Site Refresh vs. Squarespace
Squarespace makes beautiful templates. But beautiful templates still need someone to set them up, write the copy, optimize them, and keep them current. Here's how the two approaches compare.
| Site Refresh | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical cost | $500 one-time (care plans from $149/mo) | $16–$52/mo (plus your time) |
| Time to launch | ~2 weeks, done for you | Days to weeks (you build it) |
| Design | Custom, on-brand | Polished templates (shared) |
| Who builds it | A dedicated designer | You do |
| Speed & SEO | Fast (Cloudflare) + SEO built in | Varies / your responsibility |
| Ongoing updates | We handle them (optional) | You do them |
| You own it | Yes — site, content, domain | Often locked to their platform |
| Best for | Local businesses who want it done right | Design-savvy owners with time |
Competitor pricing and features reflect publicly listed information as of 2026 and may change — check each provider's site for current details.
Where Squarespace shines
Squarespace templates look great out of the box, and it's a fine tool if you're comfortable doing the work yourself and want a clean starting point.
Where a custom build pulls ahead
A custom site is tailored to your business, not adapted from a template, and it's optimized for speed and local SEO from day one. Plus you get a human who handles updates so your menu, hours, and offers are always current.
The verdict
Squarespace is great if you'll build it yourself. Site Refresh is the better fit if you want a custom, optimized site done for you — with someone to keep it fresh.
Want it done for you?
Custom websites for local businesses from $500, launched in about two weeks.
Get a free quote