BigCommerce vs Squarespace: Complete 2026 Comparison
BigCommerce is a ecommerce platform provider while Squarespace sits in the website builder category, so the right pick depends on what you're building. Across our 7-category breakdown, BigCommerce comes out ahead, winning 3 of them — including Performance, Support and Developers.
Data last updated June 2026
Overall Winner
BigCommerce
- Wins in 3 of 7 categories
- Top in: Best Performance, Best Support, Best for Developers
- 3.9/5 overall rating
BigCommerce vs Squarespace: Overview
Squarespace starts at $19.00/mo. Squarespace also gives you a longer 14-day money-back window to test risk-free.
BigCommerce's standout is no transaction fees with built-in features, multi-channel selling, and B2B capabilities — a natural fit for mid-size e-commerce business wanting to avoid transaction fees with built-in features and multi-channel selling. Squarespace, by contrast, leans on design-focused website builder with beautiful templates, integrated scheduling, and all-in-one simplicity, ideal for creative professional or small business owner wanting a beautiful, polished website without coding.
Category Winners
Squarespace
$19.00/mo vs $Infinity/mo
Tie
Similar renewal pricing
BigCommerce
99.99% uptime, 3.9/5 rating
BigCommerce
Live chat, Phone, 24/7
Tie
Similar WordPress features
BigCommerce
Staging
Squarespace
Higher ease of use score (9.5/10)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Essential Info | ||
| Hosting Type | eCommerce Platform | Website Builder |
| Monthly Price | — | $19.00/mo |
| Renewal Price | — | $19.00 |
| Renewal Markup | 0% | 0% |
| Overall Rating | 3.9/5 | 3.5/5 |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.9% |
| Trustpilot Rating | 2.5/5 | 1.2/5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 448 | 2,103 |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free Domain | ||
| Free Migration | ||
| Pricing Details | ||
| First Year Cost | $348.00 | $228.00 |
| Second Year Cost | $468.00 | $228.00 |
| Money Back Guarantee | 0 days | 14 days |
| Setup Fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly Billing | ||
| Minimum Contract | 1 months | 1 months |
| Technical Specs | ||
| Storage | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage Type | SSD | SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Max Websites | 1 | 1 |
| Max Databases | — | — |
| PHP Versions | — | — |
| SSH Access | ||
| Git Deployment | ||
| Staging Environment | ||
| Cron Jobs | ||
| Redis Available | ||
| Programming Languages | ||
| Node.js Support | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Ruby Support | ||
| WordPress Features | ||
| WordPress Optimized | ||
| WordPress Auto-Install | ||
| WordPress Auto-Updates | ||
| WordPress Staging | ||
| WooCommerce Optimized | ||
| LiteSpeed Cache | ||
| Object Caching | ||
| WP Multisite | ||
| WP-CLI Access | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| DDoS Protection Level | Enterprise DDoS protection | Standard DDoS protection |
| Malware Scanning | ||
| Malware Removal | ||
| Firewall Included | ||
| Backup Frequency | Automatic | Automatic |
| Backup Retention | — | — |
| Backup Restore Fee | Free | Free |
| On-Demand Backup | ||
| Two-Factor Auth | ||
| Wildcard SSL | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Support | ||
| Support Channels | Live Chat, Phone, Email, Knowledge Base, Community Forum | Live Chat, Email, Knowledge Base, Community Forum |
| Live Chat | ||
| Live Chat Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Phone Support | ||
| Phone Support Hours | 24/7 | — |
| Ticket Support | ||
| Priority Support | ||
| Support Languages | English | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian |
| Knowledge Base Quality | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Avg Support Wait | — | — |
| Email Accounts | ||
| Email Account Limit | 0 | 0 |
| Mailbox Size | — | — |
| Webmail Access | ||
| Spam Filter | ||
| Email Forwarding | ||
| Performance | ||
| CDN Included | ||
| CDN Provider | Akamai CDN | Squarespace CDN |
| Server Locations | Global CDN | Global CDN |
| Server Location Count | — | — |
| Choose Server Location | ||
| HTTP/2 Support | ||
| Brotli Compression | ||
| Uptime SLA Credit | ||
| Platform Support | ||
| Drupal Support | ||
| Joomla Support | ||
| Magento Support | ||
| Laravel Support | ||
| Django Support | ||
| Next.js Support | ||
| Rails Support | ||
| Static Site Support | ||
| Control Panel | ||
| cPanel Included | ||
| Control Panel | BigCommerce Control Panel | Squarespace Editor |
| Softaculous | ||
| Website Builder | ||
| Builder Name | BigCommerce Page Builder | Squarespace Website Builder |
| Migration | ||
| Migration Websites Limit | 0 | 0 |
| Migration Turnaround | — | — |
| Paid Migration Cost | — | — |
| Migration Quality | — | — |
| Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
| HIPAA Compliant | ||
| Data Center Certs | PCI DSS Level 1, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | SOC 2 |
| Ratings | ||
| Value for Money | 3.5/10 | 3.5/10 |
| Performance Rating | 4.5/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Support Quality | 4.0/10 | 2.5/10 |
| Security Rating | 4.5/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Features Rating | 4.5/10 | 3.5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 3.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Transparency Rating | 3.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| Suitability Scores | ||
| For Bloggers | 1.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For E-commerce | 5.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| For Agencies | 3.0/10 | 2.0/10 |
| For Developers | 4.0/10 | 1.0/10 |
| For Beginners | 3.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
| For Enterprise | 4.0/10 | 2.0/10 |
| Policies | ||
| Bandwidth Overage | Unlimited bandwidth included | Unlimited bandwidth included |
