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BigCommerce vs Squarespace 2026: E-Commerce Comparison

BigCommerce is a dedicated e-commerce platform built for scaling online stores with advanced inventory and multi-channel selling, while Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that bundles e-commerce as one feature among many design-focused tools. BigCommerce suits serious sellers; Squarespace suits small businesses wanting simplicity.

B

BigCommerce

Enterprise-grade dedicated e-commerce platform for scaling online retail stores.

Growing e-commerce businesses, multi-channel sellers, enterprises with technical teams, stores processing 500+ orders/month

Score67%
VS
Squarespace

Squarespace

All-in-one website builder with integrated e-commerce and award-winning design templates.

Small businesses, solopreneurs, creative professionals, under 100 products, startups under 50 orders/month, design-focused brands

Score67%

Quick Answer

AI Summary

BigCommerce is a dedicated e-commerce platform built for scaling online stores with advanced inventory and multi-channel selling, while Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that bundles e-commerce as one feature among many design-focused tools. BigCommerce suits serious sellers; Squarespace suits small businesses wanting simplicity.

Our Verdict

AI-assisted

Choose BigCommerce if you're scaling a serious online business and need advanced inventory management, no transaction fees, multi-channel selling, and developer flexibility—it's built for growth. Choose Squarespace if you're a small business or creative professional prioritizing beautiful design, ease of use, and affordability, with simpler sales volumes under 100 products/month.

Community feedback

Was this verdict helpful?

B
BigCommerce
6.7/10
Squarespace
8.3/10
B

Choose BigCommerce if

Growing e-commerce businesses, multi-channel sellers, enterprises with technical teams, stores processing 500+ orders/month

Squarespace

Choose Squarespace if

Best pick

Small businesses, solopreneurs, creative professionals, under 100 products, startups under 50 orders/month, design-focused brands

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Key Differences at a Glance

  • Primary Purpose:BigCommerce wins(Dedicated e-commerce platform vs Website builder with e-commerce)
  • Transaction Fees:BigCommerce wins(0% on all plans vs 3% (Standard) / 2.9% (Advanced))
  • Built-in Payment Gateways:BigCommerce wins(100+ integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Square) vs Squarespace Payments only (limited third-party))
See all 7 differences

