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Shopify vs Squarespace: Which Is Better for Selling Online in 2026?

By Ryan Goering, CEO, BaaDigi · Last updated November 2026 · 51 sources checked

Shopify vs Squarespace for selling online: choose Shopify if the store is the business; choose Squarespace if you want a good-looking site that also sells some things. Shopify Basic lists at $29 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly) and Squarespace Core at $29 ($39), checked November 12, 2026[1][2]. Squarespace Basic is $19 but charges a 2% store fee on every sale, whichever payment company you use; Core and up charge 0%[3]. Shopify charges its extra fee (2% on Basic) only when you use a third-party gateway[1]. Shopify lists unlimited products; Squarespace’s help center caps a store page at 10,000[1][4]. On speed, 76.5% of Shopify sites pass Core Web Vitals on mobile against 71.0% for Squarespace in October 2026[5][6]. A third option keeps Shopify running the store behind a custom front end, quoted per project by BaaDigi (our own offer)[7][8]. Biggest warning: Shopify’s “$1 a month for 3 months” is a promotion, not the price[1].

BaaDigi builds websites, mostly on Next.js, so we compete with every platform on this page. Every figure below is from the platform’s own pages or public datasets, so you can check it.

How do Shopify and Squarespace compare side by side?

People search both “Shopify vs Squarespace” and “Squarespace vs Shopify”; the facts are the same either way. These are two of the platforms we researched, not every way to sell online. The table compares Shopify Basic with Squarespace Core because both list $29 a month on yearly billing, and shows Squarespace Basic where it differs. We have no data on which plan buyers choose most. Prices are US list prices before tax, read on November 12, 2026. Every current Squarespace plan can sell products[4].

Shopify vs Squarespace vs a custom storefront on Shopify. Core Web Vitals = share of sites passing all three, mobile / desktop, HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report, October 2026
ShopifySquarespaceCustom storefront on Shopify (our own offer)
Plan price, billed yearly / monthlyBasic $29 / $39. Grow $79 / $105. Advanced $299 / $399[1]Basic $19 / $25. Core $29 / $39. Plus $49 / $65. Advanced $99 / $139[2]A Shopify plan is still required, at the Shopify prices in the first column[7]. The build is quoted per project[9]
First-year plan cost, billed yearly$348 on Basic (our arithmetic: $29 × 12). Shopify also showed “3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months”, a promotion with no stated end date[1]$348 on Core, $228 on Basic (our arithmetic). One free domain for year one on annual plans[2]Shopify plan plus a quoted-per-project build
RenewalAnnual billing charges the full year up front at a lower monthly rate[10]Price changes apply at your next renewal[11]. Annual Core rose from $23 to $29 in July 2026, per PetaPixel[12]Shopify’s renewal terms apply to the plan; the build is a project quote
Transaction feeNone on Shopify Payments. If you use a third-party gateway: Basic 2%, Grow 1%, Advanced 0.6%, plus the gateway’s own rates[1][10]Plan-based, whichever processor you use: Basic 2%, Core 0%, Plus 0%, Advanced 0%. You also pay Stripe, PayPal or Square their own rates[3][13]Same Shopify fee applies[1]
Card rate, online, lowest planShopify Payments: 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, 2.7% on Grow, 2.5% on Advanced. Premium cards 3.5% + 30¢ on Basic[1]Squarespace Payments: 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core, 2.7% on Plus, 2.5% on Advanced. Premium cards 3.2% + $0.30[3]Same Shopify Payments rates apply[1]
Product limitsUnlimited products on every plan. We could not verify the variant limit[1]Marketing says unlimited; the help center says up to 10,000 products per store page and 250 variants per product on version 7.1 sites[2][4]Shopify’s limits apply
Abandoned-cart recoveryIncluded on all four plans, for the online store only (not POS or third-party channels)[1][14]Included on all four plans; the email goes out 24 hours after abandonment[15]Runs through Shopify checkout
Can you export products, orders, customers?Yes, each to CSV. Product SEO title and description columns stay blank unless you customized them[16][17][18]Products to CSV (up to 10,000; no reviews, featured images, variant images or image alt text); customers to CSV; orders to CSV, but not hidden products or former product versions[19][20][21]Product data stays in your Shopify account; see Shopify’s exports
SEO controlsEditable URL handle after fixed /products/ and /collections/ prefixes; redirects up to 100,000; robots.txt editable through robots.txt.liquid, which Shopify calls unsupported[22][23][24]Per-page title and description; 301s in URL Mappings (about 2,500 lines); robots.txt not editable; your own JSON-LD needs code injection on Core and up[25][26][27][28][29]You build the front end, so its meta tags and sitemap are the developer’s job[7]; Shopify’s docs say Hydrogen checks the store’s URL redirects before a 404[30]
AI-crawler controlsShopify says stores can be indexed by search engines and LLMs; robots.txt rules are advisory; AI-shopping channels are on by default for eligible stores[31][24][32]Open by default; one checkbox blocks a fixed list of 26 AI bots; llms.txt editor on version 7.1 sites, off by default[33][34]Set in the code you own; not stated in our plan descriptions
Core Web Vitals pass rate (mobile / desktop)76.5% / 79.9%[5]71.0% / 74.1%[6]Not measured for this offer
Who edits, and howYou, in the Shopify admin and theme editor; Sidekick, an AI assistant, is included and shows changes for your review before applying them[35]You, in the Squarespace editor; AI credits by plan (Core: 20 a month)[2]A developer builds the front end; Shopify still runs products, checkout, payments, shipping and tax[7][8]

