve rankings, and increase trust. An insecure website can expose your data and visitors to risk, lower rankings, and lose credibility.

Bluehost offers robust security features, such as free SSL certificate, Spam Hammer, Apache Spam Assassin, and Spam Experts. You may need to use additional security features, such as SiteLock or CodeGuard, to enhance your security.

Squarespace offers high security standards, such as SSL security, DDoS protection, firewall protection, and daily backups. It also uses more scripts and resources than Bluehost, which can make your site more vulnerable to attacks.

You may not have much control over the security of your site, as Squarespace does not allow you to access your server or install third-party security features.

Conclusion

Bluehost vs Squarespace, two of the most popular platforms for creating websites, but they have different strengths and weaknesses.

Bluehost is a hosting provider that lets you build your website using WordPress or other website builders. It offers affordable plans, a free domain name, unlimited storage, and 24/7 customer support.

It also has a drag-and-drop builder that is easy to use for beginners. However, it does not offer a free trial, and you may need some technical skills to customize your site.

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that provides everything you need to create a professional-looking website. It has stunning design templates, a 14-day free trial, and ecommerce hosting features.

It also has a user-friendly interface that allows you to customize your site without coding. However, it is more expensive than Bluehost, and it does not host your site on WordPress.

So which one should you choose?

Well It depends on your goals, budget, and preferences.

If you want more freedom, flexibility, and control over your site, Bluehost may be a better option.

If you want a simpler, faster, and more elegant solution, Squarespace may be a better option.

You can also try both platforms for free and see which one suits you better. Ultimately, the choice is yours.