Some links on SquareLocator point to third-party templates and plugins and may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Links to Squarespace itself are not affiliate links: we earn nothing if you start a trial or buy a plan.
"Can I use Squarespace for free?" is one of the questions I hear most from people about to build their first site, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a sales pitch. I run Altitude, a UK Squarespace agency and Platinum Partner with more than 400 client builds behind us, and every one of those sites started life on a free trial. So I know exactly how far the free part goes, where it stops, and how to get the most out of it before you pay a penny.
I checked every price and trial rule in this guide against Squarespace's own pricing page and Help Center on 30 October 2026.
The quick answer: there is no free Squarespace plan
No, you cannot run a live Squarespace website for free. Squarespace does not have a free plan, and its own pricing page says so plainly: "Squarespace doesn't offer a free plan, but every site starts with a free trial." What you get instead is a 14-day free trial, with no credit card required, during which you can build the whole site. To publish it to the public, connect it to your own domain or take payments, you need a paid plan, which starts at $19 a month on annual billing.
That is a real difference from Wix or WordPress.com, which both offer free tiers. But a free trial with no card required is still genuinely useful, and if you use it well you can do almost all of the work before any money changes hands.
Try Squarespace free for 14 days
No card needed to start. Pick a free template and build the whole site before you decide.
What the Squarespace free trial includes
According to Squarespace's Help Center guide to starting a trial site, every new website gets a 14-day trial, and you do not need to enter card details to begin. In practice the trial is close to the full product. You can:
- Choose any Squarespace template and switch layouts, fonts and colours freely.
- Build every page, section and blog post, and upload your images and copy.
- Set up a store, products, services and forms so they are ready to switch on.
- Use most of the custom code options, which matters if you plan to add plugins later.
- Invite up to five contributors, so a designer, copywriter or client can work on the site with you.
- Password-protect the site and share that password with people you want to preview it.
Your work is saved as you go, and when you upgrade, the site carries on exactly as you left it. Nothing has to be rebuilt.
What the free trial does not let you do
The limits are where most of the confusion lives, so here they are in plain terms:
- The site is private. Trial sites are hidden from the public by default and search engines do not index them. Visitors can only see the site if you give them the site-wide password.
- No payments. You cannot accept payments through commerce or donations, create subscription products or connect a PayPal business account until you upgrade.
- Form submissions are not emailed to you. Squarespace suggests connecting a storage option such as Google Drive or Mailchimp if you want to test forms during the trial.
- No search console verification. You cannot verify a trial site in Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.
- A small number of code limits. For example, code injection on the lock screen is not available on a trial.
The short version: the trial is for building, not for running a business. You can make the site, but you cannot launch it.
What happens when the trial ends
When the 14 days are up, Squarespace says "you won't have access to your site until you upgrade to paid service." Your content is not deleted on day 15, but it is marked for eventual permanent deletion, and Squarespace does not publish a fixed date for when that happens. If you are still building, you can request a one-time, seven-day extension, either from the "Need more time?" email Squarespace sends when the trial expires or by contacting Customer Support. Details are in the Help Center guide to extending your website trial.
So, realistically, a solo build gets 14 days plus one seven-day extension: three weeks in total. That is enough for a simple site if you prepare your content first.
How to stretch the free trial further
Here is the approach I would take if I were building my own site on a free trial.
1. Prepare everything before you start the clock
The trial starts the moment you create the site, so do not start it until you have your copy, logo and images ready in a folder. Writing the About page is not something you want to be doing on day 12. Choosing the right template in advance also saves days of switching around; our guide to how to choose the right Squarespace template walks through the decision.
2. Build the whole site on the trial
Every page, every product and every blog post can be built on the trial. Treat it as your staging site. The goal is to reach the point where upgrading is the last step before launch, rather than the first step of the build.
3. Use the password page for feedback
Because the trial is private, the site-wide password is your preview link. Share it with a business partner, a few customers or a friend with a good eye, and collect feedback while it costs nothing.
4. Invite your designer or client as a contributor
If someone is helping you, add them as a contributor rather than sharing your login. The trial allows up to five, which covers most small projects. One caution from the Help Center: if you later want to move to a plan with a single contributor seat, you will need to remove the extra people first.
5. Ask for the extension before you need it
The seven-day extension is one-time only, so save it for genuine finishing work rather than burning it on a build you have not started.
Agency tip from Miles
Most of our client sites at Altitude are built on a trial. As members of the Squarespace Circle partner programme, we can extend trials well beyond the standard 14 days, which Squarespace's own Help Center confirms is a Circle perk. That gives clients time to write copy, approve designs and review a password-protected site without paying for a plan they cannot use yet. If you are working with a designer, ask whether they are in Circle; it is one of the easiest ways to avoid paying for a site before it exists. And whoever builds it, set up billing in the business owner's name at launch, not the designer's, so you always control the account.
What it really costs to run a Squarespace site each year
Once you upgrade, these are the prices on Squarespace's pricing page today, in US dollars:
| Plan | Annual billing | Cost per year (annual) | Monthly billing | Cost per year (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19/month | $228 | $25/month | $300 |
| Core | $29/month | $348 | $39/month | $468 |
| Plus | $49/month | $588 | $65/month | $780 |
| Advanced | $99/month | $1,188 | $139/month | $1,668 |
A few things change the true annual cost:
- Annual billing is cheaper, by up to 36% according to Squarespace, and annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year. From year two you pay the normal renewal price for the domain.
