Squarespace vs Boomimart: Which Platform Is Better for Indian E-commerce?
Squarespace is one of the most beautifully designed website builders in the world. Its templates are gorgeous. Its drag-and-drop editor is intuitive. Its brand is synonymous with visual elegance. For photographers, designers, restaurants, and creative professionals building portfolio websites or content-driven sites, Squarespace is genuinely excellent. But here is the uncomfortable truth that many Indian entrepreneurs discover only after paying for a plan: Squarespace was not built for Indian e-commerce.
It does not support UPI. It does not support Cash on Delivery. It does not integrate with Indian payment gateways like Razorpay or PayU. It has no GST compliance features. It does not offer branded mobile apps. It does not connect with Indian courier services like Delhivery or BlueDart. It does not include WhatsApp commerce integration. For an Indian online seller, these are not minor gaps. They are fundamental missing pieces that determine whether customers can actually complete a purchase on your store.
Boomimart, by contrast, is a cloud-based e-commerce ERP platform built from the ground up for Indian businesses. It includes everything an Indian online seller needs: web store, native mobile apps, UPI and Indian payment gateways, COD support, GST-compliant invoicing, inventory management with batch tracking, CRM, WhatsApp integration, POS, and shipping integrations with Indian couriers. It is not the prettiest website builder on the planet. But it is a complete business operating system that lets Indian sellers actually sell, manage, and grow.
This comparison lays out the honest differences between both platforms across features, pricing, and real-world business scenarios so you can make the right choice for your business.
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison: 20 Critical Factors
Let us compare both platforms across every feature that matters for running an online store in India:
| Feature | Squarespace | Boomimart | Verdict |
| Primary Strength | Website design and visual presentation | E-commerce operations and business management | Squarespace for design. Boomimart for selling. |
| Target User | Designers, portfolios, content creators, small international stores | Indian SMBs, D2C brands, multi-category e-commerce sellers | Boomimart built specifically for Indian commerce. |
| Website Builder | Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor with 100+ premium templates | Customizable storefront with e-commerce-focused templates | Squarespace has superior design tools. |
| Mobile App for Customers | No native mobile app. Responsive website only. | Branded Android and iOS apps included with your store | Boomimart. Native apps drive 3x higher retention. |
| UPI Payments | Not supported. Uses Stripe/PayPal (limited in India). | Pre-integrated via Razorpay, PayU. UPI intent flow supported. | Boomimart. UPI is 47% of Indian e-commerce payments. |
| Indian Payment Gateways | Stripe and PayPal only (Stripe has limited India reach) | Razorpay, PayU, COD, UPI, Net Banking, Wallets, EMI | Boomimart. Full Indian payment ecosystem. |
| Cash on Delivery (COD) | Not supported natively | Built-in COD with surcharge option and prepaid incentives | Boomimart. COD is 20% of Indian e-commerce. |
| GST Compliance | No GST support. Manual tax calculation. | Automatic GST calculation, HSN codes, GST-compliant invoices | Boomimart. GST is non-negotiable for Indian sellers. |
| WhatsApp Integration | Not available | Native WhatsApp catalog, notifications, and commerce | Boomimart. WhatsApp is India’s primary communication channel. |
| Inventory Management | Basic stock tracking | Full ERP-grade inventory: batch tracking, expiry dates, multi-warehouse, reorder alerts | Boomimart. Night-and-day difference for serious sellers. |
| CRM (Customer Relationship Management) | Basic customer profiles and email campaigns | Integrated CRM with purchase history, segmentation, behaviour tracking | Boomimart. Unified customer data powers personalization. |
| Shipping Integration (India) | No Indian courier integrations. Manual shipping only. | Integrated with Delhivery, BlueDart, DTDC, Ecom Express, and more | Boomimart. Automated shipping labels and tracking. |
| POS (Point of Sale) | Limited Squarespace POS (US-focused) | Integrated POS for physical store + online sync | Boomimart. Omnichannel selling from one dashboard. |
| Multi-Store Management | Separate account per site (separate billing) | Multiple stores managed from a single admin dashboard | Boomimart. Centralized operations for growing businesses. |
| Vendor/Supplier Management | Not available | Vendor management with purchase orders and tracking | Boomimart. Essential for businesses with multiple suppliers. |
| Expense Tracking | Not available | Built-in expense tracking and financial reporting | Boomimart. Reduces need for separate accounting software. |
