The online store you launch this year will shape how customers see your brand for years to come. In a crowded digital marketplace, design and functionality work hand in hand to influence whether a visitor becomes a loyal customer or clicks away.
That’s where Squarespace earns its reputation. It brings together professional-grade design and robust selling tools in a single platform, saving you from the stress of stitching together multiple services just to keep your store running.
In 2025, Squarespace has secured its spot as a favorite among small business owners, content creators, and service-based entrepreneurs who need more than a pretty storefront. They need a site that works as hard as they do.
Whether you’re running a boutique clothing brand, a subscription-based wellness business, or a consulting service, the platform offers the flexibility to handle both your branding and your sales without sacrificing either.
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Squarespace offers an all-in-one platform with professional templates, ecommerce tools, hosting, and marketing features in a single subscription.
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Its drag-and-drop editor and mobile-responsive designs make it easy for anyone to build a polished, functional store without coding.
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The platform supports selling physical products, digital downloads, services, and subscriptions with multiple payment options.
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Built-in SEO tools, analytics, and 24/7 support help online sellers grow their brand and improve visibility.
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Squarespace is best for small-to-medium businesses and creatives who value both design quality and ease of management.
The journey started back in 2004, when Squarespace launched as a straightforward website builder aimed at helping everyday people get online without learning complex coding. Over the years, it has grown into a full-fledged Squarespace ecommerce powerhouse with built-in tools for payments, shipping, marketing, and analytics.
Today, it’s the trusted choice of brands across industries, ranging from Etsy sellers ready to own their own store, to photographers showcasing and selling high-end prints, to consultants managing multiple service packages under one digital roof.
I’ve seen firsthand how a well-designed Squarespace store can completely change the way a business is perceived, giving it the polish of a high-budget operation without the actual high-budget cost.
What Is Squarespace?
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform that brings together everything you need to build, brand, and run your online store under a single subscription.
From hosting and security to design and marketing, it’s all baked in. No juggling multiple service providers or paying extra for basic essentials. You can focus on running your business instead of troubleshooting tech.
The real strength of Squarespace is how it puts professional-grade tools within reach of anyone, regardless of technical background. You can launch a modern, fully functional store without writing a single line of code.
For someone starting fresh or moving away from a marketplace like Etsy, that’s a huge confidence booster.
At its core, Squarespace offers:
- Professionally designed, mobile-responsive templates that adapt perfectly to any screen size, giving your brand a polished appearance on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Drag-and-drop editing so you can adjust layouts, move images, and add content with ease, all from your browser.
- Built-in ecommerce capabilities for selling physical products, digital downloads, or service packages without needing extra plugins.
- Integrated SEO tools to help your Squarespace website climb Google rankings, including editable meta titles, alt tags, and automatic sitemaps.
- Secure hosting with SSL encryption included at no extra cost, ensuring customer trust from their first click to checkout.
Many first-time store owners choose Squarespace because it makes their brand look established from day one.
I’ve worked with clients who went live in a weekend and immediately started taking orders, not because they had a massive ad budget, but because their Squarespace website looked like it had been crafted by a top design agency. That instant credibility can be the difference between a visitor browsing and a visitor buying.
How Squarespace Works
Creating a Squarespace website starts with choosing a template that matches your brand’s style and industry.
The platform offers more than 100 professionally designed layouts, each crafted to suit specific needs, whether you’re running a high-fashion boutique, a local café, a photography portfolio, or a fitness brand.
Every template is mobile-responsive by default, so your site will look sharp whether someone’s browsing on a laptop or scrolling on their phone.
Once you’ve picked a design, the customization process is simple. Using the drag-and-drop editor, you can rearrange sections, change fonts, upload high-quality product images, and adjust colors to match your branding.
You control the look and feel without needing to know a single line of code. I’ve built client sites entirely from my browser while sipping coffee at a café, and the entire process felt as natural as putting together a visual mood board.
When setting up an online store in Squarespace, you can:
- Add physical or digital products with detailed descriptions, clear pricing, and multiple images.
- Connect payment processors like Stripe, PayPal, and Apple Pay to give customers flexible checkout options.
- Set up shipping zones, delivery methods, and real-time rates so you can serve local or international customers with ease.
- Automate tax calculations to match regional requirements, which is a lifesaver when selling across multiple states or countries.
- Preview your store before going live to ensure everything, from navigation to product pages, feels polished and ready for sales.
Everything in Squarespace is built to integrate smoothly. You can add a blog alongside your store, connect social media feeds, or launch an email campaign without wondering whether a new feature will crash your site.
The platform is designed so all the moving parts work in sync, letting you focus on growth instead of troubleshooting.
