Blocs vs Strikingly: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Blocs and Strikingly both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different user needs and preferences.

Blocs (Overall Grade: 5.8/10)

is a powerful and user-friendly website builder designed specifically for Mac users. It excels in design functionalities and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for designers and developers who want to create professional websites without writing code. Blocs offers a range of features, including responsive design and integration with popular web standards, but it may present a learning curve for beginners and lacks built-in hosting and advanced ecommerce capabilities.
Strikingly (Overall Grade: 6.6/10)

stands out for its user-friendly interface and built-in hosting platform, making it suitable for individuals and small businesses looking to create professional-looking websites quickly. Strikingly offers a variety of customizable templates, built-in ecommerce features, and comprehensive marketing tools. It is particularly strong in customer support and security, providing a reliable and versatile platform for users who prioritize ease of use and integrated solutions.

	Overall grade: 5.8	Overall grade: 6.6
Design functionalities & templates	7.5	7.2
Ease of use	8.7	8.1
Ecommerce	7.0	7.2
Website Editors	7.5	7.5
Product testing options	7.0	7.1
Price	9.0	8.1
Hosting quality	0	7.2
Website speed optimization	5.2	7.9
Plugins and integrations	6.8	5.1
Marketing features	6.9	7.2
Customer support	5.1	7.2
Security	0.0	7.5
AI capabilities	5.4	1.6
User Management	1.4	7.3

Best for ecommerce

7.0

7.2

Verdict

: Blocs and Strikingly both offer solid ecommerce capabilities, but their approaches cater to different user needs. Blocs is more suited for web designers and developers who prefer integrating third-party ecommerce solutions, while Strikingly is ideal for beginners and small businesses looking for built-in ecommerce features.

Blocs

: Blocs integrates with third-party ecommerce platforms like Ecwid, Stripe, Snipcart, Paddle, and Gumroad, providing a range of features such as buy buttons, checkouts, and complete storefronts. This flexibility makes it a powerful tool for designers and developers who want to create customized ecommerce experiences. However, this might present a learning curve for beginners. Blocs scored 7.0 in the ecommerce category.
Strikingly

: Strikingly offers built-in ecommerce features, allowing users to create online stores, manage inventory, set up shipping and tax options, and accept payments through various gateways such as PayPal and Stripe. Its user-friendly interface and customizable templates make it a versatile platform for building and managing ecommerce websites. Strikingly scored 7.2 in the ecommerce category.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

7.4

Verdict

: Blocs and Strikingly are both strong contenders for creating informational and business websites, but Blocs has a slight edge due to its user-friendly interface and extensive design functionalities.

Blocs

: Blocs is a powerful and user-friendly website builder designed specifically for Mac users. It allows users to create beautiful, modern websites without the need to write code, thanks to its intuitive visual interface and pre-designed blocks. Blocs offers a wide range of features including responsive design, pre-made templates, and integration with popular web standards and tools. This makes it an ideal choice for designers, developers, and anyone looking to create professional websites with minimal effort. With a score of 7.5, Blocs is particularly well-suited for those who prioritize design and ease of use.
Strikingly

: Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder that allows individuals and businesses to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. With its drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates, users can easily design and customize their websites to suit their needs. Strikingly also offers various features such as ecommerce integration, blogging tools, and SEO optimization, making it a versatile platform for building and managing websites. However, with a score of 7.4, Strikingly may be slightly less suitable for those who require advanced design functionalities and customization options compared to Blocs.

Detailed comparison

7.5

7.2

🏆

Winner: Blocs.

If you’re a Mac user looking for a powerful and user-friendly website builder with a wide range of features, Blocs is the preferred choice.

Blocs website builder offers a vast selection of design templates, boasting over 36 layouts for various website types, including business, e-commerce, personal portfolios, and photography, catering to a wide range of user needs. These templates are designed to be responsive, ensuring optimal display across different devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Blocs Themes

Compared to Blocs, Strikingly offers a wide variety of templates and designs for its website builder. With over 60 unique templates to choose from, users can find a design that suits their needs and preferences. The templates are modern, visually appealing, and customizable, allowing users to personalize their websites.

