Plans and fees side by side
From each pricing page on the access date. Squarespace's listed card rates apply when you use Squarespace Payments; Shopify's apply to Shopify's own processing. [1] [2]
| Plan | Annual / monthly billing | Online standard card rate | Platform fee on sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | $29 / $39 a month | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% only if using a third-party payment provider |
| Shopify Grow | $79 / $105 | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% with a third-party provider |
| Shopify Advanced | $299 / $399 | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% with a third-party provider |
| Squarespace Basic | $19 / $25 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 2% online store fee |
| Squarespace Core | $29 / $39 | 2.9% + $0.30 | 0% |
| Squarespace Plus | $49 / $65 | 2.7% + $0.30 | 0% |
| Squarespace Advanced | $99 / $139 | 2.5% + $0.30 | 0% |
Fine print that changes the math
Premium cards cost more on both. Shopify lists online premium card rates of 3.5%, 3.3% and 3.1% + 30 cents on Basic, Grow and Advanced. [1] Squarespace lists a 3.2% + $0.30 premium rate on every plan, applying to all American Express cards and some commercial cards. [2]
Squarespace also lists a 1.5% international card surcharge and a 1.0% currency conversion fee, and charges a separate fee on digital content and memberships: 7% on Basic, 5% on Core, 1% on Plus, 0% on Advanced. [2] Shopify's in-person card rates start at 2.6% + 10 cents on Basic. [1] Both advertise introductory offers: Shopify a 3-day trial then $1 a month for 3 months, Squarespace a 14-day free trial. [1] [2]
Net monthly cost at $2,000 in sales
Hypothetical: 50 online orders of $40, standard cards, each platform's own payment processing, annual billing. Card cost is 50 x $0.30 = $15 fixed plus the percentage.
| Plan | Plan | Card fees | Store fee | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | $29 | $58 + $15 | $0 | $102 |
| Shopify Grow | $79 | $54 + $15 | $0 | $148 |
| Squarespace Basic | $19 | $58 + $15 | $40 | $132 |
| Squarespace Core | $29 | $58 + $15 | $0 | $102 |
| Squarespace Plus | $49 | $54 + $15 | $0 | $118 |
Net monthly cost at $20,000 in sales
Hypothetical: 500 online orders of $40, same assumptions. Fixed card fees are 500 x $0.30 = $150.
| Plan | Plan | Card fees | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Basic | $29 | $580 + $150 | $759 |
| Shopify Grow | $79 | $540 + $150 | $769 |
| Shopify Advanced | $299 | $500 + $150 | $949 |
| Squarespace Core | $29 | $580 + $150 | $759 |
| Squarespace Plus | $49 | $540 + $150 | $739 |
| Squarespace Advanced | $99 | $500 + $150 | $749 |
Where each upgrade pays for itself
An upgrade pays when the card-rate saving covers the higher plan price. Divide the plan difference by the rate difference. These use annual billing and standard online cards. [1] [2]
| Upgrade | Plan difference | Rate saving | Break-even monthly online sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace Basic to Core | $10 | 2% store fee removed | $500 |
| Squarespace Core to Plus | $20 | 0.2 points | $10,000 |
| Squarespace Plus to Advanced | $50 | 0.2 points | $25,000 |
| Shopify Basic to Grow | $50 | 0.2 points | $25,000 |
| Shopify Grow to Advanced | $220 | 0.2 points | $110,000 |
Catalog, inventory and shipping
Shopify's plans add operations capacity as you move up: Basic has no additional staff accounts, Grow includes 5 and Advanced 15, and Basic to Advanced each list 10 inventory locations. All plans include themes, a full-featured online store and in-person selling rates. [1]
Squarespace includes unlimited products and services, subscriptions, gift cards, invoices and abandoned cart emails on all plans. Basic lacks discounts, shipping labels, carrier-calculated shipping, Google Shopping and automated taxes and shipping, which arrive on Core. Reserved cart and timer are on Plus and Advanced. Squarespace Extensions connect third-party tools such as drop shipping and sales tax compliance. [2] Squarespace also lists a Point of Sale payment processor on all plans, available in the U.S. and U.K. [2]
Who fits each
Fees are close, so pick on how you sell. [1] [2]
- Choose Shopify if staff need their own logins (5 on Grow, 15 on Advanced) or you hold stock in several locations (10 inventory locations listed on Basic through Advanced).
- Choose Squarespace Core if the store sits inside a content or service website and you want unlimited contributors and built-in taxes and shipping for $29 a month.
- Skip Squarespace Basic for selling unless sales stay under about $500 a month, where its 2% store fee is smaller than Core's extra $10.
- On either platform, use the native payment processor: Shopify adds a fee for third-party providers, and Squarespace's listed rates assume Squarespace Payments.
Questions before you decide
Does Squarespace charge a transaction fee?
Squarespace Basic charges a 2% online store fee. Core, Plus and Advanced list 0%, though card processing rates and digital content fees still apply.
Does Shopify charge a transaction fee?
Shopify charges an extra fee only when you use a third-party payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Card processing rates apply either way.
Which is cheaper at low sales volume?
At $2,000 a month in our example, Shopify Basic and Squarespace Core both total about $102 a month on annual billing. Squarespace Basic is more expensive at that volume because of its 2% store fee.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Shopify pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Squarespace pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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