- Transaction fees on Basic. Basic adds a 2% Squarespace fee on online store sales and 7% on digital content and memberships. Core drops the store fee to 0% (5% on digital content), Plus to 0% (1%) and Advanced to 0% across both. Card processing fees apply on every plan, starting at 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core, 2.7% + $0.30 on Plus and 2.5% + $0.30 on Advanced.
- Code access needs Core. Code injection and JavaScript in code blocks are only available on Core and above. Many third-party plugins depend on this, so if you plan to use plugins, budget for Core from the start.
- Extras add up. Professional email through Google Workspace, paid plugins, premium templates and Email Campaigns all sit outside the plan price, so check their current terms before you commit.
As a rough guide, a simple portfolio on Basic with annual billing costs $228 for the first year including the domain. A typical small business site on Core costs $348 a year plus the domain renewal from year two, before any paid extras. For a fuller breakdown of each tier, read Squarespace pricing explained.
Is there a Squarespace student discount?
Yes, and it is official. Squarespace's student page offers verified students 50% off the first full year of a new annual website plan, with verification through Student Beans. Beyond that, Squarespace says it shares promotions directly through its own website and emails. Be wary of sites promising secret Squarespace promo codes; our honest guide to Squarespace promo codes and Black Friday discounts explains what is real.
What is genuinely free on Squarespace
There is no free plan, but once you are paying for one, a lot of what you need costs nothing extra.
Free templates
Every official Squarespace template is included with any plan. There are no premium Squarespace-made templates to unlock. Our free Squarespace templates collection catalogues them alongside free starter designs from independent creators, filterable by industry, colour and layout style. For my pick of the best, see the best free Squarespace templates in 2026.
Free plugins
Many Squarespace plugins are free: simple CSS and code snippets from independent developers, plus free tiers of widget platforms that you can upgrade later. Our free Squarespace plugins collection lists hundreds, sorted by what they do, and my shortlist is in the best free Squarespace plugins in 2026. Remember that plugins relying on JavaScript or code injection need Core or above.
Built-in features
Every paid plan includes managed hosting and Squarespace's built-in AI tools, and the core website builder, blogging and SEO settings are part of the platform rather than paid add-ons. Squarespace also offers free webinars and a Help Center if you are learning as you go. You will not need to buy hosting, a security plugin or a page builder, which is where much of the hidden cost of other platforms sits.
Cheaper alternatives if you need a free website
If your budget really is zero, Squarespace is not the right platform, and it is better to know that now. Wix and WordPress.com both have free plans, but they come with the platform's branding and a subdomain instead of your own domain, and the moment you want a proper domain or to remove ads, you are paying for a plan too. Self-hosted WordPress is free software, but hosting, a theme, plugins and maintenance all cost money or time.
My honest view: a free website is fine for a hobby or a test, but for a business the plan cost is usually the smallest part of running a site. I compare the three properly in Squarespace vs Wix vs WordPress.
So, is Squarespace worth paying for?
If you want a professional site you can manage yourself without worrying about hosting, updates or security, I think it is. The free trial is long enough to prove that to yourself: build the site, share the password with people whose opinion you trust, and only upgrade when you are ready to launch. If it does not suit you, you have lost nothing but a few evenings.
Start with a free template, add a free plugin or two once you are on Core, and you will have a site that looks considered without spending more than the plan itself.
Get more from Squarespace without spending more
Hundreds of free plugins and widgets, and an honest breakdown of what each plan costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Squarespace free?
No. Squarespace has no free plan. Every site starts with a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, but you need a paid plan, from $19 a month on annual billing, to publish the site.
How long is the Squarespace free trial?
The free trial lasts 14 days. You can request a one-time, seven-day extension, and Squarespace Circle partners can offer longer trials to the clients they build for.
Can I publish my website during the Squarespace free trial?
No. Trial sites are private and are not indexed by search engines. You can share the site with selected people by setting a site-wide password, but it will not be public until you upgrade.
Can I sell products on a Squarespace free trial?
You can set up products and your store during the trial, but you cannot accept payments until you upgrade to a paid plan.
What happens when my Squarespace trial expires?
You lose access to the site until you upgrade or take the one-time seven-day extension. Your content is kept for a while, but it is marked for permanent deletion, so upgrade or export what you need without waiting too long.
Does Squarespace offer a student discount?
Yes. Verified students can get 50% off the first full year of a new annual Squarespace website plan, with verification through Student Beans.
Related SquareLocator Guides
- Squarespace Pricing in 2026: Every Plan Explained
- Best Free Squarespace Templates in 2026
- 20+ Best Free Squarespace Plugins in 2026
- Squarespace Promo Codes and Black Friday Discounts
- Squarespace vs Wix vs WordPress in 2026
- How to Choose the Right Squarespace Template
Some links on SquareLocator point to third-party templates and plugins and may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Links to Squarespace itself are not affiliate links: we earn nothing if you start a trial or buy a plan. Prices and trial terms checked on 30 October 2026; confirm current details on Squarespace's website before you buy.
Early access to the good stuff
Plugin drops, template picks and creator codes. Free in your inbox.
- New plugin drops
- Template picks
- Creator discount codes