Square vs Squarespace: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Square and Squarespace across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
Selling online (eCommerce)
Estimates combine processing fees and monthly subscriptions on the plans noted above. One-time hardware, setup, and add-ons are excluded. Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and may have changed.
How the Square vs Squarespace calculator works, and how the two compare
Square is an all-in-one flat-rate payments company covering card readers, full POS systems, and online stores. Square charges 2.6% + $0.15 in person on its free plan (readers from $59, Square Terminal $299), and 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan; paid plans at $49 and $149 per month lower those rates. Squarespace is a design-led website builder favored by creatives, with commerce plans that carry no platform transaction fee. Squarespace Commerce Basic runs around $28 per month billed annually with 0% platform fee and card processing at 2.9% + $0.30; the cheaper Business plan adds a 3% platform transaction fee.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Square and Squarespace cover selling online, which is what this calculator compares. In both cases the bill is driven by a percentage of each sale plus any fixed per-transaction fee, which is why your average transaction size changes the effective rate as much as the headline percentage does.
How they differ: Only Square offers in-person card readers and a full POS system, so that side of the business is not part of this comparison. Square operates as flat-rate card processing with published per-transaction fees, while Squarespace operates as a subscription platform where you pay a monthly plan plus payment processing. Square is the strongest all-rounder: one account covers in-person, POS, invoices, and a free online store, with no monthly fee required to start. Squarespace wins on design polish and simplicity for brand-led stores, but it has no app marketplace to speak of and its commerce depth trails Shopify and BigCommerce.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Square is modeled on: 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan (2.9% + $0.30 on paid plans).
- Squarespace is modeled on: Commerce Basic around $28 per month annually, 0% platform fee, 2.9% + $0.30 processing.
- Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and change often; quote-based providers are modeled at representative rates. Always confirm current pricing with the provider.
- One-time hardware, setup, add-on apps, keyed-in transactions, international cards, and chargeback fees are excluded from the monthly figures.
