Squarespace Review: Is It Actually Worth Your Money?

Squarespace has built its reputation on beautiful templates and an all-in-one approach to website building. But pretty designs only get you so far when you're trying to run a business. Let's cut through the marketing and look at what Squarespace actually delivers.

After digging through the platform's features, pricing structure, and real user experiences, here's what you need to know before signing up.

The Bottom Line Up Front

Squarespace is ideal for small businesses, creatives, bloggers, and portfolios that prioritize aesthetics over complex functionality. It's not the cheapest option, but you're paying for design quality and an all-in-one package that includes hosting, security, and SSL certificates. If you need heavy customization or are scaling a large ecommerce operation, look elsewhere.

Try Squarespace with a 14-day free trial →

Squarespace Pricing Breakdown

Squarespace recently rolled out a new four-tier pricing structure: Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced. Here's what you're actually paying:

The Core plan at $23/month is the sweet spot for most businesses. You eliminate transaction fees entirely, get access to custom CSS/JavaScript, marketing pop-ups, and integrations with tools like Mailchimp and Zapier. The Basic plan locks you out of these essentials.

One thing that's worth noting: you'll save 25-40% by paying annually, and annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year. After that, domain renewals typically run $10-$20 per year depending on the TLD.

For a deeper dive into what each plan includes, check out our Squarespace pricing breakdown or find ways to save with our Squarespace coupon codes.

What Squarespace Does Well

Templates That Actually Look Professional

Squarespace offers around 180 templates, and they genuinely look polished and modern. Unlike Wix's 2,000+ template library that includes plenty of duds, Squarespace prioritizes quality over quantity. Every template is fully responsive for mobile devices.

The Fluid Engine editor lets you drag and drop elements within a grid system. It's not as free-form as Wix's blank canvas approach, but that constraint actually helps maintain design consistency—your site won't end up looking like a ransom note.

All-In-One Package

Everything is bundled: hosting, SSL certificates, CDN, automatic backups, and 24/7 monitoring. You don't need to shop around for hosting or worry about security plugins. Squarespace handles the backend so you can focus on content.

Storage is unlimited for files and images on all plans, though video hosting is capped at 30 minutes on lower tiers.

Strong Blogging Tools

Squarespace is one of the few website builders that can legitimately compete with WordPress for blogging. You get multi-author support, post scheduling, commenting systems, geolocation tags, and even podcast hosting with RSS feeds and iTunes syndication. You can import existing blogs from WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, or Shopify.

Built-In Ecommerce

You can sell unlimited products on any plan—physical goods, digital products, services, memberships, or gift cards. The dashboard for managing products, orders, and discounts is straightforward. Checkout happens on your domain, not a Squarespace URL, which looks more professional.

The ecommerce analytics and Purchase Funnel tool are particularly useful—you can see exactly how customers navigate your site before buying.

Acuity Scheduling Integration

Squarespace's native appointment scheduling app, Acuity Scheduling, is seamlessly integrated. If you're a service-based business that books appointments, this is a major plus. Note that Acuity requires a separate subscription starting at $14/month.

What Squarespace Gets Wrong

Learning Curve and Usability Issues

Squarespace's minimalist interface looks clean but can be frustrating to use. You'll find yourself clicking through multiple menus for simple tasks. The platform prompts you to save changes constantly, which slows down editing. There's also no autosave—if your browser crashes or your laptop dies mid-edit, you're losing work.

Limited Customization

The templates are beautiful but restrictive. If you have a specific design vision that doesn't fit within Squarespace's framework, you'll hit walls. While Core and higher plans allow CSS and JavaScript, the platform still presents limitations for advanced development.

For those who want more design control, Webflow offers more flexibility (though with a steeper learning curve).

Basic Plan Limitations Are Annoying

The $16/month Basic plan sounds affordable until you realize what's missing:

• No custom CSS or JavaScript
• No promotional pop-ups or announcement bars
• No integrations with Mailchimp, Zapier, or OpenTable
• Can't add a Facebook pixel for ad tracking
• 2% transaction fee on all ecommerce sales
• No ecommerce analytics

These aren't power-user features—they're basics that most businesses need. Squarespace essentially forces you into the $23/month Core plan.

Multilingual Sites Are a Pain

Squarespace lacks solid multilingual functionality. You'll need manual translations and workarounds to serve content in multiple languages. Some competitors handle this much more gracefully.

No Phone Support

Squarespace doesn't offer phone support at all. You get email support (24/7, but responses can take up to 28 hours based on testing), live chat on weekdays (Monday-Friday, 4 AM to 8 PM EST), and a community forum. The support team is knowledgeable once you reach them, but don't expect instant help if something breaks on a Sunday.

Squarespace vs. The Competition

Squarespace vs. Wix: Wix offers a free plan and more design freedom with its blank canvas editor. Squarespace has better templates and stronger blogging tools. Price-wise, Squarespace's entry plan is actually slightly cheaper than Wix's comparable options. See our full Squarespace vs Wix comparison.

Squarespace vs. WordPress: WordPress gives you unlimited customization and plugin options but requires more technical know-how. Squarespace is an all-in-one solution where everything just works. For a detailed breakdown, read Squarespace vs WordPress.

Squarespace vs. Shopify: If ecommerce is your primary focus, Shopify offers more robust store features and better scalability. Squarespace is better for content-first businesses that also want to sell. Compare them in our Squarespace vs Shopify guide.

Who Should Use Squarespace

Good fit for:

• Creative professionals (photographers, designers, artists) who need stunning portfolios
• Small businesses that want a professional web presence without hiring a developer
• Bloggers and content creators
• Service-based businesses that need appointment scheduling
• Restaurants, cafes, and local businesses
• Small ecommerce operations with straightforward needs

Not ideal for:

• Large ecommerce operations needing advanced shipping, subscriptions, or inventory management
• Developers who want complete control over code
• Businesses requiring complex integrations or custom functionality
• Users on very tight budgets (no free plan available)
• Multilingual sites targeting multiple countries

Getting Started with Squarespace

Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial with full access to features—no credit card required to start. This gives you enough time to build out a site and test the editor before committing.

If you're new to the platform, check out our Squarespace tutorial for step-by-step guidance.

Start your free Squarespace trial →

Final Verdict

Squarespace delivers on its core promise: beautiful, professional websites without coding. The templates are genuinely excellent, and the all-in-one approach means less hassle managing hosting, security, and updates.

However, you're paying a premium compared to DIY solutions, and the platform's simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility. The Basic plan's limitations are frustrating—most users will realistically need the Core plan at $23/month minimum.

For creatives, small businesses, and bloggers who value aesthetics and simplicity, Squarespace is a solid choice. For complex ecommerce or highly customized sites, look at Shopify or WordPress instead.

Rating: 4 out of 5 — Great for what it does, but know its limits before committing.