The Hidden Costs of Squarespace: A 2026 Pricing Breakdown (Transaction Fees, Email & Scheduling)
Note: All prices listed below are for the US as of February 18, 2026. Pricing changes often, so I’ve included links to the official pages so you can always check the live rates.
Let’s be real: Trying to figure out the actual price of a Squarespace website can feel like a scavenger hunt.
You look at the main pricing page and see a base monthly fee. You think, "Okay, $23/month. That fits my budget."
But that base price is just the starting line.
Once you actually start building your business, the costs begin to layer on. You realize that selling a product triggers a transaction fee. Sending a branded newsletter is an extra subscription. Want to let clients book appointments? That’s another add-on cost.
Suddenly, your $23/month bill looks a lot different.
The problem is that Squarespace lists all these fees on five different support pages, making it nearly impossible to get a clear picture of your total overhead.
I wanted to stop the madness. So, I decided to consolidate it all right here. I’ve pulled the data from the commerce page, the scheduling page, and the email marketing page to bring it all into one easy-to-read guide.
My goal is to make this as simple as possible so you don’t have to have 15 tabs open just to figure out what your website will actually cost.
Here is exactly what you are paying for when you build a Squarespace site in 2026: from the base "rent" to the necessary "utilities" all in one place.
1. The "Rent": Monthly Hosting Fees
First, you have the base cost. This is just to have your website exist on the internet. Currently, Squarespace has 4 main plans: Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced.
The Basic Plan is great for portfolios and simple brochures.
The Core/Plus/Advanced Plans unlock more features like e-commerce analytics and better merchandising tools.
But the monthly fee is just the start. If you plan to sell anything (services, products, or donations), you need to know about the fees below.
2. The "Hidden" Fees: Getting Paid
This is the part that usually trips people up. There are actually two types of fees that come out of your sales.
A. Credit Card Processing Fees (The Bank's Cut)
No matter what plan you are on, if a client pays you with a credit card, the processor takes a cut. You cannot avoid this (it’s how Visa/Mastercard make money).
You generally have three options for processing payments:
Option 1: Squarespace Payments (The New Standard)
Squarespace recently launched their own processor to compete with Stripe. The fee depends on which hosting plan you are on:
Basic Plan: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Core Plan: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
Plus Plan: 2.7% + $0.30 per transaction
Advanced Plan: 2.5% + $0.30 per transaction (Best for high volume!)
> Check the most updated Squarespace Transaction Fees here.
Option 2: Stripe
If you stick with the classic Stripe integration, the standard US rate is usually 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, regardless of your Squarespace plan.
> Check current Stripe Pricing here.
Option 3: PayPal
If you allow clients to pay via PayPal, their fees are slightly different, typically 2.99% + a fixed fee (which varies by country).
> Check current PayPal Business Fees here.
B. The Squarespace "Transaction Fee" (The Platform Cut)
Heads up: This is separate from the credit card fee!
If you are on the BASIC Plan: Squarespace takes an additional 2% cut of every sale.
My professional advice: The Basic plan is okay for "proof of concept" if you are on a tight budget. But once you start making regular sales, that 2% adds up fast. It’s usually better to upgrade to the Core plan (where this fee drops to 0%) to save money in the long run.
If you are on Core, Plus, or Advanced: Squarespace takes 0%. You only pay the credit card processing fee.
3. The Add-Ons: Courses, Scheduling & Email
These features are powerful, but they are not included in your base hosting bill.
Selling Courses (Member Areas)
Want to create a paywall or sell a digital course? Squarespace calls these "Member Areas." Just like the commerce fees, they take a percentage of your course sales depending on your plan:
Basic Plan: 7% fee
Core Plan: 5% fee
Plus Plan: 1% fee
Advanced Plan: 0% fee
Again, if you plan to sell a $500 course, do NOT stay on the Basic plan, or you'll be donating 7% of that straight to Squarespace!
Booking Appointments (Acuity Scheduling)
If you are a therapist, coach, or yoga studio, you probably know Acuity Scheduling. Squarespace acquired them a while back. It integrates perfectly, but it requires a separate subscription.
Emerging Plan (~$16/mo annually): Great for solo business owners.
Growing Plan (~$27/mo annually): Adds text message reminders (crucial for reducing no-shows!) and subscriptions/packages.
Powerhouse Plan (~$49/mo annually): Needed for HIPAA compliance, multiple time zones, and multiple staff calendars.
> Check the most updated Acuity Pricing here.
Email Campaigns (Newsletters)
You can collect email addresses for free using a Newsletter Block on your site. But if you want to send pretty, branded emails directly from Squarespace, you need an Email Campaigns subscription.
The Free Trial: You can send up to 3 blast emails (5,000 sends per email) to test it out. Note: You don't get automated emails on the trial.
Paid Plans: Start at roughly $8/mo (annually) for 500 emails/month.
Why pay? It allows you to set up automations. For example, if someone downloads your "Free Guide," Squarespace can automatically email it to them. The price scales up based on how many emails you send (up to $118/mo for 500k emails).
> Check the rates at the bottom of the Squarespace Email Pricing page.
Final Thoughts: Don't Let the Math Scare You
I know… it looks like a lot of numbers. But here is the good news: You can start small.
Most of my clients start on the Core Plan (to avoid the 2% transaction fee) and add Acuity or Email Campaigns later as they grow.
The beauty of Squarespace is that everything is in one place. You don't need a separate Mailchimp account, a separate WordPress hosting bill, and a separate Calendly invoice. It’s all under one roof.
Confused about which plan is right for you? You don't have to figure it out alone. Book a free consultation and I’ll help you pick the setup that saves you the most money based on your business goals.
