Overview
Squarespace is a website building platform used by small businesses, creative professionals, and entrepreneurs who want professionally designed websites without coding. Its AI website builder — Blueprint AI — generates a fully designed website draft from a guided setup process: users answer questions about their business type, aesthetic preferences (professional, bold, minimal, quirky), and branding direction, and Blueprint AI produces a personalized site with layout, copy, and AI-generated images included.
Blueprint AI is included at no additional cost on all Squarespace plans. Unlike AI tools that generate raw layouts from a single text prompt, Blueprint AI structures the creation process through interactive choices, producing designs from over 1.4 billion possible combinations while keeping the user in control of each decision step. Beyond initial generation, Squarespace's Design Intelligence suite extends AI assistance to copy generation, SEO descriptions, alt text, stock asset creation, and email marketing templates.
Squarespace is part of the AI website builder category. There is no permanent free plan — a 14-day free trial is available. Paid plans start at $16/month billed annually (Basic plan). All plans include e-commerce functionality.
Key Features
- Blueprint AI website generation — A guided Q&A generates a complete website draft with design layout, section structure, AI-written copy, and AI-generated images. Each step presents user choices that influence the final design, with 1.4 billion possible design combination outputs. The generated site is a fully editable starting point, not a locked template.
- AI copy and content tools — Built-in AI writing tools draft text blocks, product descriptions, blog post content, and SEO meta descriptions. Alt text for images can be auto-generated. Copy generation is available throughout the Squarespace editor, not only during initial site setup.
- AI-generated visuals and content — Blueprint AI generates text and custom imagery for the site during setup, while Design Intelligence supports AI copy, product descriptions, video descriptions, email campaigns, SEO site descriptions, blog posts, proposals, and course descriptions.
- E-commerce on all plans — Squarespace website plans support physical products, digital products, memberships/content, and subscription products. Appointment booking is handled through Acuity Scheduling, which is a separate subscription that can be added to or embedded on a Squarespace site. Fees vary by tier: Basic has a 2% commerce transaction fee and 7% digital product fee; Core removes the commerce transaction fee but has a 5% digital product fee; Plus reduces digital product fees to 1%; Advanced removes digital product fees. Payment processing fees still apply on all plans.
- SEO and accessibility tools — Blueprint AI generates SEO-optimized page structures and descriptions. On-site SEO settings, sitemap generation, and Google Search Console integration are included. Accessibility-focused features include AI alt text generation for images.
- Email and marketing tools — Squarespace includes an AI email marketing tool (Beacon template) for blast campaigns and newsletter workflows, integrated with the site. Social media scheduling and analytics tools are also part of the platform suite.
Pricing & Plans
Squarespace uses annual and monthly billing. Annual billing reduces per-month costs significantly. A 14-day free trial is available. All plans include Blueprint AI and unlimited products.
| Plan | Monthly (annual) | Monthly (monthly) | Key Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $16/month | $25/month | 2 contributors, unlimited products, 30 min video storage, 2% commerce transaction fee, 7% digital product fee |
| Core | $23/month | $36/month | Unlimited contributors, 5 hrs video storage, advanced analytics, no commerce transaction fee, 5% digital product fee |
| Plus | $39/month | $56/month | Unlimited contributors, 50 hrs video, lower transaction fees |
| Advanced | $99/month | $139/month | Lowest Squarespace Payments domestic card rate, no commerce transaction fee, no digital product fee, unlimited video storage |
Note: A free domain is included for 1 year with any annual plan. Promotional discounts (up to 20% off) are periodically available for new subscriptions.
Basic ($16/month annual): Includes Blueprint AI, a mobile-optimized website with up to 1,000 pages, unlimited products, e-commerce with a 2% commerce transaction fee, a 7% digital product fee, Squarespace Payments processing fees, and 30 minutes of video storage. Suited for small business sites, service pages, and simple online stores.
Core ($23/month annual): Removes the contributor limit, adds advanced analytics and commerce analytics, removes the commerce transaction fee, and increases video storage to 5 hours. Suited for growing businesses that need team collaboration and deeper traffic insights.
Plus ($39/month annual): Adds higher video hosting (50 hours), reduced transaction fees, and additional commerce tools. Suited for active e-commerce stores with consistent product volume.
