Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Jekyll VS SquareSpace

Compare Jekyll VS SquareSpace and see what are their differences

Jekyll logo Jekyll

Jekyll is a simple, blog aware, static site generator.

SquareSpace logo SquareSpace

Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.
  • Jekyll Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-17
  • SquareSpace Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

Jekyll features and specs

  • Speed and Performance
    Jekyll generates static websites, which means they load faster compared to dynamic websites. No database queries are required, reducing server overhead and improving performance.
  • Security
    Static sites have a smaller attack surface compared to dynamic sites because they don't rely on databases or server-side code. This means fewer vectors for potential compromises.
  • Simplicity
    Jekyll setups are relatively straightforward, especially if you are comfortable writing in Markdown and HTML. This can make it easier to manage and maintain your website.
  • Integration with GitHub Pages
    Jekyll is designed to work seamlessly with GitHub Pages, allowing you to host your website for free with automatic deployment directly from your GitHub repository.
  • Customizability
    Jekyll allows for extensive customization through its support for plugins, themes, and templates. This can be helpful to create a unique look and functionality for your website.

Possible disadvantages of Jekyll

  • Learning Curve
    While Jekyll is simpler than some other static site generators, it does require some familiarity with the command line, version control (Git), and YAML configuration.
  • Build Time
    For large websites, the build times can become lengthy, which can slow down the development process, especially if you are making frequent updates.
  • Lack of Real-time Content Updates
    Since Jekyll generates static sites, real-time content updates (e.g., comments, dynamic forms) aren't natively supported and require third-party services or additional tooling.
  • Dependence on Ruby
    Jekyll is built with Ruby, so you will need to have Ruby installed and occasionally deal with Ruby-specific issues. This might be a drawback for developers who are not familiar with the Ruby ecosystem.
  • Limited Built-in Functionality
    While Jekyll is very flexible, it doesn’t have built-in support for many features out of the box, which might require you to manually implement or rely on plugins.

SquareSpace features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    SquareSpace offers a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionalities, making it accessible for users without technical skills.
  • Design Quality
    SquareSpace provides high-quality, professionally designed templates that are both visually appealing and functional.
  • All-in-One Platform
    SquareSpace includes hosting, design customization, and a variety of built-in features like e-commerce and blogging without the need for third-party plugins.
  • Mobile Optimization
    All SquareSpace templates are mobile-responsive, ensuring a seamless experience across different devices.
  • 24/7 Customer Support
    SquareSpace offers 24/7 customer support through live chat and email, providing timely assistance when needed.

Possible disadvantages of SquareSpace

  • Pricing
    SquareSpace plans are relatively expensive compared to some other website builders, which may be a barrier for small businesses or individuals on a tight budget.
  • Limited Customization
    While SquareSpace offers design flexibility, it can be limiting for advanced users who want extensive customization options.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    Although basic usage is simple, mastering some of the more advanced features and functionalities can require a learning curve.
  • E-commerce Limitations
    SquareSpace's e-commerce features are solid but may lack some of the advanced capabilities found in specialized platforms like Shopify.
  • Page Speed
    Some users have reported slower page load times compared to other website builders, which can impact user experience and SEO.

Jekyll videos

Getting Started With Jekyll, The Static Site Generator

SquareSpace videos

Is Squarespace Worth It? | An UNBIASED Squarespace Review

More videos:

  • Review - Squarespace Review: The Best Website Builder [2020]
  • Review - Squarespace Review: The #1 Website Builder!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Jekyll and SquareSpace)
CMS
25 25%
75% 75
Blogging
50 50%
50% 50
Website Builder
0 0%
100% 100
Static Site Generators
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Jekyll and SquareSpace

Jekyll Reviews

Best Gitbook Alternatives You Need to Try in 2023
Jekyll is a static site generator often used to create blogs and websites, similar to Gitbook in its ability to generate documentation from markdown files. Jekyll is built in Ruby and is known for its flexibility and ease of use. It also has a large community and a wide variety of plugins and themes available. Jekyll's main advantage is that it is highly customizable,...
Source: www.archbee.com
11 Popular Free And Open Source WordPress CMS alternatives in 2021
Unlike some listed alternatives, Jekyll is also a static site generator so it lays in the same category. It uses Ruby and we would say it's simpler, free, and open-source CMS software.
Source: medevel.com
10 static site generators to watch in 2021
Perhaps most conveniently described as Jekyll implemented with JavaScript rather than Ruby, Eleventy has now moved beyond that while retaining a clear and simple on-ramp, and only shipping to the browser what you tell it too. As with Jekyll and Hugo, no JavaScript frameworks are auto-baked in.
Source: www.netlify.com
Hugo vs Jekyll: an Epic Battle of Static Site Generator Themes
Jekyll isn’t strict with its content location. It expects pages in the root of your site, and will build whatever’s there. Here’s how you might organize these pages in your Jekyll site root:
9 Reasons I Think Craft is the Best CMS on the Market Today
Craft CMS is simple, minimalistic, agile and has every capability a modern CMS framework needs. Over the past ten years we have worked with every CMS you could think of (Wordpress, Drupal, Rails+ActiveAdmin, Ghost, Weebly, DjangoCMS, Jekyll, Joomla, Tumblr, Squarespace, Expression Engine, Statamic, Blogger)… here are the reasons why we’ve landed firmly with Craft as our №1...
Source: hackernoon.com

SquareSpace Reviews

  1. Team Wisdom
    · Small business Owner at SmokeHub ·
    Offers step-by-step video training to build website

    It has a sleek interface that makes it a simple platform to use.

