Squarespace for Small Business: Is It Actually Worth It?

You're running a small business and need a website. Squarespace keeps showing up in your research with those beautiful templates and celebrity endorsements. But is it actually good for small businesses, or just pretty marketing?

Short answer: Squarespace works great for most small businesses that need a professional-looking site without hiring a developer. It's particularly strong for service businesses, creatives, restaurants, and small e-commerce operations. But it's not perfect—there are real limitations you should know about before committing.

Let's break down exactly what you get, what you don't, and whether it's the right fit for your business.

Squarespace Pricing for Small Businesses

Squarespace recently rolled out new pricing plans. Here's what you're looking at (prices are for annual billing—monthly is significantly higher):

For detailed pricing breakdown and potential savings, check out our Squarespace pricing guide and total cost analysis.

The Core plan at $23/month is what Squarespace recommends for small businesses, and honestly, they're right. You get zero transaction fees on commerce, custom code injection, premium integrations (Zapier, Mailchimp, etc.), pop-ups, and 5 hours of hosted video. The Basic plan lacks code customization and key integrations—a dealbreaker if you need tracking pixels or marketing automation.

Hidden costs to watch for:

Looking for discounts? See our Squarespace coupon codes and current discount offers.

What Squarespace Does Well for Small Businesses

Beautiful Templates Without a Designer

This is Squarespace's bread and butter. The templates are genuinely good-looking—clean, modern, and professional. Around 190 templates to choose from, and they all look like something a design agency would charge thousands for.

The Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor lets you customize layouts without code. You can adjust fonts, colors, spacing, and rearrange sections. For most small business owners who just need their site to look professional, this is plenty.

All-In-One Platform

Everything lives in one place: hosting, security (SSL certificates included), domains, e-commerce, blogging, email marketing, and analytics. Squarespace handles all the backend technical stuff—updates, security patches, server maintenance. You don't need to worry about plugin conflicts or WordPress vulnerabilities.

This is huge for small business owners who don't have time to manage a complex tech stack. Your site just works.

E-Commerce That Actually Works

Squarespace can handle selling physical products, digital downloads, services, courses, and memberships. You get inventory management, product variants, checkout on your own domain, and customer accounts.

On the Core plan and above, there are no Squarespace transaction fees on physical product sales. You still pay payment processor fees (Stripe/PayPal), but that's unavoidable with any platform.

For small shops selling under 100-200 products, Squarespace's commerce features are solid. Considering an alternative? Compare our analysis of Squarespace vs Shopify to see which platform fits your e-commerce needs better.

Built-In Marketing Tools

You get SEO basics handled automatically: clean URLs, customizable meta titles and descriptions, automatic sitemaps, and Google Search Console integration. The built-in analytics are decent for tracking basic metrics.

On Core plans and above, you can add pop-ups, announcement bars, and connect to email marketing tools. Squarespace Email Campaigns is available as an add-on if you want everything in one place.

Scheduling and Booking

Through Acuity Scheduling (which Squarespace owns), you can let clients book appointments directly from your site. Great for consultants, coaches, salons, and service businesses. It's a separate subscription, but the integration is seamless.

Where Squarespace Falls Short

Let's be honest about the limitations—some of these might be dealbreakers depending on your business.

Limited Customization

Those beautiful templates? You're somewhat locked into their structure. You can change colors, fonts, and move things around, but deep customization requires CSS code injection (only available on Core plan and above). And even then, Squarespace won't help you troubleshoot custom code—you're on your own.

If you have a very specific design vision that doesn't fit Squarespace's template structures, you'll be frustrated. WordPress or Webflow offer more flexibility for custom designs.

No Multi-Currency Support

If you're selling internationally and want to display prices in local currencies, Squarespace can't do that. Shopify and BigCommerce handle this much better. For local businesses or US-only sales, this doesn't matter. For global e-commerce? It's a problem.

Limited Payment Processors

You're basically stuck with Stripe, PayPal, Square, or Squarespace Payments. No Apple Pay on all plans, no Amazon Pay, limited options compared to other platforms. For most small businesses this is fine, but it can be limiting.

No Phone Support

Squarespace offers email and live chat support—no phone calls. If something breaks during a big sale and you need help immediately, you're waiting for chat or email. Support quality is generally good, but response times vary.

Basic Plan Limitations

The $16/month Basic plan sounds affordable, but it's missing critical features: no custom CSS/JavaScript, no premium integrations, no pop-ups or announcement bars, and a 2% transaction fee on sales. Most small businesses actually need the Core plan.

SEO Limitations

Squarespace covers SEO basics well, but advanced SEO tactics are harder to implement. You can't access certain technical settings that hardcore SEO folks want. Page speed can also vary depending on your template and content—something you have limited control over.

For comparison, see how Squarespace stacks up in our Squarespace vs WordPress and Squarespace vs Wix comparisons.

Third-Party Integration Limits

The extension marketplace exists, but it's nowhere near as robust as WordPress plugins or Shopify apps. If you need very specific functionality that isn't built-in, you might hit a wall.

Best Types of Small Businesses for Squarespace

Squarespace works great for:

Squarespace probably isn't right for:

For more website builder options, check our best website builders for small business guide.

Getting Started with Squarespace

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial—no credit card required. You can build your entire site before paying anything, which is nice for testing whether the platform works for you.

The setup process is straightforward: pick a template, customize it with your content, connect your domain (or buy one through Squarespace), and publish. Most simple sites can be done in a few hours if you have your content ready.

For step-by-step guidance, check out our Squarespace tutorial.

Try Squarespace free for 14 days →

The Bottom Line

Squarespace is a solid choice for small businesses that want a professional website without the technical headaches. The templates look great, everything is managed for you, and the Core plan at $23/month offers genuine value for service businesses and small shops.

But go in with realistic expectations. It's not infinitely customizable. The e-commerce features won't compete with Shopify for serious online stores. And you're paying monthly forever—there's no one-time purchase option.

For most small business owners who need a website that looks professional, works reliably, and doesn't require constant maintenance? Squarespace delivers. Just make sure your needs actually fit within what the platform offers before you commit.

Start your free Squarespace trial →

Want to explore alternatives? Check out our Squarespace alternatives guide or read detailed Squarespace reviews from real users.