Why Many Online Businesses Prefer Squarespace Over Other Platforms
Squarespace wins over online sellers because it takes the uncertainty out of building and managing a website. Everything, from hosting and security to email marketing and ecommerce tools, comes built-in, so you’re not wasting hours finding separate services or worrying whether they’ll work together.
The design freedom means your Squarespace website can have the polish of a professionally coded site without the expense of hiring a full design team.
From my own experience, building a client’s Squarespace store was faster and smoother than setting up a WordPress site with WooCommerce.
The process took about half the time because there was no endless search for compatible plugins, no need to manage updates manually, and no troubleshooting when one update broke another feature. Everything loaded quickly, integrated perfectly, and looked exactly as intended from the start.
Online businesses also gravitate toward Squarespace for a few key reasons:
- The templates deliver a premium, high-end look immediately, even before you customize them.
- Built-in SEO tools make it easy to optimize product pages, blog posts, and landing pages without installing add-ons.
- 24/7 customer support means you can get help whenever you need it, whether you’re launching at midnight or fixing an issue on a weekend.
- The platform works seamlessly on both desktop and mobile, so you can manage your store, check orders, and update products while on the go.
For many business owners, these advantages translate into more time spent growing the brand and serving customers, rather than troubleshooting technical problems or hiring extra help.
Features That Set Squarespace Apart
Squarespace focuses on delivering high-quality tools that actually matter to small and medium-sized online stores.
It’s designed for business owners who want professional results without adding unnecessary complexity. Every feature is built to work together so you can create, sell, and market from one central hub.
Some of the standout features include:
- Award-winning templates crafted for both visual appeal and performance. They’re designed to catch attention while guiding visitors toward taking action, whether that’s making a purchase, booking a service, or signing up for a mailing list.
- Squarespace pricing that bundles hosting, SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth into one plan, so you’re not hit with extra costs just to keep your store online.
- Built-in marketing tools such as customizable email campaigns, time-sensitive promotional pop-ups, and Instagram Shopping integration to connect directly with your social media audience.
- Subscription product options for generating recurring revenue, perfect for businesses offering monthly boxes, exclusive memberships, or ongoing services.
- Detailed analytics to monitor sales trends, visitor behavior, and the performance of your marketing campaigns so you can make informed decisions.
- Member areas for selling exclusive access to premium content, courses, or behind-the-scenes material.
For example, a fitness coach could sell one-time workout plans, set up a subscription for weekly group classes, and maintain a members-only video library, all within the same Squarespace website.
The setup allows them to manage multiple income streams from a single platform, while keeping branding and customer experience consistent.
Can Squarespace be used for ecommerce?
Absolutely. Squarespace is built to handle ecommerce with ease, giving you the flexibility to sell physical products, digital downloads, and services from the same platform.
Whether you’re shipping handmade candles, delivering downloadable design templates, or booking photography sessions, the setup is straightforward.
You can also sell subscriptions, which works perfectly for businesses that thrive on repeat customers, like monthly gift boxes, online courses, or fitness memberships.
The platform supports multiple payment options, including Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Afterpay. This means your customers can check out in the way that’s most convenient for them, whether they prefer paying upfront, splitting payments, or using a mobile wallet.
Multi-currency support makes it easier to expand beyond your local market. Your Squarespace website can cater to international customers without the headache of complex currency conversion setups.
From my own experience, having these features under one roof simplifies the entire selling process.
You can launch your store, start accepting payments, and serve customers globally without piecing together separate tools or worrying about integration issues. It’s ecommerce without unnecessary complications.
What is the difference between Shopify and Squarespace?
Shopify and Squarespace are both powerful ecommerce platforms, but they cater to different business priorities.
Shopify is engineered for high-volume ecommerce operations that require advanced inventory management, multi-location fulfillment, and access to an extensive app marketplace.
Squarespace focuses on delivering beautiful design, ease of use, and strong built-in selling tools that work right out of the box, making it especially appealing for small-to-medium businesses and creative entrepreneurs.
Here’s how they compare in key areas:
Feature Squarespace Shopify
Ease of Use Very beginner-friendly, intuitive drag-and-drop tools Steeper learning curve, especially for beginners
Templates Design-focused, visually polished, and mobile-responsive Functional with fewer artistic choices
Pricing Lower entry cost with hosting and SSL included Higher cost for advanced features and add-ons
Built-in Tools Website + blog + ecommerce + marketing in one plan Ecommerce-first with vast app marketplace
From my experience working with clients, Shopify can feel overwhelming to someone launching their first online store because there are more moving parts: apps to install, settings to configure, and integrations to manage.
