Squarespace alternatives: where to go, and how to leave without breaking your site
Seven destinations, one for each reason to leave, plus an eight-step migration plan.
The short answer: WordPress if you want to take your blog and images with you and never get locked in again, Wix if you like drag-and-drop but not the bill, Shopify if your store is the business, Webflow if you're a designer who wants control over layout and SEO, Framer for a polished marketing site on a small budget, Ghost if you write and want to sell paid subscriptions without a platform cut, Hostinger if price is the only thing that matters. One thing to know first: Squarespace only exports a partial file. Your design, styles and store get rebuilt on the other side. We compared all seven tools and their migration paths in 2026.
Some links may be affiliate links. They don't change the order or the opinions on this page.
Why people leave Squarespace, and why it's harder than it looks
Squarespace is still a good way to launch a good-looking site without code, and its templates have loyal fans. People leave for other reasons: a renewal bill that keeps climbing, what you can't take with you, and feeling alone when something breaks. Here are the six reasons that come up most, with the numbers behind them.
A price increase that lands at renewal
In 2026, Squarespace raised its annual prices: Basic went from $16 to $19 a month, Core from $23 to $29 (up 26%), Plus from $39 to $49. Only Advanced stayed at $99. Many customers found out by email, close to renewal. Squarespace then reportedly mentioned an error in how it was applied for some customers. If your renewal is coming up, read the invoice line by line.
An export that leaves most of your site behind
Squarespace exports a WordPress-format XML file. It holds your pages, one blog, and text and image blocks. It leaves behind store pages and products, headers, footers and sidebars, any other blogs, audio and video blocks, drafts, your styles and custom CSS. Your content moves. Your design doesn't.
Fees that eat into store revenue
On Basic, Squarespace takes 2% of every physical product sale, on top of your payment provider's fees. On digital content and memberships the fee is 7% on Basic, 5% on Core and 1% on Plus. Only Advanced is at 0%. For a coach or creator selling courses, that line is often the trigger.
Basic features gated behind a higher plan
Basic caps you at two contributors and 30 minutes of video, with no pop-ups, no Mailchimp or Zapier integration and no automatic tax calculation. Recent user reviews keep coming back to the same complaint: fairly basic features locked behind yet another tier.
Support that's hard to reach
On review sites Squarespace sits around 3.5 out of 5, with a split audience: four in ten reviews give five stars, almost as many give one. The most common complaint in recent reviews is that there's no live person to talk to when a billing or domain issue takes the site down.
Your domain is its own project
Squarespace now manages domains that were registered with Google Domains. In 2024, security researchers reported DNS hijackings of domains migrated from Google Domains. And a domain that was just registered or transferred can't leave for 60 days. If your domain lives at Squarespace, plan it as a separate move.
You're leaving because… go to…
The right Squarespace alternative depends on what's pushing you out. Usually one card fits. Each one jumps to the full profile below.
The only platform that imports the Squarespace export file, images included on WordPress.com.
You like drag-and-drop but not the priceWixThe same all-in-one comfort, from $17.77 a month.
Your store is now the businessShopifyAn official Squarespace migration guide and CSV product import.
You're a designer and want control over SEOWebflowPixel-level layout, clean tags, its own redirect manager.
You write and want paid subscribersGhostPaid memberships with a 0% Ghost fee from $29 a month.
You run a simple site on a tight budgetFramer or Hostinger$10 a month on Framer, $2.49 on Hostinger with a long commitment.
Squarespace alternatives, one by one
For each tool: why move there, who it's for, who it isn't for, its real limit, how to migrate from Squarespace, and what it costs. Prices are the ones each vendor lists in 2026. The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a rating.
WordPress: take your content with you and stop renting your site
Easiest importWhy move to WordPress. It's the only destination that reads the Squarespace export directly, because that file is WordPress XML. Your blog posts and pages land in minutes. After that you pick your host, plugins and theme, and you can pack up and leave whenever you want. A blogger with around 20,000 monthly visits described her Squarespace site getting slower as posts piled up; after moving, she said the big win was owning her content outright.
Who it's for. Blogs, content sites, freelancers who care about SEO, and anyone burned by a surprise renewal.
