Squarespace vs a custom website
Squarespace is the pretty option. Their templates look good. The catch is that so does everyone else's. When your restaurant uses the same template as the place down the street, you lose the edge a custom look would give you. Beautiful does not mean unique.
The platform is easier than coding, but it is still a project. Most business owners spend 15-30 hours getting a Squarespace site right. That is time away from customers and jobs. With a custom build, you usually spend 2-3 hours handing over content and photos while I handle the rest.
Sticker price is another trap. The $16/month plan is limited. Most businesses end up on the $23-39/month plans with annual billing, then add scheduling, email, or other tools. DIY starts cheap and creeps up. A custom site here is $2,500 setup and $399/month with support included, so you are not stacking apps and still calling a chatbot when something breaks.
On SEO, Squarespace gives you basic tools. Schema markup is restricted, pages load slower than cleaned-up custom code, and you cannot fully control technical settings. It will not ruin your search results, but it caps how far you can push them. Custom work gives you structure, speed, and markup control when you need to compete for local searches.
Ownership matters too. On Squarespace you are locked into their platform. You can migrate content later, but it takes work. Start custom if you already know the site has to grow with the business. Support on Squarespace is email and chat. With me you call or text a real person.
Builder pricing verified July 2026. Plans change; confirm current rates on the builder's own site.
