When comparing Ecwid vs Squarespace, the decision usually comes down to one question: do you already have a website, or are you starting from scratch? Ecwid is a flexible eCommerce widget you can add to an existing website, social media page, or marketplace listing, while Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder with a built-in online store.
With that in mind, this guide compares Ecwid vs Squarespace across the factors that matter most for a new online store. Here’s our quick verdict on how these platforms stack up against each other:
| Criteria | Ecwid | Squarespace | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $5/month, 10 products, no free plan; 0% transaction fees on every plan | From $19/month billed annually, unlimited products, 14-day free trial; 2% fee on Basic only, 0% from Core up | Depends on catalog size |
| Ease of Use | Guided setup; dashboard organized into Store Management, Sales Channels, Configuration | Guided onboarding; Blueprint AI builder; polished sidebar navigation | Tie |
| Templates & Design | 70+ free templates, drag-and-drop Instant Site customizer | 200+ templates, Blueprint AI website builder, full-site customization via Fluid Engine | Squarespace |
| eCommerce Features | Bulk editing, 70+ payment gateways, automated tax calculation, wholesale pricing groups | Single-page product editor, built-in blogging and content tools, automated tax on Core and above | Ecwid |
| Apps & Integration | ~300 apps in the App Market, covering marketing, shipping, analytics | ~45 extensions, focused on payments and marketing | Ecwid |
| SEO & Marketing | Custom URL slugs on Business+, automated email marketing; AJAX storefront can limit indexing | Built-in blog, AI blog writer, clean URLs, Google Search Console integration | Squarespace |
| Performance & Security | AWS hosting, PCI DSS Level 1, Cloudfront CDN, unlimited bandwidth | SSL on every site, PCI DSS compliant, DDoS mitigation, GDPR tools | Tie |
| Customer Support | Email on Starter; live chat from Venture; phone from Business; priority on Unlimited | 24/7 email, weekday live chat, no phone support | Ecwid |
By the end, we hope you will know which platform, Ecwid vs Squarespace, fits your starting point, whether you’re monetizing an existing site or building a brand-new store from the ground up.
Ecwid vs Squarespace: An Overview
Before diving into the detailed comparison of Ecwid vs Squarespace, this overview section will equip you with a fundamental understanding of each platform’s strengths and offerings. In this way, you can make better decisions.
What is Ecwid?
Ecwid (which stands for “eCommerce Widget”) is a flexible eCommerce solution designed to integrate with any existing website.
The acquisition of Ecwid by Lightspeed in 2021 has marked a significant turning point for the platform, transitioning it from a simple eCommerce add-on to a more robust, comprehensive eCommerce solution. With Lightspeed’s expertise in point-of-sale and eCommerce software, Ecwid has now turned into an expanded suite of advanced eCommerce features.
Currently, Ecwid is home to nearly 154,000 live websites, with a substantial number of users hailing from major markets such as the United States, Germany, the UK, Italy, and France. Its market presence has shown consistent growth, highlighting its effectiveness and appeal as an eCommerce platform. For a closer look at real user feedback and how it performs across pricing and features, check out our Ecwid Reviews.
| Ecwid pros | Ecwid cons |
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What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is a sophisticated website builder known for its stunning design capabilities and all-in-one platform features. Unlike Ecwid, Squarespace is not just an add-on but a complete solution that allows you to build, manage, and host your website with a strong focus on design and aesthetics.
Squarespace is the foundation for over 8 million active websites in many industries, including artists, photographers, restaurateurs, and retailers. It is particularly popular in markets that value design and user experience, such as the United States, Australia, Canada, and the UK. If you want a deeper breakdown before committing, our Squarespace Review covers what to expect.
| Squarespace pros | Squarespace cons |
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Ecwid vs Squarespace: Which Platform Should You Choose?
After testing, we must say that the right answer between Ecwid vs Squarespace depends largely on where you’re starting from.
