Squarespace vs WordPress for small business: an honest comparison for 2026

Squarespace and WordPress are both good choices, for different people. Squarespace is the tidy, all-in-one subscription. WordPress is the open platform behind a large share of the web, which you can take anywhere but have to look after. Here’s how they compare for a small business in 2026.

The short answer

• Choose Squarespace if you want a beautiful site with minimal technical responsibility, and you’re happy staying on one platform.
• Choose WordPress if you want full ownership, more room to grow, and either the time to maintain it or someone who does it for you.

Cost over two years

Squarespace plans on annual billing in 2026 are about $16/month (Personal), $23 (Business), $27 (Commerce Basic) and $49 (Commerce Advanced). Monthly billing costs more (Tooltester, Costbench). Plan names vary slightly between sources, and these are US list prices.

WordPress itself is free, but a working business site needs hosting, a domain, possibly a premium theme or plugins, and maintenance. Small businesses typically spend around $50–200 a month on WordPress maintenance, depending on how much is included (Logotio, cmsMinds).

	Squarespace (Business plan)	WordPress (self-managed)	WordPress (maintained for you)
Platform cost, 2 years	~$550	$0	$0
Hosting + domain, 2 years	Included (domain free first year)	~$100–400 (approx.)	Usually included
Theme / plugins	Included	$0–300 (approx.)	Usually included
Maintenance	Done by Squarespace	Your time	~$50–200/month, or a care plan
Build	You, or a designer	You, or a designer	Usually included in a care plan

Ownership and portability

This is the biggest practical difference.

• Squarespace: your site runs only on Squarespace. You can export some content, but not a working copy of the whole site to host elsewhere. If you leave, you rebuild.
• WordPress: the site files and database are yours. Any host or developer can take over, which is why we build on WordPress and hand the files and domain over at the end of our plan (how website leasing works).

SEO

Both can rank well. Google doesn’t prefer one platform.

• Squarespace handles the basics cleanly: page titles, descriptions, a sitemap, mobile layouts and SSL.
• WordPress gives more control over structured data, page speed tuning, redirects, multilingual sites and large content libraries, usually through plugins or custom work.

For a local service business, rankings depend far more on content and structure: a page per service, area pages, real reviews and a Google Business Profile. Pick the platform where you, or whoever builds the site, will actually do that work.

Flexibility

• Squarespace: less to configure and less to break, but you work within its blocks and integrations.
• WordPress: almost anything is possible: bookings, memberships, catalogues, custom integrations. The cost of that freedom is more pieces to keep updated.

Maintenance: the part nobody mentions

Squarespace updates itself. WordPress doesn’t. A WordPress site needs:

• core, theme and plugin updates, checked so nothing breaks;
• backups you’ve actually tested;
• security monitoring and an SSL certificate that renews;
• someone to fix things when a plugin conflicts.

Skip these and a WordPress site slowly becomes slow, insecure, or both. It’s the most common problem we find when auditing small-business websites. It’s also why WordPress with a care plan combines the best of both: the ownership of WordPress with the “someone else handles it” of Squarespace.

Side by side

	Squarespace	WordPress
Ease of building	Very easy	Moderate, or done for you
Design quality out of the box	Excellent templates	Depends on theme and builder
Ownership / portability	Locked to the platform	Fully yours
Flexibility	Good, within limits	Practically unlimited
Maintenance	Handled by Squarespace	Needed: you or a care plan
Best for	Creatives, simple sites, low-maintenance needs	Businesses that want to own and grow their site

Five questions to ask before you choose

1. Who will keep the site updated in two years’ time? If the honest answer is “nobody”, either pick Squarespace or get a care plan for WordPress.
2. Will you need features you can’t predict yet, like bookings, memberships, a catalogue or integrations with your other tools? That points to WordPress.
3. How much does design polish matter versus search visibility? Squarespace makes beautiful sites easy, while WordPress makes complex SEO structures easier.
4. Would it hurt to rebuild if you ever switch? If yes, choose the platform you can take with you.
5. What’s your real budget, including your own time? Our small business website cost guide shows typical UK and US ranges.

If you’d rather not answer any of these yourself, a Website as a Service plan takes the decision, the build and the upkeep off your hands.

Where B63 fits

We build on WordPress and take over the part that makes people choose Squarespace: the maintenance. The build is €0 upfront, then €150/month (excl. VAT) for 24 months with hosting, domain, updates, daily backups, edits and support included, and the site can be yours afterwards. See pay monthly websites and pricing. If you’d rather pay once and host it yourself, a one-time build starts from €550 including VAT.

FAQ

Is Squarespace or WordPress better for SEO? Neither has a built-in advantage. WordPress offers more fine control, while Squarespace makes the basics hard to get wrong.

Is Squarespace or WordPress cheaper? In cash, a self-managed WordPress site can be cheaper. Once you count maintenance time or a maintenance plan, they’re often similar.

Can I move from Squarespace to WordPress? Yes, but by rebuilding the site and moving the content, not by exporting a working site.

Which is better for photographers or portfolios? Squarespace’s templates are excellent for visual portfolios. For a business that also needs bookings, service pages and SEO, WordPress offers more room.

Still unsure? Ask for a free proposal and we’ll tell you honestly which one suits you.