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Squarespace pricing (2026): what a restaurant or café pays

Squarespace pricing starts at $19 a month for Basic paid annually, or $25 paid monthly, and tops out at $99 a month for Advanced ($139 paid monthly). There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial, and a restaurant that wants ChowNow online ordering needs Core at $29 a month.

By Joseph Jang, Co-founder, PlacePilot

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Key takeaways

  • We read Squarespace's four plans, Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced, on its US pricing page on 30 October 2026.
  • An annual plan costs up to 36% less than paying month to month and comes with a free domain for its first year.
  • Basic adds a 2% fee to every online store sale, on top of card rates from 2.9% + $0.30; Core and the plans above it drop the 2%.
  • ChowNow ordering, the free year of Google Workspace email and code injection all start at Core, so a restaurant that takes orders online skips Basic.
Squarespace's Basic card at $19 a month with a 2% online store transaction fee, beside Core at $29 a month, marked Recommended, with no fees on online store transactions
Basic and Core, billed annually, on Squarespace's pricing page on 25 October 2026. Source: Squarespace

How much does Squarespace cost?

Squarespace's plans and prices
PlanPriceBilledWhat it includes
Basic$19 a monthYearly ($25 monthly)Menu block, 2 contributors, 10 AI credits once, 2% store fee
Core$29 a monthYearly ($39 monthly)No store fee, ChowNow ordering, a year of Google Workspace, 20 AI credits a month
Plus$49 a monthYearly ($65 monthly)Card rates from 2.7% + $0.30, 40 AI credits a month
Advanced$99 a monthYearly ($139 monthly)Card rates from 2.5% + $0.30, 120 AI credits a month

Source1

What does Squarespace cost beyond the plan?

The domain from year two

The free domain comes only with an annual plan and covers its first year. After that it renews at Squarespace's standard rate plus tax. On a monthly plan you pay for the domain from day one.1

Card fees on every payment

Squarespace Payments takes 2.9% + $0.30 per standard card on Basic and Core, 2.7% + $0.30 on Plus and 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced. An American Express card costs 3.2% + $0.30 on every plan, and a card issued abroad adds 1.5%.1

Basic's 2% on store sales

Gift cards, merchandise and paid classes sold through a Basic store pay 2% of each order to Squarespace, on top of the card fee. Core costs $10 a month more paid annually and charges no store fee, so it pays for itself once online sales pass $500 a month.1

Email after its free year

Core and the plans above it include one Google Workspace account free for a year. It then renews at Google's standard rate, and every extra mailbox is billed from the start.1

Your evenings

A template gives you the layout. Writing the pages, typing in the menu and changing hours for a holiday stay your job on every plan. Our free menu maker turns a menu into a clean page you can link from any site.

Who is Squarespace for?

Squarespace suits an owner who wants a polished site and will put it together from a designer template: a café with a strong look of its own, a tour operator with good photos, a guesthouse with a handful of rooms. The menu block is on every plan. Core adds what Squarespace calls premium integrations, which it lists as OpenTable reservations and ChowNow ordering. Before you pay for a rebuild, run your current site through the free website grader to see what it is missing.

How does Squarespace compare with PlacePilot?

Pick PlacePilot if

  • You want the first version of the site made for you from your Google listing.
  • You would rather text a change to your site than open an editor. See what we do for restaurants.

Pick Squarespace if

  • You want to choose every font, photo and section yourself.
  • You sell gift cards or merchandise online and will pay for Core to drop the 2% store fee.
  • Someone on your team will keep the menu, hours and photos current in the editor.
Squarespace and PlacePilot side by side
FeaturePlacePilotSquarespace
After launchWeekly checks of your site and search, fixes ready to publish (the better pick on this row)Built-in SEO, with the pages yours to keep current
Before you payThe report and a first version of your site, free with an accountA 14-day free trial, with no card
Lowest price$24.99 a month on Owner, billed monthly$19 a month paid annually, $25 monthly (the better pick on this row)
Selling onlineNot handled; link the checkout you already useA store on every plan, with no store fee from Core (the better pick on this row)

Source1

PlacePilot vs Squarespace

Questions

How much is Squarespace per month?

From $19 a month for Basic paid annually up to $139 a month for Advanced paid monthly, as listed on Squarespace's US pricing page on 30 October 2026.

Is Squarespace free?

No. Squarespace has no free plan. Every site starts with a 14-day trial that needs no credit card, and keeping the site online after it needs a paid plan.

Which Squarespace plan does a restaurant need?

Basic covers a menu, opening hours and photos. Core is the one to buy if you want ChowNow online ordering, a free year of Google Workspace email or no 2% fee on gift card sales.

Is Squarespace cheaper if you pay annually?

Yes. Squarespace says annual billing saves up to 36%, and an annual plan includes a free domain for its first year.

Can you cancel Squarespace at any time?

Yes. You can upgrade, downgrade or cancel whenever you like, and the change takes effect at the end of the billing period you have already paid for.

Does Squarespace charge transaction fees?

Basic charges 2% on online store sales on top of card rates from 2.9% + $0.30. Core, Plus and Advanced charge no store fee, and the card rate falls to 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced.

Sources

  1. Squarespace, Pricing plans and features · read
  2. PlacePilot, Pricing · read

Written by Joseph Jang, Co-founder, PlacePilot

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