Key Facts & Figures

84 numeric metrics compared

MetricBigCommerceSquarespaceRatio
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)$29.95/month (Standard)$15/month (Commerce Basic)
User Satisfaction Rating(out of 5)4.3/5 stars4.5/5 stars
Number of User Reviews Analyzed(reviews)2,100+ reviews3,396 reviews
Setup Time to Live Store(days)21-45 days2-4 hours
Available Apps & Integrations(count)1,500+ apps
Checkout Conversion Rate(%)2.8-3.1%
Platform Uptime SLA(percent)99.95%
Base Monthly Cost(USD)$29.95-$299.95
Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1)(USD)$359.40-$3,599.40
Product Catalog Limit(Products)Unlimited (100M+)
Payment Gateway Integrations(count)100+5-6
Available Extensions/Apps(Count)600+ apps
Starting Monthly Price(USD)$29.95$15.00
Time to Launch(hours)2-4 weeks2-4 hours
Monthly Cost (Small Business)(USD)$29.95-$299.95
Built-in Features Included(features)130+ pre-built
Maximum Product SKUs(SKUs)500K+ (tested)
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)$29/month
Average Implementation Cost(USD)$5,000-$15,000
Time to Go Live(weeks)2-4 weeks
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls per 15 seconds)250 calls/15sec
Native Integrations Available(count)650+ apps
Payment Gateway Support(gateways)135+ gateways
Transaction Fees(%)0%2.9%-3%
Product Limit (Standard Plan)(products)UnlimitedUnlimited (Commerce plan)
API Rate Limit(calls per minute)40,000Limited/Not published
Available Templates(count)100+150+
Omnichannel Integration(integrations)Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook nativeLimited; mainly Facebook and Instagram
Lowest Monthly Plan Cost(USD)$29.95/month$33/month
Transaction Fees (Basic Plan)(%)0%
Average Setup Time(days)5-7 days1-3 days
App Ecosystem Size(apps)~600 apps
Market Share (2026)(%)3.4%
Monthly Starting Price(USD)$29.95$16
Design Templates(count)60100+
Setup Time (Non-technical User)(hours)8-12 hours (technical setup)2-4 hours (drag-and-drop)
Free Trial Duration(days)14 days14 days
Template Count(templates)200200
Basic Plan Price (Annual)(USD/month)$16/month$16/month
Ecommerce Entry Price(USD/month)$16/month (included)$16/month (included)
Ecommerce Rating(out of 5)4.8/54.8/5
User Simplicity(out of 5)3.5/53.5/5
Customer Satisfaction Rating(%)4.5/54.5/5
Top Tier Plan Price(USD/month)$99$99
App Integrations(count)150+150+
Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD/year)$192$192
Ecommerce Transaction Fee(%)2%2%
Platform Cost (Annual)(USD)$144–$720$144–$720
Hosting Cost (Annual)(USD)IncludedIncluded
Template Variety(templates)50+ professional designs50+ professional designs
Setup Time to Live Site(minutes)15–30 minutes15–30 minutes
Global Website Market Share (2026)(percent)~2–3%~2–3%
User Satisfaction (Capterra Ratings)(stars)4.5/5 (3,394 reviews)4.5/5 (3,394 reviews)
E-Commerce Plan Price(USD)$23-33/month$23-33/month
Setup Time for First Site(hours)2-3 hours2-3 hours
User Reviews Count(reviews)3,394 reviews (Capterra)3,394 reviews (Capterra)
Monthly Starter Price(USD)$15/month (Starter plan)$15/month (Starter plan)
Professional Plan Price(USD)$33/month (Core plan)$33/month (Core plan)
User Reviews (Capterra/G2)(star rating)4.4/5 stars (3,394 reviews)4.4/5 stars (3,394 reviews)
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Billing)(USD)$23$23
Premium Plan Maximum Price(USD/month)$99$99
Design Templates Available(count)100+100+
Product Launch Year(year)20032003
Mobile App Quality Rating(stars)4.5/54.5/5
Customer Support Response Time(hours)2-242-24
Base Monthly Price(USD)$12-33 (Creator/Business)$12-33 (Creator/Business)
Payment Processing Fee(%)3-4% per transaction3-4% per transaction
Built-in Templates(count)70+ professionally designed templates70+ professionally designed templates
Free Trial Length(days)14 days free; no credit card required14 days free; no credit card required
Monthly Cost (Base Plan)(USD)$15 (Business plan starts here)$15 (Business plan starts here)
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)~200~200
Design Templates Included(count)8585
Setup Time for Beginners(minutes)1-2 hours (drag-and-drop)1-2 hours (drag-and-drop)
User Base(millions)1+ million stores1+ million stores
Official Support Availability(hours/day)24/7 phone and chat support24/7 phone and chat support
Annual Hosting + Domain Cost(USD)$180-276 (included)$180-276 (included)
Base Monthly Price (Lowest Paid Tier)(USD)$16/month (Personal)$16/month (Personal)
Integrated Apps & Integrations(count)500+ built-in integrations500+ built-in integrations
Customer Support Channels(count)Phone, Chat, Email (24/7)Phone, Chat, Email (24/7)
Third-Party Integrations(count)100+100+
Annual Price (Entry Plan)(USD)$180.00$180.00
Monthly Base Cost(USD)$23 (Business plan with e-commerce)$23 (Business plan with e-commerce)
Available Extensions/Plugins(count)~200 pre-built apps~200 pre-built apps
SSL Certificate Cost(USD/year)$0 (included in plan)$0 (included in plan)

Sourced from publicly available data ·

Key Differences

7 attributes compared head-to-head

B
5BigCommerce
BigCommerce leads1 tie
Squarespace
1Squarespace
  • Primary Purpose

    BigCommerce

    Dedicated e-commerce platform(winner)

