Is Squarespace Still Good in 2026? A Designer’s Honest Take
Is Squarespace still good in 2026? For most small businesses, service providers, and creative professionals, yes. Prices have climbed and support has changed, but Squarespace is still one of the best ways to get a polished, flexible website without hand-coding one. I have 15 years of personal experience designing on Squarespace, and for the past 2 years I have run Boxify Web Designs, a family owned and operated business, alongside my wife. This is my honest take on what Squarespace does well, what it costs, where it falls short, and when it makes sense to hire a Squarespace website designer.
Is Squarespace Still Good in 2026?
Is Squarespace Still Good in 2026?
Yes, if you want a professional-looking site that you can manage yourself and you are comfortable paying a monthly or annual subscription. It is not the cheapest builder, and it is not the right fit for every project. It is a strong fit for authors, private chefs, restaurants, contractors, consulting agencies, coaches, and health practices like chiropractic and physical therapy offices.
It is also far from a niche tool. W3Techs reports that Squarespace powers about 3.6% of all websites with a known content management system as of September 2026. A website also still matters to customers. In DreamHost’s 2026 Local Business Trust Index, a survey of more than 1,200 U.S. consumers, 69% said a website is essential for a local business to be credible.
What Squarespace Does Well in 2026
Flexibility without losing the simple editor. Squarespace gives you a drag-and-drop editor for quick builds and the tools for complex, custom work when you need them. If you want a fast site that covers the basics, the templates are a beautiful starting point. If you want a mix of template and custom design, you can bring your own fonts, add custom CSS, and connect third-party tools.
Customization and animation. Custom CSS can make your buttons stand out, and layer effects and hover effects add the kind of polish that makes a site feel unique and responsive to your visitors.
Speed. Google research found that the probability of a bounce increases 32% as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds. Speed is a conversion issue, not just a technical one. A Squarespace site built with optimized images and a clean layout can load quickly, and a designer can fine-tune performance beyond the defaults.
Blogging and event management. Instead of paying for separate software, you can host your blog and events on Squarespace. Blogging lets you design your pages the way you want while keeping the structure uniform. Many authors use Squarespace to promote new books, with event calendars and email sending to keep readers updated.
Mobile-friendly and accessible. When a professional Squarespace designer builds your site, it can be designed mobile-first and built to follow accessibility best practices, often without extra third-party tools.
Squarespace Pricing in 2026
Squarespace has four plans. These are the US prices as of July 2026, shown per month:
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 | $25 |
| Core | $29 | $39 |
| Plus | $49 | $65 |
| Advanced | $99 | $139 |
Paying annually saves roughly 24% to 29%, depending on the plan. Core adds custom CSS and JavaScript support, which makes it the usual starting point for a tailored small business site. Prices change, so confirm current rates at squarespace.com/pricing before you buy.
Where Squarespace Falls Short
Cost. Squarespace has gotten more expensive. In July 2026, the annual price of the Core plan rose from $23 to $29 per month, a 26% increase. New businesses may find that steep, and Squarespace is certainly not the cheapest way to build a website. The better question is what your site needs to do for you:
What are your website goals?
Is this primarily a social media landing page?
Do you need SEO to show up in AI recommendations?
Do you need reliability?
Will e-commerce be an option at some point?
From a designer’s perspective, Squarespace is still one of the best choices for small businesses that want high-quality customization. Website costs are also generally deductible business expenses, so check with your accountant.
Support. In my experience, Squarespace support has become harder to rely on in 2026. Email and chat are available, but help now leans heavily on AI and is less likely to solve unusual problems. Facebook groups and Reddit can help, but many designers understandably expect to be paid for their time. That is one of the strongest reasons to work with a designer who can answer your questions after launch.
Squarespace vs Canva
Canva is a great tool for graphics, and its website builder is a reasonable option for a very simple site. It is easy to learn, has plenty of templates, and has a huge community of tutorials. But it was designed for graphics, not web design. In my experience, page titles, meta descriptions, and heading tags are harder to find and control, and it offers less depth for blogging, forms, and events. Because organic search drives growth, being able to edit H1 and H2 tags and write custom meta descriptions matters.
Canva works best for the social media specialist who wants something quick, for a creative online resume, or for a business that finds most of its clients through social media and only needs images and text. If you want to rank on Google, Squarespace is the stronger choice.
Should You Hire a Squarespace Website Designer?
Squarespace makes it easy to start, but easy to start is not the same as built to perform. A professional Squarespace website designer can structure your headings and metadata for SEO, tune your site for speed and mobile, build custom CSS and animations, and keep your branding consistent across every page.
A DIY build is a reasonable choice if you need a simple site on a tight budget. Hiring makes sense when your website needs to bring in clients, when you are rebranding or moving from another platform, or when you would rather spend your time running your business.
Boxify Web Designs offers a free consultation for small businesses, with tailored solutions for chiropractic services, physical therapy, restaurants, private chefs, and authors. We use flat-rate pricing with no monthly fees from us, and our designers are US-based. Squarespace’s own subscription is billed separately by Squarespace. Book your free consultation with Boxify Web Designs.
What to Look For When Hiring Squarespace Website Designers
If you are hiring Squarespace website designers, these are the points that separate a good fit from a risky one:
A real Squarespace portfolio, ideally with work in your industry.
SEO knowledge. Ask how they handle headings, page titles, meta descriptions, and site structure, and make sure the page copy actually contains the keywords you want to rank for.
Mobile-first design and accessibility. Ask how they test on phones and tablets.
A written scope, timeline, and price. Know what is included before you sign.
Ownership. The site should live in a Squarespace account you own, and you should hold your domain and logins.
Post-launch support and training, so you can update your own content with confidence.
Direct communication. Know who is actually building your site.
On that last point, Boxify Web Designs is family owned and operated. I am a solo entrepreneur and I work with my wife, so you deal directly with the people building your site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Squarespace worth it for small businesses in 2026?
For most small businesses, yes. You get hosting, templates, blogging, events, and strong design flexibility in one platform. Plans start at $19 per month billed annually, and Core at $29 per month is the usual choice for a customized site.
How much does it cost to hire a Squarespace designer?
It depends on the number of pages, custom features, branding needs, and SEO work. Ask for a written quote before you commit. Boxify Web Designs uses flat-rate pricing and offers a free consultation to scope your project. Your Squarespace subscription is a separate cost.
Is Squarespace good for SEO?
Squarespace gives you control over page titles, meta descriptions, and headings, but results depend on how the site is structured and written. A Squarespace website designer can make sure the copy and the headings work together.
Should I use Canva or Squarespace for my business website?
Use Canva if you only need a quick, simple page. Use Squarespace if you want blogging, events, stronger SEO control, and a site that can grow with your business.
Is Squarespace Still a Good Option in 2026?
Despite rising costs, Squarespace remains a premier choice in 2026 for small businesses, service providers, and creative professionals. It bridges the gap between template-driven builders like Canva and fully custom hand-coded platforms. When you hire a Squarespace website designer to handle SEO structure, custom CSS, and mobile performance, it delivers long-term value, room to grow, and strong conversion potential.
Book a free consultation with Boxify Web Designs
Stat sources
3.6% of CMS-known sites: W3Techs, September 2026.
69% say a website is essential for credibility: DreamHost 2026 Local Business Trust Index (1,200+ U.S. consumers).
32% higher bounce probability from 1 to 3 seconds: Google, published on Think with Google. It comes from a 2017 study, so name Google in the text as I did.
Squarespace pricing and the 26% Core increase: PetaPixel, July 17, 2026, citing Squarespace’s pricing page.