Choose Ecwid if:
- You already have a website, blog, or social media following, and want to add a store without rebuilding it
- You’re selling a small, curated catalog and want to keep monthly costs low
- You need to sell across multiple channels, such as Facebook, Instagram, and online marketplaces, from one dashboard
- You also sell in person and want built-in POS integration
On the other hand, choose Squarespace if:
- You’re starting from scratch and need a complete, professionally designed website
- Design and brand presentation matter as much as the products themselves, such as for creatives, photographers, or boutique brands
- You want built-in blogging, content tools, and SEO features alongside your store
- You’d rather manage one login and one dashboard than add a widget on top of another platform
Ecwid vs Squarespace Pricing
The Verdict
When it comes to pricing between Ecwid vs Squarespace, Ecwid is more affordable to start with, while Squarespace becomes more competitive once your catalog grows.
Ecwid pricing
Rating: 4.6/5
Ecwid pricing offers four straightforward plans designed to fit businesses of various sizes. Be noted that each Ecwid plan comes with product limitations. Thus, you should carefully select one that fits your plan:
- Starter Plan: $5/month, sell up to 10 products.
- Venture Plan: $35/month ($29/month billed annually), sell up to 100 products.
- Business Plan: $65/month ($49/month billed annually), sell up to 2,500 products.
- Unlimited Plan: $149/month ($119/month billed annually), sell unlimited products.
Unlike many other platforms that only offer limited trials, Ecwid’s free option lets you start selling online with no financial commitment at all. This is especially helpful for startups and small businesses who have a small, curated selection. Additionally, Ecwid does not charge any transaction fees at all, helping you save even more costs.
Considering additional costs, such as essential apps averaging $50/month and standard payment gateway fees, the total annual cost of using Ecwid can vary significantly. We have done the math, and it can be up to approximately $2,388 annually for the Unlimited Plan.
Squarespace pricing
Rating: 4.3/5
Following a significant pricing revision in the summer of 2024, Squarespace’s plans now start at a higher entry point than some of its competitors, including Ecwid. The updated monthly costs are:
- Basic Plan: $25/month ($19/month billed annually).
- Core Plan: $39/month ($29/month billed annually).
- Plus Plan: $65/month ($49/month billed annually).
- Advanced Plan: $139/month ($99/month billed annually).
On annual billing, that puts Squarespace’s cost between $228 and $1,188 a year, before any add-ons. Squarespace charges no transaction fee from the Core plan upward, but the entry-level Basic plan still carries a 2% fee on every online store sale, along with a 7% fee on digital content and memberships (dropping to 5% on Core, 1% on Plus, and 0% on Advanced). Every Squarespace site includes a 14-day free trial, with no credit card required.
Ease of Use
The Verdict
It’s a tie between Ecwid vs Squarespace regarding ease of use. No matter which platform you choose, you will be guided carefully to set up your store ready for sale.
Ecwid ease of use
Rating: 4.5/5
Starting with Ecwid is incredibly straightforward. First, you sign up by entering your name, email, and password, which directly enrolls you in the free plan. If you later find that you need more advanced features, upgrading is easy and can be done anytime through the “My Profile” section.
Ecwid helps you set up your store with a detailed guide that covers all the essentials:
- Create your website and storefront.
- Add your products or services.
- Check your regional settings.
- Decide on your delivery methods.
- Set up how you’ll get paid.
The Ecwid dashboard is particularly well-designed for beginners. It’s divided into clearly labeled sections such as Store Management, Sales Channels, and Configuration. This organization makes it easy not only to get started but also to manage your store as it grows.
As you can see, the Ecwid dashboard has the Lightspeed logo. This indicates Ecwid’s integration with the Lightspeed system, enhancing its functionality and user experience.
Squarespace ease of use
Rating: 4.5/5
The setup process with Squarespace, while just as simple, focuses more on delivering a polished and visually appealing online presence. You begin by providing an email and creating a password. After this, Squarespace’s onboarding process guides you through several important steps:
- Answer questions about the type of site you are creating and what type of products you will be selling.
- Choose a website design template, or ask Squarespace AI to create one for you.
- Add products to sell.
- Set up shipping and taxes.
The Squarespace dashboard enhances this experience thanks to its excellent design and usability. The sidebar navigation menu is clearly labeled, making it easy to find exactly what you need quickly.
