Shopify vs Squarespace Commerce: $39 vs $25/mo (2026)
Compare / Shopify vs Squarespace Commerce
Shortlist
Team size
25 seats

Shopify vs Squarespace Commerce

E-commerce pricing comparison · 2026

Shopify pricing ranges from $39–$2300/month, while Squarespace Commerce ranges from $25–$139/month. These products use different pricing models (Hybrid (seat + usage) vs Per-seat subscription), so a direct price comparison isn't meaningful — costs depend on usage volume and mix.

Visit
See pricing on each vendor's site
Above-the-fold path — each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
Compare
2 products · E-commerce
Side-by-side · live
Shopify
Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, powering over 4 million online stores
verified 17d ago
$500 $948
View pricing →
Squarespace Commerce
Squarespace Commerce is the e-commerce platform from Squarespace, known for beautiful desi
verified 27d ago
$500 $948
View pricing →
Verdict · Vendr median · year 1
Squarespace saves $448 vs Shopify · 25 seats
Cheapest $500
Spread 47%
Estimated license cost
at 25 seats
List price × seats. Click a tier below to lock it.
Grow (formerly Shopify)
$32K/yr
year 1 license · $105/seat
Core
$11K/yr
year 1 license · $36/seat
What buyers actually pay
median, annual
Vendr deal-flow data. The real benchmark, not list price.
Median annual
$948/yr
Vendr · n=0 · limited data avg 25% negotiated
↓ Lowest median
Median annual
$500/yr
Vendr · n=222
REF · 01

Sources & confidence

Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.

Where this data comes from
Vendr · TrustRadius · Reddit · BBB · official docs
Sources 20 sourced facts
16 hidden-cost · 1 contract · Vendr median · 2 review platforms
Last verified 2w ago
Confidence High confidence
Sources 1 sourced fact
Vendr median
Last verified 3w ago
Confidence High confidence
REF · 02

Plans at a glance

Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.

Tier ladder
Click a tier to lock the cost row to it. Locking surfaces a tier-specific Visit CTA.
REF · 03

Hidden costs

Each cost is severity-ranked, with the dollar range quoted from its source (Vendr, Reddit, TrustRadius, BBB, official docs) — never our estimate.

Beyond the sticker
Severity-ranked, sourced
5 documented
  • Transaction Fees on Non-Shopify Payments
    0.15-2% per transaction, potentially $75,000+ annually for $5M in sales
    2 sources
  • App and Plugin Costs
    $50-$300/month
    1 source
  • Expensive at Scale
    5-15% of license costs
    2 sources
  • Pricing Model Shifts Revenue to Platform
    $500-$5,000
    1 source
  • Third-Party App Costs
    $6,000+ per year for typical app stack
    3 sources
No hidden costs documented
REF · 05

What users say

Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.

User reviews
TrustRadius · Trustpilot · G2
TrustRadius
8.4/5 (6)
Trustpilot
1.6/5 (25)
Best for
New stores and solo entrepreneurs
Watch out
Poor customer service and lack of phone support
No public ratings yet
Best for
Individuals with occasional selling needs
Decide
Get a quote from each vendor
Each link opens the vendor's pricing page in a new tab.
License cost is computed from publicly listed plans (real math, list price × seats). Median annual cost is from Vendr's deal flow when available — see source badges. Hidden costs and contract terms each cite their own sources. We do not invent composite scores.
E-commerce

Shopify

$39–$2300
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →
VS
E-commerce

Squarespace Commerce

$25–$139
/month
4 plans
Full pricing breakdown →

Different Pricing Models

Direct price comparison isn't meaningful here — Shopify uses Hybrid (seat + usage) pricing while Squarespace Commerce uses Per-seat subscription pricing. Your actual cost will depend on usage volume, team size, or both. Here's each product in its native unit.

Hybrid (seat + usage)

Shopify

$39–$2300 / month
See full Shopify pricing →
vs
Per-seat subscription

Squarespace Commerce

$25–$139 / month
See full Squarespace Commerce pricing →

Shopify and Squarespace Commerce are both hosted e-commerce platforms, but they serve different market segments. Shopify starts at $29/month (annual billing) for its Basic plan and scales to $399/month for Advanced, positioning itself as a dedicated e-commerce powerhouse. Squarespace Commerce is more affordable, starting at just $16/month (annual) for its Basic plan and topping out at $39/month for its Plus tier, making it an attractive option for smaller stores that also need a strong website presence.

Plan-by-Plan Pricing

Plan Shopify Squarespace Commerce
Basic $39 /month $25 /month
Grow (formerly Shopify) $105 /month $36 /month
Advanced $399 /month $56 /month
Shopify Plus $2.3K /month $139 /month

Cost at Scale

Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.

Shopify

5 scenarios
$264 Year 1
Small Online Store (Basic Plan)
monthly average ($29 subscription + $85 apps + $150 transaction fees)
$879 Year 1
Growing Business (Grow Plan)
monthly average ($79 subscription + $150 apps + $650 transaction fees)
$4,400 Year 1
Enterprise Brand (Shopify Plus)
monthly average ($2,300 subscription + $800 apps + $1,300 dev/maintenance)
See all 5 scenarios →

Squarespace Commerce

3 scenarios
$25/month
Starter Setup
$56/month
Growing Business
$139/month
Enterprise Setup

Market Intelligence

Shopify

Median annual cost
$948
Average negotiated discount
25%

Squarespace Commerce

Median annual cost
$500
Based on
222 deals

Continue researching

Our Verdict

Choose Shopify if e-commerce is your primary focus and you need advanced selling features, extensive app integrations, and multi-channel sales capabilities -- its $29-$399/month range reflects a platform built specifically for scaling online stores. Choose Squarespace Commerce if you prioritize beautiful design and need a combined website-plus-store solution at a lower price point -- plans from $16-$39/month (annually) deliver polished templates with built-in commerce features.

Frequently Asked Questions

01 Is Squarespace Commerce cheaper than Shopify?

Yes, Squarespace Commerce is generally cheaper than Shopify across comparable tiers. Squarespace's Basic plan starts at $16/month (annual billing) versus Shopify's Basic at $29/month. Even Squarespace's top-tier Plus plan at $39/month is still cheaper than Shopify's mid-tier Grow plan at $79/month (annual). However, Shopify offers more advanced e-commerce features at its higher price points.

02 Which is better for a small online store with a content-heavy website?

Squarespace Commerce is typically the better choice for content-heavy sites that also sell products, as it excels at combining beautiful website design with e-commerce at an affordable $16-$39/month. Shopify is better if your primary goal is selling products at scale, though its starting price of $29/month is higher and its content management tools are less sophisticated.

03 Can Squarespace Commerce replace Shopify?

Squarespace Commerce can replace Shopify for small to mid-sized stores that do not require extensive third-party integrations or advanced e-commerce features like multi-currency support or large-scale inventory management. At $16-$39/month versus Shopify's $29-$399/month range, Squarespace offers meaningful cost savings. However, stores needing a large app ecosystem, advanced analytics, or high-volume selling capabilities may find Shopify's higher pricing justified.