Squarespace plans range from $19 to $99 a month on annual billing, but the base plan price is only part of what you pay to run an online store. Between credit card processing rates, online store transaction fees, and membership charges, the cheapest tier on the pricing page is often the most expensive option once orders roll in. Below: monthly costs on all four plans, worked math for a small and a growing store, and the sales level where upgrading pays.
The four plans at a glance
Squarespace offers four main website plans, all supporting commerce. Prices below reflect US list prices checked on 2026-10-03.
| Plan | Annual billing | Monthly billing | Standard card rate | Online store fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19/mo | $25/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Core (Recommended) | $29/mo | $39/mo | 2.9% + 30¢ | 0% |
| Plus | $49/mo | $65/mo | 2.7% + 30¢ | 0% |
| Advanced | $99/mo | $139/mo | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0% |
All four plans support selling unlimited products and services, customer accounts, abandoned cart recovery emails, gift cards, subscription products, and Point of Sale (POS) payments in the US and UK. Customers can pay via credit card, Apple Pay, Klarna, or Afterpay with Squarespace Payments, or via Stripe or PayPal.
The choice between plans comes down to transaction fees, payment processing discounts, contributor limits, and shipping tools.
Worked example: what a month costs at 30 and 150 orders
These two stores are hypothetical; the rates are Squarespace’s, checked on 2026-10-03. Both assume an average order value of $40, standard domestic credit cards processed through Squarespace Payments, and annual billing terms.
Store A: 30 orders a month ($1,200 in sales)
A maker selling craft goods or home decor, processing 30 orders a month at $40 each, brings in $1,200 in monthly sales.
Card processing fees on the entry rate (2.9% + 30¢) are: 2.9% of $1,200 ($34.80) plus 30¢ × 30 orders ($9.00) = $43.80.
| Plan | Plan + card fees + store fee | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 + $43.80 + $24.00 (2%) | $86.80 |
| Core | $29 + $43.80 + $0 | $72.80 |
Basic looks cheaper on the pricing page at $19 a month, but its 2% online store transaction fee adds $24.00 on $1,200 in sales. That brings the monthly total to $86.80. Core costs $29 a month, but carries a 0% online store fee, keeping the monthly total at $72.80. Core saves $14.00 every month at this sales volume.
The break-even point between Basic and Core is $500 a month in sales. Core costs $10 more per month than Basic ($29 minus $19 = $10). Because Basic charges 2% on sales, that $10 plan difference is wiped out once sales reach $500 ($10 ÷ 0.02 = $500).
Under $500 a month, Basic is cheaper. For instance, at 10 orders of $40 ($400 in sales):
- Card processing fees: 2.9% of $400 ($11.60) plus 30¢ × 10 orders ($3.00) = $14.60.
- Basic total: $19 plan + $14.60 card fees + $8.00 store fee (2% of $400) = $41.60.
- Core total: $29 plan + $14.60 card fees + $0 store fee = $43.60.
At $400 a month, Basic wins by $2.00. But once sales pass $500 a month, Core is always cheaper.
Store B: 150 orders a month ($6,000 in sales)
The same shop a year later, processing 150 orders a month at $40 each, brings in $6,000 in monthly revenue.
Card processing fees on Core (2.9% + 30¢) are: 2.9% of $6,000 ($174.00) plus 30¢ × 150 orders ($45.00) = $219.00.
Card processing fees on Plus (2.7% + 30¢) are: 2.7% of $6,000 ($162.00) plus 30¢ × 150 orders ($45.00) = $207.00.
| Plan (card rate) | Plan + card fees | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Core (2.9% + 30¢) | $29 + $219.00 | $248.00 |
| Plus (2.7% + 30¢) | $49 + $207.00 | $256.00 |
Even at $6,000 a month, the lower card rate on Plus saves only $12.00 on processing ($219.00 minus $207.00 = $12.00). That saving does not cover the $20.00 plan price gap ($49 minus $29 = $20.00). Core remains $8.00 cheaper per month.