For less obvious settings, like payment and shipping options, everything is neatly organized within the settings menu, ensuring that you can manage your site efficiently even if you’re new to eCommerce.
This is how a merchant recently shared about their experience with Squarespace on G2:
Squarespace is easy to use for someone who is not technical at all. The templates are awesome. It’s easy to figure out things you get stuck on with all of the resources provided. It’s so intuitive. I have two websites for different parts of my business one eCommerce and one ‘normal’ website’ and I love how easy they both are to build and maintain.
Templates & Design
The Verdict
In the comparison between Ecwid vs Squarespace for templates and design, Squarespace takes the lead. With over 200 templates and the addition of an AI-driven website builder, Squarespace offers greater variety and advanced customization options for any merchant.
Ecwid templates & design
Rating: 4.3/5
With over 70 free templates, Ecwid ensures that there’s a base design to fit nearly any type of product or business. These templates are particularly beneficial for niche markets, offering a quick setup with minimal fuss.
The real power of Ecwid’s design capabilities comes from its customization features. Using a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can tailor aspects such as text, fonts, colors, and the overall design to match your brand’s aesthetic. However, it’s worth noting that Ecwid’s website builder is not as robust or automated as Squarespace’s.
For example, Jack & Co, a snack company, leveraged Ecwid to transform its local storefront into a global online store. This showcases Ecwid’s ability to help small businesses scale effectively while maintaining a user-friendly interface.
Squarespace templates & design
Rating: 4.6/5
Squarespace stands out with its extensive collection of over 200 templates, gaining a clear edge on the Ecwid vs Squarespace comparison. These templates are all responsive and crafted with a modern aesthetic that offers a high degree of design coherence and sophistication right from the start.
For businesses that require a more tailored online presence, Squarespace has developed the Blueprint AI website builder. You’ll begin by answering a series of questions about your business goals, industry, and brand personality. Then, it will suggest a website structure, color palette, and font pairings to make sure the theme fits your needs.
Once you are done choosing a template or the AI has generated one for you, you can further personalize your site using Squarespace’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface. This allows you to rearrange content sections, modify design details, and adjust layouts to perfect your website’s look and functionality.
A & Bé Bridal Shop‘s website, built on Squarespace, features an elegant and aspirational design that perfectly complements its contemporary bridal wear. The homepage employs parallax scrolling to highlight striking images of brides in curated dresses against romantic backdrops.
eCommerce Features
The Verdict
Between Ecwid vs Squarespace, Ecwid still edges ahead of Squarespace on core eCommerce functionality, thanks to a wider range of payment methods, more flexible product management, and deeper inventory tools.
For small business owners and entrepreneurs starting online sales, you’ll want to keep a close eye on the eCommerce features offered by Ecwid vs Squarespace. We have tested and compared the two platforms in the table below:
| Features | Ecwid | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Product type supported | Physical, digital, services, subscriptions, and custom product types. | Physical, digital, services, and subscriptions. |
| Product management | Multiple variations per product; bulk editing for stock, prices, and other details across multiple products at once. | Streamlined single-page product creation; limited product variations; no bulk editing tool. |
| Inventory management | Low stock alerts, customizable out-of-stock behavior, mass update tools, and more. | Real-time syncing and basic inventory management. |
| Payment options | Over 70 payment methods, including PayPal, Stripe, Square, and Authorize.net. | Squarespace Payments (its own processor), plus Stripe and PayPal, with support for Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay, and ACH. |
| POS system | POS integration (Lightspeed Retail, Square, Clover) is available on the Unlimited plan. | Squarespace POS is included on every plan, through Square-based processing (US and UK only). |
| Tax calculation | Automated tax calculations based on customer location; custom tax rates and exemptions supported. | Automated tax rate calculations in over 100 countries on the Core plan and above, for a small per-calculation fee; not included on Basic. |
| Shipping methods | Customizable shipping options with major carrier integration. | Flexible shipping settings, with label printing on Core and above. |
| Reports & analytics | Basic analytics on Starter and Venture; advanced reports, including product reviews and abandoned cart recovery, unlock on Business and Unlimited. | Detailed analytics, including visitor behavior, abandoned carts, and traffic sources, are included from the Core plan. |
Apps & Integration
The Verdict
In this round between Ecwid vs Squarespace, we go for Ecwid due to its extensive selection. Offering around 300 apps compared to Squarespace’s 45 extensions, Ecwid provides a broader range of tools to enhance and expand your online store’s capabilities.
