It offers software as a service for website creation and hosting, with users able to create and change webpages using pre-built website templates and drag-and-drop features.
The purpose of reviewing Squarespace.com is to provide potential users with a comprehensive analysis of the platform’s capabilities and to help them make an informed decision about whether it meets their needs. This involves evaluating the ease of use, design and template options, features and tools, performance and reliability, SEO and marketing tools, pricing plans, customer support, and comparing it with competitors. By highlighting the pros and cons, the review aims to present a balanced perspective based on actual user feedback and expert evaluations.
Variety and quality of templates
Customization options
Mobile responsiveness
Ease of use of the design tools
Template switching capabilities
Pricing
Personal ₹1328
Business ₹1909
BASIC Commerce ₹2241
ADVANCED Commerce ₹4068
Ranked 2 from 251 Website Builders
Performance: |4.9|
Squarespace offers solid performance, with fast loading times and reliable uptime, ensuring your site runs smoothly. Its robust infrastructure supports media-heavy websites without compromising speed. While not the absolute fastest on the market, Squarespace strikes a good balance between performance and ease of use, making it a dependable option for most users seeking consistent site performance.
Uptime: |4.9|
Squarespace provides reliable customer service with 24/7 support available via live chat and email. The support team is generally responsive and knowledgeable, helping users with everything from technical issues to design guidance. While there’s no phone support, their extensive online resources, including tutorials and community forums, are valuable for troubleshooting. Overall, Squarespace’s customer service is dependable, though some users may miss the option for direct phone assistance.
Customer Service: |4.8|
Squarespace boasts impressive uptime, consistently maintaining website availability with minimal interruptions. Its robust infrastructure ensures that your site remains accessible around the clock, with an uptime rate typically exceeding 99.9%. While occasional maintenance might result in brief downtimes, these are infrequent and usually planned during off-peak hours. Overall, Squarespace delivers a reliable hosting environment, making it a strong choice for those prioritizing consistent site availability.
Pricing: |4.7|
Squarespace offers a range of pricing plans, starting with a Personal plan at $16 per month and going up to advanced business plans at $49 per month when billed annually. While not the cheapest option available, the pricing reflects the platform’s high quality, including premium design templates, built-in e-commerce capabilities, and robust customer support. For users seeking a well-rounded, feature-rich website builder, Squarespace’s pricing is justified by the value it delivers.
💯 Free Plan | No |
💲 Starting Price | ₹1328 |
📄 Number of Templates | 160+ |
🔌 Apps/Integrations | No |
🛒 E-commerce Tools | Yes |
If you’re at all familiar with website builders, you’ve likely heard of Squarespace and its reputation for sleek, minimalist designs. Its popularity is undeniable. But is it truly deserving of the hype, or is the marketing team just doing an excellent job?
After thoroughly testing what Squarespace has to offer, I can confidently say it lives up to its reputation, providing the tools you need to create stunning and professional-looking designs. Whether you’re building a portfolio, a business site, or just want something visually appealing, Squarespace delivers.
Nevertheless, not everyone is the ideal fit for it. If you’re an experienced designer looking for complete creative freedom, you may find it somewhat limiting. Additionally, it’s on the pricier side—while the quality justifies the cost, it’s not the most budget-friendly option out there.
Squarespace supports multiple languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. So, is it the right choice for you, or should you explore other options? Keep reading to decide.
Design and Templates
Wide Variety of Templates: Professionally designed templates suitable for various industries.
Customization: Advanced customization options, including drag-and-drop editing, CSS editing, and font selections.
Content Management
Blogging: Integrated blogging platform with scheduling and categorization features.
Media Galleries: Manage images, videos, and audio files.
E-commerce
Online Stores: Tools for product management, inventory tracking, and secure payment processing.
Abandoned Cart Recovery: Features for recovering lost sales..
SEO and Marketing Tools
SEO Optimization: Built-in tools for meta tags, alt text, and URL slugs.
Email Campaigns: Integrated email marketing with customizable templates and analytics.
Performance and Security
Uptime Guarantee: Reliable hosting with minimal downtime.
Security: SSL certificates and regular security updates.
Analytics and Reporting
Website Analytics: Detailed traffic reports, visitor insights, and conversion tracking.
Integration with Google Analytics: For advanced reporting.
Customer Support
24/7 Support: Live chat, email support, and a comprehensive knowledge base.
Additional Features
Social Media Integration: Seamless integration with various social media platforms.
Mobile Optimization: Responsive design ensures websites look good on all devices.
Domain Services: Domain registration and management.
Like many popular website builders, Squarespace aims to strike a balance between offering beginners an easy way to create websites and giving more advanced designers/developers the flexibility to build more complex sites. However, in this case, the balance leans more towards catering to beginners.
