Is Squarespace Worth It? A No-Fluff Take From a Designer Who's Been There

I used to roll my eyes at Squarespace. I thought it was "too basic" for someone with my background. I mean, I was coding sites before I was tall enough to reach the top shelf in my kitchen. Why would I use a drag-and-drop builder?

But then I started working with clients.

And guess what? Clients don’t want to log into WordPress and wade through a sea of plugins. They don’t want to pay for the time I spend figuring out their hosting issues. They don’t want to break their site because they updated a theme. They don’t want to pay me every time they need to change a paragraph.

They want control. Clarity. Simplicity. And I want my clients to feel empowered—not overwhelmed.

Squarespace delivers that.

Let’s break it down. This isn’t a hype post. It’s the real deal from someone who has been elbows-deep in every major platform, cleaning up digital messes and celebrating smooth launches alike.

What Makes Squarespace Worth It? My Honest Pros

1. Ease of Use

Squarespace feels like a breath of fresh air. The interface is sleek, modern, and dare I say—fun? Everything is drag-and-drop, but with structure. No need to worry about elements overlapping like on Showit or struggling with weird theme conflicts like on WordPress.

And let’s not forget the Fluid Engine—Squarespace's visual editor update that allows for much more flexibility in layout. Want to move something slightly off-center? You can. Want to stack elements differently on mobile? Also doable.

2. Speedy Setup

If you're a small business owner and time is money (and let’s be honest, it always is), Squarespace can get your site up and running FAST. I've helped clients go from zero to live in a single weekend. And you don’t need a degree in computer science or a night of tears and wine to do it.

3. Mobile-Friendly by Default

Designing for mobile used to be a pain. But with Squarespace 7.1 and Fluid Engine, it’s mostly done for you. You might tweak some spacing or font sizes, but you won’t have to build your site twice.

4. Built-In Tools: All-In-One & Streamlined

• Email marketing? Yep, built in (but paid extra).

• Analytics? Included.

• E-commerce? One-click setup.

• Scheduling, member areas, custom forms, SEO basics? All there.

No plugin chaos. No hunting around the internet for third-party tools.

It’s like a tidy digital house—everything in its place.

5. Templates That Don’t Suck

Gone are the days when Squarespace templates all looked the same. With a bit of creative nudging (or hiring someone like me to tweak it), your site can look as custom as a fully-coded design. Templates are clean, professional, and user-friendly.

6. Security & Hosting Included

This is underrated: you don’t have to think about hosting, security patches, plugin updates, or backups. Squarespace handles it all. Your job? Focus on your business.

But It’s Not All Rainbows: Squarespace Cons

1. Limited Customization for Developers

If you want to go wild with custom code or do complex integrations, Squarespace might feel restrictive. You can add some custom CSS and code blocks, but you won’t have full control over the backend like with WordPress.

You also can't assign custom classes to elements without using a third-party plugin (although that plugin exists—and works well).

2. E-commerce Limitations

Yes, you can sell products. But compared to Shopify? Squarespace's e-commerce features are basic. The checkout page customization is limited. No upsells or funnels built-in. Great for simple shops, less ideal for large-scale online stores.

3. Template Lock-In

With 7.1, you technically don’t choose a template—you choose a starting layout. But once you’ve begun, switching up styles or functionality isn’t as seamless as it sounds. You’ll have to manually restyle things if you want a totally different look later.

4. Price Point

Squarespace isn’t the cheapest option. Monthly plans range from $16 to $49 USD. But when you factor in that you're not paying separately for hosting, plugins, security, or an email marketing platform—it balances out for most people.

Who Is Squarespace Ideal For?

1. Small Business Owners

If you’re a coach, consultant, designer, therapist, yoga teacher, photographer—basically, any service-based business that wants to look polished and book clients easily—Squarespace is a dream.

2. DIYers Who Don’t Want to Deal With Tech

You want to edit your website without crying or begging a developer to help. You want things to work. You want to launch and move on with your life. Squarespace has your back.

3. Creatives Who Want a Clean, Professional Look

You can still get creative with layouts using Fluid Engine. Add in beautiful images, scroll effects, and even some custom flair if needed. Squarespace gives you enough flexibility to make your site yours, without overwhelming you.

4. People Who Want Peace of Mind

No updating plugins. No stressing about security. No worrying about your site breaking every time there's a new software release. Squarespace is stable and low maintenance.

I’ve since rebuilt my own site on Squarespace 7.1. I sell templates. I help clients launch their businesses. And I can honestly say: it works.

So… Is Squarespace Worth It?

If you want a low-maintenance, all-in-one platform that looks good, works well, and doesn’t make you want to throw your laptop out the window? Then yes, Squarespace is 100% worth it.

It’s not for everyone. But for most small business owners? It checks all the boxes:

• Easy to use

• Gorgeous out of the box

• Built-in tools

• Mobile-friendly

• Secure and reliable

• Good support

There will always be flashier platforms with more bells and whistles. But if your goal is to run a professional business with a website you can actually manage, then Squarespace might just be your new best friend.