Shopify vs. Squarespace

Shopify is built for selling, Squarespace for websites

Choose Squarespace for service, portfolio, and content-led websites, and Shopify to sell products online, in person, and around the world.

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A white purse with silver patches inside a product website tile. To the right, we see a line graph showing a 15% online store conversion rate over time

Join millions of merchants in 175+ countries

Why Shopify

See why brands are moving to Shopify

1
Manage your way
From customizations to back office functionality, Shopify is the platform to handle your business’ complexity.
2
15% better checkout conversion
Reach more shoppers and convert more buyers with Shopify’s powerful integrations and capabilities.
3
$0 listing fees on unlimited products
Do business on your own terms and scale without compromising your bottom line.
4
150+ updates every six months
Discover the same best-in-class features and functionality used by the world’s biggest brands.

Manage your way

Run your business, your way

Explore Shopify’s powerful tools to make customizing your brand or running your back office more streamlined than ever before.

A furniture website next to a Shopify editor window

Streamline your back office

Manage inventory, fulfill orders, track payments, create marketing campaigns, and view real-time business insights—all from Shopify.

Explore back office features

Level up with 21,000+ apps

Add more features and functionality with more than 21,000 apps built by trusted Shopify developers.⁴

Explore app store

Powerful tools, simplified

Shopify offers hosting, a subdomain, SSL certificate, built-in fraud detection, unlimited storage, and PCI-DSS compliance upon signing up. Let Shopify handle the complex so you can focus on growing your business.

Explore marketing tools

Built fully customizable

Pick from over 70 no-code themes or create your own. Transfer your domain and customize your checkout, product pages, and more with simple, easy-to-use tools.

Explore Shopify stores

We knew that if we were going to leave Squarespace, it would be to go to Shopify… Shopify gives us a much, much easier way to manage our inventory, upload products, and bulk edit items.
Milicent Armstrong — FounderRead case study

15% better checkout conversion

Sell more with the best-converting checkout

Shopify’s checkout lifts conversion by 15% on average, and it’s built into every store. Pack it with features customers love like express checkout, discounts, gift cards, and local pickup and delivery.

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Sell on social, marketplaces, and in AI chats

Reach buyers beyond your online store. Use sales channel integrations to sell on TikTok, Instagram, Etsy, Amazon, and more—all from Shopify. More than 875 million unique shoppers bought from Shopify merchants online in 2024,⁹ and AI-referred sessions converted 80% better than organic search from April to June 2026.⁷

Build a campaign

40%+ average increase in international sales

Reach buyers around the world with native multi-language and multi-currency features, plus a host of local payment gateways for an optimized checkout experience that converts. Brands on Shopify Managed Markets saw a 40%+ average increase in international sales, and 83% expanded sales into additional countries.⁶ Stores on Shopify generated $68.1 billion in cross-border sales from July 2025 to June 2026.⁷

Start selling internationally

$100B+ in sales through Shopify POS

Shopify’s fully integrated POS system has everything you need to sell in person, backed by everything you need to sell online. Shopify has processed more than $100 billion in offline sales since Shopify POS launched.⁹

Explore Shop POS

Up to 50% higher conversion with Shop Pay

Help buyers speed through checkout with Shop Pay, a one-click checkout that converts as much as 50% better than guest checkout and at least 10% better than other accelerated checkouts.⁵ With Shopify Payments, you get access to more than 250 million engaged shoppers in the Shop network.⁸

Explore Shopify Pay

Start selling for US$1

Earn up to US$7,000 back in credits

You agree to receive Shopify marketing emails.

$0 listing fees on unlimited products

Keep more money in your pocket

Save on total cost of ownership and get a higher return on investment while scaling—without compromising your bottom line.

A product inventory list showing icons, names of shoes, category, and quantity. A rising line chart showing orders over time.

Unlimited products with no listing fees

Never pay extra to list more products on Shopify for the same monthly price plan you sign up for.

All-in-one pricing

Shopify’s all-in-one pricing plans let you scale as your business does—without having to worry about hosting fees that add up as you grow.

Find a Shopify plan that’s best for you

Whether you’ve got a new idea you want to explore or if you’re ready to sell all over the world, there’s a Shopify plan that’s right for you. Check out plans and pricing.

See pricing

150+ updates every six months

Technology that grows with you

Commerce is changing like never before, but Shopify is single-mindedly focused on keeping you at the cutting edge. With thousands of engineers, Shopify is shipping countless annual commerce updates—from integrating AI across the platform, to offering omnichannel selling tools.

