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AWD CMS vs Squarespace

Squarespace is known for polished templates and a strong editor. AWD is built around keeping a site true after it is built.

What Squarespace is

Squarespace is a hosted website builder known for its design-led templates. You build pages in its editor from sections and blocks, with commerce, scheduling and email marketing available in the same account. It is a good-looking way to build a site, and the editor sits over a view of the page.

What AWD CMS is

A website whose editor is the live page. You click the words and type; you drag sections; you add pages from the menu. A guide builds the first version one section at a time, and an AI copilot drafts and rewrites on the page. Every page checks itself for search and for readers with a disability, and says what to fix. It is built for the person who has to keep the site true, on whatever device they are holding.

What you see first

Squarespace opens on the site’s dashboard: eleven sections in the menu, and videos on how to edit. The site itself is a button away. AWD CMS opens on your own page and asks one thing at a time.

AWD CMS after pressing Start free: a blank home page in the editor, with a box over it asking, step 1 of 9, what the business is called. — AWD CMS, the first screen after Start free: your own page, and one question. Screenshot taken 26 October 2026.

Squarespace’s site dashboard: a menu of eleven sections down the left, a preview of the site, and tutorial videos on how to edit. — Squarespace, the site’s dashboard: eleven sections in the menu, and videos on how to edit. Account name blurred; a trial-ended bar cropped off. Screenshot taken 26 October 2026.

Side by side

	AWD CMS	Squarespace
Where you edit	On the live page	In the Squarespace editor, then save
What you have to learn	Click the words and type	Sections, blocks and the editor’s panels
Guided first build	One question at a time on your own page, then a written check	Pick a template and fill it in
Editing on a phone	The same editor, built for a thumb	A mobile app for some edits
AI	Drafts and rewrites on the page	AI writing tools
Bringing an old site	Copied exactly, page by page	Import from certain platforms; otherwise rebuild
Being found by the AIs	What ChatGPT and Google’s AI say about you, measured	The usual search settings

Where you edit

AWD CMSOn the live page

SquarespaceIn the Squarespace editor, then save

What you have to learn

AWD CMSClick the words and type

SquarespaceSections, blocks and the editor’s panels

Guided first build

AWD CMSOne question at a time on your own page, then a written check

SquarespacePick a template and fill it in

Editing on a phone

AWD CMSThe same editor, built for a thumb

SquarespaceA mobile app for some edits

AWD CMSDrafts and rewrites on the page

SquarespaceAI writing tools

Bringing an old site

AWD CMSCopied exactly, page by page

SquarespaceImport from certain platforms; otherwise rebuild

Being found by the AIs

AWD CMSWhat ChatGPT and Google’s AI say about you, measured

SquarespaceThe usual search settings

When Squarespace is the better choice

When the look is the point and you want a very polished template with selling, scheduling and email in one account, Squarespace is a strong choice. It suits a portfolio, a restaurant or a small shop that is happy inside its templates.

When AWD CMS is

When you want to change the words on the page, from wherever you are, without learning an editor. And when being found — including by the AI answer engines — matters as much as looking good.

Prices for the other tool are on its own site and change; ours are on our Pricing page. Nothing on this page is a quote from a customer of either.

Decide with the editor in your hands

The sandbox needs no account. The demo builds a site in front of you.

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