Even on the Personal plan, adding essential features is simple. Need a calendar, appointment booking system, or online store? Just a few clicks, and it’s done. You can also easily set up additional pages and build a multilingual site with minimal hassle.
However, if you’re looking to use custom templates or insert custom code, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the higher-priced plans. This is a common practice among site builders, so it’s not unusual.
Squarespace also offers a free logo maker, which I’ve reviewed separately. While basic, it’s still a decent tool.
Design Your Own Template With Squarespace Blueprint
One of the biggest criticisms of earlier versions of Squarespace (version 7.0) was the limited flexibility of its templates, as different templates used different frameworks. This meant that most templates had at least one unchangeable element, such as the header or footer.
Version 7.1 of Squarespace addressed this by making all templates part of a unified framework, offering more flexibility. Additionally, you now have the option to create your own templates using Squarespace Blueprint.
The process is quite simple. First, head to the template menu and click the “Build your own template” button. From there, you can choose the sections you’d like to include on your homepage (such as “Intro,” “About Us,” “Featured Products,” etc.).
To customize the layout of these sections, simply hover over them and select from various options. Next, you’ll choose the additional pages for your site, pick a font combination and color scheme, and you’re ready to begin.
Unlike traditional templates, your site won’t look like a pre-designed product, but that’s intentional. Since you’re crafting your own template, what you end up with is a customized framework perfect for building your site.
Let’s focus on e-commerce for a bit because it’s one of Squarespace’s standout features. Adding an online store to your site is as easy as clicking a few buttons, answering some questions, and letting Squarespace handle the design.
Of course, you’ll need to manually add your products, but if you already have an online store, you can save time by importing products via a .CSV file.
Squarespace’s e-commerce features allow you to:
Accept payments through various platforms (PayPal, Stripe, Square)
Get automatic tax calculations
Sell both digital and physical products
Offer discounts and sales
Sell gift cards
Build mailing lists
Send abandoned cart recovery emails
Sell subscriptions
Sell directly through social media
Get automatic shipping fee calculations (via FedEx and UPS, for U.S. only)
Set up shipping zones
Offer in-store pickup scheduling
Drag-and-Drop Editor
Intuitive interface for easily designing pages without coding.
Template Customization
Wide range of professionally designed templates with customizable styles, fonts, and colors.
Content Management
Tools for managing text, images, videos, and audio files.
E-commerce Tools
Features for product management, secure payment processing, inventory tracking, and abandoned cart recovery.
SEO and Marketing
Built-in SEO tools, social media integration, and email marketing capabilities.
Analytics
Detailed website analytics and integration with Google Analytics.
Clean and Modern Design: Intuitive and visually appealing layout.
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Easy to use for placing and arranging elements on pages.
Style Editor: Allows for customization of fonts, colors, and styles without coding.
Sidebar Menu: Provides quick access to pages, design settings, and other tools.
Top Navigation Bar: Includes links to account settings, help center, and preview options.
Content Blocks: Easy to add and manage different types of content like text, images, and videos.
Professional Templates: High-quality, visually appealing templates.
User-Friendly Interface: Easy drag-and-drop editor.
Integrated E-commerce: Comprehensive tools for online stores.
Reliable Performance: Consistent uptime and security.
24/7 Customer Support: Responsive live chat and email support.
Limited Customization: Less flexible compared to some competitors.
Pricey: Higher cost than some other website builders.
Limited SEO Tools: Basic SEO functionalities.
Learning Curve: Some users find it initially challenging.
Limited Export Options: Difficult to migrate to other platforms.
Small Business Owners: Looking for a professional online presence with e-commerce capabilities.
Creatives and Artists: Needing a visually appealing platform to showcase portfolios.
Bloggers and Writers: Requiring a robust content management system for blogging.
Entrepreneurs: Wanting to establish an online store with ease.
Non-Profits and Organizations: Seeking a user-friendly website to communicate their mission and events.
If you’ve read any reviews about Squarespace, you’ve likely seen praise for its templates—and for good reason. Squarespace’s templates are one of its major strengths, and I can’t argue with that. They are truly impressive.
With over 150 templates, each crafted with a unique design aesthetic, they exude a stylish, minimalist feel. What makes it even easier to find the perfect template is how they’re organized: across 19 categories (based on the site’s style, such as “photography,” “entertainment,” or “fitness”) and 7 “types” (based on the site’s function like blogging, e-commerce, or portfolio).
You’ll come across the term “minimalistic” a lot when describing these templates, so let’s clarify what that means. Squarespace’s templates aren’t cluttered with excessive design elements. Instead, they rely on a few well-chosen components. The thoughtful use of fonts, colors, imagery, and negative space creates a visually impactful design, directing attention to the most important parts of the page.