Who it isn't for. Someone who never wants to think about updates, backups or plugins. On self-hosted WordPress, that's your job.
The limit. There are two WordPresses. WordPress.com is hosted and simple, but plugins need the Business plan. WordPress.org is free software, but you pay for hosting and handle maintenance yourself. Our WordPress hosting comparison helps if you go that way.
How to migrate. Export the XML from Squarespace and import it into WordPress.com with its importer, which pulls the images in. On a self-hosted site, the importer can leave images hotlinked to Squarespace, and they break when you cancel. Field tip: import on WordPress.com, or run a plugin like Import External Images before you close the old account.
Price. WordPress.com Personal $4 a month billed yearly ($9 monthly), Premium $8 ($18), Business $25 ($40), Commerce $45 ($70). Our review rating: 4.2 out of 5. Read our full WordPress review.
- Squarespace import
- yes, XML file
- Paid from
- $4/mo (WordPress.com)
- Best for
- blogs, content, SEO
- Limit
- upkeep on self-hosted
Wix: the same drag-and-drop comfort for less
Closest to SquarespaceWhy move to Wix. If what you like about Squarespace is building everything with a mouse and never touching code, Wix is the gentlest switch. Hosting, templates, forms, bookings and a store all come in the plan, and the entry tier costs less than Squarespace Basic, even billed yearly ($17.77 vs $19).
Who it's for. Small businesses, trades, restaurants and solo pros who want a complete site without hiring anyone.
Who it isn't for. Anyone leaving Squarespace because they feel locked in. A Wix site can't be exported either: you swap one walled garden for another. Our guide to switching from Wix covers what that means later.
The limit. Lock-in, and plans that climb fast once you sell online.
How to migrate. There's no Squarespace importer. Pick a template, then copy text and images page by page while the old site stays live.
Price. Billed yearly: Light $17.77 a month, Core $29.77, Business $39.77, Business Elite $159.77. 14-day money-back guarantee.
- Squarespace import
- no, copy by hand
- Paid from
- $17.77/mo
- Best for
- no-code small business
- Limit
- site can't be exported
Shopify: when the store has become the whole point
Best for sellingWhy move to Shopify. A growing store eventually hits Squarespace's fees and limits. Shopify is built to sell: catalog, checkout, and an app for almost anything. It also publishes an official Squarespace migration guide with CSV import for products and customers.
Who it's for. Brands selling physical products, with variants, inventory and shipping.
Who it isn't for. A blog or portfolio that sells a handful of prints a year. You'd pay for machinery you won't use.
The limit. Your Squarespace blog and pages don't import into Shopify (it can't read the XML), so you copy them. Paid apps add up on top of the plan.
How to migrate. Export products to CSV (up to 10,000 physical and service products, no digital products), then customers and orders. Three traps from the field: Squarespace categories collapse into a single product type, weights must be in grams, and a missing variant makes that row fail. Product reviews can't be exported, so plan a review app (Judge.me, Loox, Yotpo) and a re-request email. For order history, Shopify points to an app such as EZ Importer. See our ecommerce platform ranking if you're still deciding.
Price. Basic $39 a month, or $29 billed yearly; Grow $105 or $79; Advanced $399 or $299.
- Squarespace import
- products, customers (CSV)
- Paid from
- $29/mo billed yearly
- Best for
- growing stores
- Limit
- blog copied by hand
Webflow: for designers who want control of everything
Most design controlWhy move to Webflow. Pixel-level control over layout, a CMS for posts and projects, and proper handling of meta tags and redirects. One designer who rebuilt their Squarespace site in Webflow got a 100 on Google's speed test, roughly six times the original score.
Who it's for. Designers, studios, agencies and startups with someone who owns the site.
Who it isn't for. Someone who just wants to edit a paragraph now and then. That same designer went back to Squarespace after six weeks: the blank canvas was paralyzing, and the editor left for clients was too limited. Speed alone isn't a reason to move.
The limit. A real learning curve, and ecommerce plans that cost more than Squarespace's.
How to migrate. Webflow has no automated way to convert a Squarespace site. You rebuild the layout and styles, bring posts into the CMS by CSV, then connect the domain, set redirects and update DNS.
