Squarespace is a website builder that can also sell. Shopify is a store builder that can also host your pages and blog. Both are hosted, so you do not manage servers or updates. If selling products is the main job of your site, that difference settles most of the choice.
Facts below come from the Squarespace pricing page and the Shopify pricing page, as of October 2026. Prices are in US dollars and exclude tax.
The short verdict
- Pick Squarespace if your site is mainly about your brand, services or content, and you sell a modest range of products on the side.
- Pick Shopify if the store is the business, you expect your range and order volume to grow, or you also sell in person.
If you sell handmade or creative items and want a marketplace with buyers already on it, read Shopify vs Etsy too.
Prices
Squarespace, per month:
- Basic: $12 billed annually, or $19 billed monthly.
- Core: $17 billed annually, or $27 billed monthly.
- Advanced: $25 billed annually, or $36 billed monthly.
Every site starts with a 14-day free trial, no credit card needed. Annual plans include one year of free domain registration.
Shopify, per month:
- Basic: $19 billed yearly, or $27 billed monthly.
- Grow: $54 billed yearly, or $72 billed monthly. 5 staff accounts.
- Advanced: $299 billed yearly, or $399 billed monthly. 15 staff accounts.
At the time of writing, Shopify offered 3 days free with no credit card, then $1 a month for the first 3 months on most plans. After that, the regular price applies.
Fees on each sale
This is where the totals change.
Squarespace charges a platform fee on some plans, plus payment processing:
- Basic: 2% on online store sales, 7% on digital content and memberships.
- Core: 0% on store sales, 5% on digital content and memberships.
- Advanced: 0% on both.
Shopify does not charge its own transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments. You pay card processing fees, which vary by plan and country, and the pricing page does not list the rates. If you use another payment provider, Shopify adds a fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced.
A quick example. You sell $1,000 of products a month on Squarespace Basic. The 2% fee is $20, on top of the $12 plan and processing. Squarespace Core at $17 has no store fee, so above roughly $250 a month in sales, Core costs less than Basic. Do the same sum for your own numbers.
Selling features
Squarespace lets every plan sell products and services, send invoices and sell content and memberships. That suits a coach, a studio or a small brand with a short product list.
Shopify is built around the store. Its pricing page lists staff accounts on Grow and Advanced, and an optional POS Pro add-on at $89 a month per location for selling in person. A large app store adds features, though apps can add to your monthly cost.
Design and content
Squarespace is known for its templates and is comfortable for pages, galleries and blogs. If your site needs to tell a story before it sells, it is a natural fit.
Shopify themes are built around products and checkout. You can add pages and a blog, but the store comes first.
How to decide
- Estimate monthly sales. Work out the fee on each Squarespace plan and the processing cost on Shopify.
- Count your products and staff. A long range or a team points to Shopify.
- Check in-person selling. If you sell at markets or in a shop, look at Shopify's POS options.
- Try both. Build your home page and one product page in each trial.
Whichever you pick, good product descriptions, clear product photos and a plain shipping policy do more for sales than the platform. If you are also looking at other builders, see Wix vs Squarespace.