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E-commerce & Retail · head to head

Squarespace Commerce vs Swell Commerce

Squarespace Commerce logo

Squarespace Commerce

E-commerce & Retail

All-in-one website builder and ecommerce platform

From
$14/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Swell Commerce logo

Swell Commerce

E-commerce & Retail

Headless ecommerce for modern brands

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Swell Commerce has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Squarespace Commerce the entry plan charges a 2% transaction fee on online store sales on top of payment processing; Swell Commerce each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • They diverge on capability: Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Squarespace Commerce and Swell Commerce differ
AttributeSquarespace CommerceSwell Commerce
Starting price$14/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
Founded20032019

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (E-commerce & Retail).

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 Squarespace Commerce

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

Only in Swell Commerce

  • Headless architecture
  • GraphQL & REST APIs
  • Subscription commerce
  • Multi-currency support
  • Inventory management
  • Custom checkout
  • Webhook integrations
  • Developer-friendly SDK

What people use each for

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

Squarespace Commerce

  • Running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hostingnot Swell Commerce
  • Selling products, services and memberships from one sitenot Swell Commerce

Swell Commerce

  • Running a headless commerce backend with APIs for a custom storefrontnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Selling subscription products alongside one off purchasesnot Squarespace Commerce
  • Operating multi currency stores from one commerce backendnot Squarespace Commerce

Where each one falls short

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

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

Swell Commerce

  • Each plan carries an annual revenue ceiling, and exceeding it is charged as a percentage of the excess: 2 percent on Starter down to 0.4 percent on Unlimited
  • Starter at $29 a month allows 2 admin users and includes only 100,000 API requests and 1GB of storage per month
  • Additional API requests cost $5 per 100,000 and extra storage $5 per GB
  • Role based permissions and developer support are restricted to the Unlimited plan at $2,250 a month
  • Advanced reports and priced currencies require the Standard plan or higher
  • Published prices are the billed yearly rates, so monthly billing costs more

Pricing, plan by plan

Squarespace Commerce

$14/month
  • Personal$14/month
    • Website builder
    • Free domain
    • Analytics
  • Business$23/month
    • All Personal features
    • Ecommerce functionality
    • Inventory management

Swell Commerce

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Unlimited products
    • API access
    • Basic support
  • Standard$299/month
    • Everything in Community
    • Priority support
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Dedicated support
    • SLA guarantees

Which should you pick?

Choose Squarespace Commerce if

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

Choose Swell Commerce if

  • You need headless architecture.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want graphql & rest apis.
Swell Commerce review

Questions people ask

Is Squarespace Commerce or Swell Commerce better?
Neither clearly leads. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/month and Swell Commerce at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Squarespace Commerce or Swell Commerce?
Swell Commerce has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $14/month for Squarespace Commerce and Free for Swell Commerce.
Does Squarespace Commerce or Swell Commerce run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Swell Commerce for free?
Yes. Swell Commerce has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Squarespace Commerce starts at $14/month.
What is Squarespace Commerce best used for?
Squarespace Commerce is most often used for running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hosting, selling products, services and memberships from one site. Of those, running a store on a hosted website builder with managed hosting and selling products, services and memberships from one site are not what Swell Commerce is typically brought in for.
What can Squarespace Commerce do that Swell Commerce cannot?
Squarespace Commerce covers Website builder, Ecommerce platform, Mobile optimization, Email marketing. Swell Commerce covers Headless architecture, GraphQL & REST APIs, Subscription commerce, Multi-currency support.
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