Squarespace Is Raising Prices Up to 26 Percent: Here’s What It means for You

Squarespace has quietly hiked its subscription prices by as much as 26 percent. Not surprisingly, this had photographers who rely on the platform really unhappy, discussing their plans and ideas for migration. If you’re hosting your portfolio on the platform, we want to share what happened, how Squarespace price increase affects you, and what your options are.

What’s Changing?

The increases hit annual subscribers hardest. Squarespace’s four plans, Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced, have all shifted upward this month. According to PetaPixel, the company has communicated the changes directly to customers via email rather than through a public announcement.

For annual plans, these are the updated prices:

• Basic: $16 to $19/mo – a 19 percent increase
• Core: $23 to $29/mo – a 26 percent increase
• Plus: $39 to $49/mo – also 26 percent
• Advanced: staying flat at $99/mo

Interestingly, monthly payers got off easier. Basic and Advanced aren’t moving at all. Core climbs from $36 to $39 (eight percent), and Plus jumps from $56 to $65 (16 percent). I see this as more loyal and devoted customers paying a higher price, which I find a little odd.

Because Squarespace has run various promotions over the years, not everyone is starting from the same baseline. Some users are reporting far steeper jumps once expired discounts are factored in.

Why Now?

Users mainly point to one thing: AI. Squarespace has been layering AI tools into the platform, features many customers say they never asked for and don’t use. A Reddit user posting under CheesecakeOdd3075, who says their price has climbed 61 percent since 2021, put it bluntly: ““I feel like I’m paying for things I sincerely did not ask for, the biggest thing being AI. I don’t use AI at all whatsoever in squarespaces features because I DONT NEED IT.”

To be fair, Squarespace did add something else this week beyond AI features. There’s a new suite of tools for selling in limited releases. Reserved Cart holds items with a countdown timer, Quantity Limits cap purchases per buyer, and Low Inventory Badges and email campaigns build hype before a drop. For photographers selling limited print runs, that’s relevant. But I don’t really that justifies a 26 percent bump, do you?

Squarespace has spent years courting photographers specifically. There’s almost no photography YouTuber who wasn’t sponsored by them over the past few years. They handed out discount codes through the community. That is partly why the backlash is landing so hard in photo and filmmaker circles on Threads and Reddit right now.

[Related Reading: Squarespace is officially screwing photographers]

What Squarespace Price Increase Means for You

If you’re running a photography portfolio or storefront on Squarespace, check your renewal date now, before the new pricing catches you off guard. If you’re on a legacy promo, your jump could be much bigger than the headline numbers above.

Filmmaker Mike Reda summed up the mood on Threads: “Like many of you, I’m leaving @squarespace after their ridiculous pricing increase.” However, he added an important question: “where are we all moving to?”

Well, if you’re eyeing the exit, you’re not short on options. Sure, Squarespace is one of the most popular photography portfolio websites. But Format, SmugMug, Zenfolio, or Wix all cover similar ground. You have templates, custom domains, and storefronts built for visual work. None of them will be a perfect one-to-one swap. So, take a test drive of whichever one you pick before you commit.

[via PetaPixel]

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