Price. Free plan limited to two pages. Basic $18 a month, Business $49; ecommerce Standard $42, Plus $84. Our review rating: 4.3 out of 5. Read our full Webflow review.
- Squarespace import
- no, full rebuild
- Paid from
- $18/mo
- Best for
- designers, studios
- Limit
- learning curve
Framer: a modern marketing site without the Squarespace bill
Best design for the priceWhy move to Framer. Framer sites look current, with smooth animations, and the first paid plan costs about half of Squarespace Basic. For a ten-page company or portfolio site, it's the cheapest option that still looks high-end.
Who it's for. Freelancers, startups and creatives who want a site that makes an impression.
Who it isn't for. Online stores, or big blogs: plans are priced by page count.
The limit. Basic caps you at 30 pages, Pro at 150. A weekly blog hits that ceiling fast.
How to migrate. No Squarespace importer. Start from a Framer template and copy your content over. Use the move to trim pages, and redirect every page you drop. Photographers should also look at our photography website builder ranking.
Price. Free on a Framer subdomain. Basic $10 a month (30 pages), Pro $30 a month (150 pages).
- Squarespace import
- no, copy by hand
- Paid from
- $10/mo
- Best for
- polished marketing sites
- Limit
- 30 pages on Basic
Ghost: write, publish and sell subscriptions with no platform cut
Best for writersWhy move to Ghost. Ghost puts a fast blog, a newsletter and paid memberships in one place. On the Publisher plan, Ghost takes 0% of your subscription revenue; you only pay your payment processor. Next to the 5 to 7% Squarespace charges on memberships in its lower tiers, the difference shows quickly.
Who it's for. Writers, journalists, experts and bloggers building a paid audience. On forums, Ghost comes up again and again when a blogger wants to pay less than a Squarespace renewal of around $192 a year, alongside WordPress, Micro.blog and Buttondown.
Who it isn't for. A business brochure site or a store selling physical goods.
The limit. Starter has only the default theme, no paid subscriptions and 1,000 members. There's no dedicated Squarespace importer.
How to migrate. Copy your posts, or convert the XML with a third-party tool, then import your email list by CSV. Our list of email tools for bloggers helps if you'd rather keep blog and newsletter apart.
Price. Starter $18 a month billed yearly, Publisher $29, Business $199.
- Squarespace import
- no, manual
- Paid from
- $18/mo
- Best for
- blog plus paid newsletter
- Limit
- no paid subs on Starter
Hostinger: the cheapest option, if you commit for years
Lowest budgetWhy move to Hostinger. Its website builder costs a fraction of Squarespace, with templates, a visual editor and hosting included. For a small brochure site, a nonprofit or a side project, the yearly bill drops to a few dozen dollars.
Who it's for. Tight budgets that want a simple site paid up front for several years.
Who it isn't for. Anyone leaving Squarespace over a renewal hike: the intro price doesn't last.
The limit. The headline price assumes a 48-month term. At renewal, Premium goes from $2.49 to $10.99 a month. Put the date in your calendar.
How to migrate. No Squarespace importer: you rebuild your pages in a template. Keep only the pages that earn their place.
Price. Premium $2.49 a month on a 48-month term ($119.52 up front), then $10.99 a month.
- Squarespace import
- no, copy by hand
- Paid from
- $2.49/mo on 48 months
- Best for
- small site, small budget
- Limit
- $10.99 at renewal
The 7 alternatives side by side
Our default picks: WordPress for a content site, Shopify for a store, Wix if you want to stay all-in-one. For scale, a brochure site on Squarespace Core costs $29 a month billed yearly, or $348 a year. The same site costs $120 a year on Framer Basic, and about $30 a year on Hostinger during the initial term.
| Entry price | What you can bring from Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| SquarespaceStarting point | Basic $19/mo yearly ($25 monthly), Core $29 | Partial XML: pages, one blog, text and images; products, customers and orders as CSV |
| WordPressContent, ownership | $4/mo yearly (WordPress.com) | Direct XML import, images included on WordPress.com |
| WixDrag-and-drop | Light $17.77/mo yearly | Nothing automatic, copy everything |
| ShopifyStores | Basic $29/mo yearly ($39 monthly) | Products and customers by CSV; blog and pages copied by hand |
| WebflowDesigners | Basic $18/mo | Posts into the CMS by CSV; layout rebuilt |
| FramerMarketing site | Basic $10/mo (30 pages) | Nothing automatic, copy everything |
| GhostBlog and newsletter | Starter $18/mo yearly | Email list by CSV; posts copied or converted |
| HostingerSmall budget | $2.49/mo on 48 months, then $10.99 | Nothing automatic, copy everything |
Entry prices before tax as listed by each vendor in 2026, subject to change.
