Squarespace Free Plan: What You Actually Get Before Paying
Squarespace has no free plan, only a 14-day trial with no credit card. Here is what the trial includes, what each paid plan costs, and when to walk away.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-12T04:23:26+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-12T04:23:26+00:00
Squarespace Free Plan: What You Actually Get Before Paying
There is no Squarespace free plan. Squarespace says so on its own pricing page: it does not offer a free plan, but every site starts with a free trial. The trial lasts 14 days and needs no credit card. When it ends, you pay or lose access to the site. This guide explains what the trial includes, what each paid plan costs, and what to do if you need a genuinely free website. All prices are the US prices from Squarespace's own pricing page, checked in November 2026.
Squarespace free plan: the short answer
Squarespace has no free tier. The only free access is the 14-day trial. You can build the whole site during the trial. The site stays private until you pick a paid plan. You can extend the trial once by seven days. The extension is offered by email after the trial expires. After that, there is no free option. Older guides quote lower prices. Squarespace raised prices in July 2026. Guides quoting Basic at $16 or $12 a month are out of date. The current annual prices are $19, $29, $49, and $99 a month. Check the date on anything you read about Squarespace pricing.
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing (per month) | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $25 | $19 | 2 contributors, 2% store fee, 7% digital content fee, 30 minutes of video |
| Core | $39 | $29 | Unlimited contributors, no store fee, 5% digital content fee, 5 hours of video |
| Plus | $65 | $49 | 1% digital content fee, 50 hours of video, reserved cart and countdown timer |
| Advanced | $139 | $99 | 0% digital content fee, unlimited video, high-traffic checkout |
What the 14-day trial includes
The trial gives you the full builder. You can pick any template. You can use the drag-and-drop editor. You can add pages, a blog, and a store. You can test the built-in SEO tools and the mobile optimization. You can try the AI tools, with 10 one-time AI credits on the trial. You do not enter a credit card to start. Squarespace's help center confirms both the 14-day length and the no-card start. The trial is per site, not per account. You can start a new trial on a new site. That is not a free plan. It is a way to test the product. Your site cannot go live until you pay.
What each paid plan costs
Basic costs $25 a month on monthly billing or $19 a month on annual billing. The annual total is $228. It covers a personal or business website with the essentials. It allows 2 contributors. It charges a 2% fee on online store sales and 7% on digital content and memberships. Card rates start at 2.9% plus $0.30. Video hosting is capped at 30 minutes. Core costs $39 a month monthly or $29 a month annually. The annual total is $348. It adds unlimited contributors, no store transaction fee, and a free year of Google Workspace email. It allows 5 hours of video. It adds advanced discount and lead capture tools. Plus costs $65 a month monthly or $49 a month annually. The annual total is $588. It cuts the digital content fee to 1%. It allows 50 hours of video. It adds a reserved cart and countdown timer. Advanced costs $139 a month monthly or $99 a month annually. The annual total is $1,188. It removes the digital content fee entirely. Video is unlimited. It adds high-traffic checkout. All annual plans include one year of free domain registration. All plans include secure hosting, unlimited bandwidth, and SSL security.
What the trial does not give you
The trial does not give you a published site. Your site stays private. It does not give you a free domain. The free domain comes only with an annual paid plan. It does not give you a free plan to fall back on. When the trial ends, the site is locked until you subscribe. It does not give you unlimited time. Fourteen days plus one seven-day extension is the limit. It does not give you a refund path for time spent. Squarespace refunds annual plans cancelled within 14 days of purchase. That is a separate rule from the trial. Plan your build before you start the clock. Pick a template, write your copy, and prepare your images first. Then start the trial and build fast.
How to get the most from the trial
Follow these steps to use the 14 days well. First, list every page your site needs. Second, gather your text, logo, and photos before day one. Third, start the trial and pick a template close to your final design. Fourth, build the core pages in the first week. Fifth, test the store or booking features in the second week. Sixth, ask a friend to review the site on a phone. Seventh, decide on a plan before day 14. If you need more time, take the seven-day extension when Squarespace emails you. If you are a student, check Squarespace's student program for a discount. If the price is too high, do not start the trial until you are ready to pay. A half-built expired site helps no one.
Bottom line
The Squarespace free plan does not exist. What exists is a 14-day free trial with no credit card, plus one seven-day extension. After that, the cheapest way in is Basic at $19 a month on annual billing, or $25 a month if you pay monthly. Basic suits a simple site with occasional sales. Core at $29 a month on annual billing suits most small businesses and small stores. If you need a site that stays free forever, Squarespace is the wrong tool. Use the trial to decide whether the design quality is worth the price. If it is, pay. If it is not, pick a builder that publishes a real free plan.