Last updated: October 2026
So you want to build your website on Squarespace and you're thinking about working with a website designer?
Awesome! We've been designing websites on Squarespace since 2014 and we've built 950+ custom sites. So we know a thing or two about launching your site with Squarespace and what it looks like to work with a designer.
Hiring a Squarespace website designer to build your site costs between $1200 to $10,000+ in 2027. On top of your designer's fee, you'll pay Squarespace directly for hosting: $19 to $99 a month on an annual plan.
The cost of hiring a website designer depends entirely on how much work you want to hand off. Someone popping your logo and images into a template is going to be the least expensive way to work with a designer. A designer building your site from scratch is obviously going to cost more ($6000+) - but you'll also get more conversion strategy baked into your website.
This guide covers what a Squarespace website designer costs in 2027, what you get at each price, what hosting adds, how to know if you even need a designer yet, and exactly what it looks like to work with a designer to bring your website to life on Squarespace.
DIY vs. Hiring a Squarespace Website Designer: Which is right for you?
You have 4 ways to build a Squarespace website:
| Squarespace Design Option | Best For | Time to Launch | Design Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. DIY with SquarespaceBuild your own website using Squarespace's drag-and-drop editor, free trial, and built-in templates. | Testing an idea or launching a simple 1 to 2 page site on a tight budget | 1 - 3 weeks | $0 using Squarespace's 14-day free trial |
| 2. DIY with a Premium TemplateUse a designer-made template and customize it with your own colors, copy, and images. | Solopreneurs who want a beautiful designer-built site that converts but without paying thousands for a designer | 3+ hours - 5 days | $197+ one-time for the design layout |
| 3. Premium Template Customized by a DesignerHave a designer customize a premium template to match your brand and expertise. | Established service businesses who want to work with a designer to get a website infused with their personality | 1 day - 2 weeks | $1,200 to $6,000 |
| 4. Fully Custom Website DesignWork one-on-one with a designer to create a website built from scratch around your brand, goals, and needs. | Speakers, coaches, authors, and experts whose website needs to match a big reputation | 2 weeks - a few months | $6,000 to $10,000+ |
Option 1: DIY Your Site with Squarespace's Free Templates & 14-Day Trial
$0 (+ website hosting plan)
Squarespace gives you a 14-day free trial to their website builder, no credit card required. So you can use one of their free templates and their drag-and-drop editor to DIY your site from scratch.
You'll only need to pay for their website hosting plan (from $19 a month) once you're ready to publish your site.
When DIYing your site, you're the strategist, designer, copywriter, and tech support (and the person googling "why is my footer doing that" at midnight).
This option is really for people who want to take a stab at launching their own site from scratch and are okay with figuring out their website strategy and design all on their own.
We've designed 80+ premium Squarespace templates and sold over 16,400 of them, so we know what makes a template work. Our expert opinion is that Squarespace's free templates fall short, both design-wise and conversion-wise. You'll be able to launch a site easily and cheaply, but figuring out how to make it both convert and look good is all on you.
Best for: Solopreneurs who want to launch a website quickly and on a budget, and who have the time to figure out the design and strategy themselves.
Option 2: Use a Premium Squarespace Template
$197+ one-time for the design layout
A premium template gives you a designer-built site you fill in with your own colors, photos, and words. Premium templates are the best way to launch a beautiful site on a budget. You basically get to borrow the design and conversion strategy from a skilled designer, without spending thousands on a custom build.
Most premium templates start around $197. You'll find a ton on Creative Market and Etsy, or you can grab one from a few of our favorite template shops:
GoLive HQ: $299 templates built on Squarespace 7.1 with Fluid Engine, with step-by-step launch tutorials and unlimited support from real humans. They're built by experts who know what converts and designers who make it look beautiful.
Best for: Solopreneurs, coaches, speakers, and people who sell services who want a beautiful site that converts, without spending thousands on a designer.
Option 3: Hire a Squarespace Website Designer
$1200 - $10,000+ per site
A designer handles the strategy, design, and build for you, then hands you a site that's ready to book clients. A designer is the best way to build you a site infused with your unique personality that actually feels like you.
Most designers work in one of two ways:
Customizing a premium template ($1,200 to $6,000): Your designer tailors a proven layout to your brand and expertise. It's faster, and you skip a whole lot of decision fatigue.
Designing a fully custom site ($6,000 to $10,000+): You get an original layout, deeper strategy, and every section made just for you.
Not sure who to hire? We compared six designers we'd genuinely send a friend to in The Best 6 Squarespace Website Designers to Hire (2027 Directory).
Best for: Established speakers, coaches, authors, and experts ready to invest in a website that feels like them, matches their reputation, and books clients.
Who should hire a Squarespace website designer?
You've tried DIY and it still feels "off." You know it, your clients feel it, and nobody can say exactly why.
You're a speaker, coach, or expert and your website needs to show up at the level of your expertise.
Your website is outdated (if it still has a "Welcome to my website!" headline, we need to talk) and you want a site that's built to convert.
You're raising your prices. A $5k offer on a site that looks DIY is a hard sell.
You're launching something big, like a book, a keynote, or a signature program, and the site has to be ready for your increased website traffic.
Your time is worth more spent with clients than learning web design on YouTube.
What do Squarespace designers typically include?
