# Shopify vs Squarespace for a Canadian business (2026)

> Shopify vs Squarespace for Canadian businesses: CAD plan prices, card rates, store fees, in-person selling and which one fits a shop or a service business.

Canonical: https://canadianwebmaster.ca/vs/shopify-vs-squarespace
Last updated: 2026-11-08

Both bill Canadians in CAD and both can run an online store. Shopify is a store first that can also be a website. Squarespace is a website first that can also be a store. Which one fits depends on how much of your business is selling products.

Prices and facts checked November 8, 2026 · by Shane Heyworth. About: Shopify, Squarespace.

## The quick answer

- **Pick Shopify** if products are the business: a real catalogue, inventory, in-person sales or plans to grow the store.
- **Pick Squarespace** if you are a service business or a small shop where the website matters more than the store.
- **Look at [WordPress](/reviews/wordpress)** if content and SEO control matter more than either.

**Shopify vs Squarespace at a glance (CAD, before tax)**

|  | Shopify | Squarespace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cheapest plan, paid yearly | Basic $37/mo ($444/yr) | Basic $21/mo ($252/yr) |
| Cheapest plan with no store fee | Basic, with Shopify Payments | Core $32/mo ($384/yr) |
| Online card rate, entry selling plan | 2.8% + 30¢ (Basic) | 2.9% + 30¢ (Core) |
| Extra platform fee | 2% on Basic, only if you use another payment provider | 2% online store fee on Basic only |
| Selling in person | Yes, cards and Interac (15¢) | Not covered on this page |
| Staff accounts | None beyond the owner on Basic; 5 on Grow | Up to 2 contributors on Basic; unlimited from Core |
| Structured data | Product schema from the theme | Generated automatically; cannot be edited |

Shopify from [shopify.com/ca/pricing](https://www.shopify.com/ca/pricing) and its help centre; Squarespace from [squarespace.com/pricing](https://www.squarespace.com/pricing) and its help centre. Both read November 8, 2026.

## Price: the store fee decides it

Squarespace's cheapest plan is cheaper, at $21 a month against $37, but it adds a 2% fee on online store sales. Once a shop sells more than about $6,600 a year, Squarespace Core at $32 is the cheaper Squarespace plan, and that is within $5 a month of Shopify Basic. Card rates are nearly the same: 2.8% + 30¢ on Shopify Basic against 2.9% + 30¢ on Squarespace Core.

So for a small store the plans cost about the same. A store selling $24,000 a year in 200 orders comes to roughly $1,176 a year on Shopify Basic and $1,140 on Squarespace Core before tax and add-ons. Full numbers: [Shopify pricing](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/pricing/shopify) and [Squarespace pricing](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/pricing/squarespace).

## Selling: depth vs simplicity

Shopify's advantage is everything around the checkout: in-person selling with cards and Interac, more staff accounts as you grow, and an app store for nearly any store feature. Squarespace's selling tools cover products, services, invoices and memberships inside one tidy site, which is often all a small business needs.

## Search

Neither will hold you back on technical SEO. Squarespace builds the sitemap, clean URLs, structured data and mobile layout automatically ([help](https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206744067-How-does-Squarespace-optimize-my-site-for-search-results)). Shopify handles canonical tags, sitemap, robots.txt, SSL and product schema ([help](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/seo/seo-overview)). Rankings come from your pages: what each product and collection page says.

## Getting out

Shopify exports products as CSV. Squarespace exports some content in a WordPress-format file and products as CSV, and leaves store pages and design behind ([moving off Squarespace](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/switch-from/squarespace)). Either way, expect to rebuild the design if you leave.

## Our take

If you are a product business, or plan to become one, start on Shopify. You will not have to move when the store grows. If the website is mainly there to win service work and sell a few things on the side, Squarespace is simpler and cheaper to run well. Read the full [Shopify review](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/reviews/shopify) and [Squarespace review](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/reviews/squarespace) before deciding.

## Questions people ask

### Is Shopify or Squarespace cheaper in Canada?

Squarespace's cheapest plan is cheaper ($21 a month yearly against $37), but it charges a 2% store fee. For a store selling more than about $6,600 a year, Squarespace Core ($32) and Shopify Basic ($37) cost almost the same, with similar card rates.

### Is Shopify better than Squarespace for selling products?

For a real catalogue, in-person sales or a growing store, yes. For a service business that sells a few products, Squarespace is often enough and simpler.

### Which is better for SEO, Shopify or Squarespace?

Both handle the technical basics automatically. The difference in rankings comes from your content: product and collection copy, titles, and descriptions.

## Sources

Each checked November 8, 2026. Platforms change prices often; their own page is the final word.

- [Shopify: Pricing (Canada, CAD)](https://www.shopify.com/ca/pricing)
- [Shopify Help Center: Built-in SEO features in Shopify](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/promoting-marketing/seo/seo-overview)
- [Squarespace: Pricing plans and features (CAD)](https://www.squarespace.com/pricing)
- [Squarespace Help: How does Squarespace optimize my site for search results?](https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206744067-How-does-Squarespace-optimize-my-site-for-search-results)
- [Squarespace Help: Export your site content](https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/206566687-Exporting-your-site)

## Keep comparing

- [Pricing: Squarespace pricing](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/pricing/squarespace)
- [Pricing: Shopify pricing](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/pricing/shopify)
- [Review: Squarespace review](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/reviews/squarespace)
- [Review: Shopify review](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/reviews/shopify)
- [Comparison: Wix vs Squarespace](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/vs/wix-vs-squarespace)
- [Comparison: Squarespace vs WordPress](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/vs/squarespace-vs-wordpress)
- [Switching: Moving off Squarespace](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/switch-from/squarespace)
- [All platform pricing, reviews and comparisons](https://canadianwebmaster.ca/compare)