Leaving Squarespace in eight steps
Order matters. Each step protects something: your content, your customers, your rankings, your domain. The rule behind all of it: your Squarespace site stays live until the new one works.
List every URL on your site
Step 1Before exporting anything, list every address on your site: pages, posts, products, categories. Pull them from your sitemap (your domain followed by /sitemap.xml) and from Google Search Console, which shows the pages that actually get traffic.
Why? Every URL that changes will need a redirect. A two-column spreadsheet is enough: old URL, new URL. It's the backbone of your SEO migration.
- Tools
- sitemap and Search Console
- If you skip it
- lost pages on Google
Export everything that can leave
Step 2In Squarespace settings, run the export: you get the XML file (pages, one blog with up to 1,000 comments per post, text and image blocks). From Commerce, export products to CSV, then customers and orders. From Email Campaigns, export each mailing list to CSV.
Two traps: you can't export from a site still on trial, and linked PDFs don't come along, so download them one by one. If you run several blogs, only one goes into the XML: copy the others by hand.
- Format
- XML + CSV
- Doesn't leave
- styles, video, reviews, PDFs
Save your images and files
Step 3The Squarespace XML often holds links to your images, not the images themselves. While your site is live, those links work. The day you cancel, they break. Bring them over while everything still runs: WordPress.com does it on import, and on self-hosted WordPress a plugin like Import External Images handles it.
For other destinations, download images from your library and compress them on the way: an easy speed win.
- When
- before you cancel
- If you skip it
- broken images everywhere
Build the new site on a temporary address
Step 4Build on the staging address your new platform gives you, without touching your domain. Import the XML if you're going to WordPress, the product CSV if you're going to Shopify, and copy the rest. Keep the same URLs wherever you can: every identical URL is one less redirect.
Squarespace often prefixes posts with the blog name (for example /blog/my-post). Mirror that path if your new platform allows it.
- Rule
- same URLs where possible
- Time
- a day to several weeks
Set 301 redirects on the new platform
Step 5A 301 redirect tells Google a page has moved for good and where it went. On Squarespace, redirects live in URL Mappings, one rule per line, written as "/old-path -> /new-path 301". But they only work while the Squarespace site is live and your domain points to it.
Once the domain moves, the new platform's redirects are the ones that count. Recreate them all there from your step 1 spreadsheet. Shopify accepts a CSV of redirects; WordPress has redirect plugins; Webflow has its own redirect table.
- Where
- on the new platform
- If you skip it
- lost Google traffic
Lock down, then move your domain
Step 6Start by turning on two-factor authentication on your Squarespace account and removing contributors who no longer need access. Then pick one of two paths. Fastest: keep the domain at Squarespace and just change its DNS records to point at the new platform. Cleanest: transfer it to another registrar.
A transfer needs 60 days since registration or the last transfer, and a change of registrant can lock the domain for another 60 days. Unlock it, get the authorization code, and allow 1 to 15 days. If you're moving to Shopify, disconnect the domain from the old platform to avoid SSL certificate errors.
- Time
- 1 to 15 days
- Blocker
- 60 days after a transfer
Switch over, then check everything
Step 7Once the domain is connected, open twenty or so old URLs from your spreadsheet: each one should land on the right page. Check forms, a test checkout and confirmation emails. Then submit your new sitemap in Google Search Console and watch the page indexing report for a few weeks.
A small dip in the first days is common. A lasting drop almost always means missing redirects.
