Squarespace vs Webflow: Which Is Better for Small Business?
Updated October 20, 2026 · Website builders
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| Feature | Squarespace | Webflow |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | 14-day free trial | Free Starter plan (webflow.io domain, 2 static pages, limited CMS, 1 GB bandwidth, 50 form submissions) |
| Entry paid plan | Basic: listed at $19/mo and $25/mo (the lower price applies to annual billing; check current pricing) | Basic: $15/mo billed yearly, per site, no CMS |
| Mid-tier plan | Core: listed at $29/mo and $39/mo (annual vs monthly; check current pricing). Marked Recommended and aimed at service businesses | Premium: $25/mo billed yearly, per site, includes CMS |
| Higher tiers | Higher plans exist beyond Core; check current pricing | Team (annual contract required) and Enterprise (talk to sales); check current pricing |
| Custom domain | Free for the first year on annual plans (on available domains); renews at standard rate afterward | Included on Basic and Premium; not on free Starter |
| Hosting and bandwidth | Secure hosting and unlimited bandwidth on all plans | Basic: 10 GB/month. Premium: bandwidth tiers from 50 GB up to 2.5 TB/month |
| CMS / content | Blogs, content and memberships tools available; check current pricing for plan limits | No CMS on Basic. Premium offers CMS (up to 20,000 items and 40 collections), plus scheduled publishing and RSS feeds |
| Page limits | Check current pricing | Starter: 2 static pages. Basic: 300 static pages |
| Selling online | Selling functionality on all plans. Basic shows a 2% online store transaction fee and card rates from 2.9% + $0.30 | Not covered here; check current pricing for ecommerce |
| Business tools | Invoicing, scheduling, email campaigns, SMS campaigns, donations, memberships and business email are listed as products; check current pricing for what each plan includes | Focused on building and managing sites: forms, site search, SEO controls, APIs and localization on higher plans |
| Custom code and APIs | Check current pricing | Custom code, code components, and content management and delivery APIs, depending on plan |
| Team seats | Basic includes 2 contributors | Free Starter Workspace is included with site plans; team features are on the platform plans |
| AI tools | Built-in AI tools on all plans; Basic shows 10 one-time AI credits | AI-assisted SEO and AEO auditing (a paid Workspace plan is needed on a Starter site) |
| Freelancer and agency support | Squarespace for Pros and the Circle partner program | Solutions for freelancers and agencies, plus a Certified Partner directory |
How the pricing really differs
Squarespace sells one website subscription that bundles hosting, unlimited bandwidth, selling functionality and built-in AI tools. Basic and Core are listed at $19 and $29 per month on annual billing, with higher month-to-month prices. Annual plans include a free domain for the first year, which then renews at the standard rate. Webflow splits things up. You pay per site: Basic is $15/mo billed yearly and has no CMS, while Premium is $25/mo billed yearly and adds the CMS, more bandwidth, site search and code components. There is also a free Starter plan. Prices are in USD, per site, plus taxes. Webflow's pricing is also tiered by bandwidth, so heavy-traffic sites should check what they will actually pay.
Ease of use vs control
Squarespace markets itself as powerful enough for pros and easy enough for clients, with templates, an AI website builder and 24/7 support. That makes it a natural fit if you want to get online quickly and hand a site to a non-technical client or team member. Webflow's feature list leans toward people who want finer control: custom code, code components, CMS collections, APIs, per-item publishing and SEO settings such as canonical tags and Open Graph controls. In practice that usually means a steeper learning curve, so budget some time to learn it or hire a Certified Partner.
Content, blogs and larger sites
If your site is mostly a handful of pages, either platform works. Webflow's Basic plan is for simple sites without a CMS, so a blog or a directory of listings means Premium. Premium allows up to 20,000 CMS items across 40 collections, which suits content-heavy sites. Squarespace lists blogs, content and memberships among its products. Check current pricing for exact limits by plan.
Running the business side
This is where Squarespace pulls ahead for many small businesses. It lists online stores, invoicing, scheduling, email and SMS campaigns, donations and business email as part of the platform, with industry pages for trades such as salons, fitness studios, consultants and photographers. Basic shows a 2% online store transaction fee plus card rates from 2.9% + $0.30, so factor fees in if you sell online. Webflow focuses on the website itself. For ecommerce, bookings or invoicing, check current pricing and plan details, and expect to connect other tools.
Trying before you buy
Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. Webflow has a free Starter plan with no custom domain, 2 static pages and 1 GB of bandwidth, which is enough to learn the tool and prototype. Neither will tell you everything about long-term costs, so before launching, add up domain, plan tier, bandwidth and transaction fees.
Pick Squarespace if…
- You want hosting, design, selling, scheduling, invoicing and email marketing under one subscription.
- You run a service business, such as a salon, studio, consultancy or trade, and want industry-focused tools.
- You'd rather start from templates and have a simple editing experience for yourself or your clients.
- You value a free first-year domain on an annual plan and a 14-day trial.
- You want unlimited bandwidth included on all plans.
Pick Webflow if…
- You want to build and learn on a free plan before paying.
- You need a real CMS with collections, scheduled publishing, RSS feeds or APIs.
- You're comfortable with custom code and a more design-and-developer-oriented tool, or you plan to hire a Webflow partner.
- You build sites for clients or run a growing content site and want per-site pricing.
- You need strong control over on-page and technical SEO settings.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Squarespace or Webflow?
On listed annual prices, Webflow Basic ($15/mo, no CMS) and Premium ($25/mo, with CMS) are lower than Squarespace Basic ($19/mo) and Core ($29/mo). Squarespace includes more business tools and unlimited bandwidth, and Webflow charges per site with bandwidth tiers. Check current pricing.
Prices and features change — always confirm on each vendor's site.