★★★★★Trustpilot · October 2026
Reviewer trusts the brand and likes its aesthetic.
We tested Squarespace for 30 days in autumn 2026, building the same 5-page small-business site that every tool in our website builders lineup got, then tracking speed, uptime and support. Squarespace scored 4 out of 5 overall and ranked fourth of six.
It was easy to use and every page met our brief. We published the site in 100 minutes, and it passed 14 of 15 SEO basics. Uptime was 99.738% over 30 days and pages loaded their main content in 2.62 seconds on mobile. Support gave useful answers to all 3 of our questions, but the median wait was 430 minutes.
Squarespace suits creatives, portfolios and small businesses that want attractive templates and one bill for hosting, store and bookings. If you need fast support or the lowest price, other builders in our test did better.
How we scored it
Squarespace scored 4.5 out of 5 for ease of use and features, and 4 for performance, support and value. Those three 4s set its overall score of 4.
Performance4.0
Ease of use4.5
Features4.5
Support4.0
Value for money4.0
Overall score: 4 / 5, the average of the five parts, rounded to the nearest half point.
- Performance (4/5): Mobile pages loaded their main content in 2.62 seconds and uptime was 99.738% over 30 days, good but not the quickest or steadiest.
- Ease of use (4.5/5): We published the full site in 100 minutes, with just one mobile layout needing a fix.
- Features (4.5/5): All 5 pages met our brief, the site passed 14 of 15 SEO basics, and store, bookings and AI tools are built in.
- Support (4/5): All 3 support replies were useful, but the median wait of 430 minutes is a long time to be stuck.
- Value for money (4/5): Basic costs $19 a month billed monthly and charges a 2% store fee, and there's no free plan to fall back on.
Best of 2026
The best website builders
Before you pick Squarespace, see how all 6 tools ranked in the same test.
Squarespace in plain terms
Squarespace is a website builder known for its design. You pick a template, then change it in a drag-and-drop editor or with built-in AI tools. Every plan includes hosting, SSL and support, so you don't need to arrange anything else.
You can add a store, bookings, memberships, email campaigns and analytics, depending on your plan. Higher plans add more commerce features, lower fees and more AI credits. There's no free plan, but you can try it free for 14 days without a card.
Squarespace was founded in 2003 by Anthony Casalena and is based in New York. It was taken private by the investment firm Permira in October 2024. Compared with other hosting options, it trades low-level code control for an all-in-one, design-first package.
What happens after you sign up
Getting a Squarespace site live takes four steps.
1. Start a free trial. Open a site with a 14-day free trial. You don't need a card.
2. Pick a template. Choose a design and edit it with the drag-and-drop editor or the built-in AI tools.
3. Add business tools. Turn on a store, bookings, memberships, email campaigns or analytics, as your plan allows.
4. Choose a plan and publish. Pick a plan and connect a domain, which is free for the first year on annual plans.
What you get
Squarespace's features centre on good-looking sites and selling online. Several limits and fees change with your plan.
Templates and editor
Design templates you edit with drag and drop, on every plan.
AI tools
Built-in AI for writing content, paid for in credits: 10 one-time credits on Basic, 20 a month on Core and 120 a month on Advanced.
Online store
Sell unlimited products and services, with invoicing, discounts and shipping tools. Core and Advanced remove the 2% store fee that Basic charges.
Video hosting
Host your own videos: 30 minutes on Basic, 5 hours on Core and unlimited on Advanced.
Custom code
Add your own CSS, JavaScript and code injection from the Core plan up.
AI Visibility
Runs prompts to check how your brand shows up in AI answers, for English accounts only.
Who gets the most out of Squarespace
Squarespace is for people who care how their site looks and want everything in one place. It's less suited to bargain hunters and anyone who needs quick help.
A good fit for
- Designers, photographers and artists who want attractive templates
- Small businesses that want hosting, store and bookings on one bill
- Owners who want one vendor for site, hosting and support
- People who want to try a site for 14 days without a card
Not a good fit for
- Anyone who wants a permanent free plan
- Sellers on a tight budget, since Basic charges a 2% store fee
- Developers who want deep back-end control
- Owners who need support answers within the hour
Squarespace vs Wix, Webflow and hand-coded sites
Wix scored 4.5 out of 5 in our test, half a point above Squarespace, and has a free plan, with paid plans from $17.77 a month billed yearly. Squarespace has no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and focuses more on templates and design.
Webflow matched Squarespace on 4 out of 5 and gives designers more visual control, from $24 a month. A hand-coded site gives you full control over code but needs a developer and separate hosting. Our best website builders list explains the full ranking.
| Option | Price | How it compares |
|---|---|---|
| Squarespace | $19 a month | Design-led builder with hosting, store and marketing tools in one plan. |
| Wix | $17.77 a month, billed yearly | Drag-and-drop and AI builder with a free plan and built-in business tools. |
| Webflow | $24 a month | Visual web design tool that outputs clean code, with CMS and hosting. |
| Hand-coded site | Varies | A developer builds the site from scratch, with full control over code. |
Our 30-day Squarespace test
We tested Squarespace from September 30 to October 29, 2026, 30 days in all. We built the same 5-page small-business site that we build on every website builder, then watched it for a month. The full set-up is in how we test.
