Our verdict
Choose Shopify if selling is the core of your business and you want room to scale. Choose Squarespace if your site is a design-led brand experience with a modest catalogue.
Shopify and Squarespace both let you sell online, but they prioritise different things. Shopify is a dedicated ecommerce platform with deep inventory, checkout, POS and a vast app ecosystem. Squarespace is a design-led website builder with solid commerce features — ideal when your site is a brand showcase that also sells.
Choose Shopify if…
- Ecommerce is your primary business
- You need advanced inventory, multichannel selling or POS
- You expect to scale product count and order volume
- You want the largest ecommerce app ecosystem
Choose Squarespace if…
- Design and content matter as much as selling
- You sell a modest catalogue, services or digital products
- You want an all-in-one website with commerce built in
- You prefer fewer apps to manage
Side by side
| Criterion | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.8 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Features & fit | 9.4 | 8.2 |
| Ease of use | 9.0 | 8.8 |
| Value for money | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Support & reliability | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Security & privacy | 8.8 | 8.2 |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 9.6 | 7.6 |
| Starting price (indicative) | From around $29–39 / month (Basic) | From around $16–25 / month (billed annually) |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Most online stores | Creative and design-led businesses |
Feature by feature
| Feature | Shopify | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (indicative) | ~ $29 / month (Basic, annual) | ~ $23 / month (Business, annual) |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory and locations | Advanced | Basic |
| POS | Yes (Shopify POS) | Limited / via Square integration |
| Subscriptions | Via apps | Built in (Commerce plans) |
| App ecosystem | Very large | Smaller |
| Design templates | Good (paid themes common) | Excellent |
| Best fit | Ecommerce-first businesses | Design-led brands with smaller catalogues |
Pricing compared
Shopify
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ≈ $29 / mo | Billed annually; higher monthly |
| Grow | ≈ $79 / mo | — |
| Advanced | ≈ $299 / mo | — |
Squarespace
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | ≈ $16 / mo | Billed annually |
| Business | ≈ $23 / mo | — |
| Commerce | ≈ $28 / mo | — |
Indicative USD list prices; excludes tax, add-ons and promotions. Confirm on each vendor’s site.
Ecommerce depth
Shopify covers inventory, multiple locations, abandoned checkout recovery, POS and marketplaces. Squarespace covers products, subscriptions and basic inventory well for smaller stores.
Design
Squarespace templates are polished and cohesive. Shopify themes are strong too, but design flexibility often depends on paid themes or apps.
Pricing
Shopify Basic is around $29 per month annually. Squarespace Business is around $23 and Commerce around $28 per month annually. Transaction fees vary by plan and payment provider.
Apps
Shopify's app store is the largest in ecommerce. Squarespace has extensions, but far fewer.
Checkout
Shopify's checkout is highly optimised and supports accelerated wallets such as Shop Pay.
Pros & cons
Shopify
- Excellent checkout
- Huge app store
- POS for in-person selling
- App costs add up
- Transaction fees without Shopify Payments
Squarespace
- Stunning templates
- Integrated tools
- Reliable hosting
- Less layout freedom
- Fewer integrations
Key features of each
Shopify
- Checkout. Optimised and fast.
- Shopify POS. Sell in person.
- App Store. Thousands of apps.
- Markets. International selling.
Integrates with: Google, Meta, Amazon, QuickBooks, Klaviyo.
Squarespace
- Templates. Design-led starting points.
- Commerce. Sell products and subscriptions.
- Acuity scheduling. Bookings.
- Email campaigns. Built-in marketing.
Integrates with: Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal.
Who should avoid each
Skip Shopify if…
- Very custom backends
- Budget sellers needing only a few products
Best for: Most online stores; Multichannel selling; Stores planning to scale.
Skip Squarespace if…
- Complex sites
- Large catalogues
Best for: Creative and design-led businesses; Portfolios; Small shops.
Switching between Shopify and Squarespace
Migration difficulty: Moderate
Products and customers export via CSV; design and apps must be rebuilt. Redirect old product URLs to protect SEO.
- Export products, customers and orders.
- Choose a theme and rebuild key pages.
- Import products and check variants and images.
- Set up payments, shipping and taxes.
- Create URL redirects and test checkout end to end.
Weigh it your way
Adjust the weights to your priorities to see which tool comes out ahead for you. Print or export the result for your team.
| Tool | Features | Ease | Value | Support | Security | Integrations | Your score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Shopify | 9.4 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 8.79 |
| 2. Squarespace | 8.2 | 8.8 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 8.19 |
Drag the sliders to match your priorities. Scores are our editorial sub-scores; weights start at the values we publish on the methodology page. Nothing you change is stored or sent anywhere.
How our scores and weights work · Add a third tool side by side
Frequently asked questions
Is Squarespace good for ecommerce?
Yes, for small to medium catalogues, services and digital products. Larger stores usually prefer Shopify.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Shopify waives extra transaction fees when you use Shopify Payments; third-party gateways may incur fees. Check current terms.
Which is easier to design with?
Squarespace, for most people.
Can I sell in person?
Shopify POS is strong for in-person selling. Squarespace supports some in-person sales via integrations.
Does Shopify or Squarespace have a free plan?
Shopify has a free trial but no permanent free plan; Squarespace has a free trial but no permanent free plan. Indicative starting prices: Shopify — From around $29–39 / month (Basic); Squarespace — From around $16–25 / month (billed annually).
Which scores higher in our review, Shopify or Squarespace?
Shopify scores 8.8/10 and Squarespace 8.2/10 on our weighted rubric. Shopify leads on 5 of six criteria. A higher score does not make it right for every buyer — see the “choose if” lists above.