It’s a powerhouse for scaling large operations, but it requires more setup time and, often, higher monthly costs.
Squarespace, on the other hand, is perfect for entrepreneurs who want a visually striking site with everything built-in, from templates and marketing tools to blogging capabilities and ecommerce functions, without hunting for extra apps.
It’s especially suited for brands that care about presentation as much as functionality, like boutique fashion labels, creative portfolios, or service-based businesses that also sell products.
How much does Squarespace ecommerce cost?
Squarespace pricing for ecommerce in 2025 is straightforward, with three main plans designed to suit different business needs and budgets.
Business Plan – $23/month
Includes basic ecommerce features but comes with a 3% transaction fee on every sale. It’s a good entry point for testing your online store or selling a small selection of products, but the transaction fees can add up quickly if your sales volume increases.
Basic Commerce – $27/month
Removes transaction fees and unlocks the full range of ecommerce features, including better product merchandising, powerful checkout options, and customer accounts. For most small businesses, this plan offers the best value because you keep more of your profit and have access to the tools you need to grow.
Advanced Commerce – $49/month
Adds advanced tools like subscription products, advanced shipping features, and abandoned cart recovery to win back customers who leave before completing a purchase. This plan works well for businesses with steady sales who want to automate more of their customer follow-up and delivery processes.
Paying annually can save you up to 30% compared to month-to-month billing, which is worth considering if you plan to commit to your Squarespace website long-term.
While domain registration, premium templates, and certain integrations may carry extra costs, all the core essentials (hosting, SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth) are included in the base price.
From my own perspective, having everything bundled into a single subscription makes it easier to budget.
There are no hidden hosting fees or surprise security add-ons, which can be a relief compared to platforms that charge separately for these essentials.
What is the downside of Squarespace?
Squarespace is a strong platform, but it’s important to know where it may fall short depending on your business model. While it covers the needs of most small-to-medium online stores, there are areas where other platforms might have the upper hand.
Fewer payment gateways compared to Shopify
Squarespace supports major options, but it lacks the extensive list of payment processors that Shopify offers. This could be a limitation if your customers prefer a niche payment method or if you’re selling in regions where certain gateways are more common.
Less flexibility for advanced customizations
The drag-and-drop editor is great for most users, but creating highly customized features or layouts often requires knowledge of CSS or JavaScript. Business owners who want very specific design elements or advanced functionality might find this limiting unless they hire a developer.
No app marketplace
Unlike Shopify or WooCommerce, Squarespace does not have a vast app store for third-party integrations. While it connects to many popular tools, the selection is smaller, which could be an obstacle for businesses that rely on specialized apps for marketing, shipping, or analytics.
Inventory management limitations
Squarespace handles small and medium-sized catalogs well, but it’s less efficient for businesses managing thousands of SKUs. Large-scale sellers may find the process of organizing, tracking, and updating inventory more time-consuming than on platforms built for enterprise-level operations.
For many small-to-medium online businesses, these limitations aren’t deal-breakers, especially when weighed against Squarespace’s ease of use and design quality. However, for high-volume sellers or those with complex operational needs, these factors can influence whether it’s the right fit.
I’ve worked with clients who loved Squarespace’s simplicity but eventually moved to platforms like Shopify once their product range expanded into the thousands.
Can I sell directly from Squarespace?
Yes, and that’s one of the most appealing parts of using Squarespace for ecommerce. Customers can explore your products, add items to their cart, and complete checkout entirely within your Squarespace website.
There’s no need for them to be redirected to an external payment page or third-party platform, which keeps the buying process smooth and uninterrupted.
This kind of seamless experience helps maintain your branding from the homepage to the confirmation email, which goes a long way toward building trust and encouraging repeat purchases.
You also have the option to integrate with Instagram Shopping and Facebook Shop. This means you can tag your products in social media posts, allowing followers to buy directly from the images they’re scrolling through.
It’s a powerful way to shorten the customer journey. People can go from discovering your product to owning it in just a few taps.
From my own experience, this direct selling approach works incredibly well for businesses with visually appealing products, like jewelry, home décor, or clothing.
When customers see something they love on your Instagram feed, the ability to purchase without leaving the app can significantly boost conversion rates.
Combined with Squarespace’s secure checkout and mobile-optimized design, selling directly from your site or social channels becomes a natural extension of your marketing strategy.
What platform is best for e-Commerce?
The best ecommerce platform comes down to your priorities, budget, and long-term growth plans. Each option brings its own strengths, and the right choice will depend on the type of business you’re running and how you want to manage it.
