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Squarespace

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Sanity

Squarespace vs Sanity

Squarespace vs Sanity: which is right for your project? Squarespace is all-in-one website builder with designer templates. Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. We compare features, performance, and pricing.

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TL;DR — Our Recommendation

Sanity wins overall, but Squarespace is better for non-technical creators who want a polished site without touching code. Choose Squarespace for Non-technical creators who want a polished site without touching code. Choose Sanity for Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience.

Official docs: Squarespace Developer Docs · Sanity Documentation

Feature by Feature Comparison

Feature	Squarespace	Sanity
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Performance	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flexibility	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cost Value	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Scalability	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ecosystem	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐

Pros & Cons

Squarespace

Pros

Beautiful, professionally designed templates out of the box
All-in-one: hosting, SSL, domain, and CDN included
Drag-and-drop editor requires zero coding knowledge
Built-in e-commerce, analytics, and email marketing

Cons

Walled garden — no code access or custom server logic
Cannot self-host or export to another platform easily
Limited to Squarespace's template system for design
Monthly costs add up ($192-588/year) for a content site

Sanity

Pros

GROQ query language is more powerful and flexible than GraphQL
Real-time collaborative editing (like Google Docs)
Fully customizable React-based Studio admin panel
Portable Text format gives structured rich text (not raw HTML)

Cons

GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve
Studio customization requires React development knowledge
Per-user pricing gets expensive for large editorial teams
Steeper setup curve than GUI-first headless CMS options

Platform Details

Detail	Squarespace	Sanity
Language / Stack	Proprietary	JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
Type	website builder	headless cms
Pricing	$16-49/month	Free / $15+/month per user
Open Source	No	Yes
Best For	Non-technical creators who want a polished site without touching code	Developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Export Method	Built-in XML export (limited to blog posts and pages)	GROQ API, GraphQL API, or Sanity CLI export

When to Choose Each Platform

Choose Squarespace if…

You need non-technical creators who want a polished site without touching code
Your team is comfortable with Proprietary
You want a low learning curve for non-technical team members

Choose Sanity if…

You need developer-led teams wanting maximum flexibility in content modeling and editing experience
Your team is comfortable with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio)
You want an open-source solution with full code ownership

Which Should You Pick?

The right choice between Squarespace and Sanity depends on three things: your team's technical skills, your project timeline, and your long-term content strategy.

These platforms take fundamentally different approaches. Squarespace is a website builder built with Proprietary, while Sanity is a headless cms built with JavaScript/TypeScript (React-based Studio). That architectural difference shapes everything from daily content editing workflows to deployment and hosting costs. If your team includes non-developers who need to publish content frequently, Squarespace's familiar editing interface may save you onboarding time.

From a cost perspective, Sanity is open-source (Free / $15+/month per user), while Squarespace ($16-49/month) carries ongoing license costs. Factor in plugin or extension costs, developer rates for each tech stack, and whether you need managed hosting or can self-host.

Whichever you choose, migrating between them is straightforward. LeaveWP supports migration between 60+ platforms, so you're never locked in regardless of which you pick today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Squarespace better than Sanity?

Sanity scores higher overall (24/30 vs 16/30) thanks to better performance. However, Squarespace remains the better choice for Non-technical creators who want a polished site without touching code.

Can I migrate from Squarespace to Sanity?

Yes. Export your Squarespace content via Built-in XML export (limited to blog posts and pages), then import it into Sanity. LeaveWP can help automate this process while preserving your SEO metadata and URL structure.

What are the main differences between Squarespace and Sanity?

Squarespace is all-in-one website builder with designer templates, while Sanity is real-time collaborative headless cms with customizable studio. Key differences: ease of use (Squarespace: 5/5, Sanity: 3/5), pricing ($16-49/month vs Free / $15+/month per user), and ecosystem size (Squarespace: 2/5, Sanity: 3/5).

How much does Squarespace cost compared to Sanity?

Squarespace: $16-49/month. Sanity: Free / $15+/month per user. Sanity is open-source and free to self-host, while Squarespace is a paid platform.

Which is easier to learn, Squarespace or Sanity?

Squarespace is easier to pick up (5/5 vs 3/5). Beautiful, professionally designed templates out of the box. Sanity GROQ is a custom query language with its own learning curve.

Which performs better, Squarespace or Sanity?

Sanity has the performance edge (5/5 vs 3/5). Sanity has strong performance characteristics. Squarespace may require additional optimization for high-traffic sites.

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