Quick answer
Choose Shopify if your site exists to sell products, and Squarespace if it is mainly a portfolio, studio or service site with a small shop inside it. On a $50 card sale on the Basic plans, Shopify Basic keeps $1.75 and Squarespace Basic keeps $2.75, because Squarespace Basic adds a 2% transaction fee on top of card processing. Squarespace Basic's plan is cheaper, $25 a month against $39 a month, so it costs less in total only while orders are few.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the comparison or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
Both platforms were compared on the same four points. What the site is for usually settles Shopify vs Squarespace before the fees do: Shopify for a site built to sell, Squarespace for a portfolio, studio or service site with a small shop.
- What the site is for A site built to sell products needs different tools from a portfolio, studio or service site that also sells a few things.
- Fees on each sale Transaction and card processing fees on one order, read from each platform's own pricing or help page for a US seller.
- Fixed monthly cost What the Basic plan costs in a month with no sales, billed monthly and billed yearly.
- Selling tools on that plan Shipping labels, in-person payments and selling on other channels, which decide whether you need a higher plan.
Shopify vs Squarespace at a glance
Each platform is shown on its Basic plan, billed monthly. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
What Shopify and Squarespace keep from a $50 sale
Fees are easier to compare on one order than as percentages. The example is one $50 order, paid online by a standard card, with free shipping and no sales tax. On Shopify Basic with Shopify Payments the only fee is card processing of 2.9% + 30¢. On Squarespace Basic the same order pays a 2% transaction fee plus card processing of 2.9% + $0.30.
- Shopify baseline $1.75 plus $39 a month Card 2.9% + 30¢ $1.75
- Squarespace $2.75 plus $25 a month Transaction 2% $1, Card 2.9% + $0.30 $1.75
Assumes a $50 order, free shipping, no tax, a standard US card paid online, Shopify Payments on Shopify and Squarespace Payments on Squarespace, no apps and no currency conversion. With another payment provider, Shopify Basic adds 2% on each order. Squarespace Core, at $39 a month, has a 0% transaction fee, so on Core the fees on this sale match Shopify Basic's.
Shopify and Squarespace in detail
Both platforms get the same five lines: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
Shopify is the baseline on this page: a store builder made for selling. Basic has no transaction fee with Shopify Payments and lets you sell unlimited products.
- Price
- Basic plan $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly. New stores get 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months.
- Fees per sale
- Card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic with Shopify Payments. Another payment provider adds 2%.
- Strong at
- Selling tools on the Basic plan: it includes shipping labels you can buy and print, with discounts of up to 87%, plus casual in-person sales at pop-ups and events.
- Best for
- Sellers whose site exists to sell products, who ship orders themselves and expect steady monthly sales.
- Limit
- The plan costs more than Squarespace Basic and is due in months with no sales.
A website builder that also sells, with no limit on the number of products and services. It suits a site where the shop is one part of a portfolio, studio or service site.
- Price
- Basic plan $25 a month, or $19 a month billed annually. Core is $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually. Squarespace has no free plan; every site starts with a free trial, which lasts 14 days.
- Fees per sale
- A 2% transaction fee on Basic, or 0% on Core, plus card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 with Squarespace Payments.
- Strong at
- A site that does more than sell: it can sell physical products, services, and digital products, and every plan includes free invoices for clients.
- Best for
- Artists, photographers, studios and service businesses that sell a few products next to their main site.
- Limit
- Basic adds a 2% fee on every online sale. UPS and USPS shipping labels are not included on Basic and are included on Core and higher plans.
Which one fits you
Your site exists to sell physical products, and you ship the orders yourself.
Shopify
Basic has no transaction fee with Shopify Payments and includes shipping labels you can buy and print, with discounts of up to 87%.
You are a photographer, artist, studio or service business, and the shop is a side part of the site.
Squarespace
It can sell physical products, services, and digital products, every plan includes free invoices for clients, and Basic costs $25 a month against Shopify Basic's $39 a month.
You expect only a few orders a month.
Squarespace Basic
At low volume the cheaper plan saves more than its extra 2% fee costs. Example: with $50 orders on monthly billing, Squarespace Basic costs less in total at 10 orders a month, and Shopify Basic costs less at 20.
