Squarespace
Template-based website builder with an online store and invoicing
Squarespace report card
Good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for polished template sites with a shop built in
Squarespace is the one for people who want a site that looks designed without designing it, with a shop, invoices and memberships already in the box. Basic is $19 a month on yearly billing and takes 2% of store sales. There's no free plan, though, just a 14-day trial.
Who Squarespace is for
- Great if you want a good-looking site from a template and don't want to fiddle with layouts
- Handy when you invoice clients and sell a few things from the same site
- Good for photographers, designers and other creatives showing off their work
Who Squarespace is not for
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there's only a 14-day trial
- Pricey if you sell a lot on Basic, since 2% of every store sale goes to Squarespace
- Tight if more than 2 people edit the site, because Basic allows only 2 contributors
Why Squarespace gets a 2.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyBasic is $19 a month for one site on yearly billing ($25 monthly), and it's the plan a small business would buy, since the store comes with it. That's the ordinary middle of this category ($9 to $22). Core at $29 drops the 2% store fee.
- CFree plan and trialNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial with no card needed, which is long enough to build the thing and see if you like it, but after that every site needs a paid plan.
- BFeaturesTemplates, a drag-and-drop editor, a store on every plan, invoicing, memberships, forms, newsletters and SEO tools. That's the whole job of a small business site. Custom code and pop-ups wait for Core, but nothing core is missing.
- BEase of use4.6 from about 18,800 App Store ratings for its phone app. Templates do most of the design work, so you're mostly swapping in your own words and photos.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android, with Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal and Printful, plus commerce APIs on Core and up. There's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Squarespace's own pages on 17 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/squarespace#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/squarespace.svg" alt="Squarespace: 2.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Squarespace stands among website and landing page builders
Squarespace's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 30 other website and landing page builders we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 27 of 30) and worst on value for money (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 18 of the 29 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 31 website and landing page builders we grade, cut by the letter each got. Squarespace’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 30, level with 18
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 30, level with 23
- BFeaturesAbove 18 of 30, level with 10
- BEase of useAbove 27 of 30, level with 3
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 8 of 30, level with 21
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 30 website and landing page builders. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Squarespace, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Squarespace you could make: templates, forms and invoicing. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 30 other website and landing page builders we grade. It costs $228 a year.
What you could make
- Templates, forms and invoicing: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Google Workspace, Mailchimp and Zapier among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Squarespace’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a hosted website builder that starts from designer templates and adds an online store, invoicing, paid memberships and promotional tools. Every plan includes hosting, SSL and unlimited bandwidth, and paying a year at a time adds a free domain for the first year. Higher plans lower the fees on sales and unlock custom code, shipping labels and commerce APIs.
Squarespace is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19 per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). See every plan
Good for
- Creatives and small businesses who want a polished site from a template
- Service businesses that also invoice clients and take payments
- Small shops that want the store and the website in one subscription
Worth knowing
- There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial every site needs a paid plan.
- Basic takes a 2% fee on online store sales and allows only 2 contributors; Core removes both limits.
- Custom JavaScript, code injection, pop-ups and shipping labels all need Core or higher.
- The free domain covers the first year of an annual plan only and then renews at Squarespace's standard rate.
Key features
- Templates and drag-and-drop editing
- Sites start from a designer template and are laid out in the Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor. Every site is adjusted for phones automatically.
- AI site builder and AI credits
- Blueprint builds a starting site from a few answers, and built-in AI writes content. Credits run from 10 one-time on Basic to 120 a month on Advanced.
- Online store on every plan
- Sell unlimited physical products, services, digital goods, gift cards and subscriptions, with abandoned-cart emails on all plans. Basic adds a 2% fee on store sales.
- Invoicing, memberships and paid content
- Branded invoices and pay links are free on every plan. Courses, memberships and paywalled content carry a fee of 7% on Basic, falling to 0% on Advanced.
- Hosting, SSL and unlimited bandwidth
- Managed hosting, free SSL certificates and uncapped bandwidth and storage come with every plan. Video hosting runs from 30 minutes on Basic to unlimited on Advanced.
