Squarespace vs Substack
A side-by-side look at Squarespace and Substack. On our scoring, Squarespace comes out ahead — but the right pick depends on your priorities.
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| SellingScene score | 4.2/5 | 4.0/5 |
| User rating | 4.2 | 4.2 |
| Reviews | 2,240 | 1,320 |
| Pricing | ||
| Starting price | $23/mo | Free |
| Pricing model | per month, billed annually | no monthly fee, revenue share |
| Transaction fees | 0% on Commerce plans | 10% of subscription revenue (plus processing) |
| Hosting & setup | ||
| Hosting type | Fully hosted (SaaS) | Fully hosted (SaaS) |
| Free trial | 14 days | Free to start |
| Staff accounts | Up to 2 | Multiple authors |
| Product limit | Unlimited | N/A (subscriptions) |
| Payments & security | ||
| Payment gateways | Stripe, PayPal, Square, Apple Pay | Stripe |
| SSL included | Yes | Yes |
| PCI compliant | Yes | Yes |
| Gift cards | Yes | Yes |
| Catalog & content | ||
| Themes / templates | 150+ templates | Publication styling |
| App marketplace | Limited (extensions) | Limited integrations |
| Multi-currency | No | No |
| Multi-language | No | No |
| POS included | Yes | No |
| Abandoned cart recovery | Yes | No |
| Built-in blog | Yes | Yes |
| Tools & flexibility | ||
| Drag-and-drop editor | Yes | No |
| API access | Yes | No |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Support channels | 24/7 email & live chat | Email & help center |
| Actions | Read review | Read review |
Why pick Squarespace?
Squarespace is the choice when design matters most. Its templates are gorgeous out of the box and the all-in-one editor is a joy, but the limited app ecosystem makes it a poor fit for large or complex catalogs.
Best for: Designers and content-led small stores
Read the full Squarespace reviewWhy pick Substack?
Substack makes launching a paid newsletter effortless, bundling publishing, email, payments, and a discovery network at no upfront cost. The flat 10% revenue cut is significant once you scale, and you build on their network, not your own.
Best for: Writers monetizing newsletters and subscriptions
Read the full Substack review