Haul vs Squarespace for selling online
Squarespace builds beautiful websites. But if your main goal is to sell products, its e-commerce features can feel limited and expensive. Here’s how the two platforms compare.
Feature-by-feature comparison
An honest look at what each platform offers for selling products online.
| Feature | Haul | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (entry plan) | From £15/mo | From £15/mo (Personal) |
| Transaction fees | Zero | 3% on Personal plan |
| Product variants | Unlimited groups & options | Up to 6 options per product |
| Built-in reviews | Included on all plans | Not available |
| Discount codes | All plans | Business plan and above (£27/mo) |
| Custom domain | All plans | All plans |
| SSL certificate | Free, automatic | Free, automatic |
| Page builder | Section-based editor | Fluid drag-and-drop editor |
| Blog | Included | Included |
| VAT / tax support | UK & EU VAT built in | Basic tax settings |
| Stock management | Full stock control | Basic inventory |
| Templates | Growing library | 100+ award-winning templates |
The real cost of selling
Squarespace’s Personal plan charges 3% transaction fees on top of payment processing. To remove them, you need the Business plan at £27/month — and you still pay Stripe or PayPal processing fees on top.
Haul Starter
£15/mo
- Zero transaction fees
- Up to 75 products
- Reviews, discounts, VAT — all included
- Stripe processing: 1.5% + 20p
On £2,000/mo revenue you pay £15 + ~£34 Stripe = £49 total
Squarespace Business
£27/mo
- No Squarespace transaction fees
- 6 product options max
- No built-in reviews
- Stripe processing: 1.4% + 25p
On £2,000/mo revenue you pay £27 + ~£33 Stripe = £60 total
On the Squarespace Personal plan (£15/mo), add 3% transaction fees: £15 + £60 fees + ~£33 Stripe = £108/mo total on £2,000 revenue.
What Squarespace does better
We believe in honest comparisons. Here’s where Squarespace genuinely excels.
Award-winning templates
Squarespace templates are some of the most beautiful on the web. If visual design is your top priority and you need a portfolio or content-heavy site, Squarespace is hard to beat.
Content-first design
Squarespace started as a website builder, not a shop builder. If you're primarily a blogger, photographer, or creative professional who sells occasionally, it may be a better fit.
What Haul does better
Haul was built for sellers from day one. Every feature is designed to help you sell more and keep more.
Built for selling
Unlimited product variants, built-in reviews, discount codes, stock control, and VAT invoices on every plan. No need to upgrade or install third-party integrations.
Zero transaction fees
Haul never takes a cut of your sales. You only pay Stripe's standard card processing fee. On Squarespace Personal, you lose 3% of every sale.
More e-commerce features included
Reviews, discount codes, order tracking, and shipping zones are included at the base price. Squarespace locks many of these behind the Business or Commerce plans.
Faster page loads
Haul runs on Cloudflare's global edge network, serving pages from the server closest to your customer. Fast load times mean better conversion rates.
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
- Is Squarespace or Haul better for a small online shop?
- If selling products is your primary goal, Haul offers more e-commerce features at a lower total cost. If you need a beautiful portfolio or content site that also sells a few items, Squarespace may be a better fit.
- Can I migrate from Squarespace to Haul?
- Yes. Export your products as CSV from Squarespace and import them into Haul. Product details, variants, and descriptions all transfer across.
- Does Haul have templates like Squarespace?
- Haul has a growing library of themes with a section-based page builder. While Squarespace has more templates today, Haul’s themes are specifically designed for shops rather than general websites.
- Why does Squarespace charge transaction fees?
- Squarespace charges 3% on their Personal plan as an incentive to upgrade to Business or Commerce plans. Haul never charges transaction fees on any plan.
Ready to sell without the extra fees?
Haul is launching soon. Register your interest to get early access and be first in line.