Quick answer
GoDaddy costs less to sell on: Starter is $9.99/mo billed annually against $19 a month for Squarespace Basic billed yearly, and on a $50 card sale GoDaddy keeps $1.65 against $2.75 on Squarespace Basic. Squarespace fits sellers who want a design-led site and more store tools, which start on Core at $29 a month with a 0% transaction fee.
Nation, an AI store builder, publishes this page. It is pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, so it is not in the list or the fee example. See where Nation fits.
How we compared
In short, GoDaddy is the cheaper way to put a shop on a website, and Squarespace costs more, with shipping labels, discounts and a 0% transaction fee starting on Core. Both platforms were checked against the same four questions, for a US seller who wants a website with a store.
- Monthly cost to sell The cheapest plan that can publish a store and take payments, billed yearly and billed monthly.
- Fees on each sale Card processing and any transaction fee on one order, read from each platform's own pricing or fee page.
- Monthly billing and renewals What the plan costs if you pay month to month, what the yearly price saves, and what a free first-year domain renews at.
- Store features by plan Which selling tools come with the cheapest plan and which need an upgrade.
Squarespace vs GoDaddy at a glance
Each platform is shown at its cheapest plan that can sell, billed yearly. The source and check date for every number are listed under each platform and at the end of the page.
What Squarespace and GoDaddy keep from a $50 sale
Fees are easier to compare on one example order than as percentages. The example is one $50 order paid by a standard US card online, with free shipping and no sales tax. Squarespace Basic adds a 2% transaction fee to card processing of 2.9% + $0.30. GoDaddy Payments charges 2.7% + 30¢ on Online Store card sales.
- GoDaddy Website Builder $1.65 plus $9.99/mo billed annually Card 2.7% + 30¢ $1.65
- Squarespace baseline $2.75 plus $19 a month billed yearly Transaction 2% $1, Card 2.9% + $0.30 $1.75
Assumes a $50 order, a standard US card paid online, free shipping, no tax, no disputes and no currency conversion. Squarespace uses Squarespace Payments on Basic; on Core the 2% fee drops to 0%. GoDaddy uses GoDaddy Payments with standard payouts; instant payouts add 1.75%.
Squarespace and GoDaddy in detail
Each platform gets the same five lines: price, fees per sale, what it is strong at, who it is best for and its main limit.
The baseline. A website builder with a store on every paid plan and no limit on the number of products and services.
- Price
- Basic plan $19 a month billed yearly, or $25 a month billed monthly. Core is $29 a month billed yearly, or $39 a month monthly. There is no free plan; every site starts with a free trial of 14 days.
- Fees per sale
- A 2% transaction fee on Basic plus card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 with Squarespace Payments. Core cuts the transaction fee to 0%; Plus lowers the card rate to 2.7% + $0.30 and Advanced to 2.5% + $0.30.
- Strong at
- Store tools that grow with the plan: Core drops the transaction fee to 0% and adds shipping labels and discounts, and Plus lowers the card rate to 2.7% + $0.30.
- Best for
- Sellers who expect to grow into Core's store tools and want them from the same builder.
- Limit
- Basic adds a 2% fee on every online sale, and shipping labels and discounts are not included on Basic; included on Core and higher.
GoDaddy's website builder, with an online store on every plan: with any website plan you can set up an online store and take payments with GoDaddy Payments. GoDaddy labels Starter as best for portfolios, personal sites and content creators, but the Starter card also lists "Unlimited products and services".
- Price
- Starter plan $9.99/mo billed annually, or $19.99/mo billed monthly. Professional is $24.99/mo billed annually and Ultimate is $99.99/mo billed annually. A free tier gives 50 AI credits a month, no credit card required.
- Fees per sale
- GoDaddy Payments charges 2.7% + 30¢ on Online Store card sales. Each dispute costs $15, and instant payouts cost 1.75%.
- Strong at
- A low-cost website that sells and takes bookings: "Online booking, payments, and deposits for appointments and events", plus local delivery or pickup at checkout.