We never stop shipping.
150+ updates unpacked every six months.

Explore Shopify Editions

99.9% platform uptime during the biggest flash sales

Shopify maximizes security without compromising performance or affecting compatibility. The platform handles the internet’s biggest flash sales with ease.

200+ real-time reports, plus custom analytics

Access powerful real-time business data and customer insights that let you drive growth in strategic ways. Shopify includes 200+ real-time reports, plus custom analytics.²

Migrate from Squarespace to Shopify

Migrate your way

There are tons of ways to migrate your data to Shopify. Choose the one that works for you based on your business needs.

A website selling home goods with floating icons and purses around it.

An icon of CSV file that leads to a product inventory window

For smaller businesses

Migrate manually

For a simpler approach, manually transfer your store’s data using a CSV file. This will import products and customers to your new Shopify store.

Note that some data like orders and blog posts can’t be moved this way.
Copy text from your current store’s pages and paste it in your new Shopify store where you need.

Explore manual migration

A refresh icon that leads to other icons of a price tag, person, paper/pencil, a package, and a website

For fast setup

Move with a migration app

Migrate your store quickly. Use a third-party migration app from the Shopify App Store.

Transfer essential store data, including products, orders, customers, reviews, and more.
Keep your store's SEO and overall integrity intact throughout migration.

Explore migration apps

An API icon that leads a product inventory window

For large businesses

Hire a Shopify Partner

Work with a Shopify Partner to manage and complete your migration.

Collaborate with a Shopify Partner that specializes in migration for your industry and size.
Some partners may use Shopify’s API to create a custom migration solution tailored to your needs.

Find a Shopify Partner

Customer support

24/7 Support

Get help at any point in the process, from importing data to building your store from our award-winning customer support team.

Shopify support is available 24/7, no matter which plan you’re on. You’ll also have access to help docs, webinars, blog posts, and online courses to guide you along the way.

Get in touch

Explore resources

Learn why brands are switching

Discover helpful resources on the differences that separate Shopify vs. Squarespace.

Sell online

10 Best Squarespace Alternatives

Explore the top alternatives to Squarespace for your website needs. Find solutions that align with your goals and can elevate your online presence beyond Squarespace.

Read the blog

Sell online

How to Add a Shopify Buy Button to Any Website

With the Shopify Buy Button, you can fully integrate Shopify’s ecommerce tools onto any website, whether it’s built on WordPress, Squarespace, Wix or any other website builder.

Read the blog

Founder stories

Kilim Shoes: How Artemis Design Co Scaled

Find out how Artemis Design Co is handling the unexpected demand—and implementing new systems to help them keep doubling sales every year.

Read the article

Podcasts

Zero SEO, Zero Ads: How The Good Liver Built a Cult Retail Brand

Driven by a passion for global craftsmanship, Bert Youn opened a Los Angeles store, using tactile retail to build a profitable ecommerce brand.

Listen to the podcast

Case study

Nami Matcha: Revenue and Shopify Success

Nami Matcha sold out in 24 hours and reaches customers in 139 countries. See how creator Ashley Alexander turned a loyal audience into a $6 million matcha brand.

Read the case study

Help center

Migrate from Squarespace

This guide outlines how to migrate your store to Shopify from Squarespace.

Follow the steps

Shopify vs. Squarespace comparison

How Shopify and Squarespace compare on plan price, fees, design, apps, payments, selling channels, migration, and AI tools, as of October and November 2026.