Strikingly Themes

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8.7

8.1

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. With a score of 8.7, Blocs edges out Strikingly (8.1) in terms of ease of use. Blocs is highly regarded for its user-friendliness and versatility, particularly among Mac users. It offers a robust platform for both novices and professional coders. Strikingly, while user-friendly, may be limiting for users requiring advanced functionalities.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but Blocs goes a step further with its comprehensive suite of learning resources for web design, catering to both beginners and advanced users through its learning portal and Blocs Academy. Strikingly offers tutorials, guides, and a comprehensive support center, but Blocs’ resources are more extensive.

Learn Blocs

Learn Strikingly

7.0

7.2

Blocs and Strikingly both offer ecommerce capabilities, but their approaches differ. Blocs integrates with third-party ecommerce platforms like Ecwid, Stripe, Snipcart, Paddle, and Gumroad, providing a range of features such as buy buttons, checkouts, and complete storefronts. However, it’s primarily a visual design tool aimed at web designers and developers, which might present a learning curve for beginners. On the other hand, Strikingly offers built-in ecommerce features, allowing users to create online stores, manage inventory, set up shipping and tax options, and accept payments through various gateways such as PayPal and Stripe.


Ecommerce themes and templates	7.8	6.5
Product page customization	6.5	6.0
Payment processing and commissions	7.0	6.8
POS capabilities	0.0	5.0
Payment gateways	7.5	7.0
Product numbers	6.0	5.5
Additional ecommerce features	7.2	6.5

Blocs ecommerce features:

Stripe integration
Snipcart shopping cart integration
Gumroad integration
Ecwid integration

Strikingly ecommerce features:

Product Listings
Inventory Management
Coupons and Discounts
SEO tools
Analytics
Social Media Integration

Ecommerce themes & templates

Blocs provides a range of ecommerce-specific templates, allowing users to quickly launch optimized online stores or business platforms. These premium templates are designed to be fast, visually appealing, and SEO-friendly, ensuring websites look great on all devices and load quickly. Strikingly also offers a variety of eCommerce website templates tailored to meet various website building needs. These templates are designed by a world-class team of website designers and developers, focusing on modern trends and best practices to ensure your eCommerce site stands out.

Product page customization

Blocs primarily offers ecommerce features through third-party ecommerce platforms such as Ecwid, so the product page customization possibilities vary depending on which platform is integrated. Customizing product pages on Strikingly involves showcasing your products with high-quality images in the “Portfolio” or “Product Catalog” section, emphasizing a premium feel to attract buyers. Adding products is streamlined through the “Simple Store” section, where you can detail product types, names, descriptions, and manage inventory and pricing.

Payment processing

The Blocs website builder supports ecommerce through integrations with third-party ecommerce providers, suggesting flexibility in the use of various payment gateways without directly listing them. Blocs does not charge transaction fees or commissions, however such fees may be charged by the payment gateways or e-commerce platforms themselves. Strikingly supports secure payment processing through Stripe, Square, and other gateways like PayPal, offering a range of options for ecommerce sites. The transaction fees for using these services vary depending on the payment gateway and user location, with specific plans possibly incurring additional Strikingly fees, except for VIP users.

Strikingly add a product

Considering the features, availability, cost, and flexibility, both Blocs and Strikingly offer viable ecommerce solutions, with Blocs being more suitable for web designers and developers, and Strikingly being more user-friendly for beginners and small businesses.

7.5

🏆

Winner: Tie between Blocs and Strikingly

. Both Blocs and Strikingly score 7.5 in this category, indicating that they both offer robust and user-friendly website editors.

Blocsapp editor

Blocs is a powerful and user-friendly website builder designed specifically for Mac users. It allows users to create beautiful, modern websites without the need to write code, thanks to its intuitive visual interface and pre-designed blocks. Blocs offers a wide range of features including responsive design, pre-made templates, and integration with popular web standards and tools. However, its block-based approach might limit the customization options for more advanced users who prefer granular control over every aspect of their website’s design and functionality.