- Watch
- 404s in Search Console
- Time
- a few weeks
Cancel Squarespace at the right moment
Step 8Only cancel once images, redirects and domain are confirmed. If you just bought an annual plan, Squarespace's refund policy covers a first annual purchase within 14 days, minus the cost of the free domain. Monthly plans and renewals aren't refunded, and a subscription bought on iPhone is handled by Apple.
Tip: turn off auto-renew as soon as you decide to leave. You keep the site until the paid period ends, with no risk of being billed for another year.
- Refund
- 14 days, first annual purchase
- Tip
- turn off auto-renew early
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
What makes a Squarespace move go wrong
The same mistakes show up on forums and in vendor migration guides. None of them is really technical. They're things people forget, and each one costs more than the time it would have taken to avoid.
Canceling before the images are safe
The most common one. The XML points to images hosted by Squarespace. You close the account and your new blog fills with empty frames. Bring images over, check, then cancel.
Relying on Squarespace URL Mappings
Your Squarespace redirects die with the site. Change URLs without recreating them on the new platform and Google hits dead pages, and your traffic drops for weeks.
Forgetting product reviews
Reviews don't export. If your store runs on trust, screenshot your best reviews and plan a review-request campaign with your new review app.
Starting the domain transfer too early
A domain under a 60-day lock won't move, and a botched transfer can take your email down if it runs on the same domain. Change DNS first, transfer later when things are calm.
Picking a platform on speed alone
A faster site is no help if nobody can update it. The designer who went back to Squarespace after six weeks on Webflow is the reminder: pick the tool the person editing the site can actually use.
Comparing intro prices, not renewals
Leaving over a price hike? Check the second-term price at your destination. On Hostinger, Premium goes from $2.49 to $10.99 a month after the initial term: still cheaper than Squarespace, but not by the same margin.
- Full list of URLs, each with its new URL
- XML, product, customer, order and mailing list exports saved outside Squarespace
- Images and PDFs moved to the new platform
- 301 redirects set on the new platform
- Two-factor authentication on the Squarespace account
- Domain connected, SSL active, domain email checked
- Sitemap submitted in Search Console
- Squarespace auto-renew turned off
Squarespace alternatives: frequently asked questions
Can I export my whole Squarespace site?
No. The export creates a WordPress-format XML file with your pages, one blog and text and image blocks. Products, headers and footers, video, drafts and your design stay behind. Products, customers and orders export separately as CSV. Only WordPress reads the XML directly.
Did Squarespace raise prices in 2026?
Yes. Billed yearly, Basic went from $16 to $19 a month, Core from $23 to $29, Plus from $39 to $49. Advanced stayed at $99. Billed monthly, Basic is $25 and Core $39. Squarespace then reportedly mentioned an error in how it was applied for some customers, so check your invoice.
What's the cheapest alternative to Squarespace?
Hostinger, at $2.49 a month on a 48-month term (then $10.99). Next come WordPress.com Personal at $4 a month billed yearly and Framer Basic at $10 a month. Always compare renewal prices, not just the intro rate. Our best website builder ranking covers them all.
How do I move my Squarespace store to Shopify?
Export products, customers and orders as CSV from Squarespace, then import products and customers into Shopify. Fix weights to grams and check every variant first, or rows will fail. Reviews don't export, so plan a review app. Copy your blog and pages by hand: Shopify can't read the XML.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave Squarespace?
Not if you redirect every old URL. Keep the same URLs where possible, set 301 redirects on the new platform for the rest, then submit your sitemap in Search Console. A small dip at first is normal; a lasting drop points to missing redirects.
How do I transfer my domain away from Squarespace?
Unlock the domain, get the authorization code and start the transfer at your new registrar. It must be at least 60 days since registration or the last transfer. Allow 1 to 15 days. Simpler: keep the domain at Squarespace and just change its DNS.
Can I get a refund from Squarespace?
Only on a first annual plan, within 14 days of purchase, according to Squarespace's refund policy, minus the free domain's cost. Renewals and monthly plans aren't refunded. Turn off auto-renew as soon as you decide to leave.
Is switching from Squarespace worth it?
It's worth it if you're paying for fees you don't need, running several blogs and outgrew it, or your store has outgrown the platform. It's not worth it for speed alone or a cheaper intro price. If the person updating the site loves the Squarespace editor, that counts for a lot.
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