| Blogging/Content | Excellent built-in blogging with SEO tools | Basic blog functionality | Squarespace. Superior content publishing tools. |
| Design Flexibility | Industry-leading templates and design customization | Functional e-commerce design, less design flexibility | Squarespace. Best-in-class visual design. |
| SEO Tools | Built-in SEO features, clean URLs, sitemap, SSL | SEO-friendly URLs, meta tags, sitemap, SSL, schema markup | Comparable. Both cover SEO essentials. |
| Customer Support | 24/7 email and chat support (English only) | Dedicated support with Indian business hours, regional language support | Boomimart. Local support understands Indian business. |
The pattern is clear. Squarespace wins decisively on design, templates, and content publishing. Boomimart wins on everything that actually makes e-commerce work in India: payments, shipping, compliance, mobile apps, inventory, and customer management. If your primary need is a beautiful website that happens to sell a few products internationally, Squarespace is the better choice. If your primary need is running a profitable online business in India, Boomimart is the platform built for that purpose.
For a broader perspective on how Boomimart compares to other global platforms, explore our comparison guides: Shopify vs Boomimart, WooCommerce vs Boomimart, Wix vs Boomimart, Magento vs Boomimart, and Dukaan vs Boomimart.
See the Boomimart Difference. Request a Free Demo Today!
Pricing Comparison: True Cost of Ownership
Comparing monthly plan prices alone is misleading. The true cost of running an Indian e-commerce store includes platform fees, payment processing, mobile app development, shipping tool subscriptions, CRM tools, and compliance software. Here is the complete cost picture:
| Pricing Factor | Squarespace (for E-commerce) | Boomimart | Cost Impact for Indian Seller |
| Entry E-commerce Plan | $23/month (Rs 1,900+/month at current rates). Core plan with 0% Squarespace transaction fee. | Starts from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000/month (varies by plan and features) | Comparable monthly cost, but Boomimart includes far more e-commerce features at similar price. |
| Full-Featured E-commerce Plan | $39/month (Rs 3,250+/month). Plus plan with lower processing fees. | Mid-tier plans include mobile apps, CRM, inventory, WhatsApp, POS | Boomimart delivers significantly more value at similar or lower cost. |
| Advanced/Enterprise Plan | $99/month (Rs 8,250+/month). Abandoned cart recovery, advanced shipping. | Full ERP suite, multi-store, vendor management, advanced inventory | Boomimart provides ERP-grade tools at a fraction of standalone ERP cost. |
| Transaction Fees | 0% on Core, Plus, and Advanced plans. 2% on Basic plan. | 0% platform transaction fee. Only payment gateway charges apply. | Comparable. Both charge no platform transaction fee on commerce plans. |
| Payment Processing Fees | 2.5% to 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (via Stripe) | 2% per transaction (via Razorpay/PayU), 0% on UPI (govt subsidy) | Boomimart is cheaper. UPI at 0% saves significantly on high-volume stores. |
| Mobile App Cost | Not included. Custom app development: Rs 5 to Rs 15 lakh separately. | Included in subscription. Branded Android and iOS apps. | Boomimart saves Rs 5 to Rs 15 lakh in app development costs. |
| Indian Courier Integration | Not available. Manual shipping or third-party tools (additional cost). | Included. Pre-integrated with major Indian couriers. | Boomimart eliminates Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000/month for shipping tools. |
| CRM and Marketing Tools | Basic email campaigns included. Advanced marketing tools require third-party integrations. | CRM, WhatsApp marketing, customer segmentation included | Boomimart saves Rs 500 to Rs 2,000/month on external CRM tools. |
| Domain and SSL | Free domain first year. SSL included. Domain renewal $20 to $70/year. | SSL included. Domain purchased separately or transferred. | Comparable. |
| Currency | Billed in USD. Subject to exchange rate fluctuations. | Billed in INR. Predictable costs. | Boomimart. INR billing eliminates currency risk. |
| Total Year 1 Cost (E-commerce Ready) | Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,00,000 (platform only, no mobile app, no Indian integrations) | Rs 24,000 to Rs 60,000 (includes web, mobile app, CRM, ERP, Indian payments) | Boomimart delivers 3x to 5x more features at 40% to 60% lower total cost. |
The bottom line is striking. When you add up the total cost of making Squarespace work for Indian e-commerce (platform + mobile app development + Indian payment gateway integration + shipping tool + CRM tool + GST software), the annual cost easily exceeds Rs 2 to Rs 5 lakh. Boomimart delivers all of those capabilities in a single subscription for Rs 24,000 to Rs 60,000 per year. The cost advantage is not marginal. It is transformative for small and mid-sized Indian businesses.
