What's actually different between templates
How do you find your perfect Squarespace template? What options are available, how do you compare free and premium templates, and when is it time to hire a designer instead?
I'm Olga Kolgusheva, and I run Applet Studio, a Squarespace template shop and design agency. I've been doing this for six years now, and I've seen Squarespace go through a lot of changes. Consider this post your guide to free and premium Squarespace templates.
The Biggest Misconception About Squarespace Templates
Many people think each template is a different platform with its own features. In reality, all of these templates are part of Squarespace, and they share the same features.
Whether a template comes from the free Squarespace library or a designer shop like ours, if it's built on 7.1 with Fluid Engine, it has identical functionality. Therefore, anything you see in one template, you can build in any other.
Starting With Squarespace's Free Templates
If you go to Squarespace and click Get Started, it runs you through a short questionnaire and then gives you two options: choose a template, or build a website with the AI builder.
The AI builder gives you a pretty generic result, but you still get access to all the functionality, all the blocks, all the sections, and all the default design features Squarespace has. It's just a starting point.
The same is true of the free template library. Each design is simply one way someone used Squarespace to put these blocks together.
A tip most people don't know: When you pick a design and start a site, Squarespace creates a 14-day trial site in your account. But you're not limited to one. You can have multiple free trial sites in your account at the same time.
If I were new to Squarespace, that's exactly what I'd do: browse the design library, create several trial sites, and use them to learn how Squarespace works.
How Premium Squarespace Templates Work
At Applet Studio, we create premium Squarespace templates: pre-made websites on Squarespace, each designed for a specific niche.
These websites live in our account. When someone buys a template, we duplicate the site and deliver it to their account. Each template is a pre-made website that we hand over. It's not like WordPress, where you download a zip file and install it as a theme.
When it arrives in your account, it shows up as a new one-year trial. That's an important difference: instead of the standard 14-day trial, a premium template gives you almost a full year.
During that time, it works just like a regular trial. You can password-protect the site, change its built-in Squarespace link under Domains, share the link with someone, and keep building in the background without paying for a subscription. If you somehow need longer, we can extend the trial for you, though you'll most likely finish well before the trial expires.
To go live and connect your domain, you'll need a Squarespace subscription.
Why Buy a Premium Template If the Features Are the Same?
That's a really good question.
Imagine a professional designer took a default Squarespace template and built a custom website on top of it, made for your particular niche. That's what I do as a template designer.
To create one of my bestsellers, our template for therapists, Good Vibes, I analyzed around 50 therapy websites: the copywriting and the blocks therapists want on their sites. Then I put it all together in a calm, considered layout. You can have that site delivered to your account, and either learn how to design on top of it or simply customize it and use it for yourself. Our showcase shows what customers have built with our templates.
So our templates are pre-made websites, created by a professional copywriter and designer and tailored to a specific niche. We have 30 designs across different industries and aesthetics.
All of them use Squarespace's default functionality. Default templates don't use any custom CSS. Ours use very little, only where I felt something needed a tweak, and none of it is hard for a client to edit.
Each template also comes with:
Template documentation, found under Not Linked in your pages, explaining different aspects of the template and how to use it
A free course covering how to get started with Squarespace, change the content, and add your own images and graphics
Canva graphics, for some templates; and a color palette, so you can always return to the original colors if you've changed them and want to start over
In a nutshell, buying a premium template, from us or any other shop, is like getting a custom designer website in your Squarespace account for a fraction of the cost. You can customize it yourself or hire someone to do it. Either way, you start with something that looks professional and needs minimal changes. Swap the images and the copy, and you're ready to launch. That saves a tremendous amount of time and money.
| Free Squarespace template | Premium template | |
|---|---|---|
| Functionality | Full Squarespace 7.1 features | Identical, same platform |
| Cost | Free, plus your Squarespace subscription | One-time purchase, plus your Squarespace subscription |
| Design | Accessible to every Squarespace user | Built by an independent designer for a specific niche |
| Copywriting | Generic placeholder text | Written around what that type of business needs |
| Trial | 14 days | Up to a year with our templates, as Squarespace Platinum partners |
| Guidance | Squarespace Help Center articles | Template documentation, a free course, and support |
| Best for | Confident DIYers with time to experiment | Anyone who wants a professional starting point and a faster launch |
When a Free Template Is the Right Call
Free templates are a perfectly good choice if you enjoy design and want to learn Squarespace from the ground up, if your budget is tight right now, or if you're testing an idea and just need something live. Since the functionality is identical, you can always move to a premium template later.
How to Choose a Squarespace Template
I wouldn't choose a template based on its branding.
Each of our templates looks like a separate brand. If that branding happens to suit your business, great. But if you want different colors or different fonts, that's not a problem at all. You can always change them.
Instead, choose a template based on the niche, the copywriting inside it, and the sections it includes.
Some of our templates are deliberately versatile. Fidelity is designed with nonprofits in mind and Bento with therapists, but both have a wide variety of sections and work for any service-based or consulting business.
Most of our templates also include a page that lists every section and element built into the template. Robins, one of our newer templates, is built for consultants but suits lawyers, experts, startups, and service-based businesses. Its elements page shows everything we've pre-built for you.
You're Not Limited to What's in the Template
This is the part people often miss. From the elements page, you can duplicate sections, save them to favorites, and add new ones.
When you add a section, you'll see the template's own pre-saved sections alongside all the default Squarespace sections available out of the box. And the default sections automatically pick up the template's styles, so they're ready to plug in and customize.
Whatever template you choose, it's a starting point, not a boundary.
When You Need Custom Design Instead
A premium template is the middle option. If your business needs something no template can offer, like a complex site structure, a distinctive brand identity, or features built around a specific workflow, that's when custom design makes sense. You can see examples in our portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do free and premium Squarespace templates have different features?
No. Every Squarespace 7.1 template built with Fluid Engine shares identical functionality, whether it's from Squarespace's free library or a designer's shop. The difference is the design, the page structure, and the niche-specific copywriting a premium template comes with.
Can you install a premium Squarespace template like a WordPress theme?
No. Squarespace doesn't support uploading templates as files. Premium templates are pre-made websites that the designer duplicates and delivers to your Squarespace account.
Can I have more than one Squarespace trial site?
Yes. You can create multiple 14-day trial sites in one Squarespace account, which is a good way to experiment with different templates and learn the platform.
How long is the trial on a premium Squarespace template?
Templates from Applet Studio arrive as a one-year trial, compared to Squarespace's standard 14 days. You can build and share the site in password-protected mode, then purchase a subscription when you're ready to go live.
Can I change the colors and fonts of a premium template?
Yes. Colors, fonts, and every other style setting can be changed. That's why it's better to choose a template for its layout, sections, and copywriting than for its branding.
Can I add sections that aren't in the template?
Yes. You can add any default Squarespace section to a premium template, and it will automatically pick up the template's styles.
Building a site right now? Try Squarespace free and save 20% on your first subscription with code SQUARESPACE20. Or browse our Squarespace templates – every one comes with a 12-month trial through our Platinum partner status.
