Understanding Squarespace Pricing
Squarespace keeps its pricing straightforward, with four main plans covering everything from personal sites to full online stores. Here's what you need to know about costs and which plan makes sense for your project.
TL;DR:
- Personal plan starts at £10/month (billed annually) for basic websites
- Business plan at £14/month adds commerce features and removes Squarespace branding
- Commerce plans at £21-32/month include full e-commerce tools with no transaction fees
- All plans include hosting, SSL certificates, and mobile-responsive templates
- 14-day free trial lets you test everything before committing
- Annual billing saves around 30% compared to monthly payments
How Squarespace Pricing Works
Squarespace uses a tiered system where each plan builds on the previous one. The Personal plan covers basic website needs, while Business and Commerce plans add selling capabilities and advanced features.
All plans include the same core website builder, templates, and hosting. The main differences come down to commerce features, storage limits, and whether you get Squarespace ads on your site.
Personal Plan – £10/month
Best for simple websites, portfolios, and blogs. You get unlimited bandwidth, basic SEO tools, and access to all templates. The catch is Squarespace branding appears on your site, and you can't sell anything or accept payments.
This plan works well if you're building a portfolio, personal blog, or basic business site without commerce needs.
Business Plan – £14/month
Removes Squarespace branding and adds basic selling features. You can accept donations, sell a few products, and connect a custom domain without extra cost. You also get promotional pop-ups, basic analytics, and $100 in Google Ads credits.
Most small businesses find this plan hits the sweet spot between features and cost.
Commerce Plans – £21-32/month
The Basic Commerce plan (£21/month) includes everything from Business plus full e-commerce tools, abandoned cart recovery, and detailed sales analytics. No transaction fees on any sales.
Advanced Commerce (£32/month) adds subscription selling, advanced shipping options, and API access for custom integrations.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
Squarespace keeps things simple, but a few extras might catch you off guard:
Domain names cost around £15-25/year if you don't get the free one included with annual plans. Premium domains cost more.
Email campaigns are separate from your website plan. Squarespace Email Campaigns starts at around £7/month for basic newsletters.
Transaction fees apply if you use third-party payment processors instead of Squarespace's built-in options, but this varies by processor.
Getting Better Value
Pay annually to save roughly 30% compared to monthly billing. A Business plan drops from £18/month to £14/month with annual payment.
Start smaller if you're unsure about features. You can upgrade anytime without losing content or design work. Downgrading is trickier, so better to start conservative.
Use the trial properly. Fourteen days gives you enough time to build a proper test site and see if Squarespace fits your workflow.
FAQs
Can I change plans later?
Yes, upgrading is instant. Downgrading works too, but you might lose access to some features until your next billing cycle.
What happens if I cancel?
Your site stays live until your current billing period ends, then goes offline. You can export some content, but not your full site design.
Do I need the most expensive plan for selling online?
Not necessarily. Basic Commerce handles most small online stores perfectly well. Advanced Commerce mainly benefits larger operations or subscription businesses.
Are there student discounts?
Squarespace doesn't offer student pricing, but they occasionally run promotions that reduce first-year costs.
Jargon Buster
SSL Certificate – Security feature that encrypts data between your site and visitors. Required for taking payments online.
Transaction Fees – Percentage charged on each sale by payment processors like PayPal or Stripe.
Abandoned Cart Recovery – Automated emails sent to customers who add items to their cart but don't complete the purchase.
API Access – Lets developers connect your Squarespace site to other tools and services for custom functionality.
Wrap-up
Squarespace pricing is refreshingly clear compared to most website builders. Most people find the Business plan gives them everything they need without paying for unused e-commerce features.
The key is being honest about what you actually need right now, not what you might need someday. You can always upgrade when your requirements change.
Ready to dive deeper into Squarespace? Check out our comprehensive tutorials and guides at Pixelhaze Academy.