Strikingly editor

On the other hand, Strikingly is a user-friendly website builder that allows individuals and businesses to create professional-looking websites without any coding knowledge. With its drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates, users can easily design and customize their websites to suit their needs. Strikingly also offers various features such as ecommerce integration, blogging tools, and SEO optimization, making it a versatile platform for building and managing websites. However, it only allows limited custom code injection depending on the plan.

Mobile editor/app

8.5

2.0

🏆

Winner: Blocs

. Both Blocs and Strikingly offer mobile editing capabilities, but they cater to different needs and platforms. Blocs has a dedicated mobile app specifically designed for the iPad. This app provides a touch-first interface and includes all the essential features needed to create various types of websites, offering a flexible and efficient solution for building professional and beautiful websites on an iPad.

On the other hand, Strikingly does not have a dedicated mobile app. While it is possible to edit a website using a mobile browser, the interface is described as inconvenient. Therefore, Blocs is the clear winner in this category due to its dedicated iPad app and superior mobile editing experience.

7.0

7.1

Overall Result

:

Strikingly wins

. Strikingly scores slightly higher than Blocs with a score of 7.1 compared to Blocs’ 7.0. Strikingly offers a free version and allows testing of all features during its 14-day free trial. Blocs, on the other hand, does not offer a free version but allows testing of some features during its trial period and within a 14-day refundable period.


Free Plan	No	Yes
Trial Duration	Yes	14 days
Testing Premium Features	Limited during trial and refundable period	All features during free trial
Money Back Guarantee	14-day money back guarantee	No

9.0

8.1

Blocs offers a one-time payment plan, which may be more cost-effective in the long run, while Strikingly offers monthly and annual subscriptions with discounts.

	Offerings	Offerings
Free	No offering at this amount.	Free ($0/month): Includes Strikingly.com subdomain, unlimited free sites, 5 GB monthly bandwidth, 500 MB total storage per site, simple store with 1 product per site, and 5 pages per site and 24/7 support.
$10-$20	No offering at this amount.	Limited ($12/month): Allows connection to custom domain, includes 2 limited sites, unlimited free sites, 50 GB monthly bandwidth, 1 GB total storage per site, free domain with yearly plans, and allows selling a single product and 5 page per site. Value for price: 6.5
$15-$20	No offering at this amount.	Pro ($20/month): Offers 3 pro sites, unlimited free sites, unlimited bandwidth, 3 GB total storage per site, simple store with 300 products per site and up to 100 pages per site, site membership, custom forms, multiple pages, and removal of Strikingly branding, among other advanced features. Value for price: 8.5
$40-$60	Blocs Plus (+$49.99): An add-on to the Blocs 5 plan, providing additional features such as the ability to build custom WordPress themes without writing code, extract typography, assets, and color schemes from any website, a productivity-boosting image editor, a class styles library manager, and an SEO helper. Value for price: 8.5	VIP ($59/month): Includes all Pro features plus 5 pro sites, 10 GB total storage per site, priority customer service, English phone support, account management, and allows selling unlimited products. Value for Price: 9.0
$90+	Blocs 5 ($99.99): This plan offers a native Mac app with no subscription required. It allows building unlimited websites, works offline, includes animations & scroll FX, powerful interactions, no page limit, font manager, writer mode, auto backup, all V5 updates, and email support. A Blocs license can be used on one Mac and all future Blocs V5 updates come for free. Value for price: 8.0	No offering at this amount.

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

7.2

🏆

Winner: Strikingly

Strikingly offers managed hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, making it the clear winner in this category as Blocs does not offer hosting. However, Strikingly does not disclose detailed information about its data centers, which could be a concern for some users.


Do they offer hosting?	No	Yes, included in all plans
Type of hosting:	No hosting is offered	Managed Hosting
Uptime:	No hosting is offered	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	No hosting is offered	Yes, 99.9%
Data Centers:	No hosting is offered	Not disclosed

5.2

7.9

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

Both Blocs and Strikingly prioritize website performance and page speed, but Strikingly has a more comprehensive approach to speed optimization, giving it the edge in this category.


