Shopify is purpose-built for e-commerce with superior scalability and lower transaction fees (0% vs 3%), while Squarespace excels at all-in-one website building with better design templates and simpler setup for small businesses. Shopify dominates for stores prioritizing growth; Squarespace suits creative entrepreneurs wanting integrated site design.
Shopify vs Squarespace — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
SaaS e-commerce platform enabling independent online storefronts with full customization and control.
Premium website builder focused on beautiful design with mobile-first responsive templates.
Transaction Fees. E-Commerce Optimized. Design Templates. Pricing Entry Level. Learning Curve. App Ecosystem. Monthly Active Users
Choose Shopify if you're building a scalable e-commerce business, need extensive app integrations, or plan to accept high transaction volumes—the 0% transaction fees and commerce-first architecture justify the higher base cost. Choose Squarespace if you're a creative professional, designer, or small business wanting a beautiful all-in-one website with integrated store without technical overhead—its lower starting price and intuitive design tools make it ideal for minimal SKU counts.
Shopify: 4.6 Million+ | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2.0% (third-party gateways) / 0% (Shopify Payments) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Fully Managed SaaS | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Native AI-driven commerce agents built-in | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 200+ templates | Squarespace: 100+ responsive templates
Shopify: Phone, Email & Chat | Squarespace: Email & Chat
Shopify: Yes ($2,300+/month) | Squarespace: No
Shopify: 0 (self-driven) | Squarespace: N/A
Typical Seller Monthly Revenue Threshold
Shopify: $5,000+ (lower barrier) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 0% (on Shopify Payments) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Advanced (Liquid code access) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: ~300 (optimized for sales) | Squarespace: 140+
Base Monthly Subscription (Starter Plan)
Shopify: Included in subscription | Squarespace: N/A
Monthly Active Buyers (Marketplace Access)
Shopify: Self-driven traffic | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Zero (must generate own traffic) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 5 days (with traffic setup) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Complete (10/10) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 100% direct access to customer emails and data | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited products | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 7-14 days | Squarespace: 2-4 hours
Shopify: Moderate; app-dependent for advanced needs | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Good GraphQL API; limited headless options | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $0-20M GMV (optimal fit) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Low; point-and-click setup | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 (Shopify Payments) | Squarespace: 3-4% per transaction
Shopify: $29-$399 | Squarespace: $23 (Business plan with e-commerce)
Shopify: Extensive (9/10) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Self-generated | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: All product types | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $100-150 (optional) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: ~30% of all online stores | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter plan minimum) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2.7% + $0.30 | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 10+ (online store, POS, social, marketplace, B2B, wholesale) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited with advanced sync | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $5 (Starter Plan) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $5-39 (all-inclusive) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Hours to 1 day | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Hosting, SSL, domain, support included | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Separate subscriptions required | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus enterprise) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Ongoing regular updates | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $105 (Shopify Plan) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $2,300+ (Shopify Plus) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 30-60 minutes | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: None (paid plans only) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Mobile-optimized by default | Squarespace: Automatic (all templates mobile-optimized)
Shopify: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction | Squarespace: 2.9%-3%
Shopify: 1-2 days | Squarespace: 15-30 minutes
Shopify: 6 (Liquid templating limits) | Squarespace: Extensive, section-based editor
Shopify: Shopify manages all compliance | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited (pricing tier independent) | Squarespace: Unlimited
Shopify: $468 + transaction fees ($2,900) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 6,800 verified apps | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 1-2 hours to launch | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Theme/app API limited (Liquid template language) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Level 1 (fully managed) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2-3 days | Squarespace: 1-3 days
Shopify: ~8,000+ apps | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: No (requires apps) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Limited (basic automation) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Full REST & GraphQL APIs | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 100+ sales channels (Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, eBay, etc.) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Included in all plans | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: $348-3,588/year | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 99.99% guaranteed | Squarespace: 99.9%
Shopify: 24/7 dedicated support team | Squarespace: 24/7 live support
Shopify: Built-in tools with limitations on code-level access | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Possible but complex; vendor lock-in concerns exist | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 0% (Shopify Payments) | Squarespace: 3% + $0.30
Shopify: $468 (plan) + $0 (fees) | Squarespace: $396 (plan) + $7,500 (fees)
Shopify: Must drive own traffic | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 100% - you own all customer records | Squarespace: N/A
Profit Margin Retention (Example: $100 sale)
Shopify: $71 (after $29 monthly allocation) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: Unlimited - custom domain, full HTML/CSS | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: 2-4 hours (24/7 chat) | Squarespace: N/A
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $16/month (included)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Not available
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited integrations
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: More attractive & polished aesthetics
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Advanced, highly customizable
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: SSL certificate, daily backups, security updates
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 2/10 (minimal)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Plan-dependent
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 50+ professional designs
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 15–30 minutes
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 4.5/5 (3,394 reviews)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $23-33/month
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 3,394 reviews (Capterra)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic collections only
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Block animations, limited transitions
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Proprietary global CDN included
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes, with inventory and payments
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $15/month (Starter plan)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $33/month (Core plan)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 40% - template parameter-based
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 4.4/5 stars (3,394 reviews)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic content management; third-party integrations needed
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes, integrated with advanced product filters (April 2026)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 3,396 reviews
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: No native B2B support