- Best for
- Small and local businesses that want a website first, sell some products and may take appointments.
- Limit
- Starter lists "Publish 1 site", and GoDaddy says to choose Stripe if your business is located outside of US or Canada, or if you need recurring payments.
Which one fits you
You want the lowest monthly cost for a website with a shop.
GoDaddy
Starter is $9.99/mo billed annually against $19 a month for Squarespace Basic billed yearly.
You want the lowest fee on each sale without upgrading.
GoDaddy
A $50 card sale costs $1.65 on GoDaddy Starter and $2.75 on Squarespace Basic, which adds a 2% transaction fee.
You run a local business that takes bookings and sells a few products.
GoDaddy
The Starter card lists "Online booking, payments, and deposits for appointments and events", and checkout offers local delivery or pickup.
You need shipping labels and discount codes from the start.
Squarespace Core
Shipping labels and discounts are not included on Basic; included on Core and higher, and Core is $29 a month billed yearly with a 0% transaction fee.
You want to pay month to month.
Either, at a higher price
Monthly billing costs $25 a month on Squarespace Basic and $19.99/mo on GoDaddy Starter.
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 ranked here and will not be added to the comparison or 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 Squarespace and GoDaddy Website Builder for a US seller who wants a website with a store. No platform paid to be included, and none of the links are affiliate links.
Every plan price and fee was read on the platform's own pricing, plans or help page on 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 Squarespace vs GoDaddy
Is Squarespace or GoDaddy better for an online store?
Squarespace is better for an online store when you want shipping labels and discounts built in, and GoDaddy is better when cost matters most. Squarespace Core adds both at $29 a month billed yearly. GoDaddy Starter sells products and takes bookings for $9.99/mo billed annually, with a lower fee on each card sale.
Is GoDaddy cheaper than Squarespace?
GoDaddy is cheaper than Squarespace on both the plan and the fees. GoDaddy Starter is $9.99/mo billed annually and Squarespace Basic is $19 a month billed yearly. Squarespace Basic adds a 2% transaction fee to card processing, so a $50 order costs $2.75 on Squarespace and $1.65 on GoDaddy.
Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
Squarespace charges a 2% transaction fee on online sales on its Basic plan, on top of card processing of 2.9% + $0.30 through Squarespace Payments. Core and higher plans charge 0%. On GoDaddy, the fee GoDaddy Payments lists for an Online Store card sale is 2.7% + 30¢.
What do Squarespace and GoDaddy cost if I pay monthly?
Squarespace and GoDaddy both charge more when you pay month to month. Squarespace Basic is $25 a month instead of $19 a month, and Squarespace says paying yearly saves up to 36%. GoDaddy Starter is $19.99/mo instead of $9.99/mo billed annually, and GoDaddy lists a free custom domain on the annual Starter plan card.
What renews at a higher price on Squarespace and GoDaddy?
On Squarespace, the free domain is the part that renews at a higher price: an annual plan includes one year of free domain registration with an annual plan, and the domain then renews at the standard rate, plus applicable taxes, after the first year. GoDaddy's plan cards list only the yearly and monthly prices, so check the cart for renewal terms before you pay.
Do Squarespace and GoDaddy have a free plan?
Squarespace has no free plan; every site starts with a free trial, and the trial lasts 14 days. GoDaddy has a free tier with 50 AI credits a month, no credit card required, which you can use to try the builder before you pay. GoDaddy's paid plans start at $9.99/mo billed annually for Starter, and Squarespace's at $19 a month for Basic, both billed yearly.
Is Nation an alternative to Squarespace and GoDaddy?
Nation is not an alternative to Squarespace and GoDaddy that you can compare today. It is an AI store builder, pre-launch, with a waitlist on withnation.ai, and its pricing is not announced yet. As for a place where shoppers browse stores, no shopper marketplace has been announced. Nation will be added to this comparison once signup is public and pricing is published.