Square and Squarespace are two of the most commonly confused names in small business software. One is a payments company. The other is a website builder. They are not the same business, they are not owned by the same people, and they solve completely different problems, yet every week someone signs up to one expecting the other.
I run Altitude Design, a UK based Squarespace Platinum Partner agency, and SquareLocator, a marketplace for Squarespace plugins and templates. This mix-up lands in my inbox constantly: clients asking why their card reader company cannot edit their website, or why their website company will not replace their till. This guide clears it up properly, including the one place where the two genuinely overlap.
The short answer
Square is a payments and point of sale company. It makes the small white card readers you see on shop counters and market stalls, along with the software behind them: tills, invoicing, payroll and business banking. Its parent company is Block, Inc., and its website is squareup.com, which is why you may also see it written as Squareup.
Squarespace is a website builder. It is the platform people use to create design-led websites, portfolios, blogs and online stores without writing code, and it is the platform this entire marketplace is built around.
If your question is "which one builds my website", the answer is Squarespace. If your question is "which one takes card payments at my counter", the answer is Square.
What is Square?
Square was founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey to let small traders accept card payments through a phone. It has since grown into a full commerce toolkit for physical businesses: card readers and terminals, point of sale software, invoices, appointment tools, payroll and loans. In 2021 the parent company renamed itself Block, Inc., though the product brand is still Square.
Square does offer a website builder of its own, called Square Online, which came from its 2018 acquisition of Weebly. It exists mainly to give Square's payment customers a quick online storefront, and it is functional rather than design-led. That product is the closest the two companies come to competing, and we compare it with Squarespace further down.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace was founded in 2003 by Anthony Casalena and has become one of the best known website builders in the world. It combines hosting, templates, blogging, ecommerce, appointment scheduling through Acuity, domains and email campaigns in one subscription. In 2024 the company was taken private by the investment firm Permira.
Squarespace's strength is design. Its templates are the starting point for some of the most polished small business websites on the internet, and a whole ecosystem of third party plugins and premium templates has grown up around it, which is exactly what SquareLocator catalogues.
Why people mix them up
The confusion is understandable, and it goes deeper than the names.
First, both serve the same audience: small business owners setting up shop. Second, both sell ecommerce tools, so search results for "sell online" surface both brands side by side. Third, Square's own domain is squareup.com, which reads like a sibling of squarespace.com. And fourth, the two companies actually connect in one real way: Squarespace's point of sale feature in the United States has long worked with Square hardware, so some Squarespace store owners genuinely do use a Square reader at their counter. Seeing both names on one bank statement cements the idea that they are the same company. They are not.
Can you use Square and Squarespace together?
Yes, in the right circumstances. If you run a Squarespace online store in the US and also sell in person, Squarespace's point of sale can pair with a Square reader so your in-person sales sync with your Squarespace inventory and orders. For online checkout itself, Squarespace supports its own Squarespace Payments alongside processors such as Stripe and PayPal, so Square is not required to run a Squarespace store.
In other words: Squarespace builds and runs the website, and Square can be the hardware taking payments at your physical counter. They are complementary there, not competitors.
Square Online vs Squarespace for an online store
This is the one head to head that matters. If you just need a basic storefront bolted onto your Square payments account, Square Online will do the job, and its entry point is hard to argue with on cost. It is utilitarian: you will get a working store, but limited design control and a site that looks like what it is, a template with your logo on it.
Squarespace is the stronger choice when the website itself matters to your brand: when you need a proper home page, a blog that supports your marketing, portfolio pages, SEO tools and a design customers remember. Having built hundreds of Squarespace sites for clients, my honest take is that businesses outgrow utility store builders quickly, and the rebuild costs more than starting on the right platform. If you are weighing Squarespace against other full website platforms rather than payment company builders, our Squarespace vs WordPress comparison covers that decision in depth.
Which should you choose?
| Square | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Payments and point of sale company | Website builder |
| Best known for | Card readers and till software | Design-led websites and templates |
| Website product | Square Online, a basic store builder | The core product, with full design control |
| In-person payments | Its core business | Via point of sale, which can pair with Square in the US |
| Suited to | Market stalls, cafes, salons, shops that sell face to face | Brands, creatives and businesses that need a proper website |
| Parent company | Block, Inc. | Squarespace, Inc. (private, Permira) |
A simple rule of thumb. Choose Square if your business happens at a counter and the website is an afterthought. Choose Squarespace if your website is how customers find, judge and buy from you. And if you do both, they can work together rather than against each other.
Frequently asked questions
Is Square the same as Squarespace?
No. Square is a payments and point of sale company owned by Block, Inc. Squarespace is an independent website builder. The similar names are a coincidence, not a corporate relationship.
What is Squareup, then?
Squareup is simply Square. The company's website is squareup.com, so many people search for "squareup" without realising it is the same brand as the card reader on their counter.
Can I use Square payments with Squarespace?
In the United States, yes. Squarespace's point of sale feature can pair with a Square reader so in-person sales sync with your Squarespace store. For online checkout, Squarespace uses its own payment options such as Squarespace Payments, Stripe and PayPal.
Does Square have a website builder?
Yes, Square Online, which came from Square's acquisition of Weebly. It is a functional store builder aimed at existing Square payment customers rather than a full design platform.
Which is better for an online store, Square Online or Squarespace?
Square Online suits a quick, basic storefront attached to Square payments. Squarespace is the better choice when design, content and SEO matter to how you win customers, and it scales into a complete brand website rather than just a checkout.
Who owns Square and Squarespace?
Square is owned by Block, Inc., the company formerly named Square, Inc., led by Jack Dorsey. Squarespace was founded by Anthony Casalena and was taken private by the investment firm Permira in 2024. There is no ownership connection between the two.
