Comparing Website Builder Plans: WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, and Weebly

When it comes to building a website for your business, choosing the right platform is crucial. Four popular options are WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, and Weebly. Each platform offers various plans with different features and pricing. Let’s weigh up their costs, features, and pros and cons.

1. WordPress:

Cost: WordPress itself is free, but you’ll need to pay for web hosting, domain name, and potentially premium themes and plugins.

  1. WordPress.com Free Plan: This plan is free, but it comes with limited features and branding. It’s suitable for basic personal blogs. (No specific AUD cost)
  2. Personal Plan: AUD $7 per month
    • Custom domain name
    • No WordPress.com ads
    • Basic design customization
    • 6 GB storage space
  3. Premium Plan: AUD $14 per month
    • All features of the Personal plan
    • Advanced design customization
    • Access to premium themes
    • Google Analytics integration
    • 13 GB storage space
  4. Business Plan: AUD $30 per month
    • All features of the Premium plan
    • Unlimited storage space
    • E-commerce integration
    • Custom plugins and themes
    • SEO tools
    • Access to Google Analytics
    • Live chat and email support
  5. eCommerce Plan: AUD $45 per month
    • All features of the Business plan
    • Online store functionality
    • Accept payments and integrate with shipping providers
    • Premium e-commerce themes
    • Advertising credits

Features: WordPress provides unmatched flexibility and customization options. You can choose from thousands of free and paid themes and plugins to tailor your website’s look and functionality.

Pros:

  • Highly customizable with endless design possibilities.
  • Great for blogs, business websites, and e-commerce.
  • Wide range of SEO plugins for better optimization.
  • No transaction fees for e-commerce (depends on the chosen payment gateway).

Cons:

  • Requires more technical knowledge for setup and maintenance.
  • Costs can add up with premium themes, plugins, and hosting.

2. Shopify:

Cost: Shopify offers multiple plans, including:

  1. Basic Shopify Plan: AUD $40 per month
    • Online store with unlimited products
    • 2 staff accounts
    • 24/7 customer support
    • Sales channels integration (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
    • Manual order creation
    • Discount codes
    • Free SSL certificate
  2. Shopify Plan: AUD $110 per month
    • All features of the Basic Shopify plan
    • 5 staff accounts
    • Gift cards
    • Professional reports
    • Abandoned cart recovery
  3. Advanced Shopify Plan: AUD $415 per month
    • All features of the Shopify plan
    • 15 staff accounts
    • Advanced report builder
    • Third-party calculated shipping rates
    • Advanced report builder

Features: Shopify is a dedicated e-commerce platform known for its user-friendly interface and extensive e-commerce features.

Pros:

  • Easiest e-commerce setup with user-friendly interface.
  • Secure hosting and built-in SSL.
  • Integrated payment gateway (Shopify Payments).
  • App store for adding extra functionality.

Cons:

  • Transaction fees unless using Shopify Payments.
  • Customization can be limited compared to WordPress.
  • Monthly costs can escalate for advanced features.

3. Squarespace:

Cost: Squarespace offers different plans, including:

  1. Personal Plan: AUD $22 per month (when billed annually) or AUD $30 per month (when billed monthly)
    • Free custom domain for the first year
    • Unlimited bandwidth and storage
    • Basic website metrics
    • 24/7 customer support
    • SSL security
    • Limited integrations
  2. Business Plan: AUD $36 per month (when billed annually) or AUD $46 per month (when billed monthly)
    • All features of the Personal plan
    • Professional email from Google
    • Premium integrations and blocks
    • Advanced website metrics
    • Promotional pop-ups
  3. Basic Commerce Plan: AUD $42 per month (when billed annually) or AUD $54 per month (when billed monthly)
    • All features of the Business plan
    • E-commerce features, including checkout on your domain
    • No Squarespace transaction fees
    • Point of sale (POS) features
  4. Advanced Commerce Plan: AUD $64 per month (when billed annually) or AUD $80 per month (when billed monthly)
    • All features of the Basic Commerce plan
    • Advanced e-commerce analytics
    • Abandoned cart recovery
    • Subscriptions and advanced shipping

Features: Squarespace is known for its visually appealing templates and user-friendly design.