Focus	WebP Generation	CDN, Code Minification, Caching, Optimized Server Response Time, Image Optimization and Compression, Responsive Design
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	WebP Generation	CDN, Code Minification, Caching, Optimized Server Response Time, Image Optimization and Compression, Responsive Design
Load Times	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity	Varies depending on different factors
Page Speed Scores Range	Not specified	80-90/100 average
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

Strikingly’s approach to enhancing site speed includes a variety of strategies such as using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), code minification, caching, optimized server response time, image optimization and compression, and responsive design. These strategies help to improve the load times and PageSpeed scores of websites built with Strikingly. Although Strikingly does not disclose specific information about its Core Web Vitals improvements, its comprehensive approach to speed optimization suggests a focus on improving these metrics.

On the other hand, Blocs focuses on WebP Generation for speed optimization. The load times and PageSpeed scores of websites built with Blocs can vary depending on the level of optimization and the complexity of the website. Blocs does not disclose any information about its Core Web Vitals improvements.

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6.8

5.1

🏆 Winner: Blocs.

With a score of 6.8, Blocs leads in the plugins and integrations category. It offers a variety of custom-made add-ons and extensions that enhance web design capabilities, facilitating a richer web development experience. Strikingly, scoring 5.1, also offers a wide range of plugins and extensions to enhance the functionality of your website. However, Blocs’ emphasis on ease of use and learning, providing extensive resources, tutorials, and community support, gives it an edge over Strikingly.

Blocs Applications

Blocs extensions

6.9

7.2

🏆

Overall Winner: Strikingly

. Strikingly edges out Blocs with a slightly higher score, offering a more comprehensive suite of marketing tools, including SEO optimization, social media integration, email marketing, and analytics. Blocs, while offering a solid set of features, lacks in the area of ads and promotions.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing	✓ (via Mailchimp integration)
Blogging
Social Media Integration
Analytics and Reporting	✓ (via Google Analytics integration)
Ads and Promotions	✗

5.1

7.2

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

. In the Blocs vs Strikingly comparison, Strikingly takes the lead with its comprehensive 24/7 customer support via email and live chat. Strikingly’s commitment to providing quick and friendly responses ensures that users can get help whenever they need it. Additionally, VIP users benefit from phone support, which adds a layer of direct communication for more complex issues.

Blocs, on the other hand, relies heavily on self-service options such as articles and a community forum. While this can be sufficient for basic queries, it may leave users feeling unsupported when facing more complicated problems that require personalized assistance. This approach results in a less favorable support experience compared to Strikingly.

0.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: Strikingly

. Strikingly has a clear advantage in terms of security. It provides detailed information about its security measures, including two-factor authentication and DDoS protection, ensuring that sites are well-protected against potential threats.

On the other hand, Blocs does not provide any specific information about its security measures, and its security largely depends on the hosting provider chosen by the user. Therefore, Strikingly is the clear winner in terms of security.

5.4

1.6


AI Builder		Strikingly integrates AI-powered features to aid website creation
AI Ecommerce features
AI content generation	Blocs incorporates an innovative AI Assistant for content generation
Additional AI features	Blocs AI Assistant introduces advanced AI capabilities to the design environment

🏆 Winner: Blocs

. Despite not having a dedicated AI builder, Blocs offers an AI Assistant that enhances the user experience by allowing for the generation and editing of content directly within a Blocs project. This feature is accessible through the Main Menu or a keyboard shortcut, offering seamless integration. Furthermore, by leveraging ChatGPT’s capabilities and requiring an OpenAI API key, users can significantly enhance the assistant’s accuracy and functionality.

Blocs AI assistant

Strikingly, with a score of 1.6, lacks a full AI website builder but integrates AI-powered features to aid website creation. This includes a visual editor for direct element editing and layout suggestions, as well as automatic image resizing for optimal display across devices. However, Strikingly does not have proper AI content generation tools or any built-in AI features.

