Squarespace alternative
Squarespace vs SitesBy.AI
Squarespace is a full website platform with designer templates, a store, invoicing and an AI builder called Blueprint. SitesBy.AI is simpler: describe your business, get a finished site in about 20 seconds, and change it by asking. Here is how they compare on price, AI and the work it takes to launch.
Updated · Squarespace’s prices and features checked on its own website that day · Sources
The short answer
For a small business that needs a good-looking site this week, SitesBy.AI is quicker to launch, has a free plan you can publish on, and costs less each month. If you are building an online store, selling memberships or need scheduling, Squarespace’s bigger platform is the better fit.
Choose SitesBy.AI if
- You want a finished site from a description, not a starting point to design from.
- You would rather ask for changes in plain English than learn a drag-and-drop editor.
- You want to publish for free, or pay $19 a month instead of $25 to $39.
- You want to see your site before you sign up.
Choose Squarespace if
- You sell products online and need a full store with shipping and tax tools.
- You want memberships, courses, email campaigns or invoicing on the same platform.
- You need scheduling tied to your site (Acuity, a separate subscription).
- You want hands-on control of every section, starting from a large library of designer templates.
Squarespace vs SitesBy.AI at a glance
| Feature | SitesBy.AI | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | A finished small-business site, fast | Design-led sites, online stores and all-in-one business tools |
| How you start | Describe your business; a finished multi-page site is ready in about 20 seconds, before you sign up | Blueprint AI turns a description into a multi-page starting point, or you pick a designer template |
| Making changes | Ask in plain English, or click any text and type. Every AI change is saved as a version | The Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor, plus an AI assistant |
| AI use | Unlimited AI changes on paid plans, 10 a month free | AI credits: 10 in total on Basic, then 20 to 120 a month depending on the plan |
| Free plan | Publish 1 site at yourname.sitesby.ai with no ad banner | None. A 14-day free trial; publishing needs a paid plan |
| Paid plans, billed monthly | Plus $19, Premium $29, tax included | Basic $25, Core $39, Plus $65, Advanced $139 |
| Paid plans, billed yearly | Monthly billing only | $19, $29, $49 or $99 a month |
| Your own domain | Connect one on Plus and Premium | Free for the first year on yearly plans |
| Online store | Price lists and catalogs; customers order through a form | Full store on every plan; 2% transaction fee on Basic, none from Core up |
| Scheduling | Booking request forms that arrive in your email | Acuity Scheduling, from $16/mo billed yearly, sold separately |
| Support | Email support, priority on Premium | 24/7 customer support |
Prices in US dollars as listed on October 2, 2026. SitesBy.AI prices include tax.
Blueprint AI, or a finished site
Squarespace’s Blueprint AI asks about your business and builds a multi-page starting point with pages, copy, images, colours and fonts. You then refine it in the Fluid Engine editor or by asking its AI assistant, and you need a paid plan to publish.
SitesBy.AI is built around getting that first version right. The site it makes from your description is meant to be the one you publish: the layout, palette, typefaces and words are chosen for your business, and it is ready in about 20 seconds. You do not need an account to see it.
After that, changes are requests: “make it warmer”, “add a page for catering”, “put the hours above the map”. On paid plans there is no credit count to watch, because AI changes are unlimited.
Editing: asking, or arranging
Fluid Engine is a powerful drag-and-drop editor with separate control of the mobile layout. If you like arranging sections yourself and want fine control, it is one of the best.
SitesBy.AI keeps editing to two moves: ask for what you want, or click a line of text and type. Sections, galleries, menus and price lists arrange themselves, and every site is built for phones first, so there is no second layout to look after.
Stores, scheduling and the bigger platform
Squarespace is the bigger platform. Every plan includes a store for physical and digital products, with no transaction fee from Core up, plus free invoicing, and higher plans add lower card rates and more AI credits. Scheduling comes from Acuity, a separate subscription from $16 a month billed yearly.
SitesBy.AI is for businesses whose website’s job is to explain what they do and bring in inquiries: cafés, studios, salons, photographers, trades and consultants. Sites can have several pages, with menus and price lists, galleries, testimonials, FAQs, maps, video and contact or booking forms that arrive in your email.
Pricing compared
Squarespace has four plans, from $25 a month (Basic) to $139 (Advanced), or $19 to $99 a month when you pay for a year up front. There is no free plan: you can build during a 14-day trial, but publishing needs a paid plan.
SitesBy.AI’s Basic plan is free and publishes one site. Plus is $19 a month with unlimited sites and AI changes and your own domain; Premium is $29 with more photo storage and priority support. Prices include tax, billing is monthly, and paid plans start with a 7-day free trial.
SitesBy.AI
- Basic
- Free
- Publish 1 site at yourname.sitesby.ai, 10 AI changes a month, no ad banner.
- Plus
- $19/mo
- Unlimited sites and AI changes, your own domain, 1 GB photo storage. 7-day free trial.
- Premium
- $29/mo
- Everything in Plus, 5 GB photo storage and priority support.
Squarespace
- Basic
- $25/mo
- $19/mo billed yearly. 2% fee on store sales.
- Core
- $39/mo
- $29/mo billed yearly. No transaction fees, 20 AI credits a month.
- Plus
- $65/mo
- $49/mo billed yearly. 40 AI credits a month.
- Advanced
- $139/mo
- $99/mo billed yearly. 120 AI credits a month.
Moving from Squarespace
Most small-business sites move over in an afternoon.
- 01
Describe your business
Write what you do, where, and the feel you want, or paste the tagline you use now. Look through the result and ask for changes.
- 02
Bring your words and photos
Paste text from your current pages into a request, for example “use this for the About page”, and upload your photos in the Photos tab.
- 03
Check the details
Menu, prices, hours and contact details: click and type to correct anything, and add forms wherever you take inquiries.
- 04
Publish and connect your domain
Publish to yourname.sitesby.ai, then on Plus or Premium point your domain’s DNS records to SitesBy.AI. Cancel Squarespace once the new site is live.
See your own site before you decide.
Describe your business in a sentence or two. You get a finished site to look through, no signup needed.
Questions
Before you start
Is SitesBy.AI cheaper than Squarespace?
For most small-business sites, yes. SitesBy.AI has a free plan you can publish on, and Plus is $19 a month. Squarespace starts at $25 a month, or $19 a month if you pay for a year up front, and has no free plan.
Does Squarespace have an AI website builder?
Yes. Blueprint AI builds a multi-page starting point from a description of your business, and an AI assistant can make changes in the editor. AI use draws on credits that depend on your plan, and you need a paid plan to publish.
Which is easier to use?
SitesBy.AI has less to learn: you describe the site, ask for changes in plain English, or click text to edit it. Squarespace gives you more manual control through its drag-and-drop editor, which takes longer to learn.
Can I sell products on SitesBy.AI?
You can show products and prices in a catalog or price list, and customers ask to order through your form. There is no cart or checkout, so for a real online store Squarespace is the better choice.
Can I move my domain from Squarespace?
Yes. On Plus or Premium, connect a domain you own by pointing its DNS records to SitesBy.AI. It can stay registered wherever it is now.
Sources and how we compared
SitesBy.AI wrote this comparison, and it is about our own product, so weigh it with that in mind. Every Squarespace price and feature below comes from Squarespace’s own website, checked on October 2, 2026; prices change, so check them before you buy. Squarespace is a trademark of its owner. SitesBy.AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by Squarespace.