Across the whole web, 53.0% of sites passed all three Core Web Vitals on mobile and 61.1% on desktop in October 2026[36]. A platform average says nothing about one specific store; test yours in Google PageSpeed Insights.

Which costs less for an online store?

On Squarespace Core versus Shopify Basic the plan price is the same. The cheaper option depends on which Squarespace plan you pick and which payment company you use. Plan-only three-year totals, our arithmetic from the cited list prices, exclude tax, domain, business email, themes, apps and any future price change.

Three-year plan cost, yearly billing (our arithmetic from the cited list prices)
Shopify BasicSquarespace BasicSquarespace Core
Plan, 3 years$1,044 ($29 × 36)[1]$684 ($19 × 36)[2]$1,044 ($29 × 36)[2]
  • Squarespace Basic is $360 cheaper over three years than Core, but takes 2% of every online sale, on top of card rates[3]. Our arithmetic: on $10,000 of online card sales, the 2% is $200 a year, which erases the saving of $120 a year ($29 − $19 = $10 a month) once sales pass $6,000 a year.
  • Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ and no extra platform fee. With a third-party gateway it adds 2% on top of that gateway’s rates, the same 2% Squarespace Basic charges everyone[1][10][3].
  • Squarespace Core and up: 0% store fee, card rate 2.9% + $0.30 on Core, the same headline rate as Shopify Basic[3][1].
  • Themes: Shopify has free themes and paid ones from outside designers[37]. The paid themes featured on its Theme Store home page on November 12, 2026 cost $100 to $400 one time; the featured set changes and is not the full range[38].
  • Apps: Shopify says apps can have a monthly fee, a one-time fee or usage-based charges, and some third-party apps bill you outside Shopify. It publishes no average app spend, and neither do we[39][40].
  • Domain: Shopify says domains bought through it typically start at $9 a year, billed annually[41]. Squarespace’s free domain lasts one year on annual plans[2].
  • Setup: Shopify says there are no setup fees on any plan[1]. We could not verify Shopify Email’s price, so we do not state one.

Promotion seen on the check date, not a price: Shopify’s pricing page showed “Try 3 days free, then $1/month for 3 months” and gave no end date. After that you pay the list price. Also, Shopify’s older Starter plan is closed to new stores, and we could not verify its price, so we leave it out[1][42].

Shopify’s $0 Agentic plan is for selling in AI channels. You can build an online store on it but cannot publish one without moving to a paid plan, so it is not a way to run a store for free[43].

Which is better for selling online, Shopify or Squarespace?

Shopify will often be the better fit for a serious store; Squarespace is a reasonable fit for a site that also sells a little. That is a reading of what each platform documents, not a ranking: we found no source showing either one converts or ranks better.

  • Where Shopify documents more store tooling: unlimited products, selling on social, marketplaces and AI chats, and in-person payments with a phone or card reader, all listed on every plan, plus staff accounts on higher plans (Basic includes no additional staff accounts, Grow 5, Advanced 15)[1]. It also lets you build a headless storefront, one on Basic through Advanced[1].
  • Where Squarespace documents a simpler bill: a 0% store fee on Core and up, unlimited contributors on Core, and every plan can sell[3][2][4]. Its point-of-sale app is US-only for iOS and Android and takes payments through Square[2].
  • Squarespace payment options are Squarespace Payments, Stripe and PayPal online, with Square for in-person only. Squarespace Payments can only be connected alongside PayPal[13].

Which is better for SEO, Shopify or Squarespace?

Both give you the basics: editable titles and descriptions, 301 redirects and an automatic sitemap[44][45][25]. Neither page says one ranks better.