Pros:

  • Stunning templates ideal for creative portfolios and small businesses.
  • All-in-one platform with hosting, domain, and SSL.
  • Good for showcasing visual content.
  • E-commerce features available even in lower plans.

Cons:

  • Limited third-party integrations compared to WordPress.
  • Some advanced features may require coding knowledge.
  • Limited blogging capabilities compared to WordPress.

4. Weebly (now Square):

Cost: Weebly’s plans include:

Weebly:

  1. Connect Plan: Free
    • Basic website builder
    • Weebly branding
    • SSL security
    • Limited storage
  2. Pro Plan: AUD $17 per month (when paid annually) or AUD $20 per month (when paid monthly)
    • All features of the Connect plan
    • Connect your own domain
    • No Weebly ads
    • Advanced site stats
  3. Business Plan: AUD $35 per month (when paid annually) or AUD $40 per month (when paid monthly)
    • All features of the Pro plan
    • E-commerce features (shopping cart, inventory management, etc.)
    • Accept payments through Square
    • Shipping and tax calculators
  4. Business Plus Plan: AUD $53 per month (when paid annually) or AUD $60 per month (when paid monthly)
    • All features of the Business plan
    • Advanced e-commerce features (abandoned cart emails, gift cards, etc.)
    • Real-time shipping rates
    • Priority customer support

Features: Weebly offers an easy drag-and-drop interface for building websites.

Pros:

  • Simple and user-friendly, great for beginners.
  • E-commerce features in all plans.
  • Good for small businesses and portfolios.
  • Integrated hosting and SSL.

Cons:

  • Limited scalability for larger businesses.
  • Some advanced features may be missing.
  • Customization options can be restrictive compared to WordPress.

Weebly Designer Pro Plan:

Another great website builder is Weebly designer. Whilst the platform is aimed at web designers it has many customisation features at a much lower than usual price. These include the ability to change the websites HTML, JS and CSS.

Small Business Websites Australia recognises the great flexibility for the pricing and can give great practical guidance on managing your own Weebly site, or alternatively becoming a client under our Weebly designer platform.

Cost: Starting at AUD $22 per month (when paid annually) or AUD $27 per month (when paid monthly)

Features:

  • Custom Branding: Add your own branding to the Weebly interface, allowing you to present a consistent brand image to your clients.
  • Weebly Branding Removal: Remove Weebly’s branding from the websites you build, creating a more professional appearance for your clients.
  • Client Billing: Manage billing and payments for your clients directly through the Weebly platform, streamlining your business processes.
  • Advanced E-commerce Features: Access to advanced e-commerce capabilities for your clients’ online stores, including features like abandoned cart recovery and gift cards.
  • Priority Customer Support: Receive priority support to address any issues or questions you may have while building and managing your clients’ websites.

Pros:

  • Custom Branding: The ability to add your own branding enhances your agency’s professionalism.
  • Weebly Branding Removal: Eliminating Weebly branding creates a seamless experience for your clients.
  • Client Billing: Streamlining billing processes within the platform can save time and reduce administrative overhead.
  • Advanced E-commerce: Access to advanced e-commerce features allows you to offer more value to clients with online stores.
  • Priority Support: Faster support response times can help you address any challenges more efficiently.

Cons:

  • Cost: The Designer Pro plan has a monthly cost, which may be an additional expense for your agency.
  • Limited Plans: Unlike regular Weebly plans, the Designer Pro plan is designed specifically for web designers and agencies.

Conclusion:

Choosing the right platform depends on your business’s needs and your level of technical expertise. WordPress offers the most flexibility, while Shopify is excellent for e-commerce. Squarespace and Weebly are user-friendly and ideal for visually focused websites. Consider your budget, website goals, and desired features before making your decision.