From sign-up to a published site took 100 minutes. All 5 pages met our brief, and the site passed 14 of 15 SEO basics, the settings that help search engines find and understand your pages. One mobile layout needed a fix.
On mobile, the main content of a page appeared in 2.62 seconds, and the page responded to taps in 215 milliseconds. That's fine for most visitors, but it's where Squarespace lost ground on performance.
We monitored the site from outside for 30 days. It was up 99.738% of the time, which is good, though it still means some short spells when visitors couldn't reach it.
The surprise was support. All 3 of our standard questions got useful answers, but the median wait was 430 minutes, so expect to wait most of a working day.
| What we measured | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Time from sign-up to a published site | 100 min to publish | You can build and publish a simple business site in an afternoon. |
| Mobile page speed | Mobile LCP 2.62 s; INP 215 ms | Pages load and respond reasonably quickly on phones, if not instantly. |
| Uptime over 30 days | 99.738% over 30 days | The site was almost always reachable, with a few brief outages. |
| Support reply time and quality for 3 questions | 430 min median; 3/3 useful replies | Support gives good answers, but you may wait most of a working day. |
Squarespace was easy to build with and produced a site that met our brief, with strong SEO basics. Performance and uptime were good rather than excellent, and support was helpful but slow. That mix earned 4 out of 5 and fourth place of six.
Tested September 30, 2026 to October 29, 2026.
The good and the bad from our test
Easy to build a polished site
We went from sign-up to a published site in 100 minutes, and all 5 pages met our brief. Ease of use scored 4.5 out of 5.
Strong SEO basics
The site passed 14 of 15 SEO basics in our test, so you start with pages search engines can read without extra work.
Helpful support answers
All 3 of our support questions got useful replies. When help arrives, it solves the problem.
Very slow support replies
The median wait for a support reply was 430 minutes. If your site has a problem during a busy day, that's a long time to wait.
Not the quickest on mobile
Main content took 2.62 seconds to appear on mobile and taps took 215 milliseconds to respond. Performance scored 4 out of 5, below its ease of use.
Fees and no free plan
There's no free plan, and Basic adds a 2% fee on store sales and 7% on digital content and memberships. You need Core or higher to remove the store fee.
Pros
- Site published in 100 minutes, with all 5 pages meeting our brief
- Passed 14 of 15 SEO basics
- Useful answers to all 3 support questions
- 14-day free trial with no card needed
- Free domain for the first year on annual plans
Cons
- Median support wait of 430 minutes
- Slower mobile load at 2.62 seconds
- No free plan
- Basic charges a 2% store fee
- Ratings on Trustpilot are sharply split
How much Squarespace costs
Squarespace has three paid plans and no free plan. Billed monthly, Basic costs $19 a month, Core $27 a month and Advanced $36 a month. Billed yearly, they cost $12, $17 and $25 a month, which Squarespace says saves up to 36%.
Basic is fine for a simple site, but it charges a 2% fee on store sales and allows 2 contributors. If you plan to sell, Core removes that store fee and adds unlimited contributors and custom code, so most small shops will want it. Prices were checked on November 3, 2026.
Basic
$19
a month
- 2 contributors and 30 minutes of video
- 2% store fee
- 10 one-time AI credits
Core
$27
a month
- Unlimited contributors and 5 hours of video
- 0% store fee and custom CSS/JS
- 20 AI credits a month
Advanced
$36
a month
- Unlimited video
- 0% fees on digital content and advanced merchandising
- 120 AI credits a month
Every plan starts with a 14-day free trial, and you don't need a card to start it.
Annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year. Core and higher also include Google Workspace free for the first year when you have a domain.
Other fees apply by plan: digital content and membership sales cost 7% on Basic, 5% on Core and 0% on Advanced. Automated tax costs 0.15% per transaction on Core, up to $0.99, and 0.05% on Advanced.
You can cancel any time from billing, and your plan runs to the end of the paid period. Monthly plans and renewals are generally not refunded.
Prices checked November 3, 2026. Prices can change, so check before you buy.
Is Squarespace safe to use for your business site?
Squarespace has been running since 2003 and we found no reported security incidents. We couldn't confirm its security certifications or whether it uses your content to train AI, so check its privacy pages if that matters to you.
The main risk is billing rather than security. Monthly plans and renewals are generally not refunded, and outside guides report that annual renewals can't be refunded either. There's no free plan, so a live site needs a paid plan.
Squarespace was taken private by Permira in October 2024 and sold its Tock reservation platform to American Express in June 2024. Neither changes how your site works today.
Set a calendar reminder before your trial ends and before each annual renewal, since renewals are reported as non-refundable.