  • URLs: Shopify lets you edit the handle, the part after a fixed prefix such as /products/ or /collections/, and you cannot redirect those fixed paths themselves[22][23]. Squarespace’s URL Mappings field holds about 2,500 lines[26].
  • robots.txt: Shopify lets you add a robots.txt.liquid file to your theme but calls it an unsupported customization that Shopify Support cannot help with[24]. Squarespace says all its sites use the same robots.txt file and users cannot edit it[27].
  • Schema: Squarespace adds Local business, Blog post and other schema automatically, you cannot edit or remove it, and your own JSON-LD needs code injection on Core or higher[28][29]. On Shopify, structured data comes from your theme; we found no vendor page saying what a given theme outputs, so check yours.

Which is faster, Shopify or Squarespace?

In October 2026, 76.5% of Shopify sites passed all three Core Web Vitals on mobile and 79.9% on desktop, against 71.0% and 74.1% for Squarespace. The whole-web figures were 53.0% and 61.1%[5][6][36]. Both beat the web average; Shopify passes more often on both devices.

These are averages over thousands of sites from real Chrome users. They do not predict your store, which can be slow on either platform with oversized images, many apps or extra scripts. Squarespace itself says custom code can slow a site[46].

Can you leave Shopify or Squarespace later?

You can take your product, order and customer lists with you on both. You cannot take the finished site.

  • Shopify: products, orders and customers each export to CSV; exported product SEO fields are blank unless you customized them[16][17][18]. No Shopify page we read says that themes, apps or redirects move to another platform. Shopify’s terms say anything you upload remains yours[47].
  • Squarespace: the site export is a WordPress-format file that leaves out design and style settings, custom CSS, and store pages[48]. Products export separately to CSV without reviews, featured images, variant images or image alt text; customers export to CSV[19][20]. A domain can be transferred out with an authorization code[49].

Before you leave either platform, export products, orders and customers, save original product photos and alt text yourself, and list every page and product address so each gets a 301 redirect on the new store.

Which has better AI features for stores?

  • Shopify: its “agentic storefronts” (ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Gemini, Copilot, Meta) are active by default for eligible stores, and AI-channel orders keep you as owner of the customer relationship[32]. Blocking AI crawlers in robots.txt does not stop Shopify Catalog from sending your product data to channels you have activated[24]. Shopify also advises adding structured data and product attributes for AI crawlers[50].
  • Squarespace: AI credits come with each plan (Core: 20 a month), and its AI Visibility tool runs on those credits[2][51]. A checkbox blocks a fixed list of 26 AI bots, and the vendor says it defaults to off[33].

What is a custom storefront on Shopify?

It is a third option for owners who want a fully custom site. Shopify describes headless commerce this way: “Headless commerce separates your storefront’s frontend from its backend. You build the frontend, and Shopify’s APIs handle the commerce underneath.” Its Storefront API serves products, collections, search and the cart, and hands customers off to checkout[7].

BaaDigi built Revivify’s store like this: a headless Shopify storefront inside a custom Next.js site, with product data read through Shopify’s API and checkout, payments, shipping and tax running through Shopify[8]. Our store builds are quoted per project because scope varies[9]. Shopify’s plan prices and payment fees still apply on top, and plans include one headless storefront on Basic, Grow and Advanced[1].

Shopify itself says “A headless storefront costs more to build and run than a theme.” Most small stores are fine on Shopify alone. This option is for owners who want a custom site and accept the added cost[7].

Which should you pick: Shopify, Squarespace or something else?

  • Shopify is likely a fit if selling is the main job of the site, you want unlimited products, selling on social, marketplaces and AI channels, and room to add staff accounts as you grow[1]. Accept the 2% fee on Basic if you use a third-party gateway, and watch app costs[1][39].
  • Squarespace is likely a fit if the store is one part of a design-led site, you want a 0% store fee on Core and a simple plan bill, and you do not need more than 10,000 products on a store page[3][4]. Accept that robots.txt is locked and automatic schema cannot be edited[27][28].
  • A custom storefront on Shopify is likely a fit if you want a fully custom front end, keep Shopify running checkout and payments, and can pay a quoted-per-project build on top of Shopify’s fees[8][7]. The BaaDigi AI Website Management plan does not cover stores; e-commerce is quoted separately[9].

