Format vs Squarespace
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Quick verdict: Pick Format if you're a creative who needs built-in client galleries and commission-free sales; pick Squarespace if you want an all-in-one business site with AI setup and steadier billing.
Best for: Photographers who want galleries, proofing, and delivery in one place, Artists, illustrators, and designers with image-heavy portfolios
Read the full Format review
Best for: Small business owners who want a site, store, and booking tools under one subscription, Freelancers and creatives building portfolios, such as photographers, designers, and artists
Read the full Squarespace reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Format vs Squarespace: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Format if
- You're a photographer or filmmaker who needs client galleries, contracts, and file transfers built in.
- You want zero platform fees on self-fulfilled sales, keeping 100% of revenue.
- You need direct video hosting for up to 120 minutes on your site.
Choose Squarespace if
- You want your site, store, bookings, and invoicing in one subscription.
- You'd like AI to draft your entire site from a few answers.
- You value an all-in-one platform serving 14M+ entrepreneurs across 200+ countries.
Format vs Squarespace: pros and cons
Format
Format bundles a portfolio site, client proofing tools, and a commission-free store under one roof, with 90+ themes and direct video hosting up to 120 minutes. Annual billing up front, first-year-only intro discounts, and a contact-to-cancel process are the trade-offs. Overall, it's a solid pick for photographers and creatives who want selling built in.
Pros
- Zero-commission store — Format charges no platform fees or sales commission on products, services, or digital downloads, and you can self-fulfill orders worldwide.
- Direct video hosting up to 120 minutes on Pro Plus lets filmmakers play full-length work on their own site instead of embedding third-party players.
- The client workflow is built in—password-protected branded galleries, proofing, file transfers, and contracts all live inside the same dashboard as your portfolio.
Cons
- Plans are billed annually up front, and intro discounts apply to the first year only—Pro reverts from $12/mo to $17/mo and Pro Plus from $15/mo to $26/mo at renewal.
- The Basic plan caps you at 10 pages and 70 high-resolution images, and the online store isn't listed for that tier, so active sellers will outgrow it quickly.
- CSS and HTML editing is reserved for Pro and Pro Plus, leaving Basic users without code-level customization.
Squarespace
Squarespace bundles design, hosting, domains, payments, and marketing into one subscription, and Blueprint AI plus drag-and-drop editing make launches easy for beginners. You'll trade some flexibility: entry pricing sits at $19/month, email costs extra, and there's no advertised money-back guarantee. Overall, it's a strong pick for small businesses that want everything under one roof.
Pros
- Blueprint AI — named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025 — drafts a complete site with copy, images, and design from just a few questions about your business, cutting launch time dramatically for non-designers.
- Everything runs from one subscription — hosting with SSL, domain registration, payments, Acuity-powered scheduling, invoicing, email campaigns, and analytics, so you avoid juggling five separate vendor accounts.
- Commerce is built in rather than bolted on — sell unlimited products, take bookings, send branded proposals and contracts, and offer memberships, paywalls, digital downloads, gift cards, and donations from the same site.
Cons
- Entry pricing starts at $19/month after the trial ends, which is steep for hobby sites on tight budgets — and domains cost extra from $14/year unless you commit to an annual plan.
- You don't get deep code-level control; the platform is built around drag-and-drop templates and pre-built layouts rather than complex custom development, which will frustrate developers.
- Extended functionality for shipping, finance, and marketing runs through third-party Extensions rather than a large native app ecosystem, so teams relying on many outside integrations may hit friction.
Format and Squarespace in detail
Format
Format is an online portfolio website builder made for creatives—photographers, filmmakers, artists, designers, architects, models, and fashion designers. One subscription covers three jobs: a professionally designed portfolio site, client proofing and management tools, and a commission-free store. Hosting is included with every plan, you can connect a custom domain, and coding is optional. Format says its support staff are creatives themselves.
Standout features
- Start with a theme, then make it yours
- Build custom layouts with Flex Block
- Run client work in one dashboard
- Host full-length video, your way
- Reach a wider audience
Use cases
- Deliver client work in one place
- Host full-length video, your way
- Sell your work, keep every dollar
- Go multilingual in minutes
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one website building platform for entrepreneurs, creators, and small businesses. It covers design, hosting, domains, payments, scheduling, invoicing, email marketing, and SEO on one platform. You can build with designer-made templates or Blueprint AI, an AI website builder named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2025. The site reports 14M+ entrepreneurs served across 200+ countries and territories.
Standout features
- Launch faster with Blueprint AI
- Edit every detail, no code required
- Run your business from one site
- Hosting and security, already handled
- Get found, then stay connected
Use cases
- Launch your first site without code
- Book clients and get paid
- Open an online store
- Fundraise or monetize your content
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Format | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $14/mo Basic | $19/mo Website plans (starting at $19/month) |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | Up to 29% | — |
| Pricing model | Flat price | Flat price |
| Cost for 1 user | $14/moCheaper Basic plan, billed monthly | $19/mo Website plans (starting at $19/month) plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $14/mo Basic plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $19/mo Website plans (starting at $19/month) plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 10 users | $14/mo Basic plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $19/mo Website plans (starting at $19/month) plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 25 users | $14/mo Basic plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) | $19/mo Website plans (starting at $19/month) plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Plans | 3 | 2 |
| Prices checked | Vendor page checked Oct 13, 2026 | Vendor page checked Oct 1, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 1 user (billed monthly), Format costs $14/mo vs Squarespace at $19/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for selling online?
Format charges zero platform fees when you self-fulfill orders. Squarespace bundles payments, inventory, and shipping with lower fees on higher tiers. Choose Format to keep 100% of sales; Squarespace for breadth.