For a detailed analysis of how e-commerce platform costs break down and strategies to minimize them, our ERP implementation cost reduction guide provides a comprehensive framework.
Where Squarespace Genuinely Wins
This is an honest comparison, and Squarespace deserves credit where it excels. Here are the scenarios where Squarespace is the better choice:
- Visual-first portfolio and branding websites. If you are a photographer, architect, designer, artist, or agency showcasing your work, Squarespace’s templates and design tools are genuinely world-class. The visual impact of a well-designed Squarespace site is hard to match on any other platform.
- Content-driven websites with light e-commerce. Bloggers, podcasters, and content creators who primarily publish content but sell a few merchandise items or digital products will find Squarespace’s blogging tools superior to any e-commerce-first platform.
- International sales via Stripe and PayPal. If your customer base is primarily in the US, UK, Europe, or other markets where Stripe operates fully, Squarespace’s payment processing works seamlessly. The platform excels for international e-commerce in Stripe-supported markets.
- Simple stores with under 50 products. For very small catalogs where you do not need advanced inventory management, batch tracking, or multi-warehouse support, Squarespace’s simpler product management is actually an advantage. Less complexity means less to learn.
- Restaurant and cafe websites. Squarespace offers dedicated restaurant templates with menu displays, reservation integrations, and location pages that look stunning. For restaurants primarily using their website as a digital brochure rather than a full ordering platform, it works well.
Where Boomimart Is the Clear Winner for Indian E-commerce
- Any business that needs UPI and Indian payment gateways. UPI accounts for 47% of Indian e-commerce payments. A platform that does not support UPI is a platform that cannot serve half your customers. Boomimart comes pre-integrated with Razorpay and PayU, supporting UPI intent flow, cards, net banking, wallets, EMI, and COD. For payment optimization strategies, our guide on Indian payment gateway providers covers the complete landscape.
- Businesses that need Cash on Delivery. COD remains 18% to 22% of Indian e-commerce transactions and is essential for building trust with first-time buyers in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Squarespace has no COD support at all. Boomimart includes COD with configurable surcharges and prepaid incentives to gradually shift customers towards digital payments. See our prepaid orders and COD reduction guide for proven strategies.
- GST-compliant businesses. Every Indian business selling online needs GST-compliant invoices with HSN codes, GSTIN, and proper tax breakdowns. Squarespace has no concept of GST. Boomimart calculates GST automatically based on product category, generates compliant invoices, and supports e-way bill requirements for interstate shipping.
- Businesses wanting mobile apps without development costs. Building custom Android and iOS apps costs Rs 5 to Rs 15 lakh and takes 3 to 6 months. Boomimart includes branded mobile apps as part of your subscription. Customers download your store from Google Play and Apple App Store with your brand name, driving 3x higher retention than mobile websites.
- Sellers needing Indian shipping integrations. Squarespace does not integrate with any Indian courier service. Every shipment would need manual label creation and tracking. Boomimart integrates with Delhivery, BlueDart, DTDC, Ecom Express, and other major Indian logistics providers for automated label generation, tracking, and delivery updates. For shipping optimization, our shipping management hacks guide covers practical strategies.
