Squarespace vs. Showit vs. Webflow: Which One’s Right for You?
An Easy Guide to Choosing the Right Platform for Your Website
If you’re building a new website—or hiring someone to build it for you—you’ve probably come across these three major players: Squarespace, Showit, and Webflow.
They’re all powerful, popular, and often recommended for service-based businesses. But which one is actually right for you?
Let’s break down the real differences so you can choose the platform that fits your goals, skill level, and style.
1. Squarespace: The Small Biz Workhorse
Clean, modern, and user-friendly. Think of the Apple Store.
Best For:
Coaches
Wellness pros
Photographers
Interior designers
Anyone who wants to get online quickly and look expensive without hiring a dev team
Why People Love It:
Templates are beautiful out of the box
Drag-and-drop editor (no code required, but can be used if needed)
Built-in tools like scheduling, ecommerce, blogging, and email marketing
Fast and secure hosting
Limitations:
Less no-code custom design freedom compared to the others
The visual editor is great, but not pixel-perfect
Slightly limited if you need advanced animations or layout control
Knight Theory Take:
We use Squarespace exclusively for our 1-day website sprints because it’s the fastest way to launch a high-converting site without sacrificing polish. If you're a service provider who wants a done-for-you build with zero tech stress, this is your solution.
Showit: The Drag-and-Drop Darling for Creatives
Full visual freedom. Think Canva meets website builder.
Best For:
Coaches and personal brands
Wedding pros
Creatives who want a really custom look
Writers and podcasters
Why People Love It:
Insanely flexible drag-and-drop editor
You can design mobile and desktop separately (great for detail lovers)
Built-in integration with WordPress for blogging
No code required, ever
Limitations:
The learning curve is honestly far steeper than Squarespace
You may need a designer to build something truly strategic
Blogging runs on WordPress, which can be clunky
No built-in ecommerce or booking tools (you’ll need workarounds)
Knight Theory Take:
If your brand is super visual or strictly story-driven, Showit might be worth the creative freedom. That said, we find that a lot of service providers think they want Showit until they realize they’d be missing out on the built-in workflow tools that many other website builders provide.
Webflow: The Custom-Coded Powerhouse (Sans the Code)
Perfect for startups and brands who want total control.
Best For:
Tech-forward brands
Startups and SaaS companies
Designers who want to build responsive, interactive sites or apps
Larger businesses with custom needs
Why People Love It:
Total design freedom with pixel-level control
Built-in CMS (great for dynamic content and blogging)
Designer-friendly interface that mimics development workflows
Clean, exportable code
Great SEO and site speed
Limitations:
Incredibly steep learning curve if you're DIY-ing
Requires time to build (plug-and-play templates here, but learning the play is what’s hard)
Forms and CMS limits on lower-tier plans
Expensive to scale if you’re running a blog-heavy or dynamic site
Knight Theory Take:
Webflow is incredible if you have a dev team or hire an experienced Webflow designer. But for most solo service providers or small teams, it’s overkill. It shines for custom builds like our custom projects, where we quote and scope a fully unique build for growing brands, but it’s just not needed for the everyday service provider who just needs to connect with their clients.
SEO + Blogging: Who Wins?
We can keep this nice and simple:
Squarespace: Easy to blog and add keywords. Clean URLs, good speed, and structured headings.
Showit: Blogging is technically WordPress. You’ll have full control, but it can feel like duct taping two systems together.
Webflow: Excellent for structured content, dynamic blogs, and SEO control, but only if you know what you’re doing!
Still Not Sure? Ask Yourself:
How tech-savvy are you?
Absolute beginner → Showit
Beginner/Intermediate → Squarespace
Techie or working with pros → Webflow
What’s your priority?
Speed to launch → Squarespace
Creative visuals → Showit
Custom scalability → Webflow
Are you hiring a designer?
If yes, all three are options—but make sure they know the platform inside out!
If no, Squarespace will save your sanity and cut the need for additional CMS, email providers, form builders, etc.
Final Thoughts
The truth? There’s no one-size-fits-all website platform.
But there is a best-fit choice for your goals, time, and business model.
At the end of the day, Squarespace stands out for a reason. It’s so more than just a website builder—it’s a full suite of tools designed to run your business from one clean, streamlined dashboard.
It has:
Built-in scheduling
Email marketing
Ecommerce capabilities
AI SEO tools
Blogging
Analytics
So you’re saving by avoiding a patchwork of third-party tools and monthly subscriptions. For service providers who value ease, speed, and polish (without constantly tinkering or spending extra), Squarespace is the smartest and most budget-friendly way to look pro, feel confident, and grow online.
That’s exactly why we use it for 95% of client builds at Knight Theory—and why our clients rave about how easy their business feels post-launch.
Our final advice? Sign up for a few free trials and get to testing!
Knight Theory clients get an extended three-month free trial and 20% off their first year with every project. Want help choosing your platform, or launching a site that finally feels like you?
Join the Knight Theory waitlist or learn more about our website projects—we’ll guide you through every step.