What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a website builder founded in 2003 and headquartered in New York. It is used by millions of websites globally, with a particularly strong following among creative businesses — photographers, designers, artists, jewellers, and lifestyle brands where visual presentation is central to the brand.
Unlike dedicated ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Squarespace starts as a website builder and treats the store as one feature within a broader web presence. For sellers who need a full website alongside their store, this is an advantage. For sellers who only need a checkout, it means paying for website infrastructure they may not use.
Key Features
- Design templates widely regarded as the most polished in the website builder market, designed specifically for creative and lifestyle categories
- Drag-and-drop editor with section-based layout control and clean mobile responsiveness
- Ecommerce with unlimited products, abandoned cart recovery (Core+), discount codes, and subscription products
- Squarespace Payments for integrated payment processing in supported markets (not available in India)
- Email marketing built in with campaigns, automations, and subscriber management
- Blogging tools with scheduling, categories, tags, and contributor management
- Portfolio and gallery pages for photographers, artists, and designers
- Booking and scheduling for service-based businesses and appointments
- SEO tools with sitemap generation, URL customisation, and structured data support
- 24/7 customer support via live chat and email
Pricing
| Plan | Annual billing | Monthly billing | Ecommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $16/month | $23/month | Limited |
| Core | $23/month | $33/month | Yes (0% transaction fees) |
| Plus | $39/month | $56/month | Yes (advanced) |
| Advanced | $99/month | $139/month | Yes (full) |
The Basic plan charges transaction fees on sales. Core and above have 0% transaction fees. Squarespace Payments is not available in India — Indian sellers use Stripe or PayPal.
For a full breakdown see our Squarespace alternative page.
Pros (based on G2 and Capterra reviews)
Polished design templates. G2 and Capterra reviewers consistently cite Squarespace’s templates as the platform’s strongest point. One G2 reviewer noted “I love the easy drag and drop features and also the clean and high-quality pictures.” Capterra reviewers describe the templates as particularly well-suited to creative projects, portfolios, and lifestyle brands.
All-in-one platform. Capterra users value the breadth of tools included in a single subscription: website, blog, email marketing, booking, and ecommerce without needing separate tools. One Capterra reviewer described it as “an all-in-one platform that makes it easy to create sleek, professional-looking websites without needing a deep technical background.”
Fast setup for non-technical users. Multiple Capterra reviewers describe getting a professional-looking website live within hours. One reviewer noted getting their ecommerce site “up and running in just a couple of hours.” The template-driven approach reduces the design decisions needed to launch.
Good mobile responsiveness. Capterra specifically rates mobile responsiveness as a strength. Templates adjust cleanly to mobile screens without additional configuration.
Reliable performance. G2 and Capterra reviewers describe Squarespace as stable and consistently available, with good page load speeds and no significant downtime concerns.
Cons (based on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot reviews)
Billing and cancellation issues. Trustpilot rates Squarespace at 1.2/5 from over 1,400 reviews — a significant gap from the 4.4–4.6 ratings on G2 and Capterra. The Trustpilot complaints focus heavily on difficulty cancelling subscriptions, unexpected charges after cancellation, and unresponsive billing support. This gap suggests the product experience is solid but the account management experience is not.
Inflexible page layout for advanced users. Capterra reviewers with design-specific needs note that the section-based editor constrains detailed formatting. One reviewer described it as leading to “awkward spacing between elements and the characteristic Squarespace look that all sites built on the platform seem to have.”
Ecommerce is harder to set up than the website builder. Multiple Capterra reviewers describe the ecommerce setup as more complex than expected. One reviewer noted it is “difficult to set up an ecommerce online store” for new users, in contrast to how straightforward the website-building experience is.
No multi-currency selling. Capterra and G2 reviewers flag the absence of multi-currency support. One reviewer noted that “clients from outside the state have to use third parties to be able to acquire my services or buy my products.” This limits Squarespace’s usefulness for sellers with international customers.
Squarespace Payments not available in India. Indian sellers cannot use Squarespace’s native payment system and must use Stripe or PayPal. UPI and Razorpay are not natively supported, which creates friction for Indian buyers at checkout.
Who Squarespace is best for
Squarespace is best suited for creative businesses and professionals who need a visually polished website alongside a store — photographers, designers, artists, jewellers, lifestyle brands, and service providers where the aesthetic quality of the site is central to how customers perceive the brand. It is also a strong choice for sellers who want built-in email marketing and booking tools without subscribing to separate services.
Sellers who only need a product catalog and checkout, or who primarily sell through Instagram and WhatsApp in India, will find Squarespace’s full website infrastructure more than they need and its payment options ill-suited to the market.
Squarespace vs Trustd
Trustd is built for boutique owners and social sellers who need a storefront connected to Instagram and WhatsApp, without the website infrastructure and cost that Squarespace carries. Trustd’s free plan includes unlimited products, WhatsApp ordering, and verified reviews. The Pro plan costs $25/year (₹999/year in India), less than one month of Squarespace Core.
See the full comparison: Trustd vs Squarespace
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Squarespace used for?
Squarespace is a website builder used to create websites, online stores, portfolios, blogs, and booking pages. It is particularly popular with creative businesses — photographers, designers, artists, and lifestyle brands — who value polished visual design. Ecommerce features are available on the Core plan and above.
How much does Squarespace cost?
Squarespace has four plans: Basic ($16/month annual), Core ($23/month annual), Plus ($39/month annual), and Advanced ($99/month annual). The Core plan is the minimum for a fully functional online store with 0% transaction fees. A 14-day free trial is available. Squarespace Payments is not available in India.
What is Squarespace's G2 and Capterra rating?
Squarespace has a 4.4/5 rating on G2 from over 1,000 reviews and a 4.6/5 rating on Capterra from over 3,300 reviews. Trustpilot rates it significantly lower at 1.2/5 from over 1,400 reviews, with billing, cancellation, and customer support cited as the primary complaints. The gap reflects that Squarespace performs well for building websites but generates frustration around account and billing management.