Squarespace version 7.0 launched in 2014, and its 91 templates rank(Opens in a new tab) in particular template “collections”, which are groups of coded templates that are similar in both their basic structure and functionality. Each one has its own rules and style choices(Opens in a new tab), so you may need to swap templates (and risk losing content) to access certain functionality. For example, infinite scrolling(Opens in a new tab) Farro exclusive(Opens in a new tab) and Sky(Opens in a new tab) template families, while only wels(Opens in a new tab) and five(Opens in a new tab) Allow sidebars(Opens in a new tab) On all of their pages, not just in blogs.
Squarespace eliminated those hard and fast ratings with the release of version 7.1 in early 2020. All of its 140+ templates(Opens in a new tab) They now belong to the same family with the same infrastructure and design options, making it easy to change site styles in seconds.
While neither version of Squarespace is definitively “better” than the other, version 7.1 is ideal for people new to the platform since it powerfully streamlines the design process, especially since the Fluid Engine was introduced in July 2022.(Opens in a new tab). This is Squarespace’s next generation content editor for 7.1 sites, which uses a grid system and additional block placement options to improve layout flexibility.(Opens in a new tab) (Especially on mobile(Opens in a new tab)).
Users who have built a Squarespace site before may still have good reason to stick with version 7.0 since its templates have some advanced style options that haven’t been added to the new versions yet. (See: Parallax Scrolling, a particularly popular feature of the family of beloved but missing Brine models from version 7.1; people were pretty salty about that.)
One caveat: Switching between versions 7.0 and 7.1 requires a complete rebuild and can mess with your site’s search ranking, so choose wisely. On the bright side, Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial so you can get to grips with both before you commit.