You expect steady orders every month.
Shopify Basic
Its lower fee on each sale ($1.75 against $2.75 on a $50 order) more than covers its higher plan once orders add up.
You want Squarespace without the online store transaction fee.
Squarespace Core
Core costs $39 a month, the same as Shopify Basic, with a 0% transaction fee. UPS and USPS shipping labels are not included on Basic and are included on Core and higher plans.
You also sell on marketplaces and want those orders in one place.
Shopify
Shopify Basic can import unlimited orders from marketplaces, and marketplace order sync is free for up to 50 orders a month, then 1% up to $99 a month.
Where Nation fits
Nation
Category: an AI store builder
Nation says one description of what you make builds the store, then agents handle orders, customers and delivery and run ads, content and social posts, with you approving the work. Because pricing is not announced yet, it is not compared on fees here.
Limits today
- Status: pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai.
- Pricing and fees: not announced yet.
- Shopper marketplace: no shopper marketplace has been announced.
- Track record: no independent reviews or public stores yet.
Nation publishes this page. Nation is not compared here and will not be added to the fee example until signup is public and pricing is published.
Describe what you makeDisclosure and method
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. Nation is not ranked here and will not be added to the comparison until signup is public and pricing is published.
The page compares Shopify Basic and Squarespace Basic for a US seller, with Squarespace Core noted where it changes the answer. Neither platform paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every fee was read on the platform's own pricing or help page on or after 2 Oct 2026, then re-read in a separate check. Each platform's section names its source, and the full list is below.
Questions about Shopify vs Squarespace
Is Shopify or Squarespace better for selling online?
Shopify is better for selling online when selling is the site's main job: Shopify Basic has no transaction fee with Shopify Payments and includes shipping labels you can buy and print, with discounts of up to 87%. Squarespace is better when the site is mainly a portfolio, studio or service site with a smaller shop. With both, you bring the buyers yourself.
Is Shopify or Squarespace cheaper?
Squarespace is cheaper on the monthly plan and Shopify is cheaper on each sale. On monthly billing, Squarespace Basic costs $25 a month and Shopify Basic costs $39 a month. On a $50 card sale, Shopify keeps $1.75 and Squarespace keeps $2.75. With only a few orders a month Squarespace Basic costs less in total; with steady orders, Shopify Basic does.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Squarespace charges a transaction fee of 2% on online store sales on its Basic plan, on top of card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 with Squarespace Payments. On the Core plan, at $39 a month, the online store transaction fee is 0%, and card processing still applies.
Does Shopify charge transaction fees?
Shopify has no transaction fee with Shopify Payments; you pay card processing of 2.9% + 30¢ on the Basic plan. If you use a payment provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify Basic adds a fee of 2% on each order, on top of what that provider charges.
Which Squarespace plan matches Shopify Basic?
Squarespace Core is the plan closest to Shopify Basic. Core costs $39 a month on monthly billing, the same as Shopify Basic's $39 a month, and its online store transaction fee is 0%. Card processing is 2.9% + $0.30 on Core and 2.9% + 30¢ on Shopify Basic, so fees on a standard card sale match.
Do Shopify and Squarespace have free trials?
Shopify and Squarespace both have free trials. Squarespace has no free plan; every site starts with a free trial, which lasts 14 days. Shopify gives new stores 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months. After that, Shopify Basic costs $39 a month, or $29 a month billed yearly. On both, the plan is due in months with no sales.
Can Shopify and Squarespace take payments in person?
Shopify and Squarespace can both take payments in person. Shopify Basic includes casual in-person sales at pop-ups and events, with in-person card rates of 2.6% + 10¢ through Shopify Payments. On every plan, Squarespace supports in-person sales through the Squarespace mobile app, available only in the US on iOS and Android, with payments through Square.
Is Nation an alternative to Shopify and Squarespace?
Nation is not an alternative you can compare with Shopify and Squarespace today. It is an AI store builder, pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and its pricing is not announced yet. Because no shopper marketplace has been announced, it would sit with own-store builders like these two. Nation will be added once signup is public and pricing is published.