| Storage Overage | Unlimited storage included | Unlimited storage included |
| Adult Content Allowed | ||
| Gambling Sites Allowed | ||
| Crypto Sites Allowed | ||
| Reseller Hosting | ||
| White Label | ||
| API Access | ||
| Company Info | ||
| Year Founded | 2009 | 2003 |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Parent Company | Independent (publicly traded NASDAQ: BIGC) | Independent (publicly traded NYSE: SQSP) |
| Green Hosting | ||
| Instant Activation | ||
| Managed WordPress | ||
| Managed WP Available | ||
| Pricing Model | — | — |
| Monthly Visit Limit | — | — |
| Visit Overage Cost | — | — |
| PHP Workers | — | — |
| Plugin Restrictions | — | — |
| Dev Environment | — | — |
| Dev Env Name | — | — |
| Regional Info | ||
| Best Countries | United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada | United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany |
| Local Currencies | USD, GBP, AUD, CAD | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD |
| Support Languages | English | English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian |
| Data Sovereignty | GDPR, PCI-DSS | GDPR, PCI-DSS |
| External Ratings | ||
| G2 Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | A+ |
| Advanced Technical | ||
| Inode Limit | — | — |
| Max DB Size | — | — |
| Max Upload Size | — | — |
| Database Type | — | — |
| Elasticsearch | ||
| Image Optimization | ||
| PHP Switching | ||
| Subdomains | — | — |
| FTP Accounts | — | — |
| Additional Pricing | ||
| Free Domain Duration | — | 12 months |
| Money Back Exclusions | NO REFUNDS - 15-day free trial instead of money-back guarantee | 14-day free trial; No refunds after purchase |
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, PayPal | Credit Card, PayPal |
| Auto Renewal Default | ||
| Domain Privacy Included | — | |
| Domain Privacy Cost | — | — |
| SSL Provider | BigCommerce SSL | Squarespace SSL |
| Dedicated IP Cost | — | — |
| Additional Support | ||
| Phone Support Countries | Global | — |
| Priority Support Cost | — | — |
| Community Forum | ||
| Support Outsourced | ||
| Object Cache Type | — | — |
| Business & Affiliate | ||
| Affiliate Program | ||
| Commission Type | Per sale | Per sale |
| Commission Amount | 200% of first monthly payment | Varies by program |
| Additional Policies | ||
| File Hosting Allowed | ||
| Proxy/VPN Allowed | ||
| Bandwidth Overage Cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Account Suspension Policy | Violation of ToS | Violation of ToS |
| Malware Removal Cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Downloadable Backups | ||
| Additional Platforms | ||
| PrestaShop | ||
| Ghost | ||
| Shopify Migration | ||
| Wix Migration | ||
| Squarespace Migration | ||
| Webflow Export | ||
| Editorial Info | ||
| Best For | Mid-size e-commerce wanting no transaction fees; Multi-channel sellers; B2B e-commerce; Stores needing built-in SEO; Companies avoiding Shopify fees; Businesses needing headless commerce | Portfolio and creative sites; Small businesses wanting beautiful design; Photographers and artists; Restaurants (Tock integration); Service businesses (Acuity Scheduling); Users prioritizing aesthetics over customization |
| Avoid If | Revenue will exceed caps quickly; Need lots of free themes; Want maximum simplicity; Prefer Shopify's ecosystem; Need WordPress integration | Need WordPress; Want code-level control; Need advanced e-commerce; Prefer traditional hosting; Concerned about domain transfer; Budget e-commerce (transaction fees) |
| Known Issues | Revenue caps force expensive upgrades; Limited customization without developer; Few free themes; Feedonomics migration issues (CAPI); Learning curve for beginners; Design flexibility limited; Not as beginner-friendly as Shopify | Very poor Trustpilot (1.2) despite G2 4.4; Customer support complaints; Domain transfer process criticized as predatory; 2% transaction fee on Basic plan; No WordPress; Can't switch templates after publishing; Limited customization vs code-based solutions; Support quality declining |
| Unique Selling Point | No transaction fees with built-in features, multi-channel selling, and B2B capabilities | Design-focused website builder with beautiful templates, integrated scheduling, and all-in-one simplicity |
| Ideal Customer | Mid-size e-commerce business wanting to avoid transaction fees with built-in features and multi-channel selling | Creative professional or small business owner wanting a beautiful, polished website without coding |
| Best Alternative To | Shopify | Wix |
| Primary Competitors | Shopify, WooCommerce, Adobe Commerce | Wix, Weebly, WordPress.com |
We strive for accuracy, but pricing and features change frequently. Some data may be outdated. Report an error and we'll update it promptly.
Our Verdict
Choose BigCommerce if you...
- Want higher-rated hosting (3.9/5)
- Need phone support
- Need staging environments
- Need enterprise-grade features
Choose Squarespace if you...
- Are new to web hosting
- Want a free domain included
BigCommerce vs Squarespace: Frequently Asked Questions
Does BigCommerce or Squarespace have better uptime?
BigCommerce edges out Squarespace on performance with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and a 3.9/5 overall rating. For uptime-sensitive sites, it's the more dependable choice.
Which has better customer support, BigCommerce or Squarespace?
BigCommerce has the edge on support offering 24/7 live chat, phone support and ticket support.
Is BigCommerce or Squarespace better for beginners?
Squarespace is friendlier for beginners, scoring higher on ease of use in our assessment. New users will generally find it quicker to get started.
Should I choose BigCommerce or Squarespace?
For most users, BigCommerce is the better overall choice, winning 3 of our 7 categories (notably Performance, Support and Developers). That said, the right host depends on your specific needs — check the category breakdown above for the factors that matter to you.