Comparison of Shopify and Squarespace across plan pricing, transaction and card fees, themes and design, apps and integrations, payments and checkout, selling channels, migration, and AI tools
Buyer concern	Shopify	Squarespace
Plan pricing	ShopifyBasic: $19.00 USD/month billed annually. Grow, Advanced, and Plus cost more and add lower card rates and more staff accounts²	SquarespaceBasic: $19/month billed annually or $25 billed monthly. Core: $29/month billed annually or $39 billed monthly¹
Transaction and card fees	ShopifyUS card rates from 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic. No transaction fee with Shopify Payments, or 2% on Basic with a third-party provider²	SquarespaceCard rates from 2.9% + 30¢. 2% online store transaction fee on Basic, 0% on Core and higher¹
Themes and design	ShopifyStart from a theme or describe your store to generate it with AI, then drag and drop sections and blocks in the theme editor^2,3	SquarespaceDesigner templates, with custom CSS and JavaScript on Core and higher¹
Apps and integrations	Shopify21,000+ apps in the Shopify App Store as of December 31, 2025⁴	SquarespaceSquarespace Extensions, a collection of third-party tools, plus premium integrations¹
Payments and checkout	ShopifyShopify Payments and Shop Pay, with a checkout that lifts conversion by 15% on average^2,5	SquarespaceSquarespace Payments, Stripe, or PayPal, with Apple Pay, Klarna, and Afterpay¹
Selling channels	ShopifySocial media, marketplaces, AI chats, and in-person sales with Shopify POS on every plan from Basic up²	SquarespaceFacebook and Instagram catalog sync, Google Shopping on Core and higher, and POS through the Squarespace app in the US and UK only¹
Migration	ShopifyImport products and customers by CSV, bring order history with a migration app, or hire a Shopify Partner³	SquarespaceProducts, customers, and orders export as CSV files, but reviews can’t be exported³
AI tools	ShopifySidekick, a built-in AI assistant for commerce, on every plan, plus store generation from a prompt and selling in AI chats.² AI-referred sessions converted 80% better than organic search from April to June 2026⁷	SquarespaceBuilt-in AI tools on every plan, using AI credits: 10 one-time on Basic, then 20, 40, or 120 per month on higher plans, as of November 2026. AI Visibility tracks your brand in AI search from Core up¹

Sources: footnotes 1 to 5 and 7.

Shopify vs. Squarespace FAQ

Choose Shopify if selling products is your main business, and Squarespace if your site centers on services, content, or a portfolio with some selling. Every Shopify plan from Basic up includes unlimited products, B2B catalogs, and selling on social media, marketplaces, and in person, US stores get shipping discounts of up to 87%,² and the Shopify App Store has more than 21,000 apps as of December 31, 2025.⁴ Squarespace also includes unlimited products and services, adds a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on its Basic plan, and adds shipping labels and automated tax calculations from its Core plan.¹

Yes. Shopify’s Buy Button lets you sell from your Squarespace site with Shopify’s checkout in three steps: add the Buy Button sales channel in your Shopify admin, create a Buy Button for a product or collection, and paste its embed code into the Squarespace page where you want it to appear.³ The Buy Button sales channel is included in every Shopify plan, and third-party transaction fees apply unless you use Shopify Payments.³ Shopify’s Buy Button guide covers each step.

Shopify doesn’t charge listing fees, or transaction fees when you use Shopify Payments, and Squarespace charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on its Basic plan and none on Core and higher.^1,2 In the US, card rates on both start at 2.9% plus 30¢ per online transaction, and Shopify adds a 2% third-party transaction fee on Basic when you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.^1,2 For sales to the US, Canada, the EU, and the UK, automated sales tax calculations with Shopify Tax come with every Shopify plan from Basic up and are free until your store passes a sales threshold, while Squarespace charges 0.05% to 0.15% per transaction, up to $0.99, for automated tax on Core and higher.^1,2,3

Shopify is built for ecommerce, so it fits stores that sell products: every Shopify plan from Basic up includes selling on social media, marketplaces, and AI chats, plus in-person sales with Shopify POS.² Squarespace is a website builder with an online store that syncs products to Facebook and Instagram on every plan and lists them on Google Shopping from its Core plan.¹ Shopify also supports dropshipping, where a supplier ships orders for you, and sells files and links with the free Digital Products app,³ and Squarespace sells physical products, services, and digital products.¹ Shopify’s checkout lifts conversion by 15% on average.⁵

Unlock your domain in Squarespace, get its transfer authorization code, and enter the code when you start the transfer from your Shopify admin.³ The domain must be at least 60 days past its registration, its last transfer, or a change to its registrar information, and each transfer includes a one-year renewal that ICANN requires.³ To keep the domain registered with Squarespace, connect it to Shopify instead of transferring it.³

As of October 2026, Squarespace’s Basic plan is $19 a month billed annually and its Core plan is $29 a month billed annually, and Shopify’s Basic plan is $19.00 USD a month billed annually.^1,2 Squarespace Basic adds a 2% transaction fee on online store sales, while Shopify charges no transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments.^1,2 Shopify’s Grow, Advanced, and Plus plans cost more and add lower card rates and more staff accounts, and Plus is built for complex businesses.²

