Squarespace review

All you need to know about setting up your online store with Squarespace.

Our verdict

Squarespace is one of the easiest ways to build a website online, even if you don’t class yourself as much of a tech whizz. It comes with beautifully designed templates to help you create a professional-looking site quickly, while hosting, security and updates are taken care of in the background.

All of this makes Squarespace a solid pick for small businesses, creatives and anyone who wants a decent-looking online presence without the effort of spending weeks building everything from scratch. However, take note that the e-commerce side is quite simple, which means you might start to feel a bit boxed in if your shop grows and you need more advanced selling features.

Overall, Squarespace could be a great fit if you’re just starting out with online selling, where ease of use and good design are more important than complex functionality.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Very easy to use. Squarespace is designed for beginners and requires no technical skills.
  • Strong design quality. Pick from a range of professional-looking templates to suit your business type.
  • All-in-one platform. Squarespace includes hosting, security, templates and updates in one place.
  • Built-in tools. Marketing, analytics and basic SEO tools are also included.

Cons

  • Limited scalability. It's less suited to businesses that are looking to grow fast.
  • Fewer integrations. It doesn't have as many integrations compared to rivals Shopify or BigCommerce.
  • Cost. You'll need to pay more to access the best features.

What is Squarespace?

Squarespace is a popular website builder and hosting platform that allows users to create an online store without needing to be a coding genius. It comes with a vast range of professionally designed templates, with layouts aimed at portfolios, blogs and service-based businesses.

Squarespace is fully hosted which means it takes care of the technical side for you, including hosting, security, software updates and maintenance.

On the e-commerce side, Squarespace supports a range of payment options, including providers such as Stripe, PayPal and ApplePay, making it easy to take payments online.

Squarespace is a subscription based platform and has 4 pricing plans to choose from, depending on the features and tools you require.

Who is Squarespace for?

Squarespace is ideal for small business owners, freelancers, artists and creators who want to create a polished website quickly, but don’t have the technical knowledge. It might work for you if you’re just getting started with your online business, while also working your full-time job.

It’s less suited to businesses that are scaling quickly or who run more complex online shops.

What are the main features?

The main features of Squarespace are as follows:

Website builder

Squarespace offers a drag-and-drop style editor with a vast library of pre-designed professional-looking templates. Use the AI website builder to generate a website based on a description of your business goals.

All-in-one platform

Squarespace offers hosting, a domain name, a website builder, a content management system (CMS), payments and SEO tools all from one place.

E-commerce tools

You can sell products, services and digital goods, with features including product pages, checkout, inventory tracking and basic order management.

SEO tools

Make the most of built-in SEO tools to help get your site noticed. Features include editable page titles, meta descriptions, and URLs, plus guidance to help improve how your pages appear in search results.

Payment processing

Squarespace supports payments through providers like Stripe, PayPal and Apple Pay, making it easy to take secure payments online. Everything is integrated into the checkout process so you don’t need separate systems.

Blogging functionality

Squarespace also offers blogging tools, making it a good option for content-led sites. You can organise posts and categories, schedule content and embed media.

Marketing tools

Take advantage of built-in marketing features such as marketing campaigns, pop-ups and social media integration so you can promote products or content easily.

Analytics and reporting

Squarespace provides a built-in analytics dashboard where you can monitor your website’s performance, track traffic trends and keep an eye on sales data.

Extensions library

If you want to go beyond Squarespace’s core features, you can use Squarespace Extensions to integrate a range of third-party tools to add extra functionality to your site.

Is Squarespace safe?

Yes, Squarespace is considered safe to use. It manages most of the technical security in the background, including things like server protection, software updates and ongoing maintenance, reducing the risk of common security issues.

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Writer

Rachel Wait is a freelance journalist and has been writing about personal finance for more than a decade, covering everything from insurance to mortgages. She has written for a range of personal finance websites and national newspapers, including The Observer, The Mail on Sunday, The Sun and the Evening Standard. Rachel is a keen baker in her spare time. See full bio

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