Squarespace makes beautiful templates. But you don't own them, you can't leave with them, and they score poorly on PageSpeed. Velox builds you a custom site you own, starting at USD 299.
You don't own the site. Cancel and it's gone.
You own the code. No monthly platform fee. Ever.
| Feature | Platform Squarespace | Recommended Velox Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | USD 16/mo (forever) | USD 299 setup + $79/moOwn the code forever |
| You own the code | 100%, take it anywhere | |
| Custom design | Templates only | No templates. Ever. |
| PageSpeed score | 55–72 typical | 85–95+ guaranteedOr we fix it free |
| Platform lock-in | Plain Next.js | |
| Ecommerce transaction fee | 0–3% (plan-dependent) | NoneYour payment processor only |
| E-commerce (unlimited products) | Basic and Core (all plans) | Your payment processor |
| Custom code allowed | Core+ only | It's all custom code |
| Can export your site | It's your repo | |
| Post-launch support | Help center + tickets | 30–90 days includedBy tier |
| SEO control | Good basics, limited depth | Full meta, schema, sitemap, OG |
3-year TCO calculator
Pick a plan, set monthly online sales (if you sell), and see the 3-year total compared to a one-time Velox build. All figures USD.
Used to compute transaction fees
Squarespace
Core plan
USD 6,228
You don't own the site. Cancel and it's gone.
Velox Digital
Starter (1 to 4 pages)
USD 3,143
You own the code on day one. No platform fee. Ever.
You save with Velox
USD 3,085 less over 3 years.
Break-even point: month 4. After that, every month is straight savings, and you already own the code.
* Transaction-fee policy on Basic, Plus, and Advanced was not fully documented in the 2026-04-24 competitor scan. Core is the long-standing 3% tier; other tiers may carry 0% or different rates depending on your billing plan. Verify with Squarespace before relying on the calculator for store-heavy decisions.
† Velox figures are USD 299 / 499 / 799 setup + USD 79 / 99 / 129 monthly maintenance per published Starter / Growth / Pro tiers. AI Search Visibility Sprint and CRM add-ons not included.
The real cost
Squarespace's aesthetic is real. But at USD 23/mo for the Core plan, you'll spend USD 276 year one and still own nothing. With Velox, you pay a one-time setup starting at USD 299 and own the code forever.
Squarespace has no site export. Switch to a custom developer, a faster host, or anything else, and you rebuild from scratch. Velox gives you a Git repo you can take anywhere on day one.
Squarespace's templates load heavy JavaScript and images before painting. Average mobile PageSpeed: 55–72. That's a direct ranking penalty. Velox sites ship with mobile-first architecture and guaranteed scores.
Custom functionality? Blocked unless you pay for Core. Payment processing? 3% fee unless you upgrade. Advanced SEO? Limited. Velox builds exactly what you need, no artificial tiers blocking features you already paid for.
The Advanced plan jumped from around USD 65/mo to USD 99/mo, a 52% price increase. That's USD 1,188 per year for a website you do not own and cannot export. A first-year promo softens the blow. Year two does not.
Ready to switch?
Run a free audit on your current site. We'll show you your PageSpeed score, top issues, and exactly what Velox would fix, before you spend a dollar.
Takes 60 seconds. We'll email your full audit report.