Squarespace
Ideal for design-focused small-to-medium stores and service-based businesses. You get a visually stunning Squarespace website with built-in ecommerce tools, marketing features, and hosting in one subscription. This makes it perfect for entrepreneurs who want a professional look without juggling multiple services.
Shopify
Suited for high-volume product sellers with large inventories and complex fulfillment needs. Its vast app marketplace and multi-channel selling options make it a strong choice for scaling quickly, though it often requires more setup and higher monthly costs.
Wix
Offers flexibility and an easy learning curve, but its ecommerce features feel less refined compared to platforms built specifically for online selling. It’s a good starting point for personal projects or very small stores.
WooCommerce
Best for WordPress users who want complete control over customization. It’s highly flexible, but managing hosting, security, and updates falls on you, which can mean more maintenance work.
BigCommerce
Built for enterprise-level stores that need advanced scalability, complex product catalogs, and deep integration with other systems. It’s powerful but may feel like overkill for smaller businesses.
For a business that values aesthetics, streamlined management, and an all-in-one setup, Squarespace is hard to beat.
From my perspective, it’s the sweet spot for entrepreneurs who want a store that looks high-end, functions smoothly, and leaves them with more time to focus on growing their brand rather than troubleshooting tech.
How many products can you sell on Squarespace?
There’s no official limit to how many products you can list on your Squarespace website, which gives you the freedom to grow your catalog at your own pace. Whether you’re starting with a handful of handmade items or building a collection of several hundred SKUs, the platform can handle it.
While there’s no hard cap, the real key is organization. Stores with large inventories benefit from clear categories, well-structured navigation menus, and product filters that help shoppers zero in on what they want.
For example, a clothing store with 300 items can make browsing easy by breaking them down into men’s, women’s, seasonal collections, and sale sections. This not only improves customer experience but also keeps your site loading quickly.
From my own experience helping clients expand their Squarespace stores, performance remains smooth as long as product images are optimized and the store’s structure is kept tidy.
A disorganized catalog can frustrate customers, even if the site itself runs well. In short, you can sell as many products as you like, but the best results come from thoughtful store design that balances variety with ease of navigation.
Who is Squarespace best for?
Squarespace shines for business owners and creatives who value both aesthetics and functionality in their online presence. Its combination of design flexibility, built-in marketing tools, and ecommerce features makes it a strong choice for several types of entrepreneurs.
Creative professionals
Photographers, designers, and artists can use a Squarespace website to showcase portfolios in visually stunning layouts while selling prints, digital downloads, or commissioned work. The templates are crafted to highlight visuals, making them ideal for anyone whose work speaks through images.
Small boutique brands
Businesses that care deeply about branding and storytelling thrive on Squarespace. The platform makes it easy to weave product listings into a visually consistent and emotionally compelling brand narrative, whether you’re selling handmade jewelry, skincare products, or home décor.
Service-based entrepreneurs
Consultants, fitness trainers, and coaches benefit from Squarespace’s ability to sell services, schedule appointments, and integrate content like blogs or member-only areas. It allows them to market expertise, manage bookings, and process payments from one platform.
Sellers who want a unified platform
For those who want to run content, marketing, and ecommerce under one roof, Squarespace provides all the tools without needing multiple subscriptions. It’s especially effective for entrepreneurs who publish regular content to build authority while also selling products or services.
From my own perspective, Squarespace is best for people who want their website to work as both a storefront and a brand hub, a place where customers can learn, connect, and buy in one smooth experience.
So should you use Squarespace to build your online store?
From my perspective, Squarespace is one of the smartest decisions you can make as an entrepreneur if you value both beauty and functionality in your store.
You’re getting a platform that delivers professional design, integrated marketing tools, secure hosting, and ecommerce features all under one subscription.
The setup is intuitive, which means you can focus on your products and customers instead of learning complicated software or paying for a dozen separate services to get the same results.
It’s true that Squarespace ecommerce won’t be the perfect fit for every type of business. High-volume sellers with massive product catalogs and complex fulfillment processes may find more scalability in platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce.
But for the majority of small business owners, creatives, and boutique brands, Squarespace offers the perfect balance between aesthetics, ease of management, and selling power.
Choosing Squarespace means more than just launching a website. It’s an investment in how your business is perceived from the very first click. Customers are influenced by how a site looks and feels as much as by the products it sells.
A polished, cohesive design can build trust faster than any ad campaign, and Squarespace gives you the tools to achieve that without hiring a full design and development team.
In an online market where credibility often determines whether someone buys from you or moves on to a competitor, having a Squarespace website that reflects professionalism from day one is an advantage worth taking.
For entrepreneurs who want to build something that feels premium without the premium-level stress, Squarespace is a platform that delivers.
