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ToggleIn search of the very best platform to showcase your artistic portfolio whereas additionally promoting your paintings on-line? Squarespace and Shopify are two apparent candidates. Whereas one focuses on design and the opposite on ecommerce, they’ve extra in widespread than you may assume! This is how to decide on the very best small enterprise web site builder on your artistic storefront.
Squarespace stays my favourite design-focused web site builder, mixing intuitive drag-and-drop enhancing with AI-powered Blueprint templates and Fluid Engine grids for pixel-perfect management. Its newest updates prioritise visible storytelling, reminiscent of darkish mode aesthetics, scroll-triggered animations, and seamless integrations for portfolios, consumer galleries, or freelance companies. It’s a playground for UI/UX execs, whereas nonetheless providing sufficient ecommerce options to monetise your artwork.
Shopify, however, is my go-to suggestion for creatives aspect hustles. New 2025 themes like Broadcast and Lumin cater to digital artists and mannequin designers, providing dynamic product galleries and “purchase now, pay later” choices. Its entry-level plan comes with social media promoting, whereas superior tiers help international funds, print-on-demand workflows, and app-like cellular experiences. For these mixing artistry with entrepreneurship, Shopify’s highly effective ecosystem makes monetisation frictionless.
Interface & options
Squarespace stays the designer’s favourite in 2025, with its drag-and-drop interface and design-centric philosophy. The Fluid Engine grids and Blueprint AI-enabled templates present pixel-perfect precision, so you’ll be able to create lovely web sites with minimal coding. For artists, the design-centric philosophy carries an enormous draw, with native help for portfolios, galleries, and inventive showcases.
With its superior AI-powered design instruments, Squarespace simplifies the method of making and suggesting codecs primarily based on consumer choice. Not solely is that this time-saving, however it additionally ensures web sites are performance-enhanced and visually interesting. Due to its responsive design ingredient, I also can join and work together with my viewers on any platform.
But when I needed to monetise my artistic work, Shopify has the higher hand on ecommerce options right here. The platform’s UI is made for e-commerce use, with a strong characteristic set for constructing and working on-line shops. Shopify additionally launched new themes like Broadcast and Lumin in 2025, with issues like interactive product galleries and superior cost options.
For creatives constructing on Shopify, the very best factor concerning the platform is its intensive assortment of third-party apps. This provides extra area for customisation and performance, reminiscent of refined stock administration and easy social media promoting. If you wish to construct a visually interesting on-line retailer, that is your platform.
Every day design information, opinions, how-tos and extra, as picked by the editors.
Verdict: Ultimately, use case will determine between the 2. For those who want to construct websites that will probably be utilised primarily as a web based retailer, then Shopify is the place you wish to go. However for an enormous variety of different use instances, reminiscent of portfolios and inventive showcases, then Squarespace is the answer.
Efficiency
Squarespace provides dependable efficiency, however its pace can range relying on the complexity of your website. In 2025, Squarespace has refined its optimisation instruments, reminiscent of lazy loading, asynchronous script loading, and built-in Content material Supply Networks (CDNs), to boost web page load speeds. For creatives showcasing portfolios or galleries, these options guarantee smoother consumer experiences. Assessments present Squarespace achieves spectacular metrics like a Totally Loaded Time of 919 ms and a Time to First Byte (TTFB) of 110 ms, that are favorable for search engines like google and consumer retention. Nevertheless, efficiency consistency stays a priority, with some checks revealing slower speeds beneath sure circumstances, which may influence customer engagement throughout peak site visitors instances.
Shopify stands out as a pacesetter in efficiency, significantly for e-commerce websites. Constructed on Google Cloud servers and utilising Cloudflare CDN with over 300 places worldwide, Shopify ensures lightning-fast load instances averaging 1.2 seconds – far surpassing opponents like WooCommerce and BigCommerce. Its infrastructure prioritises Core Net Vitals metrics reminiscent of Cumulative Format Shift (CLS) and Interplay to Subsequent Paint (INP), guaranteeing steady layouts and responsive pages. Moreover, Shopify ensures 99.99% uptime, making it a really perfect platform for creatives promoting digital artwork or merchandise globally with out worrying about downtime.
Verdict: Total, Squarespace delivers dependable efficiency for visually targeted web sites however could falter beneath heavy site visitors or complicated designs. Shopify excels in pace and uptime, providing unparalleled reliability for creatives who prioritise e-commerce performance. As with all the pieces else, I believe the selection in the end is dependent upon whether or not you wish to showcase your artistic work as knowledgeable or promote these belongings straight out of your web site.
search engine optimisation and ecommerce
Squarespace has come a good distance with its search engine optimisation options. It now depends on intent-based understanding utilizing the Jobs to Be Carried out (JTBD) method, permitting creators to supply content material that speaks to their viewers. This isn’t simply key phrase optimisation, because it conjures up designers and artists to develop compelling, solution-oriented content material that meets particular consumer wants. And for creatives who care about aesthetics, Squarespace’s minimalistic interface makes it easy to include search engine optimisation greatest practices with out sacrificing design.
As an e-commerce resolution, Squarespace can construct superior on-line shops with built-in stock administration and cost gateway integrations. This is able to be preferrred if I had been promoting digital artwork, prints, or one-off gadgets. The e-commerce performance is optimised for aesthetic magnificence, which helps artists and designers current their merchandise in a method that helps their model.
