Independent pricing guide. Not affiliated with Squarespace, Inc.

Squarespace Pricing: Why the Business Plan Costs More Than You Think

Updated 30 March 2026

Plans run $16 to $65 per month. But the 3% transaction fee on Business, plus domain renewals and email add-ons, change the real math entirely. Here is the full breakdown with every hidden cost exposed.

Personal

$16

/month (annual)

Portfolios, blogs

Business

$33

/month

3% transaction fee

Commerce Basic

$36

/month (annual)

0% transaction fee

Commerce Adv.

$65

/month (annual)

Subscriptions, analytics

Plan Comparison Grid

Every feature across all four Squarespace tiers, so you can see exactly what each plan includes.

FeaturePersonalBusinessCommerce BasicCommerce Adv.
Monthly price (annual billing)$16$33$36$65
Monthly price (monthly billing)$23$33$40$72
Free custom domain (1st year)YesYesYesYes
SSL certificateYesYesYesYes
Unlimited bandwidthYesYesYesYes
SEO toolsBasicAdvancedAdvancedAdvanced
Custom CSS/JavaScriptNoYesYesYes
Pop-ups and bannersNoYesYesYes
E-commerceNoYes (3% fee)Yes (0% fee)Yes (0% fee)
Transaction feeN/A3%0%0%
ProductsN/AUnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Abandoned cart recoveryNoNoYesYes
Product reviewsNoNoYesYes
POS integrationNoNoYesYes
SubscriptionsNoNoNoYes
Advanced discountsNoNoNoYes
Real-time carrier shippingNoNoNoYes
Advanced analyticsNoNoNoYes
Contributors2UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited

The Transaction Fee Problem

The Business plan at $33 per month looks like a good deal for small stores. But it charges a 3% transaction fee on every sale, on top of the standard 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee. Commerce Basic at $36 per month charges 0% transaction fees from Squarespace. That is just $3 more per month.

The break-even point is simple: if you sell more than $100 per month through your Squarespace store, you lose money on the Business plan. At $100 in monthly sales, the 3% fee costs $3, which is exactly what you would save by staying on Business instead of Commerce Basic. Above $100, Commerce Basic saves you money every single month.

Transaction Fee Impact at Different Revenue Levels

Monthly SalesBusiness Plan (3% fee)Commerce Basic (0% fee)You Save With Commerce Basic
$100$33 + $3 = $36/mo$36/mo$0 (break-even)
$500$33 + $15 = $48/mo$36/mo$12/month ($144/year)
$1,000$33 + $30 = $63/mo$36/mo$27/month ($324/year)
$2,500$33 + $75 = $108/mo$36/mo$72/month ($864/year)
$5,000$33 + $150 = $183/mo$36/mo$147/month ($1,764/year)
$10,000$33 + $300 = $333/mo$36/mo$297/month ($3,564/year)

Transaction fees shown are Squarespace's surcharge only. All plans also incur standard payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction through Stripe).

Hidden Costs Beyond the Plan Price

The advertised monthly price is only part of what you will actually pay. Here are the costs that add up.

Custom domain renewal

$20 to $70/year

Free for the first year on annual plans. Standard .com domains renew around $20/year. Premium TLDs like .store or .design cost $40 to $70/year.

Google Workspace email

$7/user/month

Squarespace does not include email hosting. Google Workspace is the official add-on at $7 per user per month ($84/year per user). You can use free alternatives like Zoho Mail.

Business plan transaction fee

3% of every sale

Only applies to the Business plan. At $500/month in sales, this costs $15/month ($180/year). Commerce Basic at $3/month more charges 0%.

Squarespace Scheduling

From $14/month

Formerly Acuity Scheduling. Starts at $14/month for the Emerging plan (1 calendar). Growing plan with 6 calendars costs $23/month. Powerhouse plan with 36 calendars costs $45/month.

Email campaigns

From $7/month

Squarespace Email Campaigns starts at $7/month for 500 emails. Scales to $48/month for 250,000 emails. Competes with Mailchimp but is more limited in automation.

Premium templates and blocks

Varies

Most templates are now included with all plans. However, some third-party integrations and premium blocks for member areas or gated content may have separate fees.

Payment processing

2.9% + $0.30/transaction

Charged by Stripe or Square, not by Squarespace. This applies to all plans and is standard industry pricing. International cards cost an additional 1%.

Squarespace Plan Recommender and Cost Calculator

Enter your needs to see which plan fits best and what you will actually pay, including hidden costs.

RECOMMENDED

Personal

$16.00

per month (total)

$192

per year

$0.00

transaction fees/mo

$232

year 2 (with domain)

Equivalent Wix plan: ~$17/month. Squarespace total with add-ons: $16.00/month.

Personal

$16

base price/month

Total: $16.00/mo

$192/year

Business

$33

base price/month

Total: $33.00/mo

$396/year

Commerce Basic

$36

base price/month

Total: $36.00/mo

$432/year

Commerce Advanced

$65

base price/month

Total: $65.00/mo

$780/year

Prices reflect Squarespace rates as of March 2026. Annual billing shown unless monthly is selected. Domain included free for the first year on annual plans. Google Workspace email is an optional add-on billed separately.

Squarespace vs Wix Pricing

Quick pricing comparison. For the full 12-dimension breakdown, see our detailed Squarespace vs Wix comparison.