Every designer packages things a little differently, so use this as your "ask before you sign" checklist:
A strategy or content planning call
Copywriting
Brand identity (logo and brand kit)
A set number of pages, and an extra fee for each additional page
Mobile-responsive design
Foundational SEO
At least two rounds of revisions
Domain connection
Training so you can update the site yourself
Our $5,400 semi-custom and $10,000 custom packages include a content planning call, six designed pages, mobile-responsive design, foundational SEO, two rounds of revisions, domain connection, and personalized tutorial videos. Copywriting and branding are available as add-ons.
What does a Squarespace website designer actually do for you?
Strategy. You could spend hours figuring out what goes on each page, or you could work with a designer who already knows what works and how to turn visitors into paying customers.
Instant credibility. People 100% judge whether they can trust your services based on your website's design, even if your service has nothing to do with design. A designer makes you look as professional as you are.
A website packed with your personality. AI can build you a website. A designer crafts a website that feels like you.
An expert in your corner. You get to consult with someone who lives and breathes design and conversion strategy, not just someone who drags blocks around.
The Best Squarespace Website Designers for Hire
You can browse designers on the Squarespace Marketplace Experts, but there are a lot of them, and scrolling through hundreds of profiles gets overwhelming fast. We've been in the design space since 2014, so we pulled together a list of our favorite Squarespace website designers and what they actually charge.
| Designer | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| GoLive HQ | $5,400 semi-custom · $10,000 custom | Speakers, coaches, authors, experts and service businesses |
| Paige Brunton | $5,600 semi-custom · $9,000+ custom | Interior designers, architects, boutique hospitality |
| Christy Price | $2,750 two-day build · $6,500 custom | Authors, coaches, service providers |
| Lion Claw Creative | $4,500 brand + website | Beauty, wedding, and interior design pros |
| Design by Ency | About $4,000 custom · about $200/month managed | Established businesses wanting a managed site |
| Big Cat Creative | $2,400 to implement a template | Creatives |
Want the full scoop on each one, including their portfolios and experience? It's all in our Squarespace website designer directory.
Is Squarespace Easy to Update After a Designer Builds It?
Yes. Squarespace is one of the easiest website builders to update yourself once your designer hands it off.
The last thing you want is a designer building you a gorgeous site you're too scared to touch. A website you can't update is basically a very expensive investment that is going to get outdated.
We've been designing on Squarespace since 2014, and it's still our favorite website builder because of how easy it is to use. Squarespace 7.1 with Fluid Engine is drag-and-drop, so swapping a photo, editing a headline, adding a new product or adding a blog post takes minutes, not a support ticket.
How Much Does It Cost to Host Your Site on Squarespace?
No matter which option you choose, you'll need a website hosting subscription from Squarespace to host your site on their website builder.
Your designer's fee (or template) typically doesn't include hosting. Squarespace bills you directly, which means you own your site, not your designer. (Think of it as the rent, while your designer is the interior decorator.)
Squarespace has 4 different subscription pricing options:
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Fee on product sales | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19/mo | $25/mo | 2% | Simple sites with no custom code |
| Core (the one we recommend) | $29/mo | $39/mo | 0% | Most service businesses |
| Plus | $49/mo | $65/mo | 0% | Growing online stores and courses |
| Advanced | $99/mo | $139/mo | 0% | High-volume stores and subscriptions |
Other Squarespace costs to budget for
| Add-on | What is it? | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Domain renewal | Keeps your yourname.com after the free first year on an annual plan | $12 to $70 a year |
| Acuity Scheduling | Lets clients book calls and sessions right from your site | From $14/month |
| Email Campaigns | Squarespace's built-in email newsletter tool | From $5/month for 500 subscribers |
| Members areas | Gated content, like a course or paid community, behind a login | From $8/month |
Prices from Squarespace's pricing page, checked October 2026. For a full breakdown of every plan, see Squarespace Pricing Plans Explained.
Squarespace Website Designer Cost FAQ
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Hiring someone to build a Squarespace website costs $1,200 to $10,000+ in 2027. Having a designer customize a premium template runs $1,200 to $6,000, and a fully custom site runs $6,000 to $10,000+. You'll also pay Squarespace $19 to $99 a month for hosting.
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Freelance Squarespace designers in the US typically charge $40 to $150 an hour, based on Upwork's listings. Most established designers and studios charge a flat project fee instead, so you know the total before you start.
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A fully custom Squarespace website costs $6,000 to $10,000+. Our custom sites are $10,000 for six pages designed from scratch in a two-week sprint.
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Yes. Squarespace 7.1 with Fluid Engine is drag-and-drop, so you can swap photos, edit text, add products, or post a blog without calling your designer. Ask any designer you hire whether training is included.
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You can browse the Squarespace Marketplace, or start with our 2027 directory of the best Squarespace website designers, which compares six designers by price, specialty, and experience.
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If your website needs to book clients, yes. A designer brings the strategy, the credibility, and a site that actually feels like you. If you're just testing an idea, a free Squarespace template or a $197+ premium template is a smarter place to start.
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Yes. Expect $1,200 to $6,000, depending on the designer. Our Done-For-You Site Setup is $899 if you already own a GoLive template, or $1,200 with a new template included.
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Yes. Your designer's fee (or template) typically doesn't include hosting. Squarespace bills your subscription directly, from $19 to $99 a month on an annual plan, so you own your website, not your designer.
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A customized template takes 1 day to 2 weeks, and a fully custom site takes 2 weeks to a few months. Our site setup takes one business day, semi-custom sites take one week, and custom sites take two weeks.