The templates are highly customizable too. Since they all operate on the same framework, you’re free to mix things up. If you’ve browsed through their template gallery before and liked the older designs, you can still use templates from previous versions of Squarespace. While these templates aren’t as flexible as the newer ones, they might appeal to you more aesthetically.
If none of the existing templates catch your eye (which is unlikely), you have the option to design your own site from scratch with Squarespace Blueprint. This feature allows you to create a custom template that perfectly matches your vision (more on that later).
While Squarespace’s emphasis on design is certainly a strong point, there’s a slight drawback. The templates are so carefully balanced in terms of design elements that it’s easy to disrupt that harmony if you’re not familiar with design principles.
I’d describe this editor as a semi-drag-and-drop tool. When you begin editing a page, the process starts by adding “sections” or “content blocks,” which are exactly what they sound like—pre-configured sections of layout or functionality for quick setup.
These blocks can be anything from simple text boxes to food menus, contact forms, or “About The Team” image galleries. More advanced options include social media icons, RSS feeds, Twitter feeds, other social media integrations, charts, Amazon products, appointment scheduling forms, calendars, e-commerce products, and more.
After selecting the content block you need, the drag-and-drop functionality kicks in. You can move elements around to achieve the layout you prefer, though they are constrained by a grid system to ensure your site maintains a consistent and well-spaced design.
Despite these constraints, you still have plenty of layout flexibility. You can use pre-configured content blocks and make adjustments to suit your needs. Alternatively, you can start with a blank content block and build your layout from scratch, adding columns, adjusting spacing, and placing content however you like.
I found Squarespace to be straightforward, user-friendly, and visually pleasing. It didn’t take long to start customizing my site, and making changes to the backend was just as easy. However, if you’re new to website building, there is a slight learning curve, though it’s manageable and not too steep.
That said, the user interface (UI) isn’t perfect and could use some refinement. While building my site was mostly intuitive, constantly switching between the site editor and the Site Styles menu to adjust colors became tiresome. Additionally, stacking elements on top of each other can be a bit tricky.
Still, help is readily available when needed.
You can either dive straight into building your site or start by exploring Squarespace’s tutorials. A quick questionnaire at the start will guide you by asking what kind of site you want to create. Once you begin editing, helpful tips and tutorials are built into the interface to guide you through each step.
Squarespace’s blog provides a wealth of design advice, and the platform offers webinars and a comprehensive knowledge base with numerous guides. Thanks to its long history, Squarespace has developed a well-rounded support system with resources covering nearly every aspect of the site-building process.
Creating a site on Squarespace isn’t the end goal—the goal is to make your site or business thrive. Squarespace provides a variety of built-in tools to help you market and promote your site efficiently.
These tools include social share buttons, Pinterest and Instagram story integration, Facebook ads, and promotional pop-ups. Additionally, Squarespace offers its own email marketing tool and full integration with Mailchimp.
The platform also features a basic but effective set of search engine optimization (SEO) tools to help make your content more discoverable on search engines like Google. For an additional fee, you can hire a “Squarespace SEO Expert” who can offer personalized advice to improve your site’s search rankings.
With integrated analytics, you’ll get insights into search terms driving traffic to your site, the geographic location of your visitors, and the most popular pages on your site.
Additionally, Squarespace offers a built-in scheduling tool. If your business relies on in-person appointments, this tool allows you to manage bookings, send automated reminders, and even create intake forms to streamline the process.
If you’re aiming for an international audience, Squarespace offers tools to localize text, date, and currency settings. Simply navigate to the Language & Region panel in your account dashboard and choose a language. While Squarespace’s editor supports several languages, you can also localize your site in Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
Although this feature isn’t an automatic translator (so you’ll need an extension like Weglot for translating custom text), it’s still a helpful tool for making your site accessible to a global audience. Localization also translates important metadata, which can boost your ranking on international search engines.
1. Visit Squarespace Website
Go to Squarespace.com.
2. Get Started
Click the “Get Started” button on the homepage and choose “What’s your site about?”
3. Choose a Template or Build with AI
Look over the templates offered and pick one that best suits your requirements.
Else build a template with the help of AI.
4. Sign Up
Enter your email address, create a password, and fill in your details to create your account.
4. Confirm Email
Check your email for a confirmation message from Squarespace and follow the instructions to confirm your account.
5. Begin Customizing
Log in to your new account and start customizing your website using the chosen template.
When you need assistance, Squarespace’s support team is readily available and highly responsive. Their main support options include an email/ticket system, live chat, and a community forum. I tested all three to see if I’d receive prompt and professional help.
