Shopify vs Squarespace for Australian Small Businesses: An Honest Comparison

I build on both, so I've no reason to push one over the other. Here's how I'd decide for an Australian small business.

The one-line version

• Shopify is an online store that can also be a website.
• Squarespace is a website that can also sell things.

Choose Shopify if

• Selling products is the core of your business
• You have, or plan to have, more than a handful of products
• You need inventory, shipping rules, discounts and abandoned cart emails that just work
• You want to sell in person too (Shopify POS) or across marketplaces
• You expect to grow and want a big ecosystem of apps and developers

Choose Squarespace if

• You're a service business, studio, creative or hospitality venue
• You sell a few products, bookings or digital downloads
• Design and simplicity matter more than advanced ecommerce
• You want to manage everything yourself with minimal fuss

What about the others?

• WooCommerce: a WordPress store with no platform lock-in and lots of flexibility, but more to maintain. More on WooCommerce.
• Webflow: brilliant for design-led marketing sites with rich animation and a solid CMS. More on Webflow.
• Framer: fast, beautiful and great for startups and landing pages. More on Framer.
• Wix: easy to start with, though businesses often outgrow it. More on Wix.

Costs to consider

All of these charge monthly fees, and stores add payment processing fees on every sale. Compare total monthly cost at your expected sales volume, not just the cheapest plan.

My honest advice

Pick the platform that fits how your business works today and for the next couple of years. Moving later is possible (I do migrations all the time), but it's easier to start right.

Not sure which fits? Tell me about your business and I'll give you a straight recommendation. Or explore my Shopify and Squarespace services.