1.4

7.3

🏆 Winner: Strikingly

. Strikingly offers a more comprehensive user management system compared to Blocs.

Blocs allows only one user to build and edit a website.
On a Strikingly website, you can invite up to 10 teammates to edit and manage your site. You can assign different roles to these teammates, such as Admin, Editor, Store Manager, Blogger, and Agent, each with specific levels of access and permissions.

Strikingly User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Admin	Has access similar to the site owner but with specific limitations.	Can edit content, manage store and events, and view analytics, but cannot add/remove teammates.
Editor	Can make changes to the site with some restrictions.	Edits site content but lacks access to store management, settings panel, or analytics.
Store Manager	Primarily focused on e-commerce functionalities of the site.	Manages products, orders, and store settings, with no capabilities to edit non-store content.
Blogger	Specialized in writing and managing blog posts.	Can write and manage blog posts, with optional publishing rights.
Agent	Dedicated to managing audience interactions, primarily through live chat.	Has access to audience data, can respond to live chats, and send individual messages, with no site editing access.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

Blocs

15 reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

Strikingly

39 reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars

Blocs website builder is praised for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible to users with varying levels of web development expertise. Its extensive library of templates and customization options, including the ability to add custom CSS and JavaScript, facilitates the rapid creation of diverse and visually appealing websites. However, users report encountering bugs and express a desire for more sophisticated customization features, indicating room for improvement. Overall, Blocs is valued for significantly streamlining the web design process, supported by a strong community and educational resources, despite its learning curve and occasional technical glitches.

Users appreciate features like the ability to import data from LinkedIn, a variety of attractive templates, and responsive customer service in Strikingly. However, there are some reported issues, such as unexpected subscription renewals and limitations in customization options. Despite these drawbacks, Strikingly is valued for its ability to quickly create professional-looking websites, making it suitable for personal projects, startups, and small businesses. While pricing and customer service options may not appeal to everyone, those seeking an uncomplicated website building experience with diverse design choices may find Strikingly to be a suitable solution for their needs.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for Mac users, Blocs or Strikingly?

Blocs is specifically designed for Mac users, offering a powerful and user-friendly interface that leverages the macOS ecosystem. It’s ideal for those who prefer a visual design approach with minimal coding. Strikingly, while also accessible on Mac, is a web-based platform that caters to a broader audience, including Windows users.

Can I use Blocs or Strikingly for ecommerce?

Both platforms offer ecommerce capabilities, but their approaches differ. Blocs integrates with third-party ecommerce platforms, making it suitable for users looking for a customizable ecommerce site. Strikingly provides an all-in-one solution with built-in ecommerce features, making it easier for beginners to set up and manage their online stores.

How do Blocs and Strikingly compare in terms of ease of use?

Blocs scores higher in ease of use, particularly among Mac users, due to its intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality. Strikingly is also user-friendly, with a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies website creation for individuals and businesses alike, but Blocs offers a more tailored experience for Mac users.

Which platform offers better customer support, Blocs or Strikingly?

Strikingly is known for its superior customer support, offering 24/7 assistance via email and live chat, and phone support for VIP users. Blocs provides support through articles, a community forum, and email, but lacks the direct support options available with Strikingly.

Are there any significant differences in pricing between Blocs and Strikingly?

Blocs offers a one-time payment for its software, which can be more cost-effective in the long run for users committed to the macOS platform. Strikingly operates on a subscription model, offering various plans that cater to different needs, from basic websites to advanced ecommerce solutions.

Which platform is better for SEO and marketing features?

Strikingly edges out Blocs with a slightly higher score in marketing features, offering a comprehensive suite of tools including SEO optimization, social media integration, and analytics. Blocs also offers solid features but lacks in the area of ads and promotions compared to Strikingly.

How do website speed and hosting quality compare between Blocs and Strikingly?

Strikingly offers managed hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and focuses on website speed optimization through various strategies like CDN and image compression. Blocs does not offer hosting, so its website speed and optimization depend on the third-party hosting provider chosen by the user.