Consider Shopify when…
Shortlist Shopify when selling is the main job, you plan to add channels such as marketplaces or point of sale, and you expect the catalogue to grow.
Explore Shopify alternativesFIND YOUR FIT
Shopify vs Squarespace
Shopify vs Squarespace: compare a commerce-first platform with a design-led website builder by trial, transaction fees, and where you can sell.
The decision in brief
Both are hosted, so neither needs a server. Shopify is built around commerce, selling through your store, social channels, marketplaces, and in person from one admin, with a third-party transaction fee if you do not use Shopify Payments. Squarespace starts from the website, with templates, bookings, and content alongside a store; its Basic plan adds a 2% fee on online store sales, removed on Core and above.
A focused editorial selection based on the linked official documentation. Fit notes are our judgment, rather than firsthand benchmark results or a universal ranking. How we select and verify information.
Compare the working details
| Decision factor | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Merchants selling physical or digital products online, on social channels and marketplaces, and in person, without managing hosting. | Small brands and creatives whose shop sits inside a design-led website, alongside bookings, content, or memberships. |
| Working setup | Start a trial, pick a theme or generate a store from a prompt, add products and inventory, set up payments, shipping, and tax, then connect a domain and launch. | Pick an ecommerce template and start a free trial, add products and a payment processor, set up shipping and tax, then connect a domain and publish. |
| Pricing model | A free 3-day trial with no card required, then Basic, Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans billed monthly or yearly. Card rates fall on higher plans, and a third-party transaction fee applies when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments. Hosting is included, and selling digital products carries no extra fee. | There is no free plan; every site starts with a 14-day free trial with no card required. Basic, Core, and Advanced plans are billed monthly or annually. Basic adds a 2% transaction fee on online store sales, which Core and Advanced remove; digital content and memberships carry separate fees by plan. |
| What to verify | Shopify Payments is available only in some countries; if you cannot or will not use it, add your plan's third-party transaction fee to your payment provider's own fees. | On Basic, 2% of online store sales goes to Squarespace on top of payment processing; work out the monthly revenue at which Core becomes cheaper. |
Which belongs on your shortlist?
Consider Squarespace when…
Shortlist Squarespace when the store sits inside a design-led site with a portfolio, services, or content, and the catalogue is modest.
Run the same evaluation in both
- Use both free trials, three days on Shopify and 14 on Squarespace, to build the same store with three products, one with variants.
- Set up shipping, tax, and a discount code, then place a test order in each.
- Price a year at your expected sales, including the plan, payment processing, and any transaction fee.
Try the same task before you choose
Launch one small shop and take test orders
Use the same fictional shop in each candidate. 'Fernhollow Ceramics' sells three items: a mug in two glaze colours with five of each in stock, a set of four plates that weighs 3 kg, and a downloadable PDF glaze guide. It ships at a flat domestic rate and to one international zone. Use each platform's test or sandbox payment mode and made-up customer details only; never take a real payment.
Every check starts as Not run. Record your own observations; these are evaluation criteria, rather than completed product tests. Your worksheet stays in this page and can be downloaded.
| Task and expected observation | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Add the three products The mug shows both colours with separate stock counts, and the PDF is set up as a digital product with no shipping. | ||
| Buy the PDF guide as a test customer The download arrives by email or on the order page; record any limit on downloads or file size. | ||
| Set up domestic and international shipping The plates cost more to ship than the mug, and the international rate applies only to addresses in that zone. | ||
| Turn on tax for the shop's home country Prices and the test receipt show tax as expected; note whether the platform calculates it automatically. | ||
| Place a test order with a 10% discount code The order completes in test mode, the code applies, stock drops by one, and the confirmation email arrives. | ||
| Refund part of the test order The refund is recorded against the order, and stock is restored if you chose to restock. | ||
| Price the shop for a year Record the plan needed, apps or extensions, payment processing, and any transaction fee at a fictional 200 orders a month. |
0 of 14 checks have an observation. An observation does not imply a passed test.
Sources and check dates
Provider documentation supports the product and billing descriptions. Confirm current limits and terms before choosing a plan.
ShowMeYourSaaS also offers commercial product coverage. These guides follow our editorial selection criteria; placement is not a purchased ranking. Send a correction with the page and a supporting source.