Squarespace is one of the most heavily marketed products in the web design industry. Their ads show beautiful websites built in minutes by people with no technical background. And for a certain use case, that's totally true.
But a lot of Kansas City small business owners sign up expecting a professional online presence and end up with something that looks like every other local competitor — because they're all using the same templates.
What Squarespace Actually Costs
The free trial ends. Then you're on a plan. The Basic plan runs $23/month ($276/year). Business plan: $33/month ($396/year). Commerce plans go up to $65/month. These prices go up — Squarespace has raised pricing multiple times.
That's $276–$780 every year, with no end date and no equity. You're renting a website. If you stop paying, it disappears.
Over 5 years, a $33/month Squarespace plan costs $1,980. A custom AuroWeb site at $2,997 costs less over that same window — and you own it outright with zero ongoing fees.
The Template Problem
Squarespace has hundreds of templates. So does every other Squarespace user in Kansas City. Your HVAC company might look identical to a local bakery, a yoga studio, and a law firm — because you all picked from the same library. There are only so many layouts, color combinations, and font pairings in the system.
A custom-coded site is built around your specific business — your brand colors, your conversion goals, your audience. Nothing is borrowed from a template library.
Speed and Performance
Squarespace loads slower than custom code. That's not an opinion — it's measurable with Google PageSpeed Insights. Their platform runs heavy JavaScript and loads scripts from multiple third-party servers. Custom HTML/CSS sites can score 95–100 on PageSpeed. Squarespace typically lands in the 50–75 range.
Speed matters for SEO. Google uses page speed as a ranking factor. A faster site ranks higher, converts more visitors, and costs you nothing extra after it's built.
Who Squarespace Is Actually For
We're not here to trash Squarespace — it genuinely makes sense for some people:
- Hobbyists and bloggers who update content frequently themselves
- Businesses testing an idea before committing to a real site
- Anyone who absolutely needs to manage a website with zero technical knowledge
If you're in one of those situations, a template builder is a reasonable short-term choice. Just know what you're giving up.
When Custom Makes Sense
Custom code is the right call when your website needs to perform — not just exist. That means converting visitors into calls, form submissions, or bookings. It means loading fast, ranking in search, and looking professional enough to charge professional prices.
| Factor | Squarespace | AuroWeb Custom |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $0 | $997–$2,997 |
| Monthly cost | $23–$65/mo | $0 |
| 5-year total | $1,380–$3,900 | One-time fee |
| You own the code | No | Yes |
| Custom design | Template only | Built for your brand |
| PageSpeed score | 50–75 | 90–100 |
The math favors custom after about 18–24 months. But beyond cost, it's about what kind of business you want to look like online.
Get a custom quote from AuroWeb →