Shopify vs Squarespace for Clothing Brands

Shopify is usually the better fit for a clothing brand that plans to grow, sell across channels and add apps. Squarespace can be a good fit for a small brand that wants a design-led site and a simple catalog. Neither is right for everyone, so the choice depends on size, budget and how much you want to customize.

This comparison uses each company's public pricing page, checked in November 2026. It also covers what changes when you want to add tools such as virtual try-on, which matters for stores that sell on WooCommerce, Wix and custom sites as well as on these two platforms.

What does each platform cost?

Both charge a monthly plan. Prices and discounts change, so confirm them on the live pages.

Shopify's pricing page (checked November 2026) lists Basic at $29 a month with yearly billing and $39 with monthly billing. Grow is $79 yearly or $105 monthly. Advanced is $299 yearly or $399 monthly. It also showed a trial of 3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months.

Squarespace's pricing page (checked November 2026) lists four plans: Basic, Core, Plus and Advanced. It shows two prices per plan, one for monthly and one for annual billing, and says annual plans are discounted. Check the page for the current figures.

	Shopify	Squarespace
Plans	Basic, Grow, Advanced, Plus	Basic, Core, Plus, Advanced
Billing	Monthly or yearly	Monthly or annual
Trial offer on the page	3 days free, then $1 a month for 3 months	Check the live page
Source	Shopify pricing page	Squarespace pricing page

How do transaction fees compare?

Fees reduce your margin on every order, so read them closely.

Shopify's pricing page lists third-party transaction fees of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced and 0.2% on Plus. Its FAQ says these may apply when you use a third-party payment provider. Shopify Payments is listed as included on every plan, with online card rates starting at 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic.

Squarespace's pricing page lists an online store fee of 2% on Basic and 0% on Core, Plus and Advanced. It also lists card rates from 2.5% + $0.30 to 2.9% + $0.30, depending on the plan.

Here is an example with $10,000 of monthly sales, treated as a pure arithmetic exercise. A 2% fee is $200 a month, while 0% is $0. Check which fees apply to your payment provider before you rely on this.

In short, both platforms charge more on their lowest plan and less as you move up. Compare the total cost at your expected sales volume, not just the monthly price.

Which platform is easier to set up?

Squarespace is known for design-led templates and an all-in-one editor. Shopify focuses on commerce and offers pre-built templates, which its pricing page mentions.

If you already have photos and a short catalog, either can get you online quickly. Good photos matter on both. See our guide to image sizes for Shopify clothing photos for a way to prepare them.

What commerce features matter for clothing?

Clothing needs sizes, colors, stock tracking and a clear return story.

From the pages checked:

• Shopify lists inventory management and abandoned checkout recovery on all plans, and "Sell unlimited products" on all plans.
• Squarespace says its stores include built-in inventory management and shipping options such as flat-rate, weight-based and real-time rates. It also mentions a point-of-sale option on iOS.

Neither page used the word "variants" in the sections we checked, so test how each platform handles size and color options in a free trial before you commit.

What about selling in person and shipping?

Both platforms mention in-person selling. Shopify's page says Basic includes in-person card or phone payments, and lists POS Pro as an $89 a month add-on per location. Squarespace's e-commerce page mentions Point of Sale on iOS and says inventory and customer data stay in sync online and in person.

For shipping, Squarespace's page lists flat-rate, weight-based and real-time rates. Shopify's pricing page we checked did not detail shipping rates, so read its shipping help pages if that is a deciding factor. Pop-up stores, markets and showrooms are the cases where this matters most for clothing brands.

How should you test both before choosing?

A trial costs little, so build the same product on both platforms. Use this plan:

1. Create one product with three sizes and two colors.
2. Check how each platform shows stock for each size.
3. Place a test order and check the checkout on a phone.
4. Look at how each handles a return or exchange.
5. Add the one extra tool you need, such as sizing or try-on, and see how long it takes.
6. Compare total monthly cost, including fees and apps.

Write down the time each step takes. The platform that gets you to a working product page faster is often the one you will keep using.

How do apps and add-ons compare?

Shopify's pricing page says all plans integrate with thousands of apps. The Shopify App Store has apps for sizing, try-on, returns and more.

Squarespace says its Extensions are included on all four plans and describes them as third-party tools, comparable to plugins or apps. For clothing brands, the range of tools may differ, so check that the extension you need exists before you choose.

This matters because fashion stores often need extra tools. A lookbook is one example. See the best Shopify lookbook apps for how Shopify stores do it.

How can you add virtual try-on on each?

This depends on the platform.

• Shopify: ZeDaq.ai is available as a Shopify app.
• Squarespace: ZeDaq.ai offers a script-tag widget that works on Squarespace as well as WooCommerce, Wix, BigCommerce and custom sites. You paste a script into the product template, and the key must be locked to your store's domain. It adds "Try it on" and "Find my size". Setup details are in the widget docs.
• Developers: a REST API is available at POST /api/v1/tryon with an x-api-key header.

For more on the Squarespace route, read virtual try-on options on Squarespace.

What does a clothing brand's launch checklist look like?

Whichever platform you pick, the same tasks come up. Use this list to plan.

• Photos in one ratio, with a front, back and detail view for each piece.
• Size charts with body measurements for each garment type.
• A returns policy that is easy to find.
• Shipping rates for each region you serve.
• A payment provider and a test order.
• Tools for sizing or try-on, if you want them.

Doing this work before you choose a platform makes the comparison fairer, since you will know what you actually need.

What did we not verify?

Some details matter but were not clear on the pages we checked, so we left them out rather than guess:

• Which Squarespace price belongs to monthly or annual billing for each plan.
• How each platform handles product variants, such as size and color, in detail.
• Current app counts or app quality on either platform.
• Any regional pricing or tax differences.

Check these on each company's own site, or in a trial, before you decide.

Which should a clothing brand choose?

Use these rules of thumb:

1. Choose Shopify if you expect many products, multiple channels or a need for specialized apps.
2. Choose Squarespace if you have a small catalog and want a design-led site with fewer moving parts.
3. Compare transaction fees at your own sales volume.
4. Check that the tools you need, such as sizing or try-on, work on the platform.
5. Run the free trial on both before you pay.

You can also compare Shopify with other builders. See Shopify vs WooCommerce for clothing stores and Shopify vs Wix for fashion brands.

FAQs

Is Shopify better than Squarespace for clothing?

For growing brands it is often the stronger choice, because of its apps and sales channels. A small, design-focused brand may be happy with Squarespace.

Can I switch from Squarespace to Shopify later?

Yes, but you will need to move products, images and customer data. Plan for some manual work and check each platform's help pages.

Do both platforms support selling in person?

The pages we checked mention point-of-sale options on both. Compare the details on each live page.

Does virtual try-on work on both?

ZeDaq.ai is a Shopify app and also offers a script-tag widget for Squarespace. The widget key must be locked to your domain.

Which has lower fees?

It depends on the plan and your volume. Compare the transaction and card fees on each pricing page for your expected sales.