Guides / websites

Is Squarespace Good for a Contractor Website?

By Ryan Goering, CEO, BaaDigi · Last updated September 2026 · 38 sources checked

Squarespace is a workable, low-maintenance choice for a single-location contractor who wants a clean site, but you rent it rather than own it. Squarespace pricing runs $19–$99 a month billed yearly, or $25–$139 month to month, and the $19 Basic plan leaves out the sticky mobile call button, code injection and Zapier, which start on Core at $29[1][2]. AI crawlers are allowed by default, and since July 2026 version 7.1 sites can publish an llms.txt file, but robots.txt cannot be edited on any plan[3][4][5]. Speed is a strength: 72.1% of Squarespace sites pass Core Web Vitals on mobile, against 53.0% of all sites[6][7]. The biggest warning is lock-in. The only export is a partial WordPress-format file that leaves out your design and most page types, and annual prices rose by up to 26% in July 2026[8][9].

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.

What does Squarespace cost for a contractor?

Squarespace website plans, US prices as published September 21, 2026[1]
PlanBilled yearlyBilled monthlyWhat matters for a contractor
Basic$19/mo ($228/yr)$25/moUp to 2 contributors; no code injection, no mobile call bar, no Zapier, no Google Workspace offer
Core$29/mo ($348/yr)$39/moCode injection, mobile information bar with a call button, Zapier and Mailchimp, first-year Google Workspace user
Plus$49/mo ($588/yr)$65/moEverything in Core, lower card rates (2.7% + $0.30)
Advanced$99/mo ($1,188/yr)$139/moEverything in Plus, card rates from 2.5% + $0.30

There is no free plan. Every site starts with a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and paying yearly saves up to 36%[1].

  • Domain: one custom domain is free for the first year, but only on annual billing. After that a .com or .org costs $20 a year[10].
  • Email: business email is Google Workspace resold by Squarespace, billed per user at $84, $168 or $264 a year depending on the tier[11]. Core and higher plans include one Starter user free for the first year, then it renews at the standard rate[12]. Basic does not include the offer[1].
  • Online booking is a separate subscription (Acuity Scheduling), not part of any website plan: $16, $27 or $49 a month billed yearly, or $20, $34 or $61 month to month[13][14].
  • Transaction fees: the online store fee is 2% on Basic and 0% on Core and up; there are no invoice transaction fees on any plan[1].

Renewals can cost more than the price you signed up at. Squarespace raises prices by emailing customers, and the new price applies at your next scheduled renewal, not on the "effective date" in the email[14]. If you are on a legacy plan scheduled for an increase, you cannot cancel the change[15].

In July 2026, annual Core went from $23 to $29 a month and Plus from $39 to $49, both about 26%, while Basic went from $16 to $19. Squarespace told customers by email rather than publishing an announcement[9]. Budget for the renewal price, not the sign-up price.

Do you own your Squarespace site if you leave?

You own your content, not a portable website. The terms of service say you keep ownership of what you upload but grant Squarespace permission to use it to provide, improve, promote and protect its services[16].

The export is the real limit. Squarespace offers no full-site export; the only file it produces is in WordPress format, and "not everything will export, as many features rely on our platform’s JavaScript and CSS"[8].

  • What comes out: standard layout pages, one blog page with its posts and comments, text and image blocks, and gallery pages[8].
  • What does not: portfolio, store, index and calendar pages, any second blog, product and video blocks, drafts, style settings and custom CSS[8].
  • Images may not come across at all. When imported into WordPress, the images can arrive only as links back to Squarespace[8].
  • Trial sites cannot export, and you cannot export from one Squarespace site into another[8].

Your domain is easier to move. Squarespace charges no fee to transfer a domain away[17]. You switch off Domain Lock, request the authorization code, and it should arrive within 24 hours[18].

If you might leave, plan on rebuilding the design and most pages from scratch. Save a copy of every page’s text and your original photos now, while the site is live.

Can AI search engines read a Squarespace site?

Yes, by default. Squarespace has one setting, "Block known artificial intelligence crawlers", and it ships unchecked, so AI crawlers are allowed. Squarespace says it leaves the box unchecked so it does not cut sites out of chat answers and sources[3]. Its own AI-search guide now tells users to keep it unchecked[19].

  • robots.txt is locked. "All Squarespace sites use the same robots.txt file and Squarespace users can’t access or edit the file"[5]. You cannot write your own rules for any bot.
  • The AI setting is all or nothing. Ticking it blocks a fixed list of 26 bots, including GPTBot, ClaudeBot, Google-Extended, CCBot and Amazonbot, across the whole site. You cannot block only some pages[3].
  • The current list, updated January 8, 2026, does not name OAI-SearchBot, ChatGPT-User or PerplexityBot[3]. There is no way to allow the search and answer bots while blocking the training bots.
  • Blocking is not retroactive. Ticking the box does not remove content already collected for AI training[3].
  • llms.txt is native. Version 7.1 sites have an LLMS.txt tab in SEO settings; it is off until you paste in text, and Squarespace gives no formatting guidance[4]. Some 2026 guides written before July still say Squarespace cannot do this; they are out of date.
  • An AI Visibility tool runs prompts against ChatGPT or Gemini to check how often your site is mentioned, using AI credits: 10 runs one-time on Basic, then 20, 40 or 120 a month on Core, Plus and Advanced[19][1].

