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E-Commerce · head to head

FastSpring vs Squarespace Commerce

FastSpring logo

FastSpring

E-Commerce

Merchant-of-record commerce platform for global payments, subscriptions, and tax compliance

From
On request
Rated
-
Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

E-Commerce

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: FastSpring pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.; Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: FastSpring covers Global online payments, Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where FastSpring and Squarespace Commerce differ
AttributeFastSpringSquarespace Commerce
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Platformsweb, apiWeb
Founded20062003

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 FastSpring

  • Global online payments
  • Subscription billing
  • Branded checkout
  • Tax compliance
  • Fraud prevention
  • Digital invoicing and quotes

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.

FastSpring

  • Selling software or SaaS internationally without a local tax entitynot Squarespace Commerce
  • B2B invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise SaaS dealsnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Recurring subscription billing for digital productsnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchasesnot Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace Commerce

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

Where each one falls short

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

FastSpring

  • Pricing is not published and requires contacting sales for a quote, making cost comparison difficult upfront.
  • As a merchant-of-record, FastSpring takes on more control of the checkout and payment relationship than a pure payment gateway like Stripe.
  • Revenue share pricing can become more expensive than flat per-transaction gateway fees at very high volumes.
  • Primarily targeted at software/digital goods sellers, so it is less suited to physical product e-commerce.

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

FastSpring

On request
  • Custom$undefined/mo
    • All-in-one transaction-based pricing based on sales volume
    • No subscription fees or per-feature charges
    • Discounted rates for ACH and wire transfers

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 FastSpring if

  • You need global online payments.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want subscription billing.

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

  • You need website builder.
  • You also want ecommerce platform.

Questions people ask

Is FastSpring or Squarespace Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. FastSpring 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, FastSpring or Squarespace Commerce?
FastSpring starts at On request and Squarespace Commerce at On request.
Does FastSpring or Squarespace Commerce run on more platforms?
FastSpring runs on web, api. Squarespace Commerce runs on Web.
What is FastSpring best used for?
FastSpring is most often used for selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity, b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals, recurring subscription billing for digital products, reducing fraud and chargebacks on digital purchases. Of those, selling software or saas internationally without a local tax entity and b2b invoicing and custom quotes for enterprise saas deals are not what Squarespace Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can FastSpring do that Squarespace Commerce cannot?
FastSpring covers Global online payments, Subscription billing, Branded checkout, Tax compliance. Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

FastSpring: What does FastSpring cost?

FastSpring uses flat-rate, all-in-one pricing based on transaction volume, with fees withheld from payouts. There is no minimum volume or subscription fee, and pricing is typically quoted based on expected sales volume after contacting their sales team.

Source
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
FastSpring: Is there a free plan?

FastSpring does not offer a free plan; instead pricing is transaction-based with no upfront subscription cost, and merchants only pay a commission on completed sales.

Source
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
FastSpring: What does FastSpring integrate with or include compared to a payment gateway like Stripe?

FastSpring bundles international payments, subscription management, tax compliance, fraud prevention, reporting, and B2B invoicing into one price, whereas gateways like Stripe charge separately for many of these features.

Source
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
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
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