    Squarespace

    Website builder with e-commerce

  • Transaction Fees

    BigCommerce

    0% on all plans(winner)

    Squarespace

    3% (Standard) / 2.9% (Advanced)

  • Built-in Payment Gateways

    BigCommerce

    100+ integrations (Stripe, PayPal, Square)(winner)

    Squarespace

    Squarespace Payments only (limited third-party)

  • Monthly Starting Price

    BigCommerce

    $29.95/month

    Squarespace

    $16/month(winner)

  • Product Limit

    BigCommerce

    Unlimited on all plans

    Squarespace

    Unlimited on all plans

  • Multi-Channel Selling

    BigCommerce

    Native Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Shopify integration(winner)

    Squarespace

    Instagram shop only, no Amazon/eBay

  • API & Developer Flexibility

    BigCommerce

    Full REST API, custom code access(winner)

    Squarespace

    Limited API, restricted code access

Full Comparison

BBigCommerce
Squarespace
Starting Price (Monthly)(USD)
$29.95/month (Standard)
$15/month (Commerce Basic)
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$29.95-$299.95
Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1)(USD)
$359.40-$3,599.40
Starting Monthly Price(USD)
$29.95
$15.00
Number of Pricing Tiers(plans)
4 plans
Show 30 more attributes
Monthly Cost (Small Business)(USD)
$29.95-$299.95
Starting Monthly Cost(USD)
$29/month
Average Implementation Cost(USD)
$5,000-$15,000
Transaction Fees(%)
0%
2.9%-3%
Lowest Monthly Plan Cost(USD)
$29.95/month
$33/month
Transaction Fees (Basic Plan)(%)
0%
Monthly Starting Price(USD)
$29.95
$16
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
14 days
Basic Plan Price (Annual)(USD/month)
$16/month
Free Plan Option
Not available
Top Tier Plan Price(USD/month)
$99
Annual Cost (Base Plan)(USD/year)
$192
Platform Cost (Annual)(USD)
$144–$720
Hosting Cost (Annual)(USD)
Included
E-Commerce Plan Price(USD)
$23-33/month
Monthly Starter Price(USD)
$15/month (Starter plan)
Professional Plan Price(USD)
$33/month (Core plan)
Starting Monthly Price (Annual Billing)(USD)
$23
Premium Plan Maximum Price(USD/month)
$99
Free Plan Offering
14-day trial only
Base Monthly Price(USD)
$12-33 (Creator/Business)
Payment Processing Fee(%)
3-4% per transaction
Payment Processing Fees(%)
6.5% + $0.30
Monthly Cost (Base Plan)(USD)
$15 (Business plan starts here)
Annual Hosting + Domain Cost(USD)
$180-276 (included)
Base Monthly Price (Lowest Paid Tier)(USD)
$16/month (Personal)
Free Plan(boolean)
No
Annual Price (Entry Plan)(USD)
$180.00
Monthly Base Cost(USD)
$23 (Business plan with e-commerce)
Hosting Included(boolean)
Yes (fully managed with CDN and SSL)
User Satisfaction Rating(out of 5)
4.3/5 stars
4.5/5 stars
Number of User Reviews Analyzed(reviews)
2,100+ reviews
3,396 reviews
Developer Community Size(GitHub projects)
8,000+ Certified Partners
Built-in B2B Features
Native B2B with wholesale pricing and bulk ordering
No native B2B support
Multi-Channel Selling(channels)
Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and more
Limited integrations (primarily Squarespace native)
Headless Commerce API Support
Advanced APIs with GraphQL, full headless commerce
Basic API, limited headless support
Advanced Promotion Features (2026)
Multi-coupon stacking, promotion banners, bulk coupon management, automation workflows
Basic coupon and discount tools
Marketing Tools Integration
Limited integrations
Built-in Social Media Tools
No
Setup Time to Live Store(days)
21-45 days
2-4 hours
Setup Technical Knowledge Required(null)
Minimal (non-technical users OK)
Time to Go Live(weeks)
2-4 weeks
Available Apps & Integrations(count)
1,500+ apps
Native Integrations Available(count)
650+ apps
Available Templates(count)
100+
150+
Third-Party Integrations(count)
100+
Checkout Conversion Rate(%)
2.8-3.1%
API Rate Limits (Standard Plan)(calls per 15 seconds)
250 calls/15sec
API Rate Limit(calls per minute)
40,000
Limited/Not published
Mobile Responsiveness
Automatic (all templates mobile-optimized)
Platform Uptime SLA(percent)
99.95%
Built-in Enterprise Features
Extensive native features included
Integrated Apps & Integrations(count)
500+ built-in integrations
API Control & Headless Capability
Superior API access with full headless commerce
Design Customization Level(scale 1-10)
5 (template + drag-drop limits)
Ideal Business Size(GMV)
$20M+ GMV (optimal fit)
Implementation Complexity
High; requires technical expertise
Product Catalog Limit(Products)
Unlimited (100M+)
Payment Gateway Integrations(count)
100+
5-6
Native Subscription Management
Limited
API Call Restrictions
Generous/Unlimited
eCommerce Features Depth
Comprehensive (All plans)
Show 21 more attributes
Built-in Features Included(features)