Check Settings > Crawlers on your site today. If someone ticked "Block known artificial intelligence crawlers", ChatGPT, Claude and Google’s AI training crawlers are being told to stay out.

How many AI-recommended contractors use Squarespace?

Few. In BaaDigi’s study of 511 local contractors named by ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews, 2.7% ran Squarespace (95% confidence interval 1.6–4.5%)[20]. For comparison, WordPress ran 49.3%, Duda 6.8%, Wix 6.5%, GoDaddy Website Builder 2.9%, Hibu 2.5% and Webflow 2.2%[20].

Across the whole web, W3Techs counts Squarespace on 2.4% of all websites, a 3.6% share of sites whose content management system it can identify[21]. So Squarespace shows up among AI-recommended contractors at roughly its general market share.

Correlation only. The study counts which platforms recommended contractors use; it cannot show that any platform helps or hurts your chances of being recommended.

How fast are Squarespace sites?

Faster than the web as a whole, especially on phones. In the HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report for August 2026, 72.1% of Squarespace sites passed all three Core Web Vitals on mobile and 66.4% on desktop[6]. The web-wide pass rates that month were 53.0% on mobile and 60.2% on desktop[7].

Mobile has improved over the summer, from 70.1% in June to 72.1% in August, while desktop slipped from 71.1% to 66.4%, mostly on layout shift[6]. These are site-level averages from real Chrome users, not a guarantee for any one site.

The HTTP Archive’s own analysts note that platforms which control hosting and code, like Squarespace, tend to deliver more consistent results, especially on mobile, than self-hosted systems whose speed depends on themes and plugins[22].

What SEO controls does Squarespace give you?

  • Titles and descriptions: every page and blog post gets its own SEO title and SEO description on all plans[23]. The description field allows up to 400 characters[24].
  • 301 redirects: the URL Mappings panel handles 301 and 302 redirects, up to about 2,500 lines. A 301 only fires once the old URL no longer exists[25].
  • Sitemap: generated automatically at /sitemap.xml and cannot be edited[26].
  • Schema: Squarespace adds structured data automatically, including Local business, Organization and Blog post, and you cannot edit or remove it[27]. Adding your own JSON-LD takes code injection, which is Core and above[28].
  • Canonical tags are handled by the platform, for example pointing example.com/home at example.com[5]. We found no documented per-page canonical setting.

Does Squarespace have the local business features contractors need?

  • Click-to-call: phone links work in text, buttons and navigation on all plans[29]. The sticky mobile information bar with a call button needs Core or higher[2].
  • Forms: form blocks on every plan, sending submissions to email, Google Drive, Mailchimp or Zapier[30]. The Zapier connection, the usual route into a CRM, needs Core or higher[1].
  • Booking: Acuity Scheduling, a separate subscription you embed on the site. It keeps working on its own if the website lapses[31][13].
  • Reviews: native reviews are product reviews only; Squarespace says you cannot collect reviews for your business in general[32]. Showing Google reviews takes an embed or third-party widget.
  • Multiple locations: Business Information settings hold one set of contact details, location and hours[33]. We found no documented multi-location feature, so location pages are ordinary pages, and the automatic Local business schema cannot vary by page without code injection.

Squarespace does market to the trade, with a contractors page pitching project showcases, invoicing and website booking[34].

What changed at Squarespace in 2025–2026?

  • Squarespace has been privately owned since October 17, 2024, when investment firm Permira completed a take-private valued at about $7.2 billion and the company left the New York Stock Exchange[35].
  • March 27, 2025: the current terms of service took effect[16].
  • January 8, 2026: the AI-crawler block list was updated to 26 bots[3].
  • February 2026: the legacy Personal, Business and Commerce plans closed to new sign-ups[15].
  • July 2026: annual prices rose by up to 26%, communicated by email[9]. TechRadar reported that three of four plans rose 18–26%, and quoted one user whose bill went from $216 to $348 a year between 2021 and 2026[36].
  • July 22, 2026: native llms.txt editor documented for 7.1 sites[4].
  • August 2026: the AI Visibility tool, AI credits and the SEO/AI Visibility panel were documented[19].

What do Squarespace users complain about?

Trustpilot shows 3.5 out of 5 stars from 5,374 reviews[37]. The recurring themes are slow support replies and trouble with custom domains and mobile editing[37], plus waits for domain transfer codes[38]. In the press, the July 2026 increase drew complaints about paying more for AI features users did not ask for[36]. Trustpilot is a self-selected sample, so read it as a list of risks, not a score.

Should a contractor use Squarespace?