Upgrade break-even points
Do not upgrade to a higher tier solely for lower credit card processing fees until your volume crosses these break-even marks:
| Upgrade | Extra plan cost | Card fee saving | Pays off from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core → Plus | $20/mo | 0.2% | about $10,000/mo |
| Core → Advanced | $70/mo | 0.4% | about $17,500/mo |
| Plus → Advanced | $50/mo | 0.2% | about $25,000/mo |
The math behind each threshold:
- Core to Plus: Extra plan cost is $20 a month ($49 minus $29). The card rate drops 0.2 percentage points (2.9% to 2.7%). Dividing $20 by 0.2% ($20 ÷ 0.002) gives $10,000 a month in card sales.
- Core to Advanced: Extra plan cost is $70 a month ($99 minus $29). The card rate drops 0.4 percentage points (2.9% to 2.5%). Dividing $70 by 0.4% ($70 ÷ 0.004) gives $17,500 a month in card sales.
- Plus to Advanced: Extra plan cost is $50 a month ($99 minus $49). The card rate drops 0.2 percentage points (2.7% to 2.5%). Dividing $50 by 0.2% ($50 ÷ 0.002) gives $25,000 a month in card sales.
Run it with your own numbers: plan price + (your sales × card %) + (your orders × 30¢) + store transaction fee. The profit per order calculator calculates your net profit per unit, including your product costs and shipping expenses.
Annual versus monthly billing and your first-year budget
Squarespace offers monthly billing and annual billing on every plan. The official pricing page highlights: “Free for 14 days. Pay annually to save up to 36%.”
Here is how the cash outlay breaks down over twelve months:
- Basic: $19 a month paid annually ($228 upfront) versus $25 a month paid monthly ($300 over the year). Annual billing saves $72 a year.
- Core: $29 a month paid annually ($348 upfront) versus $39 a month paid monthly ($468 over the year). Annual billing saves $120 a year.
- Plus: $49 a month paid annually ($588 upfront) versus $65 a month paid monthly ($780 over the year). Annual billing saves $192 a year.
- Advanced: $99 a month paid annually ($1,188 upfront) versus $139 a month paid monthly ($1,668 over the year). Annual billing saves $480 a year.
The 14-day free trial
Every Squarespace site starts with a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card. Set up your products, shipping rates, and payments before paying anything, following our launch checklist.
The free domain offer
All annual website plans include one year of free domain registration on available domains. After year one, it renews at standard rates plus taxes. Compare alternatives in our best domain registrar comparison and read our guide to domain and business email setup. Paying annually for Core totals $348 for your store and domain across year one.
The four plans: what each tier adds
Basic: for small shops selling under $500 a month
Basic is $19 a month on annual billing ($25 monthly). It allows up to 2 contributors and charges a 2% online store fee plus a 7% digital content fee. Standard card processing is 2.9% + 30¢. Pick Basic only if your site is primarily a portfolio with occasional sales under $500 a month.
Core: the default choice for most stores
Core is $29 a month on annual billing ($39 monthly) and is marked “Recommended”. It removes the online store fee (0%), allows unlimited contributors, lowers the digital content fee to 5%, and adds shipping labels, real-time carrier rates and automated taxes (0.15% per transaction, capped at $0.99). Standard card processing remains 2.9% + 30¢. Because the $10 plan gap pays for itself once sales pass $500 a month, Core is the right starting tier for physical goods.
Plus: for stores passing $10,000 a month in card sales
Plus is $49 a month on annual billing ($65 monthly). It features a 0% online store fee, unlimited contributors, a reduced 2.7% + 30¢ card rate, and a 1% digital content fee. Pick Plus once physical card sales exceed $10,000 a month or if you sell digital courses.
Advanced: for high-volume stores and digital courses
Advanced is $99 a month on annual billing ($139 monthly). It offers Squarespace’s lowest card rate at 2.5% + 30¢, 0% digital content fees, and the lowest automated tax fee (0.05% per transaction, capped at $0.99). Pick Advanced if card sales pass $17,500 a month or you run high-volume memberships.
Extra costs and add-ons that change the bill
Your monthly software bill can grow beyond the base subscription price depending on what you sell and how you accept payments.
