Squarespace is a good product. I say that as someone who builds custom websites for a living. For certain businesses, it's the right call — and telling you otherwise would be dishonest.
But there's a point where Squarespace stops serving you, and most London small business owners hit that point faster than they expect. The question isn't which option is "better." It's which one fits where your business is right now and where it's going.
When Squarespace is the right call
Be honest with yourself. If any of these describe you, Squarespace is probably fine:
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You're a solo operator with a tight budget. A freelance photographer in Hackney showing a portfolio. A personal trainer who just needs a booking link and a bio. You don't need custom code — you need something live this week.
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Your site is simple. Under five pages. A homepage, an about page, a contact form. Maybe a menu or price list. No integrations, no booking systems, no e-commerce beyond a link to your Stripe.
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You're testing a business idea. If you're not sure the business will exist in six months, don't spend £2,500 on a website. Spend £200 on Squarespace, validate the idea, then invest in a real site once you have revenue.
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You genuinely enjoy building it yourself. Some people find Squarespace's editor satisfying. If you're one of them and you have the time, go for it.
There's no shame in using a template. A coffee shop in Shoreditch doesn't need a custom-built React application. It needs a site that loads, shows the menu, and has the address.
When Squarespace stops working
Here's where things get uncomfortable. These are the symptoms I hear from business owners who started on Squarespace and want to move:
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Your site is slow on mobile and you can't fix it. Squarespace templates load a lot of JavaScript you don't control. Google PageSpeed scores of 30-50 are common. Try it yourself: paste your URL into PageSpeed Insights and check the mobile score.
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You need real SEO and Squarespace's limits hurt. You can't control schema markup. You can't optimise Core Web Vitals. You can't add custom meta tags to specific pages without workarounds. For a business that depends on Google traffic, these limits cost you customers.
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You want features the templates don't support. A custom booking flow. A CRM integration. A members area. Dynamic pricing. Every workaround involves a third-party plugin that adds cost and complexity.
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Your site looks like every other Squarespace site. Because it is. Your competitor down the road picked the same template. Customers notice — maybe not consciously, but they notice.
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You're stuck paying for add-ons you barely use. Scheduling plugin: £15/month. Email marketing: £20/month. SEO tool: £10/month. These add up to £500+ per year on top of the base subscription.
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You want to migrate later but the export is painful. Squarespace's content export is incomplete. Images, custom blocks, and design formatting don't transfer cleanly. Migrating to a custom site later means re-doing work you've already paid for.
The cost comparison, honestly
Let's look at what each option costs over three years:
| Squarespace | Custom freelancer site | |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | £180 (Personal plan) | £2,500 (one-time build) |
| Year 2 | £180 | £300 (hosting + domain) |
| Year 3 | £180 | £300 |
| 3-year total | £540 | £3,100 |
Squarespace wins on pure cost. That's not debatable.
But cost per outcome is a different metric. If the custom site brings in five more customers per year because it ranks higher on Google, loads faster on mobile, and converts better — the £2,560 difference pays for itself in month two.
The question is whether your business is in a position where those extra customers matter. For most London businesses with a physical location or a service area, they absolutely do.
What custom actually unlocks
Here's what you get with a custom-built site that you don't get from a template:
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A design that's actually yours. Not a template with your logo swapped in. A site that reflects your brand specifically — your colours, your typography, your personality.
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Full SEO control. Schema markup that tells Google exactly what your business does. Meta tags tuned per page. A sitemap that updates automatically. Core Web Vitals in the green.
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Real performance. A custom Next.js site loads in under 2 seconds. Most Squarespace sites take 4-6 seconds on mobile. That difference costs you visitors.
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Integrations that actually work. Booking systems, CRMs, payment flows — built into the site, not bolted on with plugins.
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Ownership of the asset. The code is yours. The design is yours. You can take it to any developer, host it anywhere, modify anything. You're not renting space on someone else's platform.
The decision framework
Five questions to help you decide:
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Is my website the primary way customers find me? If most new customers come through Google, invest in a site that ranks. That usually means custom.
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Will I need custom features in the next two years? Online booking, e-commerce, member areas, integrations — if any of these are on your roadmap, start custom now. Migrating later is more expensive than building right the first time.
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Does my brand look like every other business in my category? If your site is indistinguishable from your competitors, that's a signal. A custom design creates a first impression you control.
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Can my business sustain a £2,000-3,500 investment in year one? If yes, custom nearly always wins over a 3-5 year horizon. If not, Squarespace is fine — just know what you're trading.
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Do I have time to manage a project, or do I need it done for me? A freelancer handles everything: design, build, deploy, SEO setup. Squarespace requires you to do the work yourself. Both are valid — depends on your time.
The lock-in problem nobody talks about
This deserves its own section because it's the most underrated factor in the decision.
When you build on Squarespace, your content lives inside their system. If you decide to leave in two years, the export gives you some raw text and a few image links. Your page layouts, custom blocks, design choices, and SEO settings don't come with you.
A custom-built site is a file on your computer. You can host it anywhere. You can hand it to any developer. You can modify any part of it. Five years from now, it's still yours.
This matters less if you're building a quick portfolio. It matters a lot if your website is a core business asset.
My recommendation
If your business can sustain £2,500-3,500 in year one, go custom. The investment compounds: better SEO, faster loading, more conversions, full ownership. Over three to five years, custom sites outperform templates on every metric that matters to a business.
If that's not realistic right now, Squarespace is genuinely fine. Use it, get your business online, start generating revenue. When you're ready to upgrade, the option is always there.
The worst decision is spending nothing and having no website at all.
Somewhere in the middle and want a second opinion? Email me your current site URL and I'll send a quick reply with what I'd do. Or see the full pricing for my small business package.