Squarespace: What It Is, What It Really Costs, and Who It Suits
Just skip the Basic plan.
The short answer
Squarespace is a hosted website builder with an online store built into every plan. Plans cost $19–$99 a month billed yearly, plus card fees of about 2.9% + 30¢ per sale. Most stores should start on Core ($29), because Basic adds a 2% fee on every sale.
It suits small, design-led stores and creators selling products, courses or memberships. If you have a large catalogue or need lots of apps, Shopify is the stronger store platform.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Type | Hosted website builder with built-in store |
| Plans | Basic $19, Core $29, Plus $49, Advanced $99 a month billed yearly |
| UK plans | £12, £17, £29, £79 a month billed yearly |
| Squarespace fee | 2% on Basic; 0% on products from Core up |
| Card fees (US) | 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic and Core, down to 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced |
| Free trial | 14 days (you can’t take payments during it) |
| Best for | Design-led small stores, creators, service businesses |
| Skip it if | You have a big catalogue or need a large app library |
What Squarespace is
Squarespace is a website builder first and a store second. You pay a monthly fee and it handles hosting, security, templates, checkout and payments. You edit everything from a browser.
Its templates are the main reason people choose it. They are clean, image-led and look professional with little effort. That makes Squarespace popular with photographers, artists, designers, small fashion labels and service businesses that also sell online.
Squarespace plans and prices in 2026
| Plan | US yearly | US monthly | UK yearly | UK monthly | Fee on products | Fee on digital |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 | $25 | £12 | £16 | 2% | 7% |
| Core | $29 | $39 | £17 | £24 | 0% | 5% |
| Plus | $49 | $65 | £29 | £36 | 0% | 1% |
| Advanced | $99 | $139 | £79 | £89 | 0% | 0% |
Billing yearly saves 24–29%. Yearly plans include a free custom domain for the first year only; after that, domains cost about $12–$70 a year depending on the ending. Email campaigns and appointment scheduling are separate paid add-ons.
The Basic plan trap
Basic looks like the cheapest way in, but its 2% fee on every sale quickly wipes out the $10 saving.
Squarespace Payments and card fees
Squarespace Payments takes cards, Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay and ACH bank payments from one dashboard. You can also connect Stripe or PayPal. The Squarespace fee above is charged on top of whichever you use.
| Squarespace Payments | Basic | Core | Plus | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US standard card | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ |
| US premium card (e.g. Amex) | 3.2% + 30¢ | 3.2% + 30¢ | 3.2% + 30¢ | 3.2% + 30¢ |
| US ACH bank payment | 1.5% | 1% | 1% | 1%, max $10 |
| International card | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% |
| UK card | 2% + 25p | Check at signup | 1.7% + 25p | 1.5% + 25p |
Which plan should you pick? Products vs digital
The answer depends on what you sell. Product sellers and digital sellers hit their upgrade points at very different sales levels.
What a Squarespace store really costs
Here are two worked examples using US rates and yearly billing, with card fees on Squarespace Payments.
How setting up a Squarespace store works
- Start the 14-day trial and pick a store template.
- Choose a paid plan before launch. You can’t take real payments during the trial.
- Add products one by one, or in bulk with a CSV import.
- Set shipping and tax rules.
- Connect payments: Squarespace Payments, Stripe or PayPal.
- Connect your domain, free for the first year on a yearly plan.
- Place a test order, then publish.
A small store can be live in a day or two. Most of the time goes on photos and product descriptions, not setup.
Selling in person
Squarespace’s app pairs with a card reader so you can take payments at markets and pop-ups, with sales updating the same stock as your website. It is currently for US sellers and is built for occasional events, not a busy shop counter.
Squarespace’s limits that most reviews skip
- About 50 official extensions. Shopify has about 17,900 apps. If you need a niche feature, it may not exist.
- Manual product management. There are no strong bulk-editing tools, which hurts once you have hundreds of products.
- No payments during the trial. You must pick a plan before taking a real order.
- The free domain lasts one year. Renewal is at full price.
- Limited refunds on yearly plans. A full refund is only available if you cancel within 14 days.
- In-person selling is US-only and basic.
Squarespace vs Shopify vs BigCommerce
| Squarespace | Shopify | BigCommerce | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | Design and templates | Store features and apps | Built-in features and B2B |
| Store plan from | $29 a month on Core, billed yearly | $29 a month on Basic, billed yearly | $29 a month on Core, billed yearly |
| Extra fee on product sales | 2% on Basic only | 0.6–2% outside Shopify Payments | 0.6–2% outside 21 embedded providers |
| Apps and extensions | About 50 | About 17,900 | About 1,300 |
| Best for | Small, design-led stores and creators | Growing product stores | B2B and multi-channel sellers |
Is Squarespace worth it?
For a small store or creator where design matters, yes, on Core or higher. Skip Basic once you sell more than $500 a month, and move to Plus early if you sell courses or memberships.
Still comparing? See our best ecommerce platforms for small business or compare WooCommerce and Wix.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Squarespace cost per month?
$19–$99 a month billed yearly in the US ($25–$139 monthly), or £12–£79 in the UK. Card fees and, on Basic, a 2% Squarespace fee come on top.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Only on Basic for physical products (2%). Digital products, courses and memberships carry 7% on Basic, 5% on Core, 1% on Plus and 0% on Advanced. Card processing fees apply on every plan.
Which Squarespace plan is best for selling?
Core for most product sellers. Plus if you sell courses, memberships or digital products worth more than about $480 a month.
Is there a free Squarespace plan?
No. There is a 14-day free trial, but you can’t take payments until you choose a paid plan.
Is Squarespace or Shopify better for an online store?
Shopify is better for growing stores with many products or specific app needs. Squarespace is better for small, design-led stores, and on Core it costs about the same each month.
Does Squarespace work in the UK?
Yes. Plans cost £12–£79 a month billed yearly, and Squarespace Payments works in the UK, with card rates from about 1.5% + 25p on Advanced.