Digital content and membership transaction fees
If you sell video libraries, digital courses, or paid member areas, Squarespace applies a separate digital content transaction fee on top of credit card processing:
- Basic: 7%
- Core: 5%
- Plus: 1%
- Advanced: 0%
On a $50 monthly course sale, the platform fee alone is:
- Basic: 7% of $50 = $3.50
- Core: 5% of $50 = $2.50
- Plus: 1% of $50 = $0.50
- Advanced: 0% of $50 = $0.00
Upgrading from Core ($29/month) to Plus ($49/month) costs $20 more but cuts the membership fee by 4 percentage points (5% to 1%), paying off at $500 a month in digital sales ($20 ÷ 0.04 = $500).
At $2,000 a month in digital memberships:
- Core fee: 5% of $2,000 = $100.00
- Plus fee: 1% of $2,000 = $20.00
- Fee savings: $100.00 minus $20.00 = $80.00
Minus the $20 plan jump ($49 minus $29), Plus yields $60 more in monthly profit ($80 minus $20 = $60).
Premium credit cards
Premium credit cards carry a higher rate of 3.2% + 30¢ on every plan, applying to all American Express cards and certain commercial or corporate credit cards.
On a $40 order paid with American Express: 3.2% of $40 ($1.28) plus 30¢ = $1.58.
On a standard card at 2.9% + 30¢ ($1.46), this is a 12¢ gap per transaction. If your buyers use business or Amex cards often, factor this into your processing budget. See our guide on online payments, fees and chargebacks.
In-person sales and point of sale
All four plans include Squarespace’s Point of Sale (POS) payment processor in the US and UK. Use it to take cards at pop-ups, markets or a shop counter.
Shipping tools and automated sales tax
Core, Plus and Advanced include shipping labels, real-time carrier rates and automated taxes for over 100 countries; the tax tool costs 0.15%, 0.10% or 0.05% per transaction (capped at $0.99). On Basic, or to compare label prices, see Pirate Ship vs ShipStation vs Shopify Shipping and read shipping basics for a new online store.
Automated tax tools calculate rates, but this is general information, not legal or tax advice. See our guide on business basics for a US online store and sales tax software for online stores.
Outside app subscriptions
Squarespace includes abandoned cart emails and customer accounts natively, keeping app costs low. For broader operating expenses, review the monthly cost of running a lean online store and how to cut store app subscriptions.
Who should pick something else
- You want a dedicated retail platform with deep inventory controls. Shopify is built around retail scaling; see our Shopify pricing guide and Shopify vs Squarespace vs Wix.
- You want complete control over software and hosting. WooCommerce on WordPress avoids platform subscriptions; compare options in Shopify vs WooCommerce.
- You have $0 and want to test demand first. Marketplaces avoid upfront subscriptions; see selling on Etsy, Amazon, or your own store and free tools for a new online store.
- You want to build a free site before paying. Wix allows building a storefront and listing products free before paying to accept orders; see Wix pricing explained.
Common mistakes with Squarespace pricing
- Staying on Basic past $500 a month in sales. Basic’s 2% store fee wipes out the $10 plan discount. At $1,200 in sales, Basic costs $86.80 all-in while Core costs $72.80.
- Upgrading to Plus or Advanced solely for lower card rates. A 0.2% rate cut requires $10,000 in monthly card sales just to cover the $20 jump from Core to Plus.
- Overlooking digital content fees. If you sell memberships or courses, Basic charges 7% and Core charges 5%. Plus (1%) pays off from $500 a month in digital revenue.
- Forgetting the second-year domain renewal. The free domain on annual plans renews at standard rates plus taxes after year one.
- Paying monthly for a year-round business. Paying annually saves up to 36%, saving $120 a year on Core alone.
How to decide in five steps
- Start the 14-day free trial. Build your site, add products, and test checkout without entering a credit card.
- Estimate monthly sales. Pick Basic ($19/mo annual) if under $500 a month, or Core ($29/mo annual) to eliminate the 2% store fee once sales cross $500.
- Review digital revenue. If selling courses or memberships above $500 a month, choose Plus ($49/mo annual) for its 1% fee rate.
- Choose annual billing at checkout. This saves up to 36% and includes a free domain for your first year.
- Check margins. Test product prices and costs in our profit per order calculator to ensure healthy profit per sale.
Sources (checked 2026-10-03)
- Squarespace: pricing, plan figures, billing terms, trial, transaction fees, card rates, included selling features and domain offer
