Squarespace Pricing Plans Explained
TL;DR:
- Personal plan is the cheapest option but only covers basic websites
- Business plans add professional features and remove Squarespace ads
- Commerce plans include full e-commerce tools with no transaction fees
- Annual billing gets you a discount and free domain for a year
- Watch out for extra costs like domain renewals and third-party integrations
Squarespace keeps pricing fairly straightforward with four main tiers. Each plan builds on the previous one, so you're paying for the features you actually need.
The Personal plan works fine for simple websites, portfolios, or blogs where you don't need advanced features. You'll get basic templates, SSL security, and customer support, but you're stuck with Squarespace ads and can't add e-commerce.
Business plans remove the ads and add professional features like Google Workspace integration, promotional pop-ups, and basic analytics. This is where most small business websites sit comfortably.
The two Commerce plans are for anyone selling products online. Both remove transaction fees entirely, but the Advanced Commerce plan adds features like abandoned cart recovery, advanced shipping options, and subscription products.
What Actually Costs Extra
The monthly fee covers most of what you need, but there are a few extras to budget for.
Domain names come free for the first year if you pay annually, but renewals cost around £15-20 per year depending on the extension. If you pay monthly, you'll need to buy the domain separately from the start.
Third-party integrations can add up. Things like Mailchimp, advanced booking systems, or specialized apps often have their own monthly fees on top of your Squarespace plan.
Payment processing fees apply to all e-commerce sales regardless of your plan. Squarespace uses Stripe, which charges around 2.9% plus 30p per transaction in the UK.
Upgrading and Downgrading Plans
Changing plans happens instantly through your account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately, while downgrades wait until your next billing cycle.
If you upgrade mid-billing cycle, Squarespace credits the unused portion of your current plan towards the new one. The math works out fairly, so you're not losing money by switching.
Downgrading removes features immediately when the new billing cycle starts. Make sure you're not using Commerce features before dropping to a Business plan, or using Business features before going back to Personal.
Getting Better Value
Annual billing saves you about two months worth of fees compared to monthly payments. You also get that free domain, which covers the price difference for most people.
Squarespace runs promotions fairly regularly, usually offering 10-20% off your first year. These pop up around holidays or during their advertising pushes. Students can sometimes get additional discounts through verification services.
Educational and non-profit discounts exist but aren't well advertised. Contact their support team directly if you qualify.
FAQs
Can I start with a free trial before committing to a paid plan?
Yes, Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial for all plans. You can build your entire site during the trial and only need to pay when you're ready to publish.
What happens to my site if I stop paying?
Your site goes offline immediately when payment fails. Squarespace keeps your content for a while, so you can reactivate and pick up where you left off, but don't rely on this as backup storage.
Do Commerce plans work with UK tax requirements?
Yes, Squarespace handles VAT calculations and can generate the reports you need for HMRC. You can set up different tax rates for different regions automatically.
Jargon Buster
SSL Certificate: Security technology that encrypts data between your website and visitors. Required for e-commerce and included free with all plans.
Transaction Fees: Percentage Squarespace takes from each sale on lower-tier plans. Commerce plans remove these fees entirely.
Custom Domain: Your own web address (like yourname.co.uk) instead of using yourname.squarespace.com.
Analytics: Data about your website visitors, including where they come from and which pages they view most.
Wrap-up
Most people can figure out which Squarespace plan they need by asking two questions: do I need to sell things online, and do I want Squarespace ads on my site?
If you're selling products, go straight to a Commerce plan. The transaction fee savings usually cover the higher monthly cost within a few sales. If you need a professional-looking business site without ads, the Business plan hits the sweet spot for features and price.
The Personal plan only makes sense for hobby sites, personal blogs, or simple portfolios where you don't mind the Squarespace branding.
Ready to dive deeper into Squarespace? Check out our comprehensive guides and tutorials at Pixelhaze Academy.