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It's a split decision.
Choose Squarespace for a broader business site with selling, scheduling, invoicing, and business email. Choose Format for a creative portfolio with client galleries, proofing, and file transfers. Format lists a lower annual entry price, but its Pro annual rates are promotional and its FAQ shows different prices. Prices are in different currencies: Squarespace starts at €13.31 per month annually, while Format lists $4. Neither has a free plan; both offer a 14-day trial.
01Side by side
| Squarespace | Format | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | €13.31/month annual; €18.15 monthly | $4/month annual promo; $14 monthly |
| Free plan | No; 14-day free trial | No; 14-day free trial |
| Best for | Business sites, stores, scheduling, and invoicing | Creative portfolios and client workflows |
| Core strength | Business tools, commerce, and AI site building | Portfolios, galleries, proofing, and file transfers |
| Learning curve | AI and drag-and-drop; learning-curve data not published | No-code themes and Flex Block; learning-curve data not published |
| Integrations / data | Google Workspace email; broader integration details not published | Google Workspace email add-on; broader details not published |
| Team / seat costs | 2 contributors on Basic; unlimited from Core | Seat limits and collaborator pricing not published |
| Support | Review support score: 5 | Review support score: 5 |
Squarespace Choose Squarespace if
- Choose Squarespace if you need more than a portfolio site.
- Choose Squarespace if scheduling and invoicing belong on your site.
- Choose Squarespace if you need unlimited contributors on Core.
Format Choose Format if
- Choose Format if your work needs portfolio-first presentation.
- Choose Format if client galleries and proofing matter.
- Choose Format if you sell creative work without platform fees.
02Pricing compared
Squarespace starts at €13.31 per month with annual billing, or €18.15 month to month, according to the pricing details checked on November 6, 2026. Basic includes a 2% online store transaction fee and a 7% digital content and memberships fee. Core starts at €20.57 annually and removes the online-store fee, but keeps a 5% digital-content fee. Advanced starts at €35.09 annually and lists 0% for both fees.
Format lists Basic at $4 per month with annual billing, versus $14 month to month. But its Pro and Pro Plus annual prices are promotional first-year rates, and its FAQ lists different annual prices. Pro starts at $9.35 annually on the plan cards; Pro Plus at $14.30. These prices are in different currencies, so they are not a direct cost comparison. Neither product has a free plan; both offer a 14-day trial.
03Features and depth
Squarespace covers more types of business work in one platform. Its listed tools include an AI site builder, drag-and-drop editing, online selling, appointment scheduling, proposals, contracts, invoicing, SEO tools, analytics, domains, and Google Workspace email. That makes it the broader option for a business site that needs more than a portfolio. Check the fees, though: the Basic plan charges 2% on online-store transactions and 7% on digital content and memberships.
Format is more specifically built around creative portfolios and client work. It lists 90+ themes, custom layouts through Flex Block, branded galleries, proofing, file transfers, and contracts. Its store is described as commission-free, but product caps vary: Pro includes 15 products, while Pro Plus includes 1,000. Hosted video also varies, from 15 minutes on Pro to 120 on Pro Plus; Basic includes none. Format lists SEO controls for page titles, meta descriptions, alt text, blogs, and store items. Choose it for portfolio workflows, not as a substitute for Squarespace’s broader scheduling and invoicing set.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Both products are aimed at people building sites without code. Squarespace pairs a drag-and-drop editor with an AI builder that generates a site from answers, plus tools for adjusting layouts, fonts, colors, images, and branding. Our review scores its ease of use at 8 out of 10.
Format offers customizable themes and Flex Block for arranging images, text, dividers, and buttons. Its workflow tools sit alongside the portfolio, so creatives can handle galleries, proofing, file transfers, and contracts there. Our review scores Format’s ease of use at 7.5 out of 10. Those scores are review assessments, not guarantees about how quickly a particular site will be built. If your setup needs selling, scheduling, and invoicing, Squarespace’s broader toolkit may mean fewer separate tools; if it centers on client galleries, Format keeps those features close to the portfolio.
Questions people ask
What is the downside of Squarespace?
The clearest cost drawback is Basic’s listed 2% online-store transaction fee and 7% fee on digital content and memberships. Core removes the online-store fee but still lists a 5% digital-content fee. The published review also notes mixed user reception and gives support a score of 5 out of 10.
What is the recommended image size for Squarespace?
The published material for this comparison does not publish a recommended Squarespace image size in pixels. We can’t give a specific width or height from these details; check Squarespace’s current documentation for guidance suited to the image type and placement.
Is Square the same as Squarespace?
No—the product covered here is Squarespace, a website builder and business platform. Square is not covered in the published material for this comparison, so we can’t verify its products, ownership, or relationship to Squarespace from these details.
Is Squarespace still good in 2026?
The published review rates Squarespace 6.8 out of 10, citing capable site and commerce features but noting Basic plan fees and mixed user reception. Its listed prices were checked on November 6, 2026. Whether it is a good fit depends on the tools and transaction fees your business needs.