- Forms, newsletters and SEO tools
- Form and newsletter blocks feed a contacts panel, and SEO guidance and keyword reports come built in. Pop-ups and the announcement bar need Core or higher.
Squarespace pricing
- Starts at
- $19 per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) | A full website and store with up to 2 contributors, 30 minutes of video, a 2% fee on online sales and 7% on paid memberships. |
| Core | $29per site / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly) | Unlimited contributors, no fee on store sales, custom CSS and JavaScript, shipping labels, commerce APIs and 20 AI credits a month. |
| Plus | $49per site / month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly) | Lower card rates (2.7% + $0.30), a 1% fee on paid memberships, 50 hours of video and 40 AI credits a month. |
| Advanced | $99per site / month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly) | The lowest card rates (2.5% + $0.30), no fee on memberships, unlimited video and 120 AI credits a month. |
Read from squarespace.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Squarespace before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountPay yearly to save about 24% to 29%
Basic costs $19 a month billed yearly against $25 billed monthly, and Advanced $99 against $139. Squarespace's page advertises savings of up to 36%.
Stated on squarespace.com - Other savingsFree domain for a year with an annual plan
Annual website plans include one year of free registration for one domain on Squarespace's cheapest pricing tier; it then renews at the standard rate.
Stated on squarespace.com - EducationStudents get 50% off the first year
Students who verify their status through Student Beans get 50% off their first full year on a new annual website plan.
Stated on squarespace.com
How people rate the Squarespace app
4.6
out of 5 for the iPhone and iPad app
18,849 ratings on the App Store in the United States, read Oct 17, 2026. It rates the app, not everything the product does. See the listing
Works with
- Google Workspace
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
- Stripe
- PayPal
- Printful
- OpenTable
- Google Merchant Center
Squarespace alternatives
- Squarespace vs Wix
Free plan · from $17/mo
- Squarespace vs WordPress.com
Free plan · from $4/mo
- Squarespace vs Webflow
Free plan · from $15/mo
- Squarespace vs Framer
Free plan · from $10/mo
Common questions
Is Squarespace free?
No, Squarespace is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Squarespace lists 4 plans. Basic: $19 per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). Core: $29 per site / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly). Plus: $49 per site / month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly). Advanced: $99 per site / month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly). Prices were read from squarespace.com on Oct 17, 2026.
What platforms does Squarespace work on?
Squarespace is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Squarespace offer any discounts?
Squarespace publicly lists the following: Pay yearly to save about 24% to 29%; Free domain for a year with an annual plan; Students get 50% off the first year.
How is Squarespace rated?
Squarespace's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.6 out of 5 from 18,849 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 17, 2026. That is the store's rating of the app, not a score from us.
Does Squarespace have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Squarespace is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Squarespace have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Squarespace is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Squarespace open source?
Squarespace is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Squarespace have an API?
Yes. Squarespace offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Squarespace integrate with?
Squarespace's listing names Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Printful, OpenTable and Google Merchant Center. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Squarespace have a student discount?
Students get 50% off the first year. Students who verify their status through Student Beans get 50% off their first full year on a new annual website plan.
Who makes Squarespace?
Squarespace is made by Squarespace, Inc. It dates from 2003.
What are the alternatives to Squarespace?
The closest alternatives to Squarespace in our directory are Wix, WordPress.com, Webflow, GoDaddy Website Builder and Framer. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Squarespace.
How does Squarespace compare with other website and landing page builders?
Squarespace's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 30 other website and landing page builders we grade, and level with 3. It stands best on ease of use (B, above 27 of 30) and worst on value for money (C, above 2).
Is Squarespace good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Squarespace C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $14 for the category: 18 of the 29 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Could I make my own version of Squarespace?
The plain part of Squarespace you could make: templates, forms and invoicing. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.6 is higher than 25 of the 30 other website and landing page builders we grade. It costs $228 a year. What you could not make: A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. It plugs into other products, Google Workspace, Mailchimp and Zapier among them, and has an API. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026. What people say is linked where it appears.