In the US, Shopify takes $3.20 from a $100 online sale on its Basic plan with Shopify Payments: a standard card rate of 2.9% plus 30¢, and no transaction fee.² As of October 2026, Squarespace Basic takes $5.20 from the same sale, a 2.9% plus 30¢ card rate and a 2% transaction fee, and Squarespace Core takes $3.20.¹ Monthly plan prices are separate, and Shopify Basic adds a 2% third-party transaction fee if you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments.²

1. Squarespace pricing page (squarespace.com/pricing), US prices in USD, accessed October 23 and November 6, 2026.

2. Shopify pricing page (shopify.com/pricing), accessed October 23 and November 5, 2026, and Shopify start page (shopify.com/start), accessed November 6, 2026. Plan prices shown on this page update from Shopify’s plan data for your region; card rates and transaction fees on this page are US rates.

3. Shopify Help Center articles “Migrate from Squarespace,” “Connecting Squarespace domain to Shopify,” “Transferring a third-party domain to Shopify,” and “Buy Button,” accessed October 23, 2026, and “Sections and blocks,” “Digital Products,” “Dropshipping,” and “Shopify Tax pricing,” accessed November 6, 2026.

4. Shopify App Store app count as of December 31, 2025.

5. Checkout conversion comparison from a study completed in partnership with a Big Three global management consulting company.

6. Data based on a sample of 567 brands according to research commissioned by Shopify from EY. Shopify, “EY report on mastering global trade” (shopify.com/international/managed/resources/ey-report), accessed November 6, 2026.

7. Shopify, The Entrepreneur Effect (2026) (shopify.com/entrepreneur). Cross-border sales: note [2], Shopify platform data for July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. AI-referred sessions: note [20], Shopify analysis for April through June 2026. First sales: notes [9] and [13], Shopify platform data for calendar year 2025.

8. Shopify POS page (shopify.com/pos), accessed November 6, 2026.

9. Shopify investor relations data: unique online shoppers who bought from Shopify merchants in 2024, and offline gross merchandise volume processed since Shopify POS launched.

Shopify vs. Squarespace

Switch to the all-in-one platform

Try Shopify for free, and enjoy your first 3 months for US$1/month on select plans. Explore all the tools and services you need to handle your business’ complexity from the internet’s most customizable platform.

Start for free Get in touch

Shopify vs. Squarespace

Shopify is built for selling, Squarespace for websites

Join millions of merchants in 175+ countries

Why Shopify

Manage your way

Run your business, your way

Streamline your back office

Level up with 21,000+ apps

Powerful tools, simplified

Built fully customizable

15% better checkout conversion

Sell more with the best-converting checkout

Sell on social, marketplaces, and in AI chats

40%+ average increase in international sales

$100B+ in sales through Shopify POS

Up to 50% higher conversion with Shop Pay

$0 listing fees on unlimited products

Keep more money in your pocket

Unlimited products with no listing fees

All-in-one pricing

Find a Shopify plan that’s best for you

150+ updates every six months

Technology that grows with you

We never stop shipping.150+ updates unpacked every six months.

99.9% platform uptime during the biggest flash sales

200+ real-time reports, plus custom analytics

Migrate from Squarespace to Shopify

Migrate your way

Migrate manually

Move with a migration app

Hire a Shopify Partner

24/7 Support

Explore resources

Learn why brands are switching

10 Best Squarespace Alternatives

How to Add a Shopify Buy Button to Any Website

Kilim Shoes: How Artemis Design Co Scaled

Zero SEO, Zero Ads: How The Good Liver Built a Cult Retail Brand

Nami Matcha: Revenue and Shopify Success

Migrate from Squarespace

Shopify vs. Squarespace comparison

Shopify vs. Squarespace FAQ

Should I choose Shopify or Squarespace for my online store?

Do Shopify and Squarespace work together?

What is the difference between Shopify and Squarespace?

How do I move my products from Squarespace to Shopify?

What are the transaction fees on Shopify vs. Squarespace?

Is Shopify or Squarespace better for beginners?

Is Shopify better than Squarespace for ecommerce?

How do I transfer my domain from Squarespace to Shopify?

Which is cheaper, Shopify or Squarespace?

Can I use my Squarespace domain with Shopify without transferring it?

Do I need URL redirects when I move from Squarespace to Shopify?

Which is easier to use, Shopify or Squarespace?

How much does Shopify take from a $100 sale compared with Squarespace?

Shopify vs. Squarespace

We never stop shipping.
150+ updates unpacked every six months.