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited integrations (primarily Squarespace native)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic API, limited headless support
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic coupon and discount tools
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: All paid plans included
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 14-day trial only
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $12-33 (Creator/Business)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Unlimited (with per-transaction fees)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 70+ professionally designed templates
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Requires integration (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited; requires apps or custom integration
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Advanced on-page SEO, image optimization, blogging
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 2.9% + $0.30 or 3% + $0.20
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $15 (Business plan starts here)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 1-2 hours (drag-and-drop)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 1+ million stores
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 24/7 phone and chat support
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $180-276 (included)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Unlimited (Commerce plan)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited/Not published
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic (single-location, limited variants)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited; mainly Facebook and Instagram
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Full drag-and-drop with no coding needed
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $16/month (Personal)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 3% (Squarespace Payments)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 500+ built-in integrations
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes (all plans)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $23-529 first month
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $23-529 (all-inclusive)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: ~1,000 (performance degrades beyond)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 100+ pre-built templates
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 24/7 live chat, email, phone
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $2,784-6,348 (subscription + fees)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: No, ~$20/year
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Phone, Chat, Email (24/7)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 2-4 (drag-and-drop template)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: ~200 pre-built apps
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes, managed hosting
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $0 (included in plan)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 5 (template + drag-drop limits)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Instagram Shop only (1)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited API with restricted code
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 2-4 hours (drag-and-drop)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited/No direct API
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 500 free/month built-in
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Premium, cohesive design system
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: ~200 integrated apps
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Included in all plans
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Up to 20% off
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited (requires workarounds)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Full shopping cart, inventory, tax, shipping
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic (Business plan $23+/month)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes (all plans included)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 4 built-in (Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Square)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited CSS/JavaScript injection
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: No (14-day trial only)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes (unlimited bandwidth)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Basic (scroll effects, transitions)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 24 hours avg
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Advanced (meta, schema, sitemaps)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited CSS-only (no JavaScript)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes, on Squarespace's servers
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Yes (Squarespace Payments)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: 140+ proprietary templates
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited integrations (500+)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Limited; vendor lock-in risk
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: $960 (5-year total)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Included (Email Campaigns)
Shopify: N/A | Squarespace: Advanced with AI
How to choose between Shopify and Squarespace
Shopify vs Squarespace — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Shopify vs Squarespace. Contains 271 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Shopify vs Squarespace — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Shopify vs Squarespace.
Which platform has lower total costs for a growing store?
For stores exceeding $100k annual revenue, Shopify's 0% transaction fees with Shopify Payments significantly offset its higher monthly cost. At $250k revenue, Shopify costs $468/year while Squarespace costs $8,100+ ($396 base + 3% transaction fees). Shopify breaks even around $20k-$30k in annual sales volume. For sub-$50k revenue, Squarespace's lower base price ($14/month) is more economical.
Is Squarespace good enough for serious e-commerce?
Squarespace handles light to moderate e-commerce well—up to 500-1,000 products—but lacks advanced features serious sellers need. It has no native inventory sync for multiple locations, limited staff account management (no granular permissions), and no native wholesale or B2B tools. The 3% transaction fees also penalize high-volume businesses. It's ideal for boutiques and service-based businesses selling <200 items monthly; serious retailers should use Shopify.
Can I migrate from Squarespace to Shopify later?
Yes, but not automatically. You'll need to manually export products, customer data, and orders from Squarespace, then import to Shopify using CSV or an app like Matrixify. Design elements don't transfer—you'll rebuild the store using Shopify's interface. Plan 2-4 weeks for migration depending on product count. Most users recommend starting with Shopify if you anticipate scaling, to avoid migration complexity.
Which is better for a designer's portfolio + small online store?
Squarespace wins decisively for this use case. Its 140+ design-forward templates, integrated blogging, and native portfolio layouts are purpose-built for creatives. Setup takes hours, not days. The integrated email marketing and CRM tools suit service-based businesses. Shopify's developer-centric approach and commerce focus feel overkill for a designer selling 5-10 items monthly. Squarespace's $14/month (Business Basic) also makes the decision easier financially.
What about SEO performance—which ranks better?
Both are SEO-capable, but Shopify edges ahead. Shopify natively supports advanced SEO features including automated sitemaps, mobile optimization, page speed (1.8s average), and integrates with SEO apps (Yoast, SEMrush, others). Squarespace's built-in SEO is solid for standard optimization but slower page speeds (2.3s average) and fewer third-party SEO tool integrations limit advanced optimization. For competitive keywords, Shopify's performance edge matters; both are fine for local/niche markets.
How to Choose Between Shopify and Squarespace
Transaction Fees: Shopify has 0% (Shopify Payments), while Squarespace has 3% + $0.30 per transaction.
E-Commerce Optimized: Shopify has Yes - native focus with 10,000+ apps, while Squarespace has Yes - secondary to website builder.
Design Templates: Shopify has 200+ templates, developer-focused, while Squarespace has 140+ templates, design-forward.
Pricing Entry Level: Shopify has $39/month (Shopify Basic), while Squarespace has $14/month (Business Basic).
Learning Curve: Shopify has Moderate - requires setup understanding, while Squarespace has Low - drag-and-drop simplicity.
App Ecosystem: Shopify has 10,000+ third-party apps available, while Squarespace has 300+ integrated apps.
Monthly Active Users: Shopify has 4.6 million merchants (2025), while Squarespace has 3.2 million users (2025).