Softwr

E-Commerce · head to head

eBay vs Squarespace Commerce

E

eBay

E-Commerce

Global marketplace where sellers list into eBay's audience under eBay's fee schedule and rules

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

E-Commerce

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: eBay the final value fee applies to the total the buyer pays including postage and tax rather than to the item price, so a low value item with expensive shipping loses a much larger share of its margin than the headline percentage implies.; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which eBay and Squarespace Commerce actually diverge.

Attributes where eBay and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeeBaySquarespace Commerce
FoundedUnknown2003

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-Commerce).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in eBay

  • Auction and fixed price listings
  • Managed payments
  • eBay Stores
  • Promoted Listings
  • Bulk listing tools
  • International selling programmes
  • Money Back Guarantee
  • Seller performance standards

Only in Squarespace Commerce

  • Website builder
  • Ecommerce platform
  • Mobile optimization
  • Email marketing
  • Analytics
  • Domain registration
  • SSL certificate
  • Customer accounts

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

eBay

  • Selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own sitenot Squarespace Commerce
  • Parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brandnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Liquidating returns or excess inventory without building an audience for itnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Testing whether demand exists for a product line before investing in a standalone storefrontnot Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace Commerce

  • Website building and hostingnot eBay
  • eCommerce and online store managementnot eBay
  • Digital content and membership salesnot eBay
  • Service booking and schedulingnot eBay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

eBay

  • The final value fee applies to the total the buyer pays including postage and tax rather than to the item price, so a low value item with expensive shipping loses a much larger share of its margin than the headline percentage implies.
  • Fees stack rather than substitute, since a Store subscription, a per order fixed fee, Promoted Listings and cross-border percentages all apply on top of the category rate, and the effective take rate is only visible after a full month of settlement reports.
  • eBay controls search placement, so as a category gets competitive the practical cost of visibility becomes the Promoted Listings rate, and that is an auction against other sellers that only goes one way.
  • You do not get the customer relationship, because eBay mediates messaging and does not supply a marketing list, so repeat business depends on eBay showing your listing again rather than on anything you own.
  • The account is the entire asset and it is governed by policies eBay enforces unilaterally, so a suspension or a category restriction ends the revenue immediately with no portable equivalent of a domain, a theme or a customer database to move elsewhere.

Squarespace Commerce

  • The entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • Digital content and membership sales carry their own fee, up to 7% on the lowest tier
  • The entry plan is limited to 2 contributors
  • Reaching a 0% transaction fee requires moving up from the entry plan

Pricing, plan by plan

eBay

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the eBay review.

Squarespace Commerce

On request
  • Basic Plan$null/month
    • Designer templates included
    • Drag-and-drop editor
    • Free custom domain (annual plans only)
  • Standard Plan$null/month
    • All Basic features
    • Transaction fees: reduced rates
    • Gift cards and invoicing
  • Advanced Plan$null/month
    • All Standard features
    • Further reduced transaction fees
    • Point-of-sale capability
  • Premium Plan$null/month
    • All Advanced features
    • Lowest credit card processing rates (0% transaction fees for digital/memberships)
    • Dedicated Customer Success Manager

Which should you pick?

Choose eBay if

  • You need auction and fixed price listings.
  • You also want managed payments.
eBay review

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.
Squarespace Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is eBay or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. eBay starts at On request and Squarespace Commerce at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, eBay or Squarespace Commerce?
eBay starts at On request and Squarespace Commerce at On request.
Does eBay or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is eBay best used for?
eBay is most often used for selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own site, parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brand, liquidating returns or excess inventory without building an audience for it, testing whether demand exists for a product line before investing in a standalone storefront. Of those, selling used, refurbished or one-off stock that has no natural search demand on its own site and parts and spares catalogues where buyers search by fitment rather than by brand are not what Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can eBay do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
eBay covers Auction and fixed price listings, Managed payments, eBay Stores, Promoted Listings. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

eBay: What does selling on eBay actually cost?

A category-dependent percentage of the total buyer payment including postage, plus a fixed fee per order, plus any Store subscription, advertising rate and international fees. Model all of them together, not the first one alone.

Squarespace Commerce: How much does Squarespace cost?

Squarespace does not publish specific plan prices on their pricing page. Four tiers (Basic, Standard, Advanced, Premium) are listed with descriptions of features and benefits. Annual subscriptions offer up to 36% savings compared to monthly billing.

Source
eBay: Can I use my own payment provider?

No. Payments run through eBay and settle to your bank account on eBay's payout schedule, so you do not choose the processor and you do not control settlement timing.

Squarespace Commerce: Does Squarespace offer a free trial?

Yes, Squarespace provides a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. You can upgrade to a paid plan at any time during or after your trial, and there are no long-term contracts required.

Source
eBay: Do I get my customers' email addresses?

Not for marketing. eBay mediates buyer contact, which is why sellers who rely on it have no list to fall back on if the channel changes.

Squarespace Commerce: What are Squarespace's transaction fees?

Transaction fees start at 2% on the Basic plan and decrease as you upgrade, reaching 0% for digital content and memberships on the Premium tier. Card processing rates also decrease by tier, reaching the lowest rates on Premium.

Source
eBay: Is eBay an alternative to having my own store?

It is a channel, not a substitute. Sellers who use it well treat it as demand they rent while building something they own in parallel.

Squarespace Commerce: How many AI credits does each Squarespace plan include?

AI credits range from 10 to 120 monthly depending on the plan tier, but specific allocations per plan are not detailed on the public pricing page.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on eBay

More on Squarespace Commerce

Keep looking

Other head to heads