Why We Recommend the Squarespace Core Plan (Not the Basic) — And What Gets Locked Out Otherwise

Oct 1

Squarespace recently updated their pricing and plan structure. While the Basic plan may look appealing because it’s cheaper, it isn’t designed for professional business websites. For the kind of sites we build — strategic, branded, and built to grow — the Core plan is the minimum we recommend.

Here’s why.

What the Basic Plan is Missing

The Basic plan is stripped down for very simple sites, but that comes with restrictions:

No custom code access – We can’t add custom CSS or scripts, which means your site can’t be fine-tuned or enhanced beyond the template.
Limited integrations – Tools like booking, memberships, advanced forms, and CRMs often can’t connect properly.
Workarounds required – Without the right features, we’d have to hack together fixes, which leads to messy, fragile solutions that break with updates.

In short: Basic is “starter only.” It’s not meant for real businesses that need flexibility, integrations, or growth.

Why Core is the Sweet Spot

The Core plan unlocks the features that make your site professional, future-proof, and scalable:

Custom code access – Essential for us to style your site properly, polish details, and ensure brand consistency.
Integration freedom – Connects smoothly with booking systems, memberships, email marketing tools, and other platforms you’ll want.
Lower limitations – You won’t run into frustrating walls that force you to upgrade later or redo work.
Room to grow – Whether you add products, subscriptions, or advanced features, the Core plan is built to handle it.

The Bottom Line

We don’t put clients on the Basic plan because it’s not built for businesses. It limits what we can create for you today and will almost certainly cause headaches (and added costs) in the future.

The Core plan gives you the flexibility, customization, and professionalism your brand needs. It’s the foundation that lets us do our job properly — designing a site that looks elevated, works seamlessly, and grows with your business.