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GitHub Pages vs Squarespace: What are the differences?
Introduction
GitHub Pages and Squarespace are two popular platforms for creating and hosting websites. While they both offer website building capabilities, there are key differences between the two.
Ease of Use: GitHub Pages primarily caters to developers and requires knowledge of using Git and Markdown for content creation and deployment. Squarespace, on the other hand, is designed for users with little or no coding experience and provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for building websites.
Customization Options: Squarespace offers a wide range of templates and a visual editor that allows users to easily customize the design and layout of their websites. GitHub Pages, being more developer-centric, allows for greater flexibility in terms of customization, as users can directly edit the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
Cost: GitHub Pages is free to use and includes hosting for static websites. Squarespace, on the other hand, offers different pricing plans depending on the features and functionality required, ranging from basic to advanced options.
E-commerce Functionality: Squarespace has built-in e-commerce capabilities, allowing users to set up online stores and sell products directly from their websites. GitHub Pages does not provide e-commerce functionality natively and would require additional integrations or third-party tools.
Version Control: GitHub Pages is closely integrated with Git, which allows for version control and collaboration among developers. Squarespace does not offer version control functionality, making it less suitable for team-based web development projects.
Domain and SSL Support: Squarespace provides users with the option to purchase and connect custom domain names to their websites. It also offers built-in SSL certificates for secure connections. GitHub Pages allows users to connect custom domains, but SSL support requires additional setup using third-party services.
In Summary, GitHub Pages is more suitable for developers who prioritize flexibility, version control, and Git integration, while Squarespace is a user-friendly platform that offers a range of templates, built-in e-commerce functionality, and easier customization options.
I usually take a slightly different tack because the technical level of people I usually am dealing with is lower. I tend to be pitching to decision makers and not tech people. A bit of my standard answer is below.
Wix and Squarespace are proprietary systems meant for unsophisticated users who want to build their own websites quickly and easily. While they are good for that specific use case, they do not offer any way to move beyond that if your needs arise. Since they are proprietary closed systems if you need something more advanced at some point your only option is to start over.
WordPress is an Open Source CMS that allows much more freedom. It is not quite as simple to setup and create a new site but if you are talking to me then you are not looking to build it yourself so that is really a non-issue. The main benefit of WordPress is freedom. You can host it on virtually any decent web hosting service and since it uses PHP and MySQL you can have virtually any developer take over a project without problem.
I believe in open source because of that freedom. It is good for me as a developer and it is good for my clients. If something were to happen to me or my company you would have no problem finding another qualified WordPress developer to take over the site in a totally seamless fashion. There would be no need to start from scratch.
Additionally the extensible nature of WordPress means that no matter what your future needs, WordPress can handle it. Adding things like e-commerce and custom quoting systems are just two examples of advanced solution's that I have added to WordPress sites years after they were first built.
WordPress is used by tiny one person businesses all the way up to major websites like the NY Times and I think it is right for this project as well.
We use Netlify to host static websites.
The reasons for choosing Netlify over GitHub Pages are as follows:
- Netfily can bind multiple domain names, while GitHub Pages can only bind one domain name
- With Netfily, the original repository can be private, while GitHub Pages free tier requires the original repository to be public
In addition, in order to use CDN, we use Netlify DNS.
Pros of GitHub Pages
- Free290
- Right out of github217
- Quick to set up185
- Instant108
- Easy to learn107
- Great way of setting up your project's website58
- Widely used47
- Quick and easy41
- Great documentation37
- Super easy4
- Easy setup3
- Instant and fast Jekyll builds2
- Great customer support2
- Great integration2
Pros of Squarespace
- Easy setup35
- Clean designs31
- Beautiful responsive themes8
- Easy ongoing maintenance6
- Live chat & 24/7 support team3
- No coding necessary1
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Cons of GitHub Pages
- Not possible to perform HTTP redirects4
- Supports only Jekyll3
- Limited Jekyll plugins3
- Jekyll is bloated1
Cons of Squarespace
- Hard to use custom code1
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