Head to head · Website Builders

Squarespace vs Shopify

Squarespace and Shopify both let you sell, but they start from different places. Squarespace is a design first all in one builder where a store is one part of a polished brand site. Shopify is a dedicated commerce platform that happens to host your pages. The choice comes down to whether selling is the main job of the site or just one feature of it.

Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated MARCH 2026·How we vet
★ Our pick
Squarespace
88 /100
vs
Challenger
Shopify
87 /100
◂ Squarespace Advantage Shopify ▸
Squarespace edges it as the better all round site · Shopify wins decisively the moment selling becomes the main goal.

These are affiliate links marked rel=“sponsored”. We may earn a commission if you buy · it never affects our scores or who wins. Disclosure.

How they score

Criteria Squarespace Shopify Winner
Design and templates
92
80
Squarespace
Ease of use
88
82
Squarespace
Content and blogging
86
74
Squarespace
Selling and checkout
80
95
Shopify
Scalable commerce
76
94
Shopify
Value for a general site
86
78
Squarespace

Scores are our editorial assessment against the VettedSaaS rubric · not vendor supplied.

Choose Squarespace if…
+You want a polished brand, portfolio or content site
+Selling is one part of the site, not the whole point
+Best in class templates and design matter most
+Built in blogging and an all in one feel help
Choose Shopify if…
+Selling online is the main purpose of the site
+You expect a large catalog or high order volume
+Multichannel reach and strong checkout matter
+A huge commerce app marketplace is a draw

Feature by feature

✓ full  ·  ∼ partial  ·  — none
Capability Squarespace Shopify
Free plan trial only 3 day trial
Best in class templates
Dedicated cart and checkout Core plan up
No extra platform fee Plus plan 0% Shopify Payments only
Multichannel selling
Built in blog and CMS basic
App marketplace Extensions huge

Feature support verified as of June 2026 · check the vendor for current details.

Pricing, side by side

Per month, billed annually
Squarespace Our pick
Basic $16
Core $23
Plus $39
Shopify Challenger
Basic $29
Grow $79
Advanced $299

Pricing as of June 2026, per month billed annually · monthly billing runs higher. Check the vendor for current pricing. Squarespace also offers an Advanced plan at $99 and has no free plan, only a trial; its Core plan adds a 3% commerce fee that the Plus plan removes. Shopify adds a $5 Starter and Plus from about $2,300/mo, plus a fee unless you use Shopify Payments.