Squarespace Commerce vs Shopify (2026): features, security and which one to buy
Squarespace Commerce and Shopify compared on what they do, who they suit, their key features, pros and cons, and what each vendor publishes on security, admin and contract terms, with every fact checked on October 24, 2026.
Squarespace Commerce or Shopify: the short answer
Choose Squarespace Commerce if
- Brands and creators that prioritize templates and design.
- Small stores wanting site and store from one vendor.
- Sellers of digital content or memberships.
Choose Shopify if
- Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers.
- Merchants that will use Shopify Payments to avoid the third-party gateway fee.
- Brands that need a path from a cheap plan to Plus without replatforming.
What are Squarespace Commerce and Shopify?
Squarespace Commerce
Design-led website builder whose Core, Plus and Advanced plans add commerce with lower card rates as the plan rises. Creators, brands and sellers of digital content or memberships who care about templates should trial it first. Commerce starts on the Core plan, and card rates fall on higher tiers. Check code injection limits on your plan if you need custom scripts.
Shopify
Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises. Brands that want a hosted store and a clear upgrade path to Plus should shortlist it. Compare tiers on staff seats and on payment fees, which fall as the plan rises. Using an outside gateway adds a surcharge, so test Shopify Payments availability for your country first.
Squarespace Commerce vs Shopify: features compared
| Squarespace Commerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Design-led website builder whose Core, Plus and Advanced plans add commerce with lower card rates as the plan rises. | Hosted ecommerce platform sold in Basic, Grow, Advanced and Plus tiers, with payment fees that drop as the plan price rises. |
| Best for | Brands and creators that prioritize templates and design. | Small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers. |
| Company size | Small business. | Starter stores to enterprise (Plus) |
| Hosted versus self-hosted | Hosted SaaS. | Hosted SaaS. |
| Payment processing and transaction fees | Basic 2% store fee + 2.0% + EUR 0.25 card; Core 0% store fee; Advanced card 1.5% + EUR 0.25. | Shopify Payments online card 2.1% + EUR 0.30 on Basic down to 1.3% + EUR 0.30 on Plus; third-party gateways add 2% / 1% / 0.6% / 0.2% by plan. |
| Themes and customization | CSS/JS and code injection from Core up. | Not published |
| Scalability and checkout limits | Unlimited product sales on Basic per vendor page. | Staff seats rise from none (Basic) to 5, 15 and unlimited (Plus) |
| Editor and template quality | Templates and AI credits (20 to 120/month) | Not published |
| Ecommerce capability | Payment plans, discounts and Google Shopping from Core up. | Native checkout, POS Pro add-on at EUR 79/mo per location. |
| Customization and code access | CSS/JS customization from Core. | Not published |
| App marketplace and integrations | API integrations from Core. | Not published |
| Hosting, uptime and speed | Video hosting 30 min to unlimited by plan. | Vendor-hosted. |
| Free plan or trial | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starting price | EUR 12/month (Basic, lower of the two shown figures); 14-day trial | $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for Basic |
| G2 rating | 4.4 (1,135 reviews) | 4.4 (4,964 reviews) |
Squarespace Commerce vs Shopify pricing
Squarespace Commerce starts at EUR 12/month (Basic, lower of the two shown figures); 14-day trial and Shopify at $29/month billed yearly ($39 monthly) for Basic. The pricing bases differ, so compare the full quote for your team rather than the entry price.
| Squarespace Commerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | tiered monthly plan | flat monthly plan plus payment fees |
| Billing | Monthly and annual. | Monthly and annual. |
| Add-ons | Not published | POS Pro EUR 79/month per location. |
Security, admin and contract: Squarespace Commerce vs Shopify
What each vendor states publicly about single sign-on, provisioning, audit logs, data location and the contract. A blank is a question for the sales call, not a no.
| Squarespace Commerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Contract | Monthly or annual; 14-day trial. | Monthly or yearly on Basic to Advanced; Plus offers 1 or 3 year terms, cancel when term ends. |
Differences most comparisons miss
Worth knowing about Squarespace Commerce
- Basic charges a 2% store transaction fee on top of card fees; Core and up remove it.
- CSS/JS customization and code injection start at Core.
- Digital content and membership fee is 7% on Basic, 5% Core, 1% Plus, 0% Advanced.
- Automated tax adds a fee (0.15% to 0.05%, max EUR 0.99).
Worth knowing about Shopify
- Third-party payment gateway fee is 2% on Basic and 0.2% on Plus, on top of the gateway's own fees, so gateway choice changes plan economics.
- Basic includes no additional staff accounts; Grow adds 5, Advanced 15, Plus unlimited.
- Plus starts at EUR 2,100/month and the FAQ offers 1 or 3 year terms.
- Yearly billing cuts the headline price by roughly 25%.
Squarespace Commerce vs Shopify: frequently asked questions
Which is better, Squarespace Commerce or Shopify?
It depends on the team. Squarespace Commerce is the stronger pick for brands and creators that prioritize templates and design, while Shopify suits small and mid-size brands that want a hosted store without managing servers. Compare the feature rows above against your must-haves before you look at price.
Can I try Squarespace Commerce and Shopify for free?
Squarespace Commerce: free trial. Shopify: free trial.
Sources
Both columns use the same sources: vendor pricing and product pages, documentation, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Full source lists are on the Squarespace Commerce and Shopify reviews.