Greatest Squarespace templates 2022: 15 designs for bloggers and past

Should you’ve listened to any podcast ever, you already know the spiel: Squarespace is an all-in-one web site builder that makes it simple to create a professional-looking on-line presence. Numbers-wise, it’s the second hottest internet builder on the market (after Wix) and the third hottest internet hosting service (after Wix and Shopify), supporting greater than 2.eight million dwell web sites throughout the web on the time of publication.

One of many major the explanation why Squarespace has seen this success — nicely, apart from all of these Ira Glass-narrated advert slots — is that you do not want any internet design or coding expertise to get a gorgeous web site up and operating on its platform. With intuitive drag-and-drop constructing components and an unlimited choice of ultra-modern templates, it is simply some of the beginner-friendly instruments of its variety.

In truth, the toughest half about designing a Squarespace web site is commonly simply selecting a kind of templates — there are 234 of them throughout Squarespace variations 7.Zero and seven.1, the 2 iterations of the platform which can be at present supported. How do you resolve which one to make use of to your oil portray portfolio, your Taiwanese-American meals weblog, or the web retailer to your cool-girl denims? (These are all completely different sorts of internet sites which have been made with Squarespace, FYI.)

Let’s get into it — however first, a fast primer.

Why ought to I take advantage of Squarespace?

After quick and straightforward web site design, the most effective factor about Squarespace is its all-in-one method: Your plan contains 24/7 buyer assist, web site metrics, search engine marketing options, SSL safety, limitless bandwidth, and video storage, all for as little as $14 a month. (That will get even cheaper for those who go along with a long-term plan, by the way in which.) Squarespace additionally throws in absolutely managed cloud internet hosting at no additional value, plus a 12 months’s price of a brand new {custom} area for those who join an annual membership. No have to set anything up with one other supplier or platform.

What’s a Squarespace template, precisely?

A Squarespace template (or theme) is a pre-designed, ready-to-use demo web site that you would be able to customise with completely different colours, pages, fonts, and drag-and-drop aspect blocks like textual content, photographs, galleries, buttons, and kinds. Squarespace describes them as “a place to begin to assist encourage your web site’s design,” noting that “[you] can maintain the construction of your authentic design intact by changing the demo content material with your personal, or you may fully change the design of your web site and begin from scratch.”

Every template has been constructed solely for Squarespace, which implies you received’t discover them on WordPress, Wix, or different site-building platforms.

Are Squarespace templates mobile-friendly?

All Squarespace templates are mobile-optimized from the soar, which is superior for 2 causes: Cell-friendly websites look nice on all gadgets and get increased precedence from Google with regards to indexing and search engine marketing rankings.

Templates from Squarespace model 7.Zero have separate cellular types that activate on smaller gadgets, whereas their model 7.1 counterparts adapt to cellular view routinely. (Extra on these in a sec.) Try Squarespace’s suggestions for holding your web site mobile-friendly(opens in a brand new tab) as you proceed to construct it out.

Which model of Squarespace is best: 7.Zero or 7.1?

Launched in 2014, Squarespace model 7.Zero categorizes its 91 templates(opens in a brand new tab) into sure template “households,” that are teams of equally coded templates alike of their primary construction and performance. Each has its personal guidelines and customization choices(opens in a brand new tab), which implies you generally have to swap templates and begin over (and danger shedding content material) for those who’re after a particular characteristic. For instance, infinite scroll(opens in a brand new tab) is unique to the Farro(opens in a brand new tab) and Skye(opens in a brand new tab) template households.

Squarespace scrapped these hard-and-fast classifications with the discharge of model 7.1 in early 2020. All 143 of its newer templates(opens in a brand new tab) now belong to the identical household with the identical options and underlying construction, which makes it simpler to change web site types in seconds.

That being stated, neither model of Squarespace is conclusively “higher” than the opposite. Model 7.1 might be the perfect alternative for people who find themselves new to the platform because it aggressively streamlines the design course of, particularly for the reason that July 2022 rollout of Fluid Engine(opens in a brand new tab). (That is Squarespace’s next-gen content material editor for 7.1 websites, which makes use of a grid system and extra block placement choices for improved structure flexibility(opens in a brand new tab) — notably on cellular(opens in a brand new tab).)

Nevertheless, customers who’ve constructed a Squarespace web site earlier than should still have good cause to stay with model 7.0 — its templates have some superior options that have not been added to the brand new ones but. (See: parallax scrolling, one particularly common characteristic of the beloved Brine template household that is lacking from model 7.1; folks had been fairly salty about that one.)

One caveat: Whereas it’s attainable to modify between variations 7.Zero and seven.1, doing so will normally require a full rebuild and mess together with your web site’s search rating. On the brilliant aspect, Squarespace gives a free 14-day trial so you may noodle round with each earlier than you commit.

Is Squarespace higher than WordPress?

This one’s fairly situational. WordPress is finest for folks on both finish of the customization spectrum: You need to use the free model to create a brilliant primary weblog, or go balls-to-the-wall on a completely distinctive, from-scratch web site with premium themes and tens of 1000’s of plugins. Remember the fact that the latter requires managing your personal internet hosting, safety, and updates; you may additionally want to rent a developer in case your coding abilities aren’t as much as par.

Squarespace’s templates are much less versatile than a custom-built WordPress web site and lean arduous on visuals, however they have already got some nice built-in options and look fairly snazzy proper out of the gate — plus, the entire technical drudgery is dealt with by the platform itself.

Squarespace additionally helps the official integrations of sure providers, together with Apple Information (to cross-publish your content material), Paypal (to just accept funds), and OpenTable (to let friends make reservations), together with a pair dozen third-party extensions. Whereas not as prolific as WordPress plugins, they need to have the ability to meet most of your and your customers’ wants, no downside.

How do you discover the appropriate Squarespace template for you?

To get began, head over to the Templates tab on Squarespace’s web site and filter its library by Sort and Subject to slim down your pool of candidates. You possibly can hit “Preview” on any theme that catches your eye to see what it might seem like within the wild.

Squarespace recommends selecting a template based mostly in your favourite colours and layouts quite than the demo content material you see there: “You possibly can change the fashion and structure of your web site at any time, however you might discover it simpler to start out with a design that is already near the way you need your web site to look,” reads a web page on its Assist Heart. “For instance, the Dario demo web site is designed for a marriage, however you could possibly adapt it to just accept RSVPs for a distinct sort of occasion, or to assemble pre-orders for a brand new product launch.”

Should you’re having hassle selecting one, know this: It is principally inconceivable to make an unpleasant Squarespace web site, and with sufficient time and experimentation, you may tweak virtually any template to suit your actual imaginative and prescient and wishes. However simply in case you want a nudge in a sure route, maintain studying: Under, we have rounded up 15 of the most effective Squarespace templates for all kinds of websites.

Notice: Most of our suggestions are from Squarespace model 7.1, however we have sprinkled in just a few choices from model 7.Zero that proceed to face out. Templates have been labeled accordingly.