Prices checked October 24, 2026
Squarespace vs Shopify: which is better for ecommerce?
Squarespace is a design-first website builder with a capable shop: plans start at $19 a month billed yearly, with a 2% store fee on Basic and none from Core up. Shopify starts at $29 a month billed yearly and goes further on commerce, with B2B, Shopify Markets for selling abroad and thousands of apps. Stay on Squarespace if the shop is a small part of a content site, and move when the shop becomes the business.
Squarespace vs Shopify, side by side
Ten things that decide the switch, from each platform's own pages, checked on October 24, 2026. Prices in US dollars, before tax.
Price
- Squarespace
- Basic $19, Core $29, Plus $49 or Advanced $99 a month billed yearly ($25, $39, $65 or $139 monthly).
- Shopify
- Basic $29, Grow $89 or Advanced $359 a month billed yearly ($39, $105 or $399 monthly). Plus from $2,300 a month.
Transaction fees
- Squarespace
- 2% on online store sales on Basic. None from Core up.
- Shopify
- None with Shopify Payments. With another payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced, 0.2% on Plus.
Payments
- Squarespace
- Squarespace Payments from 2.9% + 30¢ per card payment, down to 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced.
- Shopify
- Shopify Payments with Shop Pay built in, from 2.9% + 30¢ per US online card payment on Basic down to 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus.
Apps
- Squarespace
- Squarespace Extensions, on every plan.
- Shopify
- Thousands of apps in the Shopify App Store.
SEO
- Squarespace
- SEO tools and search keyword analysis on every plan.
- Shopify
- Editable titles, meta descriptions and image alt text on every page, and products that can sell in AI chats on every plan.
Speed and hosting
- Squarespace
- Hosted by Squarespace, with unlimited bandwidth and SSL on every plan.
- Shopify
- Hosted by Shopify, with unlimited bandwidth and a free SSL certificate on every plan.
B2B
- Squarespace
- Not part of Squarespace's plan comparison.
- Shopify
- Built in on every plan with up to 3 catalogs. Plus adds unlimited catalogs.
International selling
- Squarespace
- Automated global tax rates from Core up. International cards cost 1.5% more, and currency conversion 1%.
- Shopify
- Shopify Markets on every plan: unlimited countries, translated storefronts, local currencies and domains, duties and taxes.
Ownership and lock-in
- Squarespace
- Hosted by Squarespace. Templates stay on Squarespace, so leaving means a new theme.
- Shopify
- Hosted platform. Products and customers export as CSV files at any time. Themes and apps are built for Shopify.
Support
- Squarespace
- 24/7 customer support on every plan.
- Shopify
- 24/7 live chat on every plan, enhanced on Advanced, priority support on Plus.
Stay on Squarespace, or switch?
Plenty of stores should stay on Squarespace. Here is when it is the right call, and when Shopify fits better.
Stay on Squarespace if
- Design and content come first, and the shop is a small part of the site
- You sell courses, memberships or services next to a few products
- Squarespace's templates and extensions cover everything you need
- You are on Core or higher, so you already pay no online store transaction fee
Shopify is the better fit if
- The shop has become the business, and you want tools built for it
- You sell wholesale and want B2B catalogs on the same store
- You sell abroad and want local currencies, languages, duties and taxes in one place
- You want apps for subscriptions, loyalty, reviews or bundles from thousands in the Shopify App Store
- Your catalog, variants or inventory locations keep growing
What a move from Squarespace costs and takes
Shopify costs a little more per month than Squarespace's entry plans, and the move itself is quick for most stores.
Shopify's plan
Basic is $29 a month billed yearly, the same as Squarespace Core. Grow is $89 and Advanced $359. Apps are extra.
The migration
Our Squarespace migrations start at $8,000, and most stores move in 3 to 5 weeks. Products, customers, order history and blog posts move with them.
Integrations and domain
Squarespace integrations do not carry over, so we find a Shopify equivalent for each. Your domain connects to Shopify.
Your store stays live
We build the Shopify store in parallel while Squarespace stays fully live, and the switch takes minutes.
Ready to move? See how our Squarespace to Shopify migration works, or book a call about your store.
Squarespace vs Shopify questions
Is Squarespace or Shopify better for ecommerce?
Shopify is better when the shop is the business: it adds B2B, Shopify Markets for selling abroad and thousands of apps. Squarespace is better for design-led sites where the shop is a small part, next to content, courses or services.
Is Squarespace cheaper than Shopify?
At the entry level, yes: Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed yearly, with a 2% fee on store sales. Squarespace Core and Shopify Basic are both $29 a month billed yearly. Squarespace Plus is $49 and Advanced $99, while Shopify Grow is $89 and Advanced $359.
What are Squarespace's transaction fees compared with Shopify's?
Squarespace charges 2% on online store sales on Basic and nothing from Core up. Its card rates run from 2.9% + 30¢ down to 2.5% + 30¢ on Advanced. Shopify charges no extra fee on Shopify Payments, with card rates from 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic down to 2.25% + 30¢ on Plus.
Is Squarespace or Shopify better for SEO?
Both cover the basics. Squarespace includes SEO tools and search keyword analysis on every plan. Shopify lets you edit titles, meta descriptions and alt text on every page and adds selling in AI chats. Content, speed and links matter more than the platform.
Can I use Shopify with a Squarespace site?
Yes. Shopify's Buy Button sales channel embeds products and checkout on an external website, so a Squarespace site can keep its pages and sell through Shopify.
How long does a Squarespace to Shopify migration take?
Most of our Squarespace to Shopify migrations take 3 to 5 weeks. Your Squarespace site stays live while we build, and the exact timeline comes in the free migration plan.
Sources
Each platform's own pages, checked on October 24, 2026. Prices are in US dollars and change often, so check the platform before you decide.
Not sure you should switch?
Book a call. We look at your store and tell you whether Shopify would pay off, even when the answer is to stay.