Squarespace users across the web have begun reporting receiving emails detailing impending price increases that range as high as 26%, depending on the selected plan and payment option.

It’s a massive topic right now on Threads, with photographers, designers, and other visual artists commiserating and weighing their options, including asking their social media peers for alternative website service recommendations.

“Like many of you, I’m leaving @squarespace after their ridiculous pricing increase. But where are we all moving to? I have a basic ass landing page of a website that hosts my film and video work, what’s the next best plug and play solution?” writes filmmaker Mike Reda.

“Anybody have recommendations for photo and video portfolio site hosting other than Squarespace (or Wix)? The price has long been hard to justify and I have new reason to find something more affordable that’s still customizable,” comments photographer Stephen Broome.

“Since we’re all ditching Squarespace with their crazy new pricing, what are good options to use for website hosting?” adds photographer Ryan Neeven.

Those quotes are just a very small but reflective slice of a much larger conversation among photographers and filmmakers online. Squarespace is particularly prominent in the photography community, as the company has long relied on professional photographers as influencer-style marketers. Many major photography YouTube channels, for example, have at one time or another had special Squarespace discount codes and promotional links for their viewers. It is impossible to know how many photographers have Squarespace websites because Squarespace sponsored a fellow photographer they respect and admire, but the number is far above zero.

As seemingly everything jumps in price, whether because of tariffs last year, memory shortages, corporate greed, or good old-fashioned inflation, photographers are understandably distraught that yet another essential product-slash-service is about to get pricier. For many, it feels like everything they buy is getting more expensive all at once, which undoubtedly contributes to anger over Squarespace’s price hikes.

It is worth adding that Squarespace went private in October 2024, after private equity firm Permira bought it for $7.2 billion. Time and again, private equity-owned companies in the photo industry have increased prices. It’s a surefire way to boost revenue and appease investors.

So what exactly is changing? Squarespace has seemingly not published a specific memo about its price changes, instead communicating directly with customers via email. But thanks to the power of archived webpages, it’s possible to see how Squarespace’s pricing has shifted this month.

Looking first at annual plans, presumably the more popular choice for those who go through the trouble of creating a website in the first place, Squarespace has four offerings: Basic, Core, Plus, and Advanced.

The Basic plan is, as its name suggests, the bare minimum that Squarespace offers for customers seeking a custom website. It has templates, a free custom domain, and digital marketplace tools. This price, when paid for annually, is increasing by $3 a month, going from the equivalent of $16 to $19 per month. This is a 19 percent increase.

The go-to plan, Core, includes website analytics, customization with CSS and JavaScript, a professional email system through Google Workspace, reduced transaction fees, professional shipping and tax services, sales analytics, and API integrations. This plan is increasing from $23 to $29 per month on an annual basis, which is a significant 26 percent hike. An extra $72 a year is not nothing.

The Plus plan is also increasing by 26 percent, jumping from $39 to $49 per month. This plan is essentially the same as the Core one, except it has lower payment processing fees, which is ideal for those doing significant business.

Finally, there’s the Advanced subscription, which is $99 a month, just as before. This has even lower fees for those doing even more business. It’s not a common plan among those speaking out about Squarespace price hikes.

These same four plans are available on a month-by-month payment plan. The Basic and Advanced plans aren’t changing for monthly payers. The Core plan is going from $36 to $39 monthly, an eight percent increase. The Plus tier is jumping 16 percent, going from $56 to $65 per month.

What complicates some of the conversation online surrounding the Squarespace price increases is that various users are working from different price bases. For example, someone may have been on a significant promotional discount for the first year of their subscription, and if they are renewing later this year, the price bump they see could be massive. Others are operating with discounts, as mentioned earlier concerning YouTube photography content creators. Squarespace has different promotions at various times as well, adding yet another layer to the price hike onion.


What is definitely true for most users is that they will be paying more, all else equal, at a time when that is just about the last thing anyone wants to do. The consensus seems to be that users feel Squarespace is hiking prices because the company has been adding more AI tools to its platform, which many users weren’t really asking for and aren’t very interested in. It’s a tough pill to swallow to pay more for unwanted features.

A Squarespace user on Reddit, who notes that their price has gone up 61 percent since they first signed up in 2021, is wondering what they’re actually getting for the semi-regular price increases.

“I feel like I’m paying for things I sincerely did not ask for, the biggest thing being AI. I don’t use AI at all whatsoever in squarespaces features because I DONT NEED IT. I’m having a hard time coping with this because I now have less than a month to decommission using Squarespace and self host,” writes Reddit user CheesecakeOdd3075. They are far from alone in these sentiments.

On the other hand, Squarespace did announce a new suite of tools designed to support businesses that want to sell limited releases as drops this week. This could be useful for photographers who want to sell limited-edition, short-term print drops. This feature alone probably doesn’t feel worth a 26 percent price bump, but it is worth pointing out that Squarespace isn’t only adding AI tools.

The photography website building landscape is widely varied, and there are a lot of options out there. Squarespace is widely considered a top option among photographers, but it is far from the only one to consider. There’s Format, Smugmug, Zenfolio, Wix, and more that all offer a similar suite of templates, tools, custom domains, and storefront experiences as Squarespace.

PetaPixel reached out to Squarespace for this story but did not hear back ahead of publication.

Image creditsHeader photo licensed via Depositphotos.com.