Squarespace built its reputation on design. The templates look professional out of the box—no design skills required. The trade-off is less flexibility than WordPress and higher costs than static sites.

Here’s what Squarespace actually delivers and what it costs.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is an all-in-one website platform that handles:

  • Website hosting
  • Domain registration
  • Template-based design
  • Content management
  • E-commerce functionality
  • Email marketing (add-on)
  • Analytics

Everything runs on Squarespace’s infrastructure. No plugins to install, no hosting to configure, no security patches to apply. The platform handles technical complexity in exchange for monthly subscription fees.

Pricing Breakdown

Personal Plan - $16/month (annual)

  • Unlimited pages and bandwidth
  • Free custom domain (1 year)
  • SSL security certificate
  • Basic website analytics
  • Squarespace extensions
  • 2 contributors
  • No e-commerce

Best for: Portfolio sites, simple blogs, personal projects.

Business Plan - $23/month (annual)

  • Everything in Personal
  • E-commerce functionality
  • 7% transaction fee on sales
  • Promotional pop-ups and banners
  • Advanced analytics
  • Professional email from Google (1 year)
  • Unlimited contributors

Best for: Small businesses testing e-commerce, service businesses.

Commerce Basic - $28/month (annual)

  • Everything in Business
  • 0% transaction fee
  • Point of sale integration
  • Customer accounts
  • E-commerce analytics
  • Limited availability labels

Best for: Established online stores with regular sales.

Commerce Advanced - $52/month (annual)

  • Everything in Commerce Basic
  • Abandoned cart recovery
  • Subscription products
  • Advanced shipping rules
  • Commerce APIs
  • Limited availability labels

Best for: Serious e-commerce operations needing automation.

Monthly vs Annual Billing

Annual billing saves roughly 25-30%:

  • Personal: $16/month annual vs $23/month monthly
  • Business: $23/month annual vs $33/month monthly
  • Commerce Basic: $28/month annual vs $36/month monthly
  • Commerce Advanced: $52/month annual vs $65/month monthly

Annual plans require upfront payment for the full year.

Transaction Fees (The Hidden Cost)

This is where Squarespace pricing gets complicated:

  • Personal plan: No e-commerce allowed
  • Business plan: 7% transaction fee + payment processor fees
  • Commerce Basic/Advanced: 0% Squarespace fee, but payment processor fees still apply

Payment processor fees (Stripe/PayPal):

  • ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction

Example calculation (Business plan): $100 sale = $7 (Squarespace) + $3.20 (Stripe) = $10.20 in fees

That 7% Squarespace fee makes Business plan unsuitable for any serious e-commerce. The $5/month upgrade to Commerce Basic pays for itself with just $72/month in sales.

What’s Included

Templates

All 100+ templates are free with any plan. Templates are mobile-responsive and professionally designed. Customization happens through a visual editor—no code required for basic changes.

Hosting & Security

  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Automatic SSL certificates
  • DDoS protection
  • 99.95% uptime SLA
  • CDN for faster loading

No separate hosting bills or security plugins. Infrastructure is Squarespace’s responsibility.

Domain

  • Free domain for first year (annual plans)
  • Common TLDs (.com, .net, .org): $20/year renewal
  • Premium domains available at higher prices

Storage

Unlimited storage for images and files. Video hosting has some limits depending on plan.

What’s Not Included

Email Marketing

Squarespace Email Campaigns is a separate product:

  • Starter: $7/month (500 emails)
  • Core: $14/month (5,000 emails)
  • Pro: $34/month (50,000 emails)
  • Max: $68/month (250,000 emails)

Scheduling

Acuity Scheduling (Squarespace-owned) is separate:

  • Emerging: Free (limited features)
  • Growing: $20/month
  • Powerhouse: $34/month
  • Enterprise: $61/month

Advanced Customization

Custom code changes require developer knowledge. Squarespace supports CSS injection and some JavaScript, but complex functionality hits limits quickly.

Strengths

Design quality: Templates are genuinely beautiful. The design system is cohesive. Sites look professional without hiring a designer.

Simplicity: No plugins to research, no hosting to configure, no security to manage. Everything works together because everything is controlled.

Predictable costs: Monthly fee covers hosting, security, SSL, and basic features. No surprise bills from plugin updates or hosting overages.

Support: 24/7 customer support via email and chat. Extensive documentation and tutorials.

Limitations

Flexibility: You’re limited to what Squarespace offers. Custom functionality requires workarounds or third-party integrations.

Performance: Squarespace sites aren’t as fast as static sites or optimized WordPress installations. The visual editor adds overhead.

Vendor lock-in: Content lives on Squarespace’s platform. Migration to another platform requires rebuilding, not just exporting.

E-commerce features: Advanced e-commerce needs (subscriptions, memberships, complex shipping) may require Commerce Advanced or external tools.

SEO control: Basic SEO is fine, but advanced technical SEO has limitations compared to WordPress or static sites.

Who Should Use Squarespace?

Ideal for:

  • Creative professionals (photographers, designers, artists)
  • Small service businesses (consultants, coaches, agencies)
  • Restaurants and local businesses
  • Portfolio and resume sites
  • Simple e-commerce (under $10K/month revenue)
  • Non-technical users who value design

Not ideal for:

  • High-volume e-commerce (Shopify is better)
  • Content-heavy sites needing custom functionality
  • Developers who want full control
  • Sites requiring specific integrations not available
  • Budget-conscious projects ($16+/month adds up)

Squarespace vs Alternatives

vs WordPress: Squarespace is simpler with predictable costs. WordPress is more flexible with lower potential costs but higher complexity. Choose Squarespace for simplicity; choose WordPress for control.

vs Wix: Similar positioning, similar pricing. Squarespace has better design templates; Wix has more apps and integrations. Squarespace feels more premium; Wix feels more flexible.

vs Shopify: Shopify is purpose-built for e-commerce with superior features. Squarespace is a website builder that does e-commerce. For serious online stores, Shopify wins.

vs Static Sites (Astro, etc.): Static sites are faster and cheaper ($0-20/month hosting). Squarespace is easier for non-technical users. Developers should use static sites; non-developers may prefer Squarespace.

The Bottom Line

Squarespace delivers on its promise: beautiful websites without technical complexity. The templates are genuinely good, the platform is reliable, and the all-in-one approach eliminates decision fatigue.

The pricing is fair for what you get. $16-52/month covers hosting, security, SSL, support, and a professional CMS. Compare that to WordPress’s hidden costs (hosting + themes + plugins + security + maintenance), and Squarespace often costs the same or less.

The limitations are real, though. You’re renting space in Squarespace’s ecosystem. Customization has boundaries. Migration is difficult. E-commerce features lag behind dedicated platforms.

For creative professionals, service businesses, and anyone who values design over customization, Squarespace is a solid choice. Know the limitations before committing, and choose a plan that matches your e-commerce needs to avoid that painful 7% transaction fee.