Advanced ($99/month annual): Includes the lowest available transaction rates (2.5% + $0.30), 0% digital download fees, and unlimited video hosting. Suited for high-volume e-commerce and digital product sellers.
How It Compares
| Squarespace | Wix AI | TeleportHQ | Framer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI approach | Guided Q&A → personalized design | Structured prompts → customizable site | Text prompt → code-exportable site | Text prompt → design prototype |
| Blueprint/AI built-in | ✅ Included free | ✅ Included | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| E-commerce | ✅ All Squarespace website plans support selling, with fees varying by tier | ⚠️ Wix e-commerce starts on Core and higher; Free/Light are not full selling plans | ❌ No native e-commerce checkout | ❌ No native e-commerce |
| Code export | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ HTML/CSS + 5 JS frameworks | Limited |
| Free plan | ❌ (14-day trial) | ✅ | ✅ (limited) | ✅ (limited) |
| Starting price | $16/month (annual) | $17/month (annual) | $9/editor/month (annual) | $10/month (annual) |
| Target user | Small business, creatives | Beginners | Developers, agencies | Designers, prototypers |
Squarespace is often chosen for its curated visual polish and guided design decisions. Wix offers broader customization, a larger app ecosystem, and a permanent free plan — making it stronger for beginners and flexibility-focused users. TeleportHQ and Framer are oriented toward developers and designers who want code export or design prototyping, not full-service business websites. For a full comparison, see best AI website builders and the AI website design category.
Best For
- Small business owners, restaurants, and service providers who want a professional website with AI-assisted design and built-in e-commerce, without hiring a developer
- Creative professionals (photographers, designers, artists) building portfolio sites who prioritize visual distinctiveness over template-standardized layouts
- Entrepreneurs launching online stores who want AI-generated copy, imagery, and an e-commerce-ready platform from day one
- Businesses moving from DIY website builders who want better design output and a guided AI generation experience rather than blank-page building
FAQ
Does Squarespace have a free plan?
Squarespace does not offer a permanent free plan. A 14-day free trial is available without a credit card, providing access to the full platform including Blueprint AI. After the trial, paid plans start at $16/month billed annually (Basic).
What is Blueprint AI?
Blueprint AI is Squarespace's AI website generator. It asks users about their business type, design preferences, and branding personality, then generates a complete website with custom layout, AI-written copy, and AI-generated images. The output represents one of over 1.4 billion possible design combinations and is fully editable after generation. Blueprint AI is included at no extra cost on all Squarespace paid plans.
How does Squarespace pricing work?
Squarespace has four plans: Basic ($16/month annual), Core ($23/month annual), Plus ($39/month annual), and Advanced ($99/month annual). Monthly billing is available at higher rates: Basic $25/month, Core $36/month, Plus $56/month, and Advanced $139/month. All plans include e-commerce. Key differences between plans are transaction fee rates, contributor limits, video hosting capacity, and advanced analytics.
How does Squarespace compare to Wix?
Squarespace is generally considered stronger for design quality and visual aesthetics — Blueprint AI produces distinctive layouts suited to creative businesses and portfolios. Wix ADI is simpler to use for complete beginners and offers a free plan. Squarespace's e-commerce features are comparable to Wix's on equivalent tiers. Neither platform provides code export; for code-exportable AI website generation, see TeleportHQ or the AI website builder category.
Can I use Squarespace for e-commerce?
Yes. All Squarespace paid plans include e-commerce for physical products, digital downloads, subscriptions, and appointment booking. Transaction fees vary by plan: Basic has a 2% commerce transaction fee, a 7% digital product fee, and payment processing fees. Advanced has no commerce transaction fee and no digital product fee, but Squarespace Payments domestic card processing still applies at 2.5% + $0.30. No separate e-commerce upgrade is required.
Does Squarespace lock me into its platform?
Squarespace does not provide code export — sites built on Squarespace are hosted on Squarespace's infrastructure and cannot be migrated as raw code to another hosting provider. Blog content and some data can be exported. For teams that need code ownership and portability, TeleportHQ or Webflow (with its export limitations) are alternatives.
