Canva vs Squarespace: Which One is Better in 2025?

In the digital age, creating visually appealing content and websites has never been easier, thanks to platforms like Canva and Squarespace. Both tools offer unique features tailored to different needs, but which one is right for you?

This article delves into a detailed comparison of Canva and Squarespace, examining their features, pricing, and limitations. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of which platform best suits your creative or business goals.

Overview of Canva and Squarespace

What is Canva?

Canva offers a free website builder that enables users to design and launch professional websites using customizable templates and drag-and-drop tools. The service is designed to be user-friendly, requiring no prior experience in web development.

Main features of Canva include free one-page website templates, drag-and-drop tools, and AI image editing. Additionally, Canva provides real-time collaboration, free and custom domains, and website insights to track traffic and engagement.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is an all-in-one platform that allows users to create, design, and manage websites. It provides tools for building professional websites, online stores, blogs, and portfolios without requiring coding skills.

Key features include customizable templates, domain registration, and integrated marketing tools. Additionally, Squarespace offers e-commerce solutions, analytics, and 24/7 customer support to help users maintain and grow their online presence.

Features of Canva & Squarespace

Similarities

Both Canva and Squarespace offer a range of features that make website creation accessible and efficient.

• Drag-and-Drop Tools: Both platforms provide intuitive drag-and-drop editors, allowing users to design websites without coding knowledge.
• Customizable Templates: Users can choose from a variety of templates tailored to different industries and purposes.
• Domain Services: Both offer domain registration and management, including custom domains and SSL certification.
• Real-Time Collaboration: Canva and Squarespace support real-time collaboration, enabling teams to work together seamlessly.
• Analytics and Insights: Each platform includes tools for tracking website traffic and user engagement, helping users optimize their sites.

Differences

When comparing Canva and Squarespace, several key differences in their features stand out.

• AI Tools: Canva offers AI-powered tools for image editing and content creation, which are not available on Squarespace.
• Scheduling and Invoicing: Squarespace includes built-in tools for scheduling appointments and invoicing clients, features that Canva lacks.
• Content Monetization: Squarespace provides options for monetizing content through memberships and online courses, a service not offered by Canva.
• Logo Maker: Squarespace has a dedicated logo maker tool, whereas Canva focuses more on general graphic design capabilities.
• Business Tools: Squarespace offers a suite of business tools, including SEO and email marketing, which are more comprehensive compared to Canva's offerings.

Pricing of Canva & Squarespace

Canva Pricing

Understanding Canva's pricing structure is essential for choosing the right plan for your needs. Here is a straightforward breakdown of Canva's pricing plans:

• Canva Free: $0 per month for one person
  • Easy drag-and-drop editor
  • 1M+ professionally-designed templates
  • 1000+ design types (social posts and more)
  • 3M+ stock photos and graphics
  • AI-generated writing and designs
  • Design printing and delivery
  • 5GB of cloud storage
• Canva Pro: $15 per month for one person
  • Everything in Free, plus:
  • Unlimited premium templates
  • 100M+ photos, videos, graphics, audio
  • 1000 Brand Kits to manage your brand
  • Quickly resize and translate designs
  • Remove backgrounds in a click
  • Boost creativity with 20+ AI tools
  • Plan and schedule social content
  • 1TB of cloud storage
  • Online customer support
• Canva Teams: $10 per month per person (minimum 3 people, $30/month)
  • Everything in Pro, plus:
  • Scale your brand and centralize assets
  • Ensure brand consistency with approvals
  • Edit, comment, and collaborate in real time
  • Generate on-brand copy with AI
  • Team reports and insights
  • Pay as you grow
  • 1TB of cloud storage
  • Online customer support
  • AI Admin Controls
  • ISO 27001 certification and SOC 2 Type II compliance
• Canva Enterprise: Pricing not specified; users need to contact sales for more information.
  • Everything in Teams, plus:
  • Centrally manage multiple teams and brands
  • Set individual or group design approvals
  • Manage access to the Canva content and template library
  • IP indemnity content control
  • SSO
  • Automate license provisioning with SCIM
  • Custom apps and integrations
  • Priority customer support
  • Design support from Enterprise Studio creative team
  • Dedicated customer success manager

Squarespace Pricing

Squarespace offers a variety of pricing plans to cater to different needs, from personal websites to advanced e-commerce solutions.

