Squarespace suits trades who want a good-looking site and are happy to build it themselves: £12 to £25 a month paid yearly, or £16 to £37 paid monthly, plus VAT. A custom website costs more, from £45 a month at Scalesites with no VAT, but it is built, written and kept found on Google for you.
The short answer
Squarespace is a strong choice if you care about design, have decent photos of your work and are happy to build the site yourself. A custom website is the stronger choice if you want the site done for you and kept working on Google while you get on with jobs. Squarespace's templates are some of the best-looking around. The work of making a trade site bring in calls is still yours, though.
What Squarespace costs in the UK
Squarespace has three UK website plans, and paying annually is cheaper than paying monthly. The prices on its pricing page do not include tax.
| Squarespace plan | Paid monthly | Paid annually | Annual total | Annual total with 20% VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | £16/mo | £12/mo | £144 | £172.80 |
| Core | £24/mo | £17/mo | £204 | £244.80 |
| Advanced | £37/mo | £25/mo | £300 | £360 |
Source: squarespace.com/pricing, UK (GBP) prices, checked live 27 September 2026. Squarespace's Help Center says listed prices don't include tax, and UK customers are charged VAT at the standard rate, or 0% if VAT-registered. The VAT column assumes the UK standard rate of 20%.
There is a 14-day free trial. Annual plans include a free custom domain for the first year, which then renews at Squarespace's standard rate. The Basic plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online sales, which most trades won't use.
What a custom website costs
A custom trade website costs more than Squarespace because a person builds it, writes it and looks after it. At Scalesites, Scale Start is £45 a month and Scale Up is £79 a month, £0 upfront and no VAT to add. Both run on a 12-month minimum term, then month to month, which is what funds the build with nothing upfront. See our pricing page for what each plan includes.
Side by side
Both routes can give you a good-looking site. The difference is who writes it, who keeps it found and who makes the changes.
| Squarespace (Basic to Advanced) | Custom website (Scalesites) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £12 to £25 paid yearly, £16 to £37 paid monthly, plus VAT | £45 or £79, no VAT |
| Upfront cost | A year upfront for the lower price | £0 upfront |
| Commitment | Pay monthly, or a year upfront for the lower price | 12-month minimum term, then month to month |
| Who builds it | You, from a template | We do |
| Who writes the words | You, or Squarespace's AI tools | We do, around your trade and area |
| Local SEO and Google Business Profile | SEO tools provided, you do the work | Included and managed |
| Changes after launch | You edit it yourself | Ask us, included |
| Time to live | However long you spend on it | Free preview within 48 hours, live within 2 weeks |
| Moving it elsewhere | Only some content exports, mainly blog posts and basic pages | You own the site, content and domain |
Squarespace details from squarespace.com/pricing and the Squarespace Help Center, checked 27 September 2026. Scalesites details from our pricing page.
Where Squarespace wins
Squarespace wins on design and flexibility. The templates look polished out of the box and handle big photos well, which matters for visual trades. You can pay monthly rather than a year upfront, and year one on Basic, paid annually, costs about £173 with VAT against £540 for a year of Scale Start.
Where a custom website wins
A custom website wins on the parts that bring in calls. A beautiful template with no local pages and a neglected Google Business Profile tends not to show up when someone nearby searches for your trade. On Squarespace, that work is yours to do and keep doing.
A built-for-you site starts from how your customers choose. Our websites for painters and decorators lead with finished rooms and exteriors, much as a design-led template would, but with the services and towns you cover written in. Our websites for tilers lead with a gallery of finished bathrooms and kitchens.
Who owns what
On Squarespace you own your words, photos and domain, but the site itself runs on Squarespace. Its Help Center says only some content exports, mainly blog posts and basic pages, and page types like galleries and portfolios don't. With Scalesites, you own the site, the content and the domain.
The fair way to decide
If you have good photos, enjoy design and will keep on top of local SEO, Squarespace is good value. If the site would sit half-finished, or go live and never get found, a custom website is the better spend even at a higher monthly price.
In summary
Squarespace suits trades who want a polished template and will build and promote the site themselves, at £12 to £25 a month paid yearly or £16 to £37 monthly, plus VAT. A custom website costs more, from £45 a month at Scalesites with no VAT and a 12-month minimum term, but it is built for you and kept found on Google. Choose on who will do the work, not just the price.
Found this useful? Add Scalesites as a preferred source and Google shows you more of our guides when you search.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Squarespace cost in the UK?
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Squarespace's UK plans are Basic (£16 a month, or £12 a month paid annually), Core (£24, or £17 annually) and Advanced (£37, or £25 annually), checked 27 September 2026. Listed prices don't include tax, so UK customers who aren't VAT-registered pay 20% VAT on top.
Is Squarespace good for tradespeople?
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It is good for tradespeople who want a design-led site and will build it themselves. The templates suit visual trades with strong photos. What Squarespace won't do is write your pages, build local area pages or manage your Google Business Profile for you, and those are what usually bring in local calls.
Does Squarespace charge VAT in the UK?
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Yes. Squarespace's Help Center says its listed prices don't include tax, and UK customers are charged VAT at the standard rate, or 0% if they are a VAT-registered business. Scalesites prices have no VAT to add.
Can I move a Squarespace site somewhere else?
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Only partly. Squarespace lets you export some content, mainly blog posts and basic pages, as a file for WordPress. Galleries, portfolios and store pages don't export, so moving usually means rebuilding. You keep your domain, words and photos.
Is there a Scalesites plan with no minimum term?
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The Growth System, at £10 a day (around £300 a month), has no minimum term. It is a different product, built around missed calls and follow-up. Our website plans, Scale Start (£45/mo) and Scale Up (£79/mo), run on a 12-month minimum term, then month to month.
More insights
- Wix vs a custom website: which suits a UK trade?Wix is £9 to £25 a month plus VAT, paid a year upfront, and you build it yourself. How that compares with a custom trade website built for you, with UK prices checked live.
- Best website builder for tradesmen (UK)What UK trade website builders actually cost and include in 2026, checked against each provider's own published pricing, not ranked by who paid for the spot.
- DIY vs done-for-you website: what's right for your trade?Build it yourself for £9 to £25 a month plus VAT, or have it built from £45 a month with no VAT. What each route really costs a UK trade in money and in time.