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify or Squarespace better for selling online?
Shopify will often be the better fit for a serious store, because it lists unlimited products and selling on social, marketplaces and AI chats on every plan. Squarespace is a reasonable fit if the store is one part of a design-led site. We found no source showing either converts or ranks better.
Is Shopify or Squarespace cheaper?
Shopify Basic and Squarespace Core both list $29 a month billed yearly as of November 12, 2026. Squarespace Basic is $19 but takes a 2% fee on every sale. Shopify charges its extra fee, 2% on Basic, only when you use a third-party gateway. Monthly billing is $39 on both Shopify Basic and Squarespace Core.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees on store sales?
Yes, on its cheapest plan. Squarespace’s store fee is 2% on Basic and 0% on Core, Plus and Advanced, whichever payment processor you use. You also pay the processor its own rates: Squarespace Payments is 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core.
Is the Shopify $1 a month offer the real price?
No. Shopify’s pricing page showed 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months, on November 12, 2026. That is a promotion with no end date shown. After it, you pay the list price: Basic is $29 a month billed yearly or $39 billed monthly.
Can I move my store from Squarespace to Shopify, or the other way?
Your product, order and customer lists can be exported to CSV on both platforms. The finished site cannot move: Squarespace’s site export leaves out design settings and store pages. Plan to rebuild pages, check what the CSV leaves out, such as image alt text, and set up redirects.
Is there a third option besides Shopify and Squarespace?
Yes: a custom storefront on Shopify. Shopify keeps running products, checkout, payments, shipping and tax, and a custom-coded front end replaces the theme. BaaDigi offers this (our own offer), quoted per project, and Shopify’s plan and payment fees still apply. Shopify says headless costs more to build and run than a theme.

Related reading

Sources

Every source was opened and read on the date shown. Vendor prices change; check the vendor's page before buying. How we research: methodology.

  1. Shopify pricing page (footnote dated November 10, 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  2. Squarespace pricing page — checked 2026-11-12
  3. Squarespace help: transaction fees and payment processing rates — checked 2026-11-12
  4. Squarespace help: adding products to your store (plans with commerce, limits) — checked 2026-11-12
  5. HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report API: Shopify (October 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  6. HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report API: Squarespace (October 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  7. Shopify developer docs: headless storefronts — checked 2026-11-12
  8. BaaDigi case study: Revivify (headless Shopify on Next.js) — checked 2026-11-12
  9. BaaDigi: AI Website Management pricing and scope — checked 2026-11-12
  10. Shopify help: pricing overview (billing, third-party transaction fees) — checked 2026-11-12
  11. Squarespace help: billing, renewals and price changes — checked 2026-11-12
  12. PetaPixel, "Squarespace is increasing prices by up to 26%" (July 17, 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  13. Squarespace help: connecting a payment processor — checked 2026-11-12
  14. Shopify help: abandoned checkouts — checked 2026-11-12
  15. Squarespace help: abandoned checkout recovery — checked 2026-11-12
  16. Shopify help: exporting products — checked 2026-11-12
  17. Shopify help: exporting orders — checked 2026-11-12
  18. Shopify help: importing and exporting customers — checked 2026-11-12
  19. Squarespace help: exporting products to a CSV — checked 2026-11-12
  20. Squarespace help: managing customers (CSV export) — checked 2026-11-12
  21. Squarespace help: exporting Commerce orders — checked 2026-11-12
  22. Shopify blog: SEO-friendly URLs — checked 2026-11-12
  23. Shopify help: URL redirects — checked 2026-11-12
  24. Shopify help: editing robots.txt — checked 2026-11-12
  25. Squarespace help: editing page titles — checked 2026-11-12
  26. Squarespace help: URL mappings — checked 2026-11-12
  27. Squarespace help: understanding Google SEO emails and console errors — checked 2026-11-12
  28. Squarespace help: how Squarespace optimizes your site for search results — checked 2026-11-12
  29. Squarespace help: using code injection — checked 2026-11-12
  30. Shopify developer docs: Hydrogen — checked 2026-11-12
  31. Shopify help: crawling your store — checked 2026-11-12
  32. Shopify help: agentic storefronts — checked 2026-11-12
  33. Squarespace help: request that AI models exclude your site — checked 2026-11-12
  34. Squarespace help: create an llms.txt file — checked 2026-11-12
  35. Shopify help: Sidekick (page text read via r.jina.ai 2026-11-12; wording paraphrased) — checked 2026-11-12
  36. HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report API: all websites (October 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  37. Shopify help: choosing themes — checked 2026-11-12
  38. Shopify Theme Store home page (featured themes) — checked 2026-11-12
  39. Shopify help: finding and choosing apps — checked 2026-11-12
  40. Shopify help: about apps — checked 2026-11-12
  41. Shopify domains — checked 2026-11-12
  42. Shopify help: Starter plan — checked 2026-11-12
  43. Shopify help: Agentic plan and publishing an online store — checked 2026-11-12
  44. Shopify help: finding your sitemap — checked 2026-11-12
  45. Squarespace help: view your site map — checked 2026-11-12
  46. Squarespace help: my site is loading slowly — checked 2026-11-12
  47. Shopify terms of service (last updated October 20, 2026) — checked 2026-11-12
  48. Squarespace help: Exporting your site — checked 2026-11-12
  49. Squarespace help: transferring a domain away — checked 2026-11-12
  50. Shopify help: optimizing your store for AI — checked 2026-11-12
  51. Squarespace help: optimize your site for AI-powered search engines — checked 2026-11-12

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