What Squarespace users say
Users are sharply split. On Trustpilot, checked November 3, 2026, Squarespace has 3.5 out of 5 from 6,390 reviews, labelled Average, with 4,820 in the last 12 months. 41% give 5 stars and 39% give 1 star. Squarespace has claimed the profile and pays for it.
The positive reviews praise quick, helpful support, good design and ease of use. Recent 5-star reviews mention problems solved fast and well-informed support staff. Nearly two in five reviews give 1 star, but the reasons weren't clear from the reviews we read.
What users praise
- Quick, helpful support replies
- Good design and aesthetic
- Easy to use
What users complain about
- Polarised ratings: 39 percent are 1 star
- Billing and renewal complaints (not confirmed in the reviews read)
Recent user reviews, in short
Summarised in our own words, not quoted. Reviewer names are left out.
★★★★★Trustpilot · October 2026
Support issue solved quickly with clear communication.
★★★★★Trustpilot · October 2026
Calls it an excellent design and hosting platform with well-informed, responsive support.
★★★★★Trustpilot · October 2026
One-word praise for responsiveness.
Our test agrees that Squarespace is easy to use and that its support gives useful answers. But our median wait of 430 minutes doesn't match the users who praise fast replies, so your experience may depend on the question and the timing.
Ratings checked November 3, 2026.
Squarespace alternatives worth a look
Three tools in our test scored higher than Squarespace, one tied and one scored lower. Here's how they compared.
Hostinger Website Builder
Hostinger Website Builder won our test with 5 out of 5 on every part. It suits budget-focused small sites and stores that can commit to a long term.
GoDaddy Website Builder
GoDaddy Website Builder scored 4.5 out of 5, with top marks for support where Squarespace got 4. It suits small businesses that want domain and marketing tools together, from $21.99 a month.
Wix
Wix scored 4.5 out of 5, ahead of Squarespace on performance, support and value. It suits beginners who want an all-in-one site, with a free plan and paid plans from $17.77 a month, billed yearly.
Webflow
Webflow tied with Squarespace on 4 out of 5 but ranked fifth. It suits designers, agencies and marketing teams who want visual control and a CMS, from $24 a month.
RocketPages
RocketPages scored 2.5 out of 5, well below Squarespace on every part. It suits small businesses that want a free or very cheap site, from $1.99 a month.
4/5
Should you use Squarespace?
Squarespace is a good choice for creatives and small businesses that want a polished site without code. In our test it published a full site in 100 minutes, met our brief on every page, passed 14 of 15 SEO basics and stayed up 99.738% of the time. That earned it 4 out of 5 and fourth place of six.
It's held back by slow support, with a median wait of 430 minutes, and by fees and the lack of a free plan. Use the 14-day trial to build your site first. If you plan to sell, budget for Core rather than Basic. If you want a free plan or faster help, Wix scored higher in our test.
Squarespace suits creatives and small businesses that want a polished site; anyone who needs fast support or a free plan should look elsewhere.
Still deciding?
See how Squarespace compares
Every tool in our website builders test got the same jobs. Our ranking puts the results side by side.
Disagree with our review?
Make your case
If you use Squarespace, or work there, and think we got something wrong, email us. Tell us what you saw and attach screenshots if you have them. We'll take another look and update the review if it changes our findings.
review.now.team@gmail.com
or open your email app
Frequently asked questions
How much does Squarespace cost?
Squarespace has three paid plans. Billed monthly, Basic costs $19 a month, Core $27 and Advanced $36. Billed yearly, they cost $12, $17 and $25 a month. Basic also charges a 2% fee on store sales, which Core and Advanced remove. We checked these prices on November 3, 2026.
How did you test Squarespace?
We built the same 5-page small-business site on Squarespace that we build on every website builder, from September 30 to October 29, 2026. We timed the build, checked our brief and SEO basics, measured mobile page speed, monitored uptime from outside for 30 days and sent support 3 standard questions.
Does Squarespace have a free plan?
No. Every site starts with a 14-day free trial, and you don't need a card to begin. After the trial, you need a paid plan to keep your site online. The cheapest is Basic at $19 a month billed monthly, or $12 a month billed yearly.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Basic charges a 2% fee on store sales, and Core and Advanced charge 0%. Digital content and membership sales cost 7% on Basic, 5% on Core and 0% on Advanced. Automated tax adds 0.15% per transaction on Core, up to $0.99, and 0.05% on Advanced.
Can I cancel Squarespace any time?
Yes. You can cancel from billing at any time, and your plan keeps running until the end of the period you've paid for. Monthly plans and renewals are generally not refunded, so cancel before your renewal date if you don't want to pay for another period.
Does Squarespace have AI tools?
Yes, on every plan. Built-in AI helps you write content and is paid for in credits: 10 one-time credits on Basic, 20 a month on Core and 120 a month on Advanced. There's also an AI Visibility tool that checks how your brand appears in AI answers, for English accounts only.
Written by
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.