What is the difference between Squarespace and Eleventy?

Squarespace is best for Creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites, while Eleventy is best for Developers wanting a simple, zero-config static site generator. Squarespace starts at $16/mo and Eleventy starts at Free.

Is Squarespace or Eleventy cheaper?

Squarespace starts at $16/mo. Eleventy starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Squarespace?

Yes, Eleventy offers a free tier.

Squarespace vs Eleventy

Squarespace is all-in-one website builder with designer templates, e-commerce, and built-in analytics, while Eleventy is simple static site generator with flexible templating and zero client-side JavaScript. The biggest difference up front: Eleventy is free, while Squarespace starts at $16/mo. Squarespace is built for creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites, whereas Eleventy targets developers wanting a simple, zero-config static site generator.

At a glance

	Squarespace	Eleventy
Best for	Creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites	Developers wanting a simple, zero-config static site generator
Starting price	$16/mo	Free
Free tier	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	—	✓
Open source	—	✓
Analytics	✓	—
Data Cascade	—	✓
Domains	✓	—
E-commerce	✓	—
Multiple Templates	—	✓
Plugins	—	✓
Templates	✓	—
Zero Config	—	✓

Squarespace

Strengths

Huge template library covers social media, presentations, marketing materials, and more
Includes E-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
Pricing starts at $16/mo, which includes the full website builder feature set
Established product with 22+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $16/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Performance and SEO control is limited compared to custom-coded sites
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Squarespace → Full review

Eleventy

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Zero Config as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Performance and SEO control is limited compared to custom-coded sites

Try Eleventy → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Eleventy is completely free, which makes it the obvious pick if budget is the top concern. Squarespace starts at $16/mo. That cost buys you a more polished or feature-rich experience, so it comes down to whether the extras justify the spend.

Feature gaps: Squarespace offers Analytics, Domains and E-commerce that Eleventy lacks. Eleventy brings Data Cascade, Multiple Templates and Plugins that Squarespace does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target individuals teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Eleventy is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Squarespace is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Squarespace's biggest strengths are: huge template library covers social media, presentations, marketing materials, and more. includes e-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows. Eleventy's biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes zero config as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows.

Watch out for: With Squarespace, users commonly note that starts at $16/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users. With Eleventy, the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Squarespace if...

You need a tool built for creatives and small businesses wanting polished sites
You specifically need Analytics and Domains
You care about includes e-commerce as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows

Choose Eleventy if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting a simple, zero-config static site generator
Budget is a hard constraint — Eleventy is free, Squarespace is not
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Data Cascade and Multiple Templates
You care about includes zero config as a core feature, purpose-built for website builder workflows