130+ pre-built
Built-in Product Limit(products)
Unlimited
Monthly Transaction Processing Limit (Entry Plan)(transactions)
Unlimited
Product Limit (Standard Plan)(products)
Unlimited
Unlimited (Commerce plan)
Native Inventory Management
Advanced (multi-location, variants, SKU tracking)
Basic (single-location, limited variants)
Omnichannel Integration(integrations)
Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Facebook native
Limited; mainly Facebook and Instagram
Product Upload Limit(products)
Unlimited
Native Multi-Vendor Support
Yes (built-in)
Advanced SEO Tools (Built-in)
Yes (301 redirects, structured data, XML control)
Product Limit(products)
Unlimited
Unlimited
Multi-Channel Integration(count)
Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Shopify (4+ native)
Instagram Shop only (1)
Customization Flexibility(percentage)
Extensive, section-based editor
Ecommerce Rating(out of 5)
4.8/5
Enterprise Plan Available(boolean)
No
Storage Capacity(GB)
Plan-dependent
Built-In E-Commerce Store
Yes, with inventory and payments
Built-in CMS Capabilities(null)
Basic content management; third-party integrations needed
E-Commerce Ready(null)
Yes, integrated with advanced product filters (April 2026)
Built-in Templates(count)
70+ professionally designed templates
SEO Tools Included
Advanced on-page SEO, image optimization, blogging
Free Domain (Year 1)(boolean)
No
Setup Time(minutes)
1-3 days
Time to Launch(hours)
2-4 weeks
2-4 hours
Average Setup Time(days)
5-7 days
1-3 days
Setup Time to Live Site(minutes)
15–30 minutes
Setup Time for First Site(hours)
2-3 hours
Available Extensions/Apps(Count)
600+ apps
Available Plugins/Extensions(count)
~200
Available Extensions/Plugins(count)
~200 pre-built apps
Customer Support Availability
24/7 professional
Support Channels(channels)
Email & Chat
Customer Support Response Time(hours)
2-24
Official Support Availability(hours/day)
24/7 phone and chat support
Customer Support Channels(count)
Phone, Chat, Email (24/7)
Maximum Monthly GMV (Entry Plan)(USD)
$33,333
Maximum Product SKUs(SKUs)
500K+ (tested)
User Interface Complexity(learning hours (estimate))
More technical, steeper curve
Setup Time (Non-technical User)(hours)
8-12 hours (technical setup)
2-4 hours (drag-and-drop)
User Simplicity(out of 5)
3.5/5
Learning Curve Difficulty(score (1-10))
2/10 (minimal)
Setup Time for Beginners(minutes)
1-2 hours (drag-and-drop)
Recommended Merchant Size
Small to enterprise
Customization Capability(null)
Moderate (API-driven, template modifications)
Hosting & Infrastructure(null)
Fully managed (99.99% SLA)
Proprietary global CDN included
Payment Gateway Support(gateways)
135+ gateways
Design Customization Ease
Requires CSS knowledge for advanced customization
Full drag-and-drop with no coding needed
Design Templates(count)
60
100+
Design Control Level(1-10 scale)
Advanced, highly customizable
Template Variety(templates)
50+ professional designs
Design Customization Depth(scale 1-10)
40% - template parameter-based
Show 1 more attribute
Design Templates Included(count)
85
App Ecosystem Size(apps)
~600 apps
Market Share (2026)(%)
3.4%
Global Website Market Share (2026)(percent)
~2–3%
API Access Level(text)
Full REST API with custom code
Limited API with restricted code
Template Count(templates)
200
Template Design Quality
More attractive & polished aesthetics
Ecommerce Entry Price(USD/month)
$16/month (included)
Transaction Fee Structure
Lower fees
AI Website Builder
Basic
Customer Satisfaction Rating(%)
4.5/5
User Satisfaction (Capterra Ratings)(stars)
4.5/5 (3,394 reviews)
Security Features
SSL certificate, daily backups, security updates
SSL/HTTPS Security(boolean)
Yes (all plans)
SSL Certificate Cost(USD/year)
$0 (included in plan)
App Integrations(count)
150+
Ecommerce Transaction Fee(%)
2%
POS System Included
No
Omnichannel Selling Support
No
User Reviews Count(reviews)
3,394 reviews (Capterra)
CMS Relational Capabilities
Basic collections only
Animation & Interaction Features
Block animations, limited transitions
User Reviews (Capterra/G2)(star rating)
4.4/5 stars (3,394 reviews)
Design Templates Available(count)
100+
Built-in E-commerce Features
All paid plans included
Product Launch Year(year)
2003
Mobile App Quality Rating(stars)
4.5/5
E-commerce Transaction Limit(Annual USD)
Unlimited (with per-transaction fees)
Email Newsletter Features
Requires integration (Mailchimp, Klaviyo, etc.)
Membership Management
Limited; requires apps or custom integration
Free Trial Length(days)
14 days free; no credit card required
User Base(millions)
1+ million stores
E-commerce Transaction Fees(percent + fixed)
0%
Email Marketing Included(boolean)
Yes (all plans)
Storage (Basic Plan)(GB)
Unlimited