- WhatsApp-first commerce. WhatsApp is India’s dominant communication platform with 500+ million users. Boomimart’s WhatsApp integration enables catalog sharing, order notifications, cart recovery messages, and customer support, all from within the platform. This single feature can drive 15% to 25% of your orders.
- Multi-category retailers with complex inventory. Stores managing hundreds of SKUs across multiple categories need batch tracking, expiry management, reorder alerts, and multi-warehouse support. Boomimart’s ERP-grade inventory system handles all of this. Squarespace’s basic stock tracking cannot scale beyond simple catalogs.
See the Boomimart Difference. Request a Free Demo Today!
12 Real-World Business Scenarios: Which Platform Wins?
The best way to decide between Squarespace and Boomimart is to find your business scenario in this table:
| Business Scenario | Squarespace Score (1-10) | Boomimart Score (1-10) | Recommendation |
| Fashion D2C brand prioritizing visual branding and design | 8/10 | 7/10 | Squarespace if design is everything. Boomimart if you also need Indian payments, COD, and mobile app. |
| Kirana store going online with COD and UPI | 2/10 | 9/10 | Boomimart. Squarespace cannot handle COD, UPI, or Indian shipping. |
| Organic food brand selling pan-India | 3/10 | 9/10 | Boomimart. GST compliance, batch tracking, expiry management, Indian couriers are essential. |
| International portfolio or creative agency website | 10/10 | 4/10 | Squarespace. Design-first platform built for exactly this use case. |
| Multi-category retailer with 500+ SKUs | 4/10 | 9/10 | Boomimart. ERP-grade inventory, vendor management, and multi-store support. |
| Home baker selling cakes locally via WhatsApp and website | 3/10 | 9/10 | Boomimart. WhatsApp integration, COD, local delivery setup, FSSAI-ready invoicing. |
| Subscription box business (monthly curated boxes) | 5/10 | 8/10 | Boomimart. Recurring billing, inventory management, and Indian payment gateways for subscriptions. |
| NRI selling Indian handicrafts internationally | 7/10 | 6/10 | Squarespace for international audience with Stripe/PayPal. Boomimart if also selling domestically. |
| Electronics retailer with EMI and warranty tracking | 2/10 | 9/10 | Boomimart. EMI integration, GST on electronics, warranty management, and COD are must-haves. |
| Restaurant or cafe with online ordering | 4/10 | 8/10 | Boomimart. WhatsApp ordering, POS integration, local delivery, and UPI make it the clear choice. |
| Blogger or content creator monetizing with merch | 9/10 | 5/10 | Squarespace. Superior blogging tools with basic store functionality is ideal for creators. |
| B2B supplier with bulk pricing and invoicing | 2/10 | 8/10 | Boomimart. B2B pricing tiers, GST invoicing, vendor management, and CRM for business buyers. |
The scoring tells a consistent story. For 9 out of 12 common Indian business scenarios, Boomimart scores significantly higher because its features align with how Indian e-commerce actually works: UPI payments, COD, GST compliance, WhatsApp ordering, and domestic shipping logistics. Squarespace excels in the 3 scenarios where design and international presence matter more than Indian commerce infrastructure.
