Should I use Shopify or Squarespace?

Use Shopify if e-commerce is the primary purpose of your site and you want multichannel selling and a large app ecosystem; use Squarespace if a designed marketing site comes first and e-commerce is secondary.

Is Shopify cheaper than Squarespace?

No — Shopify starts at $39/month while Squarespace starts at $16/month, though Squarespace's e-commerce tiers add a 3% transaction fee that Shopify avoids with Shopify Payments.

Does Shopify have a free plan?

No — Shopify offers only a 3-day free trial followed by $1/month for 3 months; there's no permanent free tier.

Which has better templates, Shopify or Squarespace?

Squarespace's template and design quality is rated above most drag-and-drop competitors, with its Fluid Engine editor auto-adapting layouts across devices; Shopify's theme customization instead relies on its proprietary Liquid language.

Shopify vs Squarespace (2026)

By Noahlast updated September 14, 2026

Verdict: Choose Shopify if selling products is the primary purpose of your site and you need multichannel commerce across social, marketplaces, and in-person POS. Choose Squarespace if a designed-looking marketing site or portfolio comes first, with e-commerce as a secondary feature. The deciding factor is starting price and commerce depth: Shopify starts at $39/month built entirely around selling, while Squarespace starts at $16/month with e-commerce only unlocked, and still 3% transaction fees, on the $23/month Core tier and above.

Shopify

All-in-one e-commerce platform for building and running online stores, from $39/month with a 3-day free trial.

Pricing: From $39/mo
License: Paid
Best for: solo entrepreneurs and growing merchants who want an all-in-one hosted platform for building an online store, accepting payments, and selling across multiple channels without managing their own hosting

4.5/5 on Capterra (6,707 reviews)

Details shopify.com

Squarespace

An all-in-one website builder with designer templates, built-in hosting, and e-commerce, priced from $16/month billed annually.

Pricing: From $16/mo
License: Paid
Best for: small businesses and creative freelancers who want a designed-looking marketing site or online store without a developer, and don't need pixel-level control over every layout

4.6/5 on Capterra (3,417 reviews)

Details squarespace.com

Choose Shopify if…

Selling products online is the primary purpose of your site, not a secondary feature
You need multichannel selling across social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person point-of-sale from one system
You want access to a 21,000+ app ecosystem for extending store functionality without custom development
You're planning to scale into a large, complex, high-volume operation that could eventually need Shopify Plus
You want a high-converting, purpose-built checkout (Shop Pay) rather than a general-purpose site builder's e-commerce add-on

Choose Squarespace if…

A designed-looking marketing site, portfolio, or blog is your primary goal, with e-commerce as a secondary feature
You want the lowest entry price between the two ($16/month vs Shopify's $39/month)
You want built-in email campaigns and scheduling bundled into the same subscription as your site
You don't need a large third-party app ecosystem and prefer Squarespace's more curated, template-driven design
You want e-commerce transaction fees to drop to 0% once you're on the Plus tier ($39/month) rather than paying Shopify's ongoing payment processing setup

Shopify vs Squarespace: feature comparison

Feature	Shopify	Squarespace
Starting price	Yesfrom $39/mo (Basic), $29/mo billed annually	Yesfrom $16/mo (Basic), billed annually
Free tier	No3-day trial then $1/mo for 3 months	No14-day trial only
Platforms	Yesweb, iOS, Android	Yesweb, iOS, Android
License	Nopaid, closed-source	Nopaid, closed-source
Primary focus	Yese-commerce-first platform	Partialmarketing site/portfolio builder with e-commerce added at Core tier ($23/mo) and above
E-commerce transaction fee	NoShopify Payments avoids extra fees; other processors add fees on every plan	Partial3% fee at Core tier, drops to 0% at Plus ($39/mo) and Advanced ($99/mo)
App/extension ecosystem	Yes21,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store	Unknownno comparable marketplace size disclosed
Multichannel selling (social, marketplaces, POS)	Yesbuilt in across social, marketplaces, and in-person POS	PartialPOS integration only at Core tier and above
Staff accounts	Yesup to 5 (Grow, $105/mo), up to 15 (Advanced, $399/mo), unlimited (Plus)	Yesunlimited contributors
Top-tier pricing	YesPlus from $2,300/mo for complex, high-volume businesses	YesAdvanced $99/mo for larger stores
Design/template quality	Unknown	YesFluid Engine auto-adapts layouts across devices, rated above most drag-and-drop competitors
Template switching after launch	Unknown	Norequires substantial rework to change templates
Custom templating language	YesShopify's proprietary Liquid	YesSquarespace's own CSS/JS injection system
External rating (Capterra)	Yes4.5/5 from 6,707 reviews	Yes4.6/5 from 3,417 reviews
Learning curve	Yesmoderate	Yeslow

Shopify vs Squarespace pricing: which costs less?

Squarespace costs less to start, at $16/month versus Shopify's $39/month, but Shopify's checkout avoids the 3% e-commerce transaction fee Squarespace charges at its Core tier.

Squarespace's entry Basic plan ($16/month) doesn't include e-commerce; Core ($23/month) adds it but keeps a 3% transaction fee until Plus ($39/month) removes it. Shopify's $39/month Basic plan includes full e-commerce from day one, and using Shopify Payments avoids extra processor fees, though non-Shopify Payments processors add fees on every Shopify plan too. For a pure e-commerce comparison at similar functionality, the effective starting prices land closer together than the headline numbers suggest.

Which is easier to use, Shopify or Squarespace?

Squarespace is easier to use, rated with a low learning curve, while Shopify carries a moderate learning curve, especially for customization beyond templates.

Squarespace's Fluid Engine lets users place elements freely on a responsive grid with automatic device adaptation. Shopify's storefront customization beyond prebuilt themes requires learning Liquid, Shopify's proprietary templating language, a steeper step for non-technical users.

Can Squarespace replace Shopify for a serious online store?

Squarespace can replace Shopify for smaller stores that don't need Shopify's app ecosystem or multichannel selling, but it lacks Shopify's scale features.

Squarespace's e-commerce covers product catalogs, abandoned-cart recovery, and subscriptions on higher tiers, enough for many small stores. It has no equivalent to Shopify's 21,000+ app ecosystem, its dedicated Shop Pay checkout, or its Plus tier for large, complex, high-volume operations.

Which has lower e-commerce transaction fees, Shopify or Squarespace?

Shopify avoids extra transaction fees when using Shopify Payments, while Squarespace charges a 3% fee at its Core tier that only drops to 0% at Plus ($39/month) and above.

Strengths and weaknesses

Shopify

Pros

Quick to launch an online store without managing hosting or server infrastructure.
Reliable, high-converting built-in checkout (Shop Pay) and payment processing.
Large app ecosystem (21,000+ apps) for extending functionality without custom development.
Multichannel selling built in across social platforms, marketplaces, and in-person POS.

Cons

Third-party apps and premium themes add up quickly beyond the base subscription price.
Non-Shopify Payments processors incur extra transaction fees on every plan.
Customizing beyond templates requires learning Shopify's proprietary Liquid templating language.
Plus tier jumps to $2,300+/month, a large gap from Advanced's $399/month.