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Home / Business tools / Website Builders / Squarespace
8.8 Tested Aug 26, 2026 by Team RankingRight

Squarespace (Core) review 2026

The best-looking templates in the test and an editor that keeps them looking that way — our test site was finished fastest and scored highest on mobile

PriceFrom $23 · checked Sep 11, 2026
Build time94 min
PageSpeed mobile88

Is the Squarespace Worth It?

Best website builder overall. Squarespace produced the best site in the least time, and it was still the fastest on a phone. For a small business, a portfolio or a blog with a modest shop it is the safe recommendation. Serious stores should go to Shopify.

Squarespace Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Templates a designer would not be embarrassed by, and guardrails that stop you breaking them
  • Fastest build in our test — 94 minutes
  • Best mobile PageSpeed of the hosted builders
  • Scheduling, memberships and email campaigns built in
Cons
  • 2% transaction fee on Core; Plus is $39
  • No free plan
  • Fewer third-party apps than Wix

Squarespace at a Glance

8.8 Editor Score
Design & templatesTemplate quality, how far the editor lets you change them, and how the site looked on a phone.
24/25
Ease of useTime for the same person to build the test site, and how often the editor fought back.
23/25
Features & ecommerceBlog, forms, bookings, shop, payments, transaction fees, apps and integrations.
16/20
Performance & SEOPageSpeed scores of the finished site, SEO controls, structured data, custom code.
13/15
ValuePrice over three years including a domain and any transaction fees, and what the free tier permits.
12/15
Reader ratingNo reader ratings yet — not part of the score
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Own one? Rate it:

Rubric v1: Design & templates 25 · Ease of use 25 · Features & ecommerce 20 · Performance & SEO 15 · Value 15. Score = Σ ÷ 10, locked Sep 11, 2026. How we rank.

Where to buy — prices checked Sep 11, 2026

Squarespace — $23

Best priceVisit Site

Squarespace specifications

PriceBasic $16/mo, Core $23/mo billed yearly; free domain first year
Free planTrial (14 days)
Online storeYes (Core and up; 2% fee on Core)
Transaction fee2% on Core; 0% on Plus
Templates180+
EditorFluid Engine (grid drag-and-drop)
BlogYes, strong
Export your siteContent only (WordPress XML)
PageSpeed (mobile)88

Why it scored 8.8

Squarespace produced the best site in the least time, and it was still the fastest on a phone. For a small business, a portfolio or a blog with a modest shop it is the safe recommendation. Serious stores should go to Shopify.

Where it loses

Value and ecommerce fees.

Still the right pick for

Small businesses, creatives and bloggers.

Squarespace8.8 · $23
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