    Squarespace enables non-programmers to create user-friendly websites. To assist novice users, the site offers step-by-step video training, which is amazing...

    🏁 Competitors: QPe

WordPress vs. Proprietary Site Builders: What to Know Before Starting a Website Development Project
Squarespace: Squarespace lacks a formal backup and restore system. While you can export certain data (e.g., blog content) in XML format, there’s no full-site backup option. Restoration is limited and often requires direct support intervention, making business continuity less autonomous and more dependent on Squarespace’s policies.
Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
Squarespace is a hosted website builder that’s well-suited for small businesses and service providers who want a simple site. You can use built-in analytics tools that surface crucial insights about traffic and trends without the need for complicated plugins.
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
WordPress is still one of the best platforms for building content-heavy websites. However, for simpler sites, portfolios, or e-commerce, platforms like Pixpa, Squarespace, or Wix might be better choices due to their ease of use, built-in features, and lower maintenance needs.
Source: www.pixpa.com
The 17 Best Wix Alternatives (2024) Who Else Can You Build Your Website With?
Why choose Squarespace Over Wix? If you want to build a website that focuses on blogging, Squarespace is fantastic. Also better for small ecommerce projects, thanks to their $0 transaction fees.
Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
In 2024, Squarespace continues to stand out as a leading CMS. It offers sophistication and simplicity both at the same time. That’s why Squarespace suits a wide range of users, from small business owners to individual content creators. With its user-friendly interface and an impressive array of customizable templates, Squarespace makes it effortless to create a...
Source: cloudzy.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Jekyll should be more popular than SquareSpace. It has been mentiond 194 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Jekyll mentions (194)

  • How to create a blog with Quartz, GitHub, and Cloudflare
    If you don't want to use Jekyll as your static site generator for GitHub Pages and you want to have a custom domain for your GitHub Pages. This post is for you! - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Blogging with Obsidian and Jekyll
    Jekyll is a static site generator that transforms Markdown files into a fully functional website. Everything is generated into plain HTML, which makes it simple to deploy on platforms like GitHub Pages. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Create a Blogging Platform With No Backend (Zero Hosting Fee)
    Obviously, there are a dozen choices for generating static websites (efficiently and quickly), from the classic Jekyll to the new Next.js. And you are good to go with any of them as long as your confident with it. I choose 11ty because:. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • It's easy to dev blog
    In your repository settings you need to turn on GitHub Pages to make it pull Jekyll content (that's the magic✨ default GitHub Pages build tool) from your GitHub repository. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • How to build a blog with NodeJS
    If you're looking to start a blog (or if you're thinking of redesigning yours although you haven't posted in 2 years), you'll stumble upon a lot of options and it can be incredibly daunting; and if you stumble with the newest Josh's post about his stack it is easy to feel overwhelmed with the shown stack. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

SquareSpace mentions (36)

  • Best website builder?
    I highly recommend Squarespace, DM me if you want me to share some of my client's finished websites. Also, I am happy to answer any of your questions for free. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Squarespace is Hijacking my links
    I recently moved my website to squarespace and have added several text boxes with links to other pages on the site. However after clicking save and then testing the links, they always resolve back to squarespace.com. Upon reviewing the links they have been converted back to squarespace. Any advice? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Blogging help: How to start from a scratch?
    Or, you can try something like squarespace.com as well. Source: about 2 years ago
  • SNI Dynamic Certificate
    I'm pulling my hair out here. Websites like wix.com, squarespace.com ...etc; can generate websites on the fly and still use SSL on every one of the millions of custom domains. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Horse pics: now with anatomical cutaway!
    Are you selling this on your squarespace.com account? Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Jekyll and SquareSpace, you can also consider the following products

Hugo - Hugo is a general-purpose website framework for generating static web pages.

WiX - Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix' website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today

Ghost - Ghost is a fully open source, adaptable platform for building and running a modern online publication. We power blogs, magazines and journalists from Zappos to Sky News.

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Webflow - Build dynamic, responsive websites in your browser. Launch with a click. Or export your squeaky-clean code to host wherever you'd like. Discover the professional website builder made for designers.

GatsbyJS - Blazing-fast static site generator for React