• Basic: $16/month (Save 36% annually)
  • Beautiful templates and powerful tools for any website
  • Free custom domain for annual plans
  • Squarespace AI for brand building
  • Up to 2 contributors
  • Accept payments with transaction fees
  • Unlimited products and services
  • Mobile-optimized websites, SEO tools, unlimited bandwidth, SSL security
  • 30 minutes of video hosting & storage
• Core: $23/month (Save 36% annually)
  • Everything in Basic, plus:
  • Unlimited contributors
  • Advanced website analytics
  • Complete customization with CSS and Javascript
  • Professional email from Google Workspace (first year free)
  • 5 hours of video hosting & storage
• Plus: $39/month (Save 30% annually)
  • Everything in Core, plus:
  • Credit card rates starting at 2.7% + 30¢
  • Digital Content and Memberships transaction fee of 1%
  • 50 hours of video hosting & storage
  • API integrations for advanced sales functionality
• Advanced: $99/month (Save 28% annually)
  • Everything in Plus, plus:
  • Credit card rates starting at 2.5% + 30¢
  • Digital Content and Memberships transaction fee of 0%
  • Unlimited video hosting & storage

Reviews of Canva & Squarespace

Canva Reviews

Overall, users have given Canva a rating of 4.7 out of 5. While many appreciate its ease of use, some find the limited free features and occasional performance issues frustrating.

"The free version is quite limited, and the premium plans are expensive for small businesses." - Alex, 3.5/5

"Sometimes the platform is slow and crashes, which can be very frustrating when working on a deadline." - Jamie, 3/5

Squarespace Reviews

Squarespace has received an overall rating of 3.8 out of 5. Users appreciate its design capabilities but find the platform's complexity and pricing frustrating.

"The interface is not very intuitive, and it takes a while to get used to. The pricing is also on the higher side." - Jordan, 3/5

"Customer support is slow to respond, and the templates are not as customizable as advertised." - Taylor, 2.5/5

Subframe, a Better Alternative to Canva and Squarespace

Subframe is a code-first design tool that enables users to create user interfaces quickly and efficiently using a drag-and-drop editor. It offers real-time collaboration, responsive design, and generates pixel-perfect React and Tailwind CSS code, making it a favorite among both designers and developers.

Pros of Subframe

Subframe stands out as a premier tool for building user interfaces quickly and efficiently, offering unique features that cater to both designers and developers.

• Design with real components: Subframe's visual UI editor allows users to drag-and-drop on an intuitive, responsive canvas, ensuring pixel-perfect UI every time.
• Stunning UI templates: With hundreds of templates inspired by world-class products and built with reusable components, users never have to start from scratch.
• High-quality code generation: Subframe enables users to copy and paste front-end code, then add business logic in their codebase, saving time on pixel-pushing CSS.
• Real-time collaboration: The platform supports real-time collaboration, making it easy for teams to work together seamlessly.
• Free to start: Users can begin building UI visually without needing a credit card, making it accessible for everyone.

Subframe's Pricing

At Subframe, we offer flexible pricing options to suit your needs:

• Free: $0 per user/month
  • 1 project
  • Up to 3 page designs
  • Up to 3 team members
  • 200+ UI templates & snippets
• Pro: $29 per user/month
  • Up to 3 projects
  • Unlimited page designs
  • Unlimited team members
  • Custom components
  • 200+ UI templates & snippets
• Custom: Let's talk
  • Unlimited projects
  • Unlimited page designs
  • Custom fonts
  • Integrate your own components
  • Dedicated Slack support
  • Figma plugin

For more details, visit our pricing page. Ready to see Subframe in action? Book a demo with us today!

What Are Others Saying?

Users have given Subframe an overall rating of 5 out of 5. They particularly appreciate its ease of use, time-saving features, and the ability to quickly build and ship quality UI.

• "I love how easy this is to get started, especially with templates." - Dakota
• "Great, congratulations on launch! Supported." - Konstantinos Christoforou
• "Now this I like. Congratulations. Finally something that's not just a mockup." - Aris Nakos

Why Choose Canva, Squarespace or Subframe?

If you're looking for a simple, cost-effective way to create visually appealing websites without any coding knowledge, Canva is your go-to option. It's perfect for entrepreneurs, content creators, and small business owners who need to quickly design and launch professional-looking pages.

On the other hand, if you require a more comprehensive suite of tools for building a professional online presence, including e-commerce capabilities and advanced marketing tools, Squarespace is the better choice. It's ideal for creative professionals, service providers, and larger businesses that need robust features and scalability.

However, if you're a designer or developer who values high-quality, pixel-perfect code and real-time collaboration, Subframe is the superior option. It's designed for those who need to bridge the gap between design and development, offering a code-first approach that ensures your UI is both beautiful and functional.

Canva, Squarespace, or Subframe: Which is The Best Tool For You?

Choosing between Canva, Squarespace, and Subframe ultimately depends on your specific needs and goals. Canva is perfect for those who need a quick, easy-to-use tool for creating visually appealing content, while Squarespace offers a more comprehensive suite for building a professional online presence.

However, if you're looking for a tool that bridges the gap between design and development, Subframe stands out as the superior choice. With its code-first approach, real-time collaboration, and high-quality code generation, Subframe ensures your UI is both beautiful and functional. We recommend giving Subframe a try to experience the best of both worlds.