Ecwid apps & integration
Rating: 4.4/5
Ecwid features a substantial marketplace with about 300 apps, covering crucial aspects of eCommerce operations, including marketing, shipping, and analytics. This range includes both free and premium apps, with the premium options generally costing between $20 and $50 per month. Although Ecwid’s marketplace is not the largest, it sufficiently addresses the core needs of eCommerce businesses.
For those uncertain about which apps to choose, Ecwid simplifies the decision process with a “Featured” section that showcases top apps. Noteworthy selections include Printful for dropshipping, Zapier for workflow automation, and Mailchimp for email marketing.
Squarespace apps & integration
Rating: 4.1/5
On the other hand, Squarespace offers a more limited selection of extensions, with around 45 available. These extensions primarily support fundamental eCommerce functions such as sales and marketing, inventory management, finance, and shipping and fulfillment.
Despite its smaller library, Squarespace facilitates crucial third-party integrations that are essential for scaling and streamlining operations. These extensions include Printful, Xero, Quickbooks, ShipStation, and LitCommerce, etc.
SEO & Marketing
The Verdict
Squarespace stands out as the top choice for SEO and marketing between Ecwid vs Squarespace. It offers a well-balanced suite of built-in features that cater effectively to both needs.
Ecwid SEO & marketing
Rating: 4.1/5
There’s a fact that Ecwid utilizes AJAX technology for its stores, which can sometimes hinder how well Google and other search engines index their content. In addition, Ecwid doesn’t allow manual editing of product URLs. Although it generates SEO-friendly URLs automatically, these URLs often contain a random number sequence, which is not ideal for SEO purposes.
On the plus side, Ecwid is great if you want to sell in many places at once, like your own site, social media, and other platforms. Ecwid makes it easy to handle all these from one spot. They also give you tools to get back customers who didn’t finish their purchase, automate sending emails, and connect with people on social media, helping you sell more everywhere.
For instance, take a look at how Kissed By A Bee Organics runs their business on both Facebook and website using Ecwid multichannel selling:
Squarespace SEO & marketing
Rating: 4.3/5
On Squarespace, adding a blog to your website can significantly boost customer engagement. It’s simple to set up and manage your blog posts, categorize them, and even allow comments. You can enrich your posts with different types of content like text, images, videos, and audio. Or, ask AI to help you with the writing as well!
To help your blog get noticed in search engines, Squarespace offers easy-to-use SEO tools. You can customize title tags and meta descriptions, ensure your URLs are clean, and automatically generate XML sitemaps. Plus, integration with Google Search Console and Google Analytics lets you track how well your site performs and understand where your visitors are coming from.
Squarespace also includes powerful marketing tools to enhance your strategy. You can create custom email campaigns, connect with social media, and analyze your efforts to refine your approach. These tools work together to help you reach and connect with your audience more effectively.
Performance & Security
The Verdict
There’s no clear winner in this category since both Ecwid vs Squarespace offer strong security features to safeguard your online presence. Each platform employs advanced technologies and standards to ensure data protection and smooth operation.
Ecwid performance & security
Rating: 4.4/5
Ecwid prioritizes performance and security to create a reliable and secure shopping experience for both merchants and customers. Here’s how Ecwid protects and optimizes its platform:
- Hosted on AWS for high reliability and scalability.
- PCI DSS Level 1 certified for top-tier payment security.
- Uses Cloudfront CDN to improve global customer loading speeds.
- Secure checkout protects customer transactions and data.
- Unlimited bandwidth supports store growth without traffic caps.
