Picking a website platform is one of those decisions that seems small at the start, but you feel it later. It’s best to get it right now before you are in too deep.

It affects how easy your site is to update, how well it performs, and how much room you have to grow without rebuilding everything from scratch.

At Planet, we help growing SMEs choose the right platform based on what they actually need day to day, not what’s fashionable. If you want to compare them yourself, here’s a straight look at WordPress, Webflow and Squarespace, with the pros, cons, and who each one suits best.

If you’re still not sure what level of help you need, start here: Website Support: What Level Do You Need?

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WordPress

What it is:

WordPress is the most flexible option. It can be simple, or it can be seriously powerful, depending on how it’s built.

It’s often the right call if your website needs to do more than just “look good”, for example bookings, member areas, custom functionality, or a larger content-led site.

Quick truth: WordPress is brilliant, but it’s not “set and forget”.

What’s good about it

• You can make WordPress do almost anything (if you build it properly)
• Loads of plugins and integrations if you need extra features
• A solid long-term option if you expect the site to grow over time
• Strong SEO control, especially for content-heavy sites

What to watch out for

• You’re signing up to ongoing upkeep (updates, plugins, security)
• The quality varies massively depending on who built it
• Too many plugins can slow things down or make it unstable
• More moving parts than Webflow or Squarespace, so more to manage

Best fit if you…

• Need flexibility and functionality that may grow over time
• Have multiple services, locations, or a lot of content
• Want full control over the build, hosting and integrations
• Are happy to invest in proper setup and maintenance

Want a realistic idea of budgets? Here’s our guide to website design costs for growing SMEs.

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Webflow

What it is:

Webflow is built for design-led websites. It’s brilliant when you want the site to feel properly crafted, not templated.

It’s a strong option for SMEs who care about brand, clarity, and marketing performance, and want a site that’s easy to manage once it’s built properly.

What’s good about it

• Proper design control, so it can look genuinely on-brand
• Great for marketing sites and landing pages
• Responsive behaviour is built in (no patching it later)
• No plugin bloat or constant updates like WordPress

What to watch out for

• Not always the best fit for bigger ecommerce builds
• Some integrations take a bit more thought to set up
• Costs can creep up depending on hosting and features
• You still need someone who knows Webflow well to build it properly

Best fit if you…

• Want a modern, design-led site that looks the part
• Need a site your team can update without drama
• Care about clarity, storytelling, and user experience
• Want a strong marketing platform without the maintenance overhead

If your site looks decent but still isn’t bringing in enquiries, this is worth a read: 5 reasons why your website isn’t converting.

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Squarespace

What it is:

Squarespace is the quickest route to a clean, professional website, especially if you want to keep things simple.

It’s ideal when you don’t need loads of custom functionality and you just want a smart site that’s easy to update without calling a developer every five minutes.

What’s good about it

• Quickest way to get a smart, professional site live
• Easy to update without accidentally wrecking the layout
• Hosting, security and updates are taken care of in the background
• Great for smaller service sites, portfolios and simple brochure websites

What to watch out for

• You hit the ceiling quicker if you want something bespoke
• As the business grows, the site can start to feel a bit boxed in
• Not the best choice for complex structure or custom functionality
• Less control over the finer details of layout and performance

Best fit if you…

• Want a clean site live quickly, without the faff
• Prefer a simple editing experience you can manage in-house
• Don’t need loads of custom features or integrations
• Just need something professional that works and looks the part

If that sounds like you, you might only need Website Essentials support rather than a bigger rebuild.

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Final thoughts

Picking a platform isn’t really about what’s “best”. It’s about what you need the site to do, who’s going to be updating it, and how much flexibility you want later on.

WordPress makes sense when you want room to grow, extra functionality, or a site that might turn into something bigger over time.

Webflow is a great fit when design quality, brand presentation, and a clean marketing experience matter most.

Squarespace is ideal when you just want something polished live quickly, with minimal ongoing maintenance.

If you’re stuck between two options, we can help you choose based on your goals, your content, and what the business is likely to need next (not just what looks good today).

And if you’re still deciding what comes first, brand or website, this guide helps: Branding vs Website First: What Should SMEs Prioritise?