  • Likely a fit: a one-location contractor who wants a good-looking, fast site with little upkeep, has fewer than a few dozen pages, and is happy on Core ($29 a month billed yearly) or above for the call bar and Zapier.
  • Likely not: a contractor planning dozens of city or service pages, custom schema per location, or bot-by-bot AI crawler rules. Squarespace locks robots.txt and handles multiple locations only with manual work and code.
  • Think twice if you might switch platforms in a few years. The export will not carry your design or most page types, so leaving means a rebuild.
  • Either way: skip Basic if leads matter, since it lacks the mobile call button and Zapier, and price the renewal, domain, email and booking before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Squarespace cost for a contractor website?
Squarespace website plans cost $19, $29, $49 or $99 a month billed yearly, or $25, $39, $65 or $139 billed monthly. Most contractors need at least Core at $29 a month billed yearly, because Basic has no sticky mobile call button, no code injection and no Zapier. Business email and online booking cost extra.
Can I move my Squarespace site to another platform?
Only partly. Squarespace exports a WordPress-format file with standard pages, one blog and some images, but not your design, custom CSS, portfolio or store pages, or other page types. Your domain can be transferred away with no Squarespace fee.
Does Squarespace block ChatGPT and other AI crawlers?
Not by default. The "Block known artificial intelligence crawlers" setting is unchecked on new sites, so AI crawlers are allowed. If you tick it, it blocks a fixed list of 26 bots across the whole site. You cannot edit robots.txt yourself on any plan.
Does Squarespace support llms.txt?
Yes, since July 2026, on version 7.1 sites. There is an LLMS.txt tab in the SEO settings. It is off until you paste in the text you want to publish.
Is Squarespace fast enough for SEO?
Generally yes. In August 2026, 72.1% of Squarespace sites passed Google’s Core Web Vitals on mobile and 66.4% on desktop, compared with 53.0% and 60.2% across all websites.
Can I show Google reviews on a Squarespace site?
Not with a native feature. Squarespace’s built-in reviews are for products only, and it does not collect reviews for a business in general, so Google reviews need an embed or a third-party widget.

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. Squarespace pricing page — checked 2026-09-21
  2. Squarespace help: Adding a mobile information bar — checked 2026-09-21
  3. Squarespace help: Request that AI models exclude your site — checked 2026-09-21
  4. Squarespace help: Create an llms.txt file — checked 2026-09-21
  5. Squarespace help: Understanding Google SEO emails and console errors — checked 2026-09-21
  6. HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report: Squarespace (August 2026 data) — checked 2026-09-21
  7. HTTP Archive Core Web Vitals Technology Report: all websites (August 2026 data) — checked 2026-09-21
  8. Squarespace help: Exporting your site — checked 2026-09-21
  9. PetaPixel, "Squarespace is increasing prices by up to 26%" (July 17, 2026) — checked 2026-09-21
  10. Squarespace help: Squarespace domains FAQ — checked 2026-09-21
  11. Squarespace help: Google Workspace pricing, billing and invoices — checked 2026-09-21
  12. Squarespace help: Free Google Workspace offer — checked 2026-09-21
  13. Squarespace Scheduling (Acuity) pricing — checked 2026-09-21
  14. Squarespace help: Choosing the right Squarespace plan — checked 2026-09-21
  15. Squarespace help: Legacy website billing plans — checked 2026-09-21
  16. Squarespace terms of service (effective March 27, 2025) — checked 2026-09-21
  17. Squarespace help: Domain transfer pricing and billing — checked 2026-09-21
  18. Squarespace help: Transferring a domain away from Squarespace — checked 2026-09-21
  19. BaaDigi study: website platforms of 511 AI-recommended contractors (September 2026) — checked 2026-09-21
  20. W3Techs: usage statistics of content management systems (September 21, 2026) — checked 2026-09-21
  21. HTTP Archive Web Almanac 2025, CMS chapter — checked 2026-09-21
  22. Squarespace help: Editing page titles — checked 2026-09-21
  23. Squarespace help: Adding SEO descriptions — checked 2026-09-21
  24. Squarespace help: URL mappings — checked 2026-09-21
  25. Squarespace help: View your site map — checked 2026-09-21
  26. Squarespace help: How does Squarespace optimize my site for search results? — checked 2026-09-21
  27. Squarespace help: Using code injection — checked 2026-09-21
  28. Squarespace help: Creating a contact page — checked 2026-09-21
  29. Squarespace help: Acuity Scheduling pricing, billing and invoices — checked 2026-09-21
  30. Squarespace help: Customer reviews — checked 2026-09-21
  31. Squarespace help: Business Information settings — checked 2026-09-21
  32. Squarespace for contractors (solutions page) — checked 2026-09-21
  33. Squarespace press release: Permira completes acquisition of Squarespace (October 17, 2024) — checked 2026-09-21
  34. TechRadar, Squarespace users react to 2026 price increases — checked 2026-09-21
  35. Trustpilot: Squarespace reviews — checked 2026-09-21
  36. Trustpilot: Squarespace review on domain transfer codes — checked 2026-09-21