They also offer support via Twitter, though I didn’t test that option. Here’s what I did check:
While working on my Ultimate Guide to Choosing Domain Names, I had a domain-related question. I submitted a ticket asking if it was possible to purchase a domain on Squarespace (like mywebsite.com), create a subdomain (such as server.mywebsite.com), and point that subdomain to an external server, such as a private one.
Trustpilot: Squarespace has an average rating of around 3.8 to 4.0 stars out of 5. Reviews often highlight the platform’s design quality and ease of use, but some users mention concerns about pricing and customer support.
G2: On G2, Squarespace typically holds a rating of about 4.0 stars out of 5. Reviewers appreciate the templates and user-friendly interface, though there are occasional critiques about customization limitations and cost.
Users frequently commend the elegant and modern design templates.
The ease of setting up and managing a website without needing extensive technical knowledge is often praised.
Integration of various tools and features is also noted as a positive aspect.
Some users express frustration with the higher cost compared to other website builders.
There are mentions of limitations in customization and flexibility.
A few reviews indicate challenges with customer support or specific technical issues.
Personal: Basic plan for individuals and simple websites.
Business: More advanced features, including e-commerce and marketing tools.
Basic Commerce: Comprehensive e-commerce features.
Advanced Commerce: Full suite of e-commerce tools, including advanced shipping and discounts.
Squarespace doesn’t offer a free plan, making it one of the pricier site builders, especially if you pay monthly. Opting for an annual plan can save you a significant amount, though there are still more affordable alternatives. That said, given the quality of service, I think the prices are justified.
For the first year, a free domain is included with every subscription. The Business plan, aimed at those needing more advanced marketing tools, includes a professional email, a Google Workspace account, additional content blocks, advanced analytics, and the option to accept donations.
Upgrading further unlocks features like the ability to sell products, allow users to create accounts, access more detailed statistics, and more. Many of these higher-tier features cater to online stores. If you’re considering an e-commerce setup, list the features you need and check which plan offers them.
Although there’s no free plan, all annual subscriptions come with a 14-day refund window. The refund process is straightforward and hassle-free, giving you two weeks to decide if Squarespace is right for you. I’d say that’s pretty fair.
Squarespace
PERSONAL
₹1328
/MONTHS
Squarespace
BUSINESS
₹1909
/MONTHS
Squarespace
BASIC COMMERCE
₹2241
/MONTHS
Squarespace
ADVANCED COMMERCE
₹4068
/MONTHS
Squarespace
PERSONAL
₹1328
/MONTHS
Squarespace
BUSINESS
₹1909
/MONTHS
Squarespace
BASIC COMMERCE
₹2241
/MONTHS
Squarespace
ADVANCED COMMERCE
₹2241
/MONTHS
Squarespace is a popular website builder known for its visually striking, minimalist designs. It provides an all-in-one platform to create and manage websites, offering tools for design, e-commerce, blogging, and more.
Yes, Squarespace is designed with ease of use in mind, especially for beginners. It offers a semi-drag-and-drop editor where you can add sections and content blocks, making it easy to build and customize your site.
No, Squarespace does not offer a free plan. However, it provides a 14-day free trial, and if you purchase an annual plan, you can request a refund within 14 days if you’re not satisfied.
Squarespace’s pricing starts at $16 per month for the Personal plan, with more advanced plans available for businesses and e-commerce. Annual billing saves you money compared to paying monthly.
Yes, Squarespace templates are highly customizable. You can modify design elements, layouts, and more within the template’s grid system. You also have the option to create custom templates using Squarespace Blueprint.
Squarespace provides 24/7 customer support via live chat and email. Additionally, there are extensive online resources, including tutorials and community forums, to help you troubleshoot issues.
Yes, Squarespace offers robust e-commerce features, allowing you to sell products, manage inventory, accept payments, and more. Advanced e-commerce plans provide additional features like customer accounts and detailed analytics.
Squarespace comes with integrated SEO tools to assist increase the visibility of your website on search engines. You can customize page titles, meta descriptions, and URL slugs, and access other features like automatic sitemaps and SSL certificates.
Yes, Squarespace allows you to utilize your own domain.. All plans include a free custom domain for the first year, or you can connect an existing domain to your Squarespace site.
Yes, you can create multilingual websites on Squarespace by adding additional pages in different languages. While it doesn’t offer automatic translation, it provides tools to manage multiple languages on your site.
Squarespace allows you to export certain content, like blog posts and product information, but not your entire site. If you’re planning to switch platforms, it’s important to consider the limitations of content migration.
While Squarespace isn’t the cheapest option, its quality, ease of use, and design capabilities make it a good value for many users, especially those looking for a polished, professional-looking website.