Shopify, nevertheless, is a more sensible choice for if I wish to spend money on superior ecommerce-specific search engine optimisation. Shopify’s search engine optimisation technique in 2025 is centered round URL optimisation, website pace optimisation, and offering really mobile-optimised experiences. Its superior analytics and AI-powered personalisation capabilities give creatives highly effective insights into buyer habits, enabling focused advertising and marketing campaigns and tailor-made purchasing experiences.
Shopify’s e-commerce performance is very sturdy, supporting companies of all sizes. Built-in shoppable movies, promoting subscriptions, and extra refined multi-channel promoting are only a few of the options provided. Some of these instruments are treasured amongst creatives trying to monetise their content material on a number of platforms. You can even discover different strategies for presenting their product, like via interactive video or subscription-based fashions for digital items or companies.
Verdict: Squarespace is extra visually oriented, with good search engine optimisation and e-commerce options. Shopify, whereas much less appearance-adjustable, provides extra superior e-commerce performance and scalability. Each websites have improved considerably in offering good search and e-commerce performance, so it should actually be a query of how a lot management you require over these options.
Buyer help
Squarespace supplies a number of help channels to accommodate its customers. Its principal help channels are dwell chat, e-mail, and its intensive Assist Middle. Stay chat help is offered throughout enterprise hours, with fast help for essential points. Electronic mail help is offered 24/7, with a mean response time of 1 working day. Squarespace’s data base is an intensive useful resource with step-by-step directions, troubleshooting suggestions, and detailed explanations of the platform options. Nevertheless, it doesn’t present telephone help, which can be a deterrent for some.
Shopify depends on an AI-driven help system built-in with their Assist Middle. The AI assistant is the preliminary contact, with solutions to widespread questions and the power to boost help tickets for extra complicated points. Whereas direct telephone and e-mail help are now not out there, customers can nonetheless discuss to human advisors via the AI assistant if obligatory. Shopify help is offered 24/7, plus there is a sturdy neighborhood discussion board, webinars, and tutorials on YouTube.
Verdict: Squarespace help is extra personalised and sooner, because of its continued dedication to human-first help. Shopify’s scheme, though maybe higher suited to coping with an unlimited quantity of requests, is likely to be much less personalised for some customers. I believe for artistic entrepreneurs, it simply comes down as to if you are okay with figuring issues out by yourself or in case you want constant human help.
Pricing and plans
Squarespace has 4 plans in 2025. The Private plan prices $16 per 30 days billed yearly, with normal options for people and small firms. The Core plan at $23 per 30 days (annual) supplies extra analytics and advertising and marketing options. For bigger companies, the Plus plan at $39 per 30 days supplies extra e-commerce options and extra storage. The Superior plan at $99 per 30 days provides limitless storage {and professional} options for established firms.
All plans help limitless bandwidth and storage, SSL safety, and 24/7 help. Extra refined plans help extra options reminiscent of superior web site evaluation, promotion pop-ups, and e-commerce help. Surprisingly, Squarespace doesn’t help a free plan however does have a 14-day free trial to assist clients take a look at the platform earlier than subscribing to it.
Shopify’s 2025 pricing scheme is targeted on companies of all sizes and progress phases. The Starter plan priced at $5 per 30 days is right for aspect ventures and gross sales on social media. Then there’s the Primary Shopify plan priced at $39 per 30 days (or $29 per yr), which provides primary features for small companies trying to set up a web based presence. The usual Shopify plan is priced at $105 per 30 days (or $79 per yr), preferrred for increasing companies with extra options and decrease transaction charges. Massive operations can use the Superior Shopify plan, priced at $399 per 30 days (or $299 per yr), with superior reporting and delivery options.
Shopify additionally provides enterprise options via Shopify Plus beginning at $2,300 per 30 days, for quantity retailers and huge companies. Shopify supplies every of its plans with a quick three-day free trial, then reduces the promotional worth by $1 per 30 days for 3 months. Every subscription plan has tiered pricing, providing decrease transaction charges and extra superior options the additional up it goes.
Verdict: Evaluating their pricing plans, each suppliers have a spread of choices to go well with several types of companies. Squarespace is extra inexpensive on the decrease finish, which is right for creatives and small companies that care about design and content material. Shopify, whereas costly, has extra e-commerce options and is scalable, making it a really perfect selection for enterprise with a give attention to on-line gross sales and progress.
Verdict
Squarespace and Shopify have each developed into sturdy platforms, every catering to distinct ecommerce wants within the artistic business.
Squarespace excels at offering a design-centric expertise with its drag-and-drop editor, AI-powered templates, and delightful layouts. It is the go-to for creatives who care about appears to be like, seamless portfolio integration, and easy content material administration. With sturdy search engine optimisation capabilities, respectable efficiency, and a extra conventional buyer help system, Squarespace is right for designers, artists, and companies that care about showcasing their work in a tremendous method.
Shopify is the e-commerce behemoth, providing sturdy promoting energy, scalability, and excessive efficiency. Its greatest options are superior stock administration, international cost help, and a big app ecosystem for customisation. With its AI-based help system, detailed analytics, and gross sales optimisation, Shopify is the favourite amongst creatives who wish to scale on-line shops, handle wealthy product catalogs, or increase to multi-channel promoting.