Squarespace performance & security
Rating: 4.4/5
Similarly, Squarespace also incorporates advanced security measures and robust infrastructure to maintain website integrity and uptime, as follows:
- All sites have SSL certificates to secure connections.
- DDoS mitigation keeps websites accessible.
- Compliance with PCI DSS for secure payment processing.
- Geographically diverse data centers improve site reliability.
- Continuous security monitoring detects and addresses threats.
- Adherence to GDPR ensures data privacy compliance.
Customer Support
The Verdict
In comparing customer support between Ecwid vs Squarespace, Ecwid edges out the competitor. This is thanks to its structured and scalable support options across various plan levels.
Ecwid customer support
Rating: 4.5/5
For users on Ecwid’s free plan, customer support is primarily self-service. You can find a range of help documentation and tutorials in their Help Center, which supports five languages. Additionally, free eCommerce courses are available through Ecwid Academy, and users can contact support via email.
As you move up to Ecwid’s paid plans, the level of support increases:
- Venture Plan: Includes both email and live chat support.
- Business Plan: Adds phone support to the existing email and live chat options.
- Unlimited Plan: Provides all the aforementioned services plus priority support, ensuring quicker and more direct access to help when needed.
Here’s a customer review about Ecwid customer support on Trustpilot:
I’m actually astonished at how great the support is! I’m a developer and few times I needed help from Ecwid support team to add my custom JS and CSS files to my application. I only needed wait about 1 or 2 hours tops for things to be added, that’s really fast!
Squarespace customer support
Rating: 4/5
Squarespace provides multiple channels for customer support to ensure users can find help when needed. The primary methods include a comprehensive Help Center with detailed guides and FAQs, live chat for real-time assistance during business hours, email support for more complex inquiries, and phone support for specific critical issues.
However, Squarespace’s customer support has received mixed feedback from users. Some merchants report slow response times, which can be frustrating, especially during urgent situations. In such cases, they may need to hire an expert through Squarespace’s platform or seek answers from other users in community forums to resolve their issues.
Ecwid vs Squarespace: FAQs
Is Ecwid no longer free?
No, Ecwid is no longer free. Ecwid removed its forever-free plan from its pricing page in early 2025, and existing free stores were phased out by late 2025. Paid plans now start at $5/month for the Starter tier, which allows up to 10 products.
How much does Ecwid cost?
Ecwid has four paid plans: Starter at $5/month (10 products), Venture at $35/month or $29/month billed annually (100 products), Business at $65/month or $49/month billed annually (2,500 products), and Unlimited at $149/month or $119/month billed annually (unlimited products). Ecwid charges no transaction fees on any plan, so your only added cost is standard payment processor fees.
Why is Squarespace so expensive now?
Squarespace’s entry-level Basic plan now costs $25/month paid monthly, or $19/month on annual billing, following a pricing revision that added features across its plans, such as AI tools, automated tax calculation on higher tiers, and built-in point-of-sale support. The Basic plan also still charges a 2% transaction fee on every online store sale, which disappears once you upgrade to the Core plan.
Is Ecwid good for beginners?
Yes, Ecwid is a good choice for beginners. It has a simple sign-up process and a clearly organized dashboard, split into sections like Store Management, Sales Channels, and Configuration. It also walks new users through a setup checklist for adding products, choosing delivery methods, and setting up payments, which makes it approachable even without technical experience.
Is Squarespace still good?
Yes, Squarespace remains a strong option, particularly for design-focused small businesses, creatives, and service providers. It offers a large library of professionally designed templates, an AI-assisted website builder, and built-in blogging and SEO tools, all in one dashboard. The main trade-offs are a higher starting price than Ecwid and no phone support.
Final Thoughts
We hope this comparison of Ecwid vs Squarespace has helped you decide on the right platform for your new online store. Both are excellent choices but cater to different needs.
Ecwid is perfect if you want to start selling quickly across various platforms like social media and marketplaces without building a website from scratch. Meanwhile, Squarespace is ideal for creating a stylish, stand-alone website with all the tools you need integrated into one platform.
For more eCommerce insights, feel free to check out our eCommerce blog collection or LitExtension Resources!
