Squarespace vs WordPress: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Squarespace and WordPress 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 Squarespace vs WordPress calculator works, and how the two compare
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. WordPress is the open-source CMS behind over 40% of the web, which sells online through the WooCommerce plugin. WordPress is free software; a store means WordPress plus WooCommerce on hosting from roughly $10 to $25 per month, with processing via WooPayments or Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 and no platform transaction fee.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Squarespace and WordPress 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: Squarespace operates as a subscription platform where you pay a monthly plan plus payment processing, while WordPress operates as free open-source software where you pay for hosting and processing rather than the platform itself. 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. WordPress is a general-purpose CMS first: unbeatable for content and SEO flexibility with total ownership, but eCommerce requires assembling and maintaining WooCommerce, hosting, and plugins yourself.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Squarespace is modeled on: Commerce Basic around $28 per month annually, 0% platform fee, 2.9% + $0.30 processing.
- WordPress is modeled on: WordPress + WooCommerce on hosting around $20 per month, 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.