Migrating from Squarespace to Boomimart
If you are currently on Squarespace and realize you need the Indian e-commerce capabilities Boomimart provides, migration is straightforward. Here is what the process looks like:
| Migration Factor | Squarespace to Boomimart | Effort Required | Tips |
| Product Catalog | Export products as CSV from Squarespace. Import into Boomimart. | Low to Moderate (depending on catalog size) | Clean up product data during migration. Add GST HSN codes during import. |
| Product Images | Download all images from Squarespace. Re-upload to Boomimart. | Moderate (manual download if no bulk export) | Take this opportunity to upgrade product photography for the Indian market. |
| Customer Data | Export customer list from Squarespace. Import into Boomimart CRM. | Low | Segment customers during import for immediate CRM value. |
| Order History | Limited export options from Squarespace. | Low (historical reference only) | Keep Squarespace account active temporarily for order history reference. |
| Domain Transfer | Point your domain DNS to Boomimart, or transfer domain registrar. | Low (DNS change takes 24 to 48 hours) | No downtime if you set up Boomimart store fully before switching DNS. |
| SEO and URL Structure | Map old Squarespace URLs to new Boomimart URLs. Set up 301 redirects. | Moderate (critical for preserving search rankings) | Create a complete URL mapping spreadsheet before migration. |
| Design and Branding | Recreate your visual design within Boomimart’s template system. | Moderate to High (design flexibility differs) | Focus on conversion-optimized design rather than replicating Squarespace aesthetics exactly. |
| Payment Gateway | Disconnect Stripe/PayPal. Set up Razorpay/PayU on Boomimart. | Low (gateway setup takes under 1 hour on Boomimart) | Test every payment method before going live. |
| Timeline | Full migration typically takes 1 to 3 weeks depending on catalog size. | N/A | Run both platforms in parallel for 1 to 2 weeks to ensure smooth transition. |
The entire migration typically takes 1 to 3 weeks, and you can run both platforms in parallel during the transition to ensure zero downtime. Many Boomimart users report that the time invested in migration pays for itself within the first month through improved payment conversion rates (UPI + COD availability), lower per-order costs (INR billing, cheaper payment processing), and operational efficiency gains (integrated inventory + shipping).
Common Misconceptions About Choosing an E-commerce Platform
- ‘A beautiful website is enough to sell online.’ Design matters, but it is not the primary conversion driver in Indian e-commerce. Payment availability (UPI, COD), checkout speed, mobile app experience, trust signals (GST invoices, tracking), and shipping reliability drive conversions more than template aesthetics. A gorgeous Squarespace store that cannot accept UPI will lose to a functional Boomimart store that can.
- ‘International platforms are more reliable than Indian ones.’ Squarespace is reliable for what it does (website building), but reliability for Indian e-commerce means uptime during festival sales (Diwali, Raksha Bandhan), payment gateway failover, and courier API availability. Boomimart’s infrastructure is optimized for Indian traffic patterns and peak seasons.
- ‘I can add Indian features to Squarespace through plugins.’ Unlike WordPress, Squarespace has a closed ecosystem with limited third-party integrations. You cannot simply install a Razorpay plugin or a Delhivery extension. The Indian commerce features are either built into the platform (as with Boomimart) or they are not available at all.
- ‘Starting with Squarespace and migrating later is fine.’ Migration has costs: time, potential SEO disruption, customer communication, and learning a new platform. Starting on the right platform from day one saves the migration hassle entirely. If you know your primary market is India, start with a platform built for India.
- ‘Squarespace’s lower starting price means it is cheaper.’ Squarespace’s $16/month Basic plan looks cheap until you realize it charges 2% on every transaction, does not support Indian payments, and requires expensive third-party tools for every Indian commerce need. Total cost of ownership for Indian e-commerce on Squarespace is 2x to 4x higher than Boomimart.
The Verdict: Design vs Commerce
This comparison comes down to a fundamental question: are you building a website that happens to sell, or are you building a business that needs a website?
Choose Squarespace if: Your primary goal is a visually stunning website. Your audience is international (US, UK, Europe). You sell fewer than 50 products. You do not need UPI, COD, GST, WhatsApp, or Indian shipping integrations. You are a creative professional, content creator, or portfolio-driven business.
Choose Boomimart if: Your customers are in India. You need UPI, COD, and Indian payment gateways. You need GST-compliant invoicing. You want a branded mobile app without spending lakhs on development. You need WhatsApp commerce integration. You manage 50+ SKUs with inventory tracking. You want integrated shipping with Indian couriers. You want CRM, POS, and ERP capabilities in one platform.
For the vast majority of Indian e-commerce businesses, from home bakers and D2C brands to multi-category retailers and B2B suppliers, Boomimart provides the complete infrastructure needed to sell, manage, and grow. Squarespace remains an excellent platform for what it was designed for: beautiful websites. But beautiful websites and profitable Indian e-commerce stores require very different things.
Request a free Boomimart demo and experience the difference a platform built for Indian e-commerce makes for your business.
