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Key highlights 

  • Learn how to cancel Squarespace account subscription and avoid making mistakes. 
  • Know how canceling will affect your website. This includes rules about refunds, who owns your domain and any linked services. 
  • Find out what happens when your site is turned off and if you can turn it back on later. 
  • Learn how to move your domain and keep your email service active before you close your account. 
  • Look into popular website builders. This includes Bluehost, WordPress.org, Webflow and Wix. See which one fits your needs the best. 
  • Get answers to frequent questions about canceling your Squarespace account and moving to another platform.

Introduction 

Squarespace is a well-liked choice for individuals and businesses. It helps them build a professional website without difficulty. 

However, many users choose to cancel their Squarespace subscription for several reasons. Their business needs may have changed, costs might have increased or they could be looking for a platform that offers more flexibility and customization. 

Canceling your Squarespace subscription is not just a simple click. There are various factors to keep in mind. 

This guide will help you understand how to cancel Squarespace account easily. Let’s begin! 

What you need to know before canceling your Squarespace subscription  

Before you cancel Squarespace account, it’s good to understand how it could affect you. Be prepared for any changes that might happen. 

There are some essential things to think about. You should consider keeping your content safe. Also, look at your refund policies and how you manage your domain. 

Taking the proper steps early on can help prevent data loss. It can also stop extra charges or issues when moving to a new platform. 

Export your website content 

When you cancel Squarespace account, your website will be disabled after a while. 

If you want to keep the content of your website or move it to another platform, you need to back up your files. 

You need to keep in mind that you can’t export everything from your site. For instance, some design changes and links to other services cannot be exported. 

How to export your content 

To save your website content before you cancel Squarespace account, follow these steps to export your site

  • Ensure your site is set to Public. 
  • Navigate to the “Import & Export Content” section. 
  • Click on “Export”. 
Click on Export
  • Click the “WordPress” icon. 
Press WordPress icon
  • If your site has several blog pages, you will notice a message that says “Select Primary Blog”. You can export just one blog page. 
  • Pick a primary blog from the drop-down menu and click “Export”. 
Select primary blog
  • When the export is done, you will see a “Download” button. Click “Download” to save the .xml file to your computer. If you want to delete the export, click “Clear”.
Click on download

Check Squarespace’s refund policy 

Squarespace offers different refund policies based on the plan you select. 

You can get a refund for annual subscriptions if you cancel within a certain period. But, monthly plans and renewal payments typically cannot be refunded. 

It’s essential to check your billing details. This helps you see if you can get a refund and keeps you from getting surprise charges. 

Understand the impact on your domain 

If you signed up for your domain through Squarespace, canceling your subscription could affect how it is managed. 

You need to decide whether you want to move your domain to another provider or let it expire. 

Some domains have rules about when you can transfer them. It is essential to look at your options before you cancel. 

Read more: Change Domain Name Without Losing SEO – Step-by-Step Guide 

How to cancel your Squarespace subscription (step-by-step guide)  

Before canceling your Squarespace account, ensure you follow the correct steps to avoid data loss, billing issues or disruptions to your domain. 

Squarespace offers two cancellation options: 

  1. Immediate cancellation – Your site will be deactivated instantly, and your subscription will be canceled. 
  2. Auto-Renewal disablement – Your site remains active until the billing period ends, after which it automatically expires.

Below, we guide you through each method. 

Option 1: Cancel your subscription immediately 

This option will entirely turn off your Squarespace site and cancel your subscription right away.  

If you know that you no longer need your Squarespace site and want to stop any future charges, this is the best choice for you. 

Access billing settings: 

  • Sign in to your Squarespace account. 
  • Click on “Settings” and then “Billing & Account”.

Select your subscription: 

  • Under “Subscriptions”, choose “Website”, “Commerce” or “Squarespace”, depending on your plan. 

Initiate cancellation: 

  • Click “Cancel Subscription”. 
  • Pick a reason for canceling and click “Next”.

Finalize cancellation: 

  • You can fill out the feedback form or click “Next” to skip it. 
  • Look at your active subscriptions. You can cancel them later if you choose. 
  • Click “Cancel Subscription” to confirm what you want.

Option 2: Disable auto-renewal 

If you want to keep your site subscription until your billing cycle ends, you can turn off auto-renewal.  

This will let your site stay active until the current billing period is finished. After that, your site will be deactivated.  

This option allows you to keep using your site while preparing to move to another platform, even if you choose to delete your site later. 

To disable auto-renew: 

  • Open ”Billing” in your Squarespace account. 
  • Select either “Website” or “Store”, based on your plan. 
  • Switch off “Renew Automatically”.

This will let your subscription end when your billing cycle is finished. 

What happens after you delete your Squarespace account  

When you cancel your Squarespace account, your website and services won’t disappear right away. 

There are several key points to remember about what will happen next. This includes the timeline for your website being deactivated. You should also consider your options for reactivation and how to manage your domain. 

Website deactivation timeline 

When you cancel, your website will stay up for a little while. After this grace period ends, it will be deleted for good. 

You can log in to your account now to reactivate your subscription if you wish. Once the grace period ends, your site and its content will be permanently deleted from Squarespace’s servers. 

Reactivation options 

If you change your mind after canceling, Squarespace allows you to restore your website within a certain time frame. You can bring it back only if it has not been deleted yet. 

When the deletion process is done, you cannot get your site back. If you want to make your website again, you must start completely from the beginning. 

Transferring your domain 

If you bought a custom domain through Squarespace, canceling your subscription won’t automatically cancel your domain registration. 

You can choose to move your domain to another provider or keep it with Squarespace. Just remember to renew it by yourself. 

If you do not take action, your domain will expire after its renewal period. 

Bluehost: A Squarespace alternative 

Looking for a powerful and flexible alternative to Squarespace? . 

Bluehost WordPress hosting gives you full control over your website while providing seamless WordPress integration, scalability and advanced features.  

Unlike Squarespace, which limits customization, Bluehost allows you to build a truly personalized website with AI-powered tools, premium themes and an easy-to-use dashboard. 

With Bluehost, you can build an excellent website, blog or online store. You will get reliable hosting, helpful tools using AI and plans that can fit different business needs.  

Sign up for Bluehost today and start your WordPress website with ease! 

Why choose Bluehost for WordPress hosting? 

Seamless WordPress integration 

WordPress.org officially recommends Bluehost. This makes it an excellent choice for WordPress users.  

You can set up your website easily. It offers one-click WordPress installation, automatic updates and a friendly dashboard. This helps to manage your website without any hassle. 

AI-powered website building with WonderSuite 

WonderSuite by Bluehost is an AI-driven website-building tool designed to help users create a WordPress site efficiently. 

It helps you make a WordPress site fast and easy. You get simple steps to set it up, ready-made templates and an easy way to customize. This means anyone, even beginners, can create a professional-looking website without any coding skills with Bluehost’s WonderSuite

Free domain and SSL certificate 

Bluehost helps you start your website quickly by offering a free domain name for the first year and a free SSL certificate.  

The SSL certