369 AETHER Studio

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An honest comparison

Squarespace or a custom site?

I build custom sites, so read this knowing that. I'd still rather lose a project than sell a site someone doesn't need. Squarespace is a good product, and for many artists it's the right one. Here is how to tell which side you're on.

Facts about Squarespace are from its own pricing and help pages, checked 22 October 2026. Sources at the bottom.

Start here

When Squarespace is the right answer.

  • You want to change everything yourself, today. Drag, drop, publish — no one to wait for.
  • You show a few series and don't sell online. A portfolio template handles that well.
  • You need a site this week. A template is live in an afternoon; a custom site takes about three weeks.
  • Your budget this year is a few hundred dollars. Then the arithmetic decides, and it's not close.

If that's you, stop reading and pick a template. If not, here's the difference point by point.

Point by point

Six differences that matter to a painter.

Squarespace369 Aether — Signature
Up front $0 $3,500 · two founding places at $1,500 this year
Every year $228–588 on Basic to Plus, billed annually the domain, ~$10–15. Hosting €0
Who makes changes You, in the editor I do, on Care ($100 a month, optional) — or you, with a catalogue editor on the Studio plan
A page for every work Possible, as product or portfolio pages — you set up and fill in each one Built in: size, year, price and "sold" on every page, readable by Google
Selling a painting Online checkout. Basic plan takes 2% of product sales, Core and up 0%; card processing on top An inquiry form that names the painting; you agree the sale by email. No platform fee
If you leave The export takes layout pages, one blog, text and images. Portfolio pages, store pages, products and your design don't export All of it is yours: code, domain, hosting account, email

Squarespace: export and fee details from its Help Center; prices from its pricing page.

The deciding question

How do your paintings sell?

Through galleries and fairs. Your site is a CV with pictures. A template does that well — keep your money for framing.

Directly, or you want them to. Then each painting needs its own page with a price, found by its title, with a way to ask about it. That's what a custom site is built around — and one direct sale instead of a 40% marketplace commission can cover a good part of it. The numbers →

You're approaching galleries. Check your current site against what they ask for first — it may only need fixing, not replacing. The checklist →

Next step

Still not sure?

Send me a link to your work or your current site. I'll tell you which side you're on in a short email — free. If Squarespace is the better answer for you, that's what I'll say.

Ask me See a custom site

Sources