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Squarespace alternative

A Squarespace alternative for businesses that take bookings

Squarespace makes beautiful websites. For a salon, a garage or a cleaner, though, the website is the easy part — and on Squarespace, taking appointments is a second subscription.

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None of Squarespace’s website plans include scheduling. Appointments run on Acuity Scheduling, which Squarespace bills separately: from $16 a month billed yearly for one calendar, on top of a site plan from $19. Business Lane includes appointment requests on both plans, at $20 a month for the Website plan.

The two book differently, and it is worth being clear about it. Acuity shows your calendar and customers take a slot outright, with text-message reminders on its higher plans. Business Lane’s customers ask for a day and time inside your opening hours, and you confirm, move or cancel with a tap — the customer is emailed either way. If you want the calendar to run itself, Acuity is the stronger tool; if you want to decide what goes in your day, requests are simpler.

Selling works differently too. Squarespace’s Basic plan takes 2% of online store sales on top of card fees, and none of the checkout payment methods it lists is cash on delivery or a manual bank transfer. Business Lane takes no fee on anything, and lets customers pay cash on delivery or collection, or by bank transfer, as well as by card.

Business Lane vs Squarespace at a glance

Squarespace details checked in September 2026 against Squarespace's own pages — the sources are listed at the bottom of this page. Prices are in US dollars before tax, and can differ by country and change over time.

Price
Business Lane Website $20/month, or Business $25/month with the shop and back office. About 17% less paid yearly.
Squarespace Basic $25, Core $39, Plus $65 or Advanced $139 a month; $19, $29, $49 or $99 a month billed yearly.
Fees on your sales
Business Lane None on bookings, orders or invoices. Card payments pay Stripe’s standard processing fee and nothing on top.
Squarespace 2% of online store sales on Basic, 0% on Core and above. Card payments 2.9% + $0.30 on Basic and Core.
Appointments
Business Lane On both plans. Customers ask for a day and time inside your opening hours; you confirm, move or cancel, and they are emailed. No instant self-booking or deposits.
Squarespace Not in any website plan. Acuity Scheduling is a separate subscription: from $16/month billed yearly ($20 monthly) for one calendar.
Online shop
Business Lane Business plan: cart, checkout, delivery or collection, and order updates emailed to the customer.
Squarespace Every paid plan can sell; Basic pays the 2% store fee.
Cash or bank transfer at checkout
Business Lane Yes — cash on delivery or collection, and bank transfer, alongside card through your own Stripe account.
Squarespace No cash-on-delivery or manual bank-transfer option among the checkout payment methods Squarespace lists. Invoices can be marked paid by cash, check or bank transfer.
Invoices
Business Lane Business plan: invoices with PDF download and alerts when one is overdue.
Squarespace Free invoicing on every plan, with no invoice transaction fee.
Stock tracking
Business Lane Business plan: stock counted down by orders and invoices, with low-stock alerts and barcode labels.
Squarespace Stock tracking on every plan. Low-stock alert emails from Core ($29/month billed yearly).
Your own .com
Business Lane Not yet. Your site lives at your-name.business-lane.com, with hosting and SSL included.
Squarespace Connect your own domain. A year’s domain is free with a yearly plan, then renews at the standard rate.
Free trial
Business Lane 14 days of every feature on both plans, no card needed.
Squarespace 14 days free, no card needed.
How you build it
Business Lane Fill in your details and pick one of five designs; an AI drafts your services and FAQs for you to approve. No drag-and-drop editor.
Squarespace A drag-and-drop editor and designer templates, with AI tools on a monthly credit allowance.

Which one fits your business

Squarespace is the better pick if…

  • How the site looks is the product — a portfolio, a photographer, a restaurant with a strong brand.
  • You want a self-running calendar with reminders and packages, and a second subscription for it is fine.
  • You need your own .com today — Business Lane sites live at your-name.business-lane.com for now.
  • You mainly send invoices: Squarespace includes invoicing on every plan, where ours is on the Business plan.

Business Lane is the better pick if…

  • You take appointments and do not want a second subscription for them — requests are on both plans from $20 a month.
  • Customers pay cash on delivery or collection, or by bank transfer, as well as by card.
  • You sell without a fee on the cheapest plan that sells: Business Lane takes none, where Squarespace Basic takes 2%.
  • You want the site filled in from your details rather than designed from a template.

Moving from Squarespace in an afternoon

  1. Start the trial and claim your address

    Sign up with your business name and your site gets its address at your-name.business-lane.com. Keep Squarespace running while you build.

  2. Bring your services, prices and hours

    Copy the text from your Squarespace pages, or let the AI draft it from your trade and edit what it writes. Nothing is published until you approve it.

  3. Set up how you take appointments

    Set your opening hours and list the services customers can book. Requests arrive in your inbox and by email, and you confirm, move or cancel each one.

  4. Upload your photos

    Your best images go in the gallery, with before-and-after pairs on a slider. The Website plan holds 50.

  5. Point people at the new site, then cancel

    Update the link on your Google Business Profile and social accounts and print the QR poster. A domain you own stays yours; most registrars can forward it to your new address. Cancel Squarespace, and Acuity if you used it, once bookings are coming through.

Questions about switching from Squarespace

Does Squarespace include appointment booking?

Not in its website plans. Scheduling is Acuity Scheduling, a separate subscription from $16 a month billed yearly ($20 monthly) for one calendar, on top of the website plan (Squarespace’s published prices, September 2026). Business Lane includes appointment requests on both plans; you confirm each one rather than customers booking a slot outright.

Is Business Lane cheaper than Squarespace?

For a business that takes appointments, yes: Squarespace Basic with Acuity’s Starter plan comes to $35 a month billed yearly, or $45 monthly, against $20 a month for Business Lane’s Website plan. With a shop, invoices and stock, Business Lane’s Business plan is $25 a month; Squarespace’s Core plan, the first without the 2% store fee, is $39 monthly or $29 billed yearly.

Does Squarespace take a commission on sales?

On the Basic plan, 2% of online store sales, on top of card processing. Core and above charge no store fee. Business Lane charges no fee on any plan; card payments pay Stripe’s standard rate and nothing more.

Can customers pay cash on delivery?

On Business Lane, yes — cash on delivery or on collection, or bank transfer with the order number as the reference, alongside card. Squarespace’s list of checkout payment methods has no cash-on-delivery or manual bank-transfer option.

Will my site look as good as it does on Squarespace?

It will look finished and professional, in one of five designs, with your photos and your colours. It will not be as individual: there is no drag-and-drop editor. If a one-off design matters more to you than the time it takes, Squarespace is the better fit.

Other comparisons

Sources, checked September 2026

Squarespace is a trademark of Squarespace, Inc.. Business Lane is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by it. Comparisons are based on information the companies publish, on the dates shown; check their sites for current details.

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