FeatureSquarespaceWix
Cheapest planPersonal at $16/moLight at $17/mo
Mid-tier planBusiness at $33/moCore at $29/mo
E-commerce planCommerce Basic at $36/moBusiness at $36/mo
Transaction fees3% on Business only0% on all plans
Templates150+ designer-quality800+ varying quality
Design approachStructured layoutsDrag-and-drop freedom
Free domain (1st year)Yes (annual plans)Yes (annual plans)
Email hostingAdd-on ($7/user/mo)Add-on (varies)

Squarespace vs Shopify for E-Commerce

For online stores specifically. See our full Squarespace vs Shopify comparison for the complete breakdown.

FeatureSquarespaceShopify
Entry e-commerce planCommerce Basic at $36/moBasic at $39/mo
Payment processing2.9% + $0.302.9% + $0.30 (with Shopify Payments)
Transaction fee (3rd-party gateway)0% on Commerce2% on Basic
App ecosystemLimited (built-in extensions)8,000+ apps
Multi-channel sellingLimitedAmazon, eBay, social, POS
Design qualitySuperior templatesGood but less polished
Content and bloggingExcellent built-inBasic blog only
Best forDesign-first stores, small catalogsScale, multi-channel, large catalogs

Best Plan for Your Site Type

Portfolio or Personal Site

Personal

$16/mo

You get unlimited bandwidth, SSL, a free domain for the first year, and access to all of Squarespace's designer-quality templates. No need to pay more unless you want to sell products or inject custom code.

Service Business (no products)

Business

$33/mo

Adds custom CSS/JavaScript injection, pop-ups, promotional banners, unlimited contributors, and advanced analytics. The 3% transaction fee does not matter if you are not selling products through the site.

Small Online Store (under $5K/month revenue)

Commerce Basic

$36/mo

Skip the Business plan entirely. For just $3 more per month you get 0% transaction fees, abandoned cart recovery (recovers 5 to 15% of lost sales), product reviews, and POS integration. The transaction fee savings alone justify the upgrade at just $100/month in sales.

Subscription Products or Advanced Analytics

Commerce Advanced

$65/mo

Required for selling subscription products, offering advanced discounts and promotions, real-time carrier shipping rates, and accessing commerce-specific analytics. Worth it if your store generates over $5,000/month in revenue and you need these specific features.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Squarespace offer a free trial?
Yes. Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. During the trial you get access to all Commerce Advanced features so you can test the full platform. You cannot accept real payments or connect a custom domain during the trial. Squarespace occasionally sends a 7-day extension offer via email if you do not convert before the trial ends.
What is the cheapest Squarespace plan?
The cheapest plan is Personal at $16 per month when billed annually, or $23 per month when billed month-to-month. Personal includes a free custom domain for the first year, SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, and access to all website templates. It does not include e-commerce features, pop-ups, or advanced analytics.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Only the Business plan charges a 3% transaction fee on sales. Commerce Basic and Commerce Advanced charge 0% transaction fees from Squarespace (you still pay standard payment processing fees of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction through Stripe or Square). If you plan to sell anything, Commerce Basic at $36 per month is almost always a better deal than Business at $33 per month because you avoid the 3% surcharge.
How much does a Squarespace domain cost?
Your first custom domain is free for the first year when you sign up for an annual plan. After the first year, domain renewal costs between $20 and $70 per year depending on the extension. A standard .com domain renews at approximately $20 per year. Premium extensions like .design or .store cost more. If you pay monthly instead of annually, you do not get the free domain.
Can I get a student discount on Squarespace?
Yes. Squarespace offers a 50% discount on the first year for students with a valid .edu email address. This applies to all plan tiers. After the first year, pricing returns to the standard rate. You can verify your student status through Squarespace's student discount page.
What is the difference between Squarespace Business and Commerce Basic?
Business costs $33 per month (annual) and includes basic e-commerce with a 3% transaction fee on every sale. Commerce Basic costs $36 per month (annual) with 0% transaction fees, plus it adds abandoned cart recovery, product reviews, and POS integration. For anyone selling products, Commerce Basic pays for itself once your monthly sales exceed $100 because the 3% fee on Business would cost $3 or more.
Does Squarespace include email?
Squarespace does not include email hosting in any plan. You can add Google Workspace email for $7 per user per month through Squarespace's integration. Alternatively, you can use any third-party email provider by configuring MX records on your domain. Many users choose free email forwarding or use services like Zoho Mail's free tier.
Can I switch Squarespace plans mid-cycle?
Yes. You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time. When upgrading, Squarespace prorates the cost for the remainder of your billing cycle. When downgrading, the change takes effect at the start of your next billing period. No penalty or fee applies for switching plans.
How does annual vs monthly billing compare?
Annual billing saves up to 30% compared to monthly billing. Personal is $16 per month (annual) vs $23 per month (monthly), saving $84 per year. Business is $33 per month regardless of billing period. Commerce Basic is $36 per month (annual) vs $40 per month (monthly). Annual plans also include a free custom domain for the first year, worth $20 to $70.
Is Squarespace good for online stores?
Squarespace is a strong choice for small to medium online stores, especially those that prioritize design. Commerce Basic at $36 per month includes unlimited products, abandoned cart recovery, and 0% Squarespace transaction fees. For larger stores needing advanced features like real-time carrier shipping, product subscriptions, and advanced discounting, Commerce Advanced at $65 per month covers those needs. However, Shopify offers a larger app ecosystem and better multi-channel selling if you sell on Amazon, eBay, or social platforms.