MadeThis vs Squarespace: Which Platform Should You Choose in 2027?
Squarespace is gorgeous — but it was built for portfolios, not digital product businesses. Here's the honest comparison of what happens when you actually try to sell on it.
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Beautiful Doesn't Mean Built for Selling
Squarespace is beautiful but it wasn't built for selling digital products — it was built for portfolios and service businesses. MadeThis was built specifically for creators selling digital downloads, courses, and templates. I've spent time with both so you don't have to. Here's the honest comparison.
Quick Comparison: MadeThis vs Squarespace
| Category | MadeThis | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 15 minutes | 2–4 hours |
| Starting price | Free to start | $16/month minimum |
| Built for digital products | Yes — native | No — add-on via extensions |
| Checkout experience | Instant, 1-click | Cart-based, multi-step |
| AI business tools | Yes — AI co-founder included | No AI tools |
| Course/membership support | Yes — built-in | Limited (requires paid add-ons) |
| Design flexibility | Templates, dark/light | Highly customizable but complex |
| Transaction fees | Platform fee only | 0% (but extensions cost extra) |
| Technical skill required | None | Low-medium |
| Customer support | AI-first + human | Email and chat |
Where Squarespace Wins
Squarespace is genuinely beautiful. If design is your primary concern — a portfolio, a photography site, a restaurant menu — Squarespace is hard to beat. Their templates are polished, their editor is drag-and-drop, and the results look professional without hiring a designer. For service businesses that want a stunning landing page with a contact form, Squarespace does the job. But the moment you want to sell a digital download, things get complicated.
MadeThis was built from the ground up for digital product sellers. Checkout is instant — no cart, no multi-step flow, no abandonment friction. File delivery is automatic. The AI co-founder helps you write product descriptions, create marketing copy, and figure out what to build next. For someone who wants to sell an ebook, a template pack, or a course and actually generate revenue, MadeThis removes every obstacle Squarespace puts in your way.
Squarespace's $16/month plan doesn't include the tools you need to sell digital products. You'll need to add a Commerce plan ($28–$52/month) to unlock digital downloads, and even then you're missing AI tools, instant checkout, and automated file delivery. When you factor in the full stack — Squarespace Commerce + email marketing + a course platform — you're often spending $100+/month before you've made a single sale. MadeThis bundles everything.
I tested both platforms from a fresh start. On MadeThis, I had a product live and a checkout link ready in about 15 minutes. On Squarespace, setting up a digital product required upgrading my plan, navigating the commerce settings, and troubleshooting file delivery — it took the better part of an afternoon. If your goal is to start selling fast, the difference is significant.
Who MadeThis Is For
- Creators whose primary goal is selling digital products, courses, or templates from day one
- Solo operators who want instant checkout and automatic file delivery without configuring extensions
- Anyone who wants an AI co-founder for strategy, copy, and marketing — not just a website builder
- Digital product sellers who can't justify $28–$52/month for features that should be standard
- Founders who want to go from zero to a live, working product page in under 15 minutes
Final Verdict
Squarespace makes sense if you need a portfolio site, a restaurant or hospitality website, or a service business landing page where design is the top priority and selling digital products is a secondary or future consideration. If selling digital products is your primary goal from day one, the setup complexity and cost structure don't work in your favor. MadeThis is the cleaner choice.
For anyone building a digital product business from scratch, MadeThis wins on every dimension that matters: speed to first sale, built-in digital delivery, instant checkout, AI tools, and a cost structure that doesn't require upgrading three times before you've earned a dollar.
Start free on MadeThis. See how fast you can get a product live with a real checkout link. If you ever need Squarespace's design capabilities for a portfolio or service site, it'll still be there — but for selling digital products, MadeThis is purpose-built for the job.
Ready to try MadeThis free?
Set up a digital product store in 15 minutes — instant checkout, automatic file delivery, and an AI co-founder included. No plan upgrades needed.