Pros & Cons

12 pros·6 cons across both

B
Squarespace
B

BigCommerce

+6-3

Pros

  • 0% transaction fees on all pricing tiers
  • 100+ payment gateway integrations including Stripe, PayPal, and Square
  • Native multi-channel selling (Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
  • Full REST API and custom code editor for developers
  • Advanced inventory management with warehouse/location tracking
  • Built-in abandoned cart recovery and dynamic pricing tools

Cons

  • $29.95/month starting price is 87% higher than Squarespace
  • Steeper learning curve for non-technical users compared to Squarespace
  • Fewer design templates (60 vs Squarespace's 100+) with more technical setup required
Squarespace

Squarespace

+6-3

Pros

  • $16/month starting price—38% cheaper than BigCommerce base tier
  • 100+ professionally designed, mobile-responsive templates
  • Drag-and-drop interface requires zero coding knowledge
  • Built-in SEO tools, blogging, scheduling, and email marketing
  • Excellent design customization for visual, branded storefronts
  • Integrated with Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay

Cons

  • 3% (Standard) or 2.9% (Advanced) transaction fees on every sale—BigCommerce charges 0%
  • Limited payment gateway options—Squarespace Payments or Stripe/PayPal only, no Square/Amazon Pay
  • No native multi-channel selling to Amazon, eBay, or third-party marketplaces

Frequently Asked Questions

5 questions

  1. Squarespace's $16/month base plan is 46% cheaper than BigCommerce's $29.95/month. However, this comparison reverses if your store processes high sales volumes: BigCommerce charges 0% transaction fees while Squarespace charges 2.9-3% per sale. On $50,000 annual revenue, Squarespace's transaction fees ($1,450-$1,500) exceed the price difference, making BigCommerce cheaper for scaling stores.

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