Websites · comparison
WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify or Webflow: Choosing Once
A decision framework based on who maintains the site and what it sells, not on which platform is trendiest.
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Platform arguments online are mostly arguments between builders about their own convenience. For an owner, the decision comes down to three questions: what are you selling, who will edit the site in eighteen months, and how much custom behaviour do you genuinely need?
Side by side, honestly
| Platform | Best at | Weak at | Ongoing effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Content-heavy sites, flexibility, portability | Needs updates and a competent maintainer | Medium to high |
| Squarespace | Fast, tidy brochure sites owners can edit | Complex catalogues and deep customisation | Low |
| Shopify | Selling physical products, payments, logistics | Long-form content and non-commerce pages | Medium |
| Webflow | Designed marketing sites with clean structure | Requires a designer to change layouts | Low to medium |
The maintenance question decides most cases
WordPress is the most capable of the four and the most likely to break when neglected. If nobody is contractually responsible for plugin updates and backups, choose a hosted platform. A site that quietly stops working is more expensive than any subscription difference.
A useful rule
If you sell products, start with Shopify. If you sell services and want to edit the site yourself, start with Squarespace or Webflow. Choose WordPress when publishing volume, custom content types or full control genuinely matters — and pay someone to maintain it.
Costs over three years
Compare platforms over three years, not month one. Subscription differences of £20 a month are trivial next to a mid-project migration or a redesign forced by an unmaintainable theme. Include hosting, licences, transaction fees and the realistic maintenance retainer in the comparison.
Portability: the exit you hope not to use
- WordPress content exports cleanly; design does not travel.
- Squarespace and Webflow export basic content but the layout is platform-bound.
- Shopify exports products and customers in CSV form, which is what a new store needs.
- In every case, keep your domain registered in your own account. It is the one asset that must never sit with a supplier.
Signs you chose wrong
You pay a developer for changes a staff member should be able to make. Simple edits carry a risk of breaking the layout. Page speed has degraded steadily as plugins accumulated. Any of these is a reason to plan a move — but do it as a deliberate rebuild with a content audit, not as an emergency.
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