Squarespace vs Shopify: Features, Pricing and Verdict
Squarespace vs Shopify compared on price, design, and selling tools. Squarespace starts at $19; Shopify Basic at $29. See which platform fits your store.
By Galactic News Editorial · Published 2026-11-08T19:33:49+00:00 · Updated 2026-11-08T19:33:49+00:00
Squarespace vs Shopify: Features, Pricing and Verdict
Squarespace vs Shopify is a choice between a website builder that sells and a selling platform that builds websites. Squarespace starts with design. Its templates, editor, and blogging tools suit content-led sites that also sell. Shopify starts with commerce. Its checkout, app store, and sales tools suit stores that plan to grow. This comparison of Squarespace vs Shopify uses current vendor pricing to show what each platform costs, what each one does best, and which one fits your site.
Squarespace vs Shopify at a Glance
The two platforms in this Squarespace vs Shopify comparison serve different buyers. Squarespace suits a portfolio, a blog, or a small shop where design leads. Shopify suits a store where sales volume, product range, and integrations lead. The table below sums up the main differences in the Squarespace vs Shopify choice.
| Feature | Squarespace | Shopify |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card, no free plan | 3 days, then $1 a month for 3 months |
| Entry plan | Basic, $19 a month billed annually ($25 monthly) | Basic, $29 a month billed annually ($39 monthly) |
| Mid plan | Core, $29 a month billed annually ($39 monthly) | Grow, $79 a month billed annually ($105 monthly) |
| Higher plan | Plus, $49 a month billed annually ($65 monthly) | Advanced, $299 a month billed annually ($399 monthly) |
| Top plan | Advanced, $99 a month billed annually ($139 monthly) | Plus, from $2,300 a month on a 3-year term |
| Online store fee | 2% on Basic, 0% on Core and above | No platform fee on sales with Shopify Payments |
| Card rate | 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core, 2.7% on Plus, 2.5% on Advanced | 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic, 2.7% on Grow, 2.5% on Advanced |
| Extra fee, other gateways | Not listed as a separate fee | 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced |
| Staff accounts | 2 contributors on Basic, unlimited on Core and above | Owner only on Basic, up to 5 on Grow, up to 15 on Advanced |
| Best for | Design-led sites and small shops | Stores that plan to scale sales |
Squarespace vs Shopify Pricing
Squarespace renamed its plans. The old Personal, Business, and Commerce names are gone. The current plans are Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced. Basic costs $19 a month billed annually, or $25 month to month. It covers up to two contributors, a free custom domain for the first year on annual billing, built-in AI tools, and unlimited products. It charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales and a 7% fee on digital content and memberships. Core costs $29 a month billed annually, or $39 month to month. It adds unlimited contributors, advanced analytics, custom CSS and JavaScript, a free Google Workspace account for the first year, professional shipping and tax tools, and a 0% online store transaction fee. Plus costs $49 a month billed annually, or $65 month to month. It lowers the card rate to 2.7% plus $0.30 and the digital content fee to 1%. Advanced costs $99 a month billed annually, or $139 month to month. It lowers the card rate to 2.5% plus $0.30 and the digital content fee to 0%. Every Squarespace site starts with a 14-day free trial, and there is no free plan.
Shopify lists three standard plans plus Plus. Basic costs $29 a month billed annually, or $39 month to month. Grow costs $79 a month billed annually, or $105 month to month. Advanced costs $299 a month billed annually, or $399 month to month. Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a three-year term, or $2,500 a month on a one-year term. Shopify offers a 3-day free trial, then $1 a month for the first three months. Card rates with Shopify Payments are 2.9% plus $0.30 on Basic, 2.7% plus $0.30 on Grow, and 2.5% plus $0.30 on Advanced. Using another payment provider adds 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced.
The price gap in this Squarespace vs Shopify comparison is real at the entry level. Squarespace Basic at $19 a month on annual billing costs $10 a month less than Shopify Basic at $29. Over a year, that is $120. The gap flips as a store grows. Squarespace Advanced at $99 a month is far cheaper than Shopify Advanced at $299, but the two plans are not the same product. Shopify Advanced adds custom reports, lower card rates at volume, and up to 15 staff accounts. Squarespace Advanced adds lower processing fees and advanced commerce tools for a smaller operation. A store weighing Squarespace vs Shopify should compare the plan it will need in a year, not only the plan it needs today. Squarespace vs Shopify prices change often, so confirm the current figures on each vendor pricing page before you buy.
Design and Ease of Use in Squarespace vs Shopify
In the Squarespace vs Shopify design test, Squarespace wins on design out of the box. Its templates are polished, and the editor keeps the site looking good with little effort. A photographer, a writer, or a restaurant can publish a strong site in a weekend. Blogging, portfolios, and image galleries are first-class features, not add-ons. The trade-off is control. Squarespace offers fewer apps and less room to reshape the checkout or the product page. Teams that need a custom storefront will hit the edge of the editor sooner.
Shopify wins on selling depth in this Squarespace vs Shopify match-up. Its theme store covers many store layouts, and its app store adds tools for reviews, subscriptions, loyalty, and wholesale. The checkout is tested at large scale, and the admin covers inventory, discounts, gift cards, and multi-channel sales. The trade-off is design effort. A Shopify store needs more setup to look as polished as a Squarespace site. Themes cost extra, and the best ones are paid. A store that sells a few products through a beautiful site may find Shopify more tool than it needs.
Selling Tools: Where Squarespace vs Shopify Differ
Shopify handles scale better in the Squarespace vs Shopify selling test. It supports unlimited products on every plan, and its reporting, staff accounts, and integrations grow with the store. Grow adds up to five staff accounts and better reporting. Advanced adds custom reports and the lowest card rates below Plus. Plus adds checkout control, business-to-business catalogs, higher API limits, and priority support. Stores that sell across channels, in many markets, or in high volume will use these tools.
Squarespace handles simple selling well in this Squarespace vs Shopify comparison. Every plan now supports selling products, and Core removes the transaction fee. It covers invoices for free, shipping labels, real-time carrier rates, and automated tax calculation. Its sales funnel analytics and API integrations arrive on Core. The gap appears at volume. Squarespace has no equivalent of Shopify Plus, and its app ecosystem is smaller. A store that outgrows Squarespace faces a platform move, which costs time and risks search rankings.
Payment costs deserve a close look in any Squarespace vs Shopify decision. Both platforms in this Squarespace vs Shopify price check charge similar card rates at each tier. The difference is the extra fee for other gateways. Shopify adds 2% on Basic if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. Squarespace charges no such extra fee, but its Basic plan takes 2% on every online sale. A store on Squarespace Basic that sells $2,000 a month pays $40 in platform fees. The same store on Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments pays no platform fee beyond the card rate. Switching to Core removes the Squarespace fee, so the fee alone can justify the upgrade once monthly sales pass about $500.
Which Site Should Pick Which Platform
In a Squarespace vs Shopify decision, pick Squarespace if your site leads with content and sells on the side. Pick it if design matters more than selling depth, and if your product range is small. Pick it if you want one subscription that covers hosting, templates, and a domain for the first year. Pick it if your monthly sales are modest and the $19 Basic plan covers your needs.
In a Squarespace vs Shopify decision, pick Shopify if selling is the core of the business. Pick it if you expect sales to grow fast, need many staff accounts, or sell across channels. Pick it if you need apps for subscriptions, wholesale, or advanced reporting. Pick it if you want the option to move up to Plus without changing platforms. A store that starts on Shopify Basic and grows into Grow and Advanced keeps its data, its theme, and its apps.
Try both before you commit to a Squarespace vs Shopify pick. Squarespace gives 14 days free. Shopify gives three days, then $1 a month for three months. Load the same products into each, build the same homepage, and run a test order. Check the checkout on a phone, the email a buyer receives, and the report you need at month end. The platform that handles those steps with the least friction is the right pick, whatever the price table says.
Bottom Line: The Verdict on Squarespace vs Shopify
Shopify wins this Squarespace vs Shopify comparison for sellers. Its commerce tools, app store, and upgrade path from Basic to Plus cover a store from launch to large scale. Its checkout and reporting are built for volume. Squarespace wins for design-led sites and small shops. Its templates, editor, and $19 entry plan give a beautiful site for less money, and Core at $29 removes the transaction fee. If you sell first and design second, choose Shopify. If you design first and sell second, choose Squarespace.