Understanding Squarespace pricing might be quite challenging at first, almost like trying to figure out a phone bill. The price you see on the banner and the one charged on your card might be very different. If you’ve just started, just sit back and take a deep breath because it’s much simpler than it appears once you have it in black and white.
It offers four Squarespace plans, each one designed with a particular type of project in mind. We will explain the price of each plan, what you get, the hidden charges you should be aware of, and a comparison with website builder pricing.
In the end, you’ll be able to decide which plan is perfect for your site, whether it’s a small portfolio you’re putting together or a shop you’re dreaming of becoming popular.
How Much Does Squarespace Cost In 2026?
First, the big picture. Your real Squarespace cost boils down to two choices: which plan you go for, and whether you pay by the month or by the year. On annual billing, the plans land between $16 and $99 a month, and paying for the whole year upfront is meaningfully cheaper than going month to month.
Prefer to stay flexible and pay monthly? Expect something closer to $25 for Basic and $33 for Core, since monthly billing tends to run about 30% higher. Three things worth tucking away before you decide:
- There’s no free-forever plan, but you do get a 14-day free trial with no card required, so you can build the whole site before paying anything.
- Annual billing saves you a tidy amount, often 25% or more.
- Every annual plan throws in a free custom domain for year one, usually worth around $20.
So the headline prices are only part of the story. What you actually pay depends on your plan, plus a couple of extras we’ll get to in a sec.
The Four Plans, Explained
Heads up: Squarespace reshuffled and renamed everything in late 2025. So if you’ve been searching for that old Squarespace Business plan, don’t panic, it didn’t vanish. It simply got rolled into the newer Core plus tiers. Here’s the current four-plan lineup on annual billing:
- Basic ($16/month): The starting line is a genuinely good one. You get a complete website with unlimited pages, storage, and bandwidth, and yes, you can sell products. It’s ideal for portfolios, blogs, and straightforward business sites. The only real catch is a small fee on each sale, so it’s happiest when selling isn’t your whole reason for being there.
- Core ($23/month): The one that most people should look at first. Core knocks transaction fees down to 0% and tosses in custom code, richer analytics, and third-party integrations. If you’re running a small business or selling on the regular, this is the plan nearly everyone steers beginners toward.
- Plus ($39/month): Made for stores that are starting to take off. Think lower fees on digital products, smarter merchandising and shipping tools, more team members, and beefier ecommerce features. It’s the logical next step once the orders start rolling in.
- Advanced ($99/month): The big one, built for high-volume sellers. It shaves fees down to almost nothing and unlocks subscriptions, advanced shipping rules, and serious commerce tools. Honestly, most beginners won’t touch it for ages, if ever.
What About Selling? Squarespace E-commerce Pricing
If selling is anywhere on your radar, Squarespace E-commerce Pricing is worth a closer look, because two different fees can show up.
- The first is the payment processor’s cut (think Stripe or PayPal), usually around 3% plus a few cents per sale, and that one applies no matter which plan you’re on.
- The second is Squarespace’s own transaction fee, which only hits the Basic plan at roughly 2%. Move up to Core, Plus, or Advanced, and that fee disappears entirely.
The practical upshot? If you’re selling more than the odd item here and there, jumping from Basic to Core usually pays for itself by killing that 2% fee. Picture $1,000 in monthly sales: Basic’s 2% would quietly cost you about $20 a month, which already beats the price gap to Core. At that point, upgrading is pretty much a no-brainer.
Keep An Eye On These Extra Costs
The plan fee isn’t always the full picture. A handful of optional add-ons can nudge your total upward:
- Domain renewal: Free the first year, then around $20 a year after that.
- Acuity Scheduling: A separate subscription if you take bookings or appointments.
- Email Campaigns: Squarespace’s email marketing tool is billed on its own.
- Professional email: Google Workspace is an add-on once any trial period wraps up.
None of these are mandatory, and Squarespace is pretty upfront about each one. Just pencil in the ones you’ll genuinely use, and your monthly statement won’t catch you off guard. A quick tally before you commit keeps your budget honest from day one.
Which Squarespace Plan Should You Choose?
Want the shortcut? Just match the plan to what you’re actually trying to do:
- Building a portfolio, blog, or simple site? Basic is plenty.
- Running a small business or selling regularly? Core is the sweet spot, and where most beginners should land.
- Growing a real online store? Plus hands you lower fees and the tools to scale.
- Doing serious sales volume? Advanced is made for that chapter.
When you’re not sure, just start with Core. It ditches transaction fees, covers what most small sites need, and you can slide up or down later without losing a thing. Even better, take the free trial for a spin first so the editor feels familiar before any money changes hands. Most folks find that one plan carries them a long way, so there’s really no need to agonize over the choice. Pick the closest match, and you can fine-tune from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans. Nope, but every plan includes a 14-day free trial, and you won’t need a credit card to start poking around.
Ans. Basic, at $16 a month on annual billing. Great for simple sites that aren’t built around selling.
Ans. Annual wins on price almost every time, often by 25% or more, and it tosses in a free domain for your first year.
Ans. Absolutely. Upgrade or downgrade whenever you like, and your site and content come right along with you.
Ans. For most beginners, yes. One fee bundles hosting, security, polished templates, and support, and stitching all of that together yourself usually costs more in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Squarespace pricing can look busy at first glance, but it really comes down to a single honest question: how much do you plan to sell? For simple sites, Basic gets the job done without stretching your wallet. For most small businesses, Core is the happy middle, with zero transaction fees and loads of room to grow. So start the free trial, grab the plan that fits where you are today, and only level up when your site genuinely outgrows it. Easy as that.
Leave feedback about this