Compare · Squarespace

Squarespace or a done‑for‑you website?

Which one fits a small business that needs customers.

Squarespace is known for polished templates and an all-in-one setup. A template still needs someone to turn it into a site that brings in customers, and to keep it that way. Here's how it compares with a website that's built and managed for you.

Get a free quote See website pricing

All comparisonsFrom $249 · $49/month · No contract

The catch

With Squarespace, it's on you to handle…

Choosing and adapting a template, then writing every page
Setting up forms, search settings and integrations yourself
Keeping the content current as your business changes
Rebuilding if you leave, since the design and layout stay behind

The SDP difference

With SDP, it's handled for you:

A site designed around your services and the customers you want
Planned, written, built and launched for you, usually in 1–3 weeks
Hosting, security, backups and changes handled for you
A direct line to the team that built it, not a help center

Side by side

Squarespace vs a managed small business website

The same questions, answered for both. Every SDP answer is part of every site we build.

Sims Digital Partners compared with Squarespace
Question	Sims Digital Partners	Squarespace (do it yourself)
Who builds it	Sims Digital PartnersDesigned and built for you, start to finish, with no hand-offs	Squarespace (do it yourself)You do, starting from one of its templates
Design	Sims Digital PartnersDesigned and written around your business	Squarespace (do it yourself)A template you customize yourself
Time to launch	Sims Digital PartnersUsually live in 1–3 weeks, built for you	Squarespace (do it yourself)As long as it takes you to build it
Search setup	Sims Digital PartnersDone at launch: titles, structured data, sitemap, Google Business Profile check, Search Console	Squarespace (do it yourself)SEO settings you fill in yourself
Leads	Sims Digital PartnersEvery quote request by email and in your client portal, with visits and change requests	Squarespace (do it yourself)Form notifications you set up and check yourself
Hosting & upkeep	Sims Digital PartnersHosting, SSL, backups and security updates handled for you	Squarespace (do it yourself)Squarespace runs the platform; content and settings are on you
Changes after launch	Sims Digital PartnersSmall content changes included; send them and they're done	Squarespace (do it yourself)You make them yourself in the editor
Your domain	Sims Digital PartnersRegistered in your name and always yours	Squarespace (do it yourself)You can connect or register your own domain
Moving the site later	Sims Digital PartnersNo contract. If you move on, the site is handed over cleanly	Squarespace (do it yourself)Some content exports; the design and layout stay behind
Who you talk to	Sims Digital PartnersThe team that built your site, directly. Replies within one business day	Squarespace (do it yourself)Squarespace's help guides and support team
Cost	Sims Digital PartnersA fixed price in writing, from $249; then $49/month	Squarespace (do it yourself)A subscription, plus your hours building and maintaining it

Other products change their features and pricing often, so we describe them, not quote them.

01 / 05

Cost over time

Squarespace bundles hosting, templates and tools into a subscription, which is simple to budget for. What it doesn't include is the work: picking and adapting a template, writing the pages, setting up forms and search settings, and keeping it current as your business changes.

SDP is a one-time build from $249, then $49/month for hosting and management, month to month, with no contract. The exact price is in writing before anything starts. The fair comparison is the subscription plus your hours against a site that's done and looked after.

How much does a website cost?

02 / 05

Who does the work

Squarespace templates look good out of the box, which makes it easy to get something attractive online. Making it say the right things to your customers, in the right order, with clear ways to contact you, is still your job.

With SDP you describe your business and your customers, review what's built, and ask for changes. We plan, write or refine, build and launch the site, typically in one to three weeks, and make small content changes for you after launch.

03 / 05

Ownership and lock-in

You can keep your domain in your own name with Squarespace or with us. The site is different: Squarespace offers an export of some content, but the design and layout don't come with it, so leaving usually means rebuilding.

An SDP site is built for your business with your domain registered in your name. There's no contract, and if you ever move on, the site is handed over cleanly.

Web hosting vs DNS, and why you need both

04 / 05

Security and updates

Squarespace maintains its platform, so server updates and SSL are handled. That's a genuine plus over running your own software. Your account, your settings and anything you connect to it are still yours to look after.

SDP sites are fast static sites with very little for an attacker to go after. Hosting, SSL, backups, monitoring and security updates are all part of the monthly plan, and someone specific is responsible for it, not a support queue.

05 / 05

Speed and SEO

Squarespace gives you the main SEO settings, and its templates are built to work on phones. As with any builder, results depend on how well the pages are written and set up, and on how much the template loads that your page doesn't need.

Every SDP site launches with the search basics done for you: titles, descriptions, structured data, a sitemap, fast mobile pages, a Google Business Profile check and Search Console submission. That's groundwork, not a promise of rankings, but it's done right from day one.

Why isn't my new website on Google yet?

The deciding factors

Where SDP pulls ahead of Squarespace

A good-looking template is a starting point. A business site has to bring in customers and stay looked after, and that's what SDP delivers:

A site that actually gets finishedWe plan, write, build and launch it for you, usually in 1–3 weeks, and nothing goes live until you're happy with it.
Search basics done properlyEvery site launches with titles, descriptions, structured data, a sitemap, fast mobile pages, a Google Business Profile check and Search Console submission.
Leads you don't missEach quote request arrives as an email and in your client portal, next to your visit numbers and change requests.
Upkeep that's someone's jobHosting, SSL, backups, monitoring and security updates are handled every month, by the team that built the site.

Your site does its job from day one, and you never have to become its webmaster.

Get a free quote How our business websites work

Keep reading

Guides that go deeper

Short, practical articles on the questions that come up most when choosing a website.

All articles

Aug 8, 2026 · 6 min read

Questions

Squarespace questions, answered

Straight answers to what people ask when they're weighing it up.

For build and monthly details, see small business website pricing, or ask us directly.

Is Squarespace good for a small business website?

It can be, especially for portfolios and simple sites where the owner enjoys setting things up. For a service business that wants a site built around its customers and looked after without spending its own hours, a done-for-you site is usually the better fit.

Can you move my Squarespace site over?

Yes. Squarespace sites can't be moved as-is, so we rebuild yours: the content and anything that works carries over into a faster site built for your business. Your domain stays in your name and is pointed at the new site.

What does SDP cost compared with a Squarespace subscription?

SDP builds from $249, quoted in writing before work starts, then $49/month for hosting, security, updates and small content changes. A builder subscription costs less in cash; the difference is that you do the work yourself.

Do I lose my domain if I switch?

No. Your domain is yours. If it's registered with Squarespace you can keep it there or transfer it, and we'll handle the DNS settings that point it at your new site.

No contracts · Your domain, your site

Rather have it done for you?

Tell us about your business. You'll get a clear scope and a fixed price, from $249, before anything starts, then $49/month with no contract.

Get a free quote info@simsdigitalpartners.com