WordPress vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for Your Business?
Squarespace is simpler and prettier out of the box. WordPress gives you more control and full ownership. Squarespace plans run from $19 to $99 a month on a yearly plan, with hosting and design tools in one price. WordPress is free software you host where you like, so you can add almost anything and move your site whenever you want. For a simple, good-looking site you run yourself, Squarespace is a fine choice. For a business site you plan to grow, WordPress usually wins. If you want WordPress without the setup, see our website design.
Squarespace ads make building a website look easy, and the templates really are beautiful. Then someone tells you “real businesses use WordPress,” and now you are not sure.
We build on WordPress, so we will be upfront about that. We will still give you the honest trade-offs. Here is how Squarespace and WordPress compare on cost, ownership, design, selling online and what happens if you ever want to leave.
What is the difference between WordPress and Squarespace?
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder you pay for each month. WordPress is software you own and run on hosting you choose. In this post, WordPress means the free software from WordPress.org, not the paid WordPress.com service. Squarespace limits what you can add. WordPress lets you add almost anything.
| Squarespace | WordPress | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A builder, templates and hosting in one plan | Free software you put on your own hosting |
| Monthly cost | $19 to $99 a month, paid yearly | Hosting, plus any paid plugins you choose |
| Design | Polished templates, fewer ways to change them | Any design you want, with more setup |
| Adding features | Built-in tools and a small set of add-ons | Thousands of plugins |
| Updates and backups | Squarespace handles them | You or your web team handle them |
| Leaving later | Some content exports; the rest is rebuilt | Move the whole site to a new host |
Squarespace prices: squarespace.com/pricing, checked November 2026.
Is Squarespace or WordPress cheaper?
Squarespace is often cheaper to start if you build it yourself. WordPress can cost less over time, but only if you count your time or the cost of help.
Squarespace costs $19 a month for Basic, $29 for Core, $49 for Plus and $99 for Advanced, when you pay for a year up front. Paying month to month costs more: $25, $39, $65 and $139. On the Basic plan, Squarespace also takes a 2% fee on store sales, according to its pricing page (November 2026). Core and up have no store transaction fee. Selling digital products or memberships has its own fee: 7% on Basic, 5% on Core, 1% on Plus and 0% on Advanced, per its pricing page (November 2026). Squarespace also offers a free trial before you pay.
WordPress itself costs nothing. You pay for hosting, a domain and any paid plugins. For an online store, WooCommerce is free, and you only pay your payment company’s card fees.
Can you move a Squarespace site to WordPress?
Partly. Squarespace can export some of your content to a WordPress file, but not all of it.
According to Squarespace’s own help page, the export includes regular pages, one blog with its posts, text blocks, image blocks and gallery pages. It does not include store pages, portfolio pages, video and audio blocks, product blocks, drafts, your style settings or custom code. And “only one blog page exports.”
So moving from Squarespace usually means bringing over the words, then rebuilding the design and store in WordPress. With WordPress, the whole site is files and a database you can back up and move to any host.
Which is easier to use, Squarespace or WordPress?
Squarespace is easier on day one. You pick a template, drag in your content and publish, with hosting included. WordPress takes more setup, but once it is built, editing a page or writing a post is just as simple.
Who handles security, updates and support?
On Squarespace, Squarespace handles security, updates and backups, and you contact its support team when something breaks. On WordPress, your host and your web team handle them. You get more control, but someone has to own the job.
Which is better for design, Squarespace or WordPress?
Squarespace looks great with very little work. WordPress can look any way you want, but someone has to design it.
Squarespace templates are some of the best looking on any builder. The trade-off is that you work inside them. If your idea does not fit the template, you are often stuck.
WordPress has no such limit. With a page builder or a custom design, your site can match your brand exactly. That freedom takes more setup, which is why many business owners hire a designer for it.
Which is better for SEO and growing a business?
Both can rank on Google. WordPress gives you more control and more ways to grow.
- SEO: both let you set page titles, descriptions and clean web addresses. WordPress adds SEO plugins like Rank Math, plus control over speed, schema and site structure.
- Selling online: Squarespace has a solid built-in store. WordPress uses WooCommerce, which can grow from a few products to a large catalog.
- Blogging: both work well for a blog. WordPress started as blogging software, and it gives you more control over categories, layouts and SEO for each post.
- Bookings, members and more: Squarespace offers some of these as add-ons. WordPress has a plugin for almost every job, so you can add what your business needs later.
Want WordPress without the setup?
You did not start your business to learn hosting and plugins. We design WordPress websites from $1,999, with a fixed quote first. Once it is paid in full, the site is yours.
1. Talk to us about your business. 2. We design and build your site. 3. You review it, and it goes live.
Should you choose WordPress or Squarespace?
Pick the one that fits where your business is going, not just where it is today.
Squarespace is a good fit if:
- You want a beautiful site you can build and run yourself
- You do not want to think about updates or hosting
- Your needs are simple and not likely to change much
WordPress is a good fit if:
- Your website is how customers find you, and you plan to grow it
- You want a design that is fully your own
- You want to own your site and be free to move it
- You plan to sell more, take bookings or add tools later
Already on Squarespace and feeling boxed in? When a business owner comes to us from Squarespace, we rebuild the site in WordPress and point each old page address to its new home, so visitors and Google can still find you. See our Squarespace to WordPress service, or our website redesign services if you want a new look too.
Not sure how your current site stacks up?
We will look at your site’s speed, forms, tracking and setup, then send you a free report with a recorded video walkthrough.
WordPress vs Squarespace FAQs
What is the downside of Squarespace?
You work inside its templates and tools, some content cannot be exported, and fees on digital products and the Basic plan add up as you grow.
Does Squarespace work with WordPress?
Not directly. They are separate platforms. Squarespace can export some content to a WordPress file, which is how many people move their site.
Is Squarespace still good in 2026?
Yes, for a simple, good-looking site you run yourself. Businesses that want more control or plan to grow often move to WordPress.
Is Squarespace easier than WordPress?
Yes, at the start. Squarespace has fewer settings and ready-made templates. WordPress takes more setup, but it is easy to edit once it is built.
Can I switch from Squarespace to WordPress?
Yes. Squarespace exports pages, one blog and some other content to a WordPress file. Store pages, video and your design are rebuilt in WordPress.
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
It covers the basics, like page titles, descriptions and clean addresses. WordPress gives you more control, with SEO plugins and full access to speed and schema.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
On the Basic plan, yes: 2% on store sales, per Squarespace’s pricing page (November 2026). Core, Plus and Advanced have no store transaction fee, though your payment company still charges its card fees.
Is WordPress free?
Yes. The WordPress software is free. You still pay for hosting, a domain and any paid plugins or themes you choose.
Which is better for an online store?
Squarespace works well for small, simple stores. WordPress with WooCommerce gives you more ways to sell and grows further.
Sources
- Squarespace, Pricing (checked November 2026)
- Squarespace Help, Export your site content (checked November 2026)
What to do next
If you want a beautiful site you will run yourself, Squarespace is a fine place to start. If your website needs to be your hardest-working employee, bringing in customers while you run your business, build it on something you own.
Talk to a WordPress expert about your website.
Keep reading: WordPress vs Wix | Web design software vs website builders | How much does it cost to design a website?