Squarespace vs. Shopify for small businesses

I design websites on both Squarespace and Shopify, and clients often ask which one they should choose. Both are excellent. The right pick depends mostly on one question: how much are you selling online?

The quick answer

• Choose Squarespace if you're a service business, studio, practice or small shop with a handful of products. Your site is mainly about showing your work, building trust and getting inquiries or bookings.
• Choose Shopify if selling products online is the heart of your business, especially with lots of products, variations, inventory or plans to grow sales fast.

Design and ease of use

Squarespace is known for beautiful layouts and an editor that's simple to learn. Making everyday changes, like updating text, swapping a photo or adding a page, is easy for most business owners. Shopify's editor is also approachable, but the platform has more moving parts because it's built around running a store.

Selling online

This is where Shopify shines. It's built for e-commerce, with strong inventory tools, a huge app store, many payment options and features that make it easier to manage lots of products and orders. Squarespace handles selling well for smaller catalogs, digital products, services and appointments, and it keeps everything in one simple dashboard.

Cost

As of 2026, Squarespace plans start around $16 a month billed annually, with the popular Core plan around $23 a month. Shopify's Basic plan starts around $29 a month billed annually, and many stores add paid apps for things like reviews, subscriptions or shipping. For a simple business website, Squarespace usually costs less to run. For a growing store, Shopify's extra tools are often worth it. Both companies update their pricing from time to time, so check their sites for current numbers.

Growth

If you expect your product line or online sales to grow quickly, starting on Shopify can save you a move later. If your business grows through relationships, referrals and bookings, Squarespace will likely serve you for years.

A few real examples

• Mountain Movers, an enrichment community, and Andrea Ontiveros, LCSW, a therapy practice, both run on Squarespace. Their sites are about trust, clarity and getting people to reach out.
• Kids Crafts sells a growing line of craft kits, so we built on Shopify.

Still not sure?

Tell me a little about your business and how you sell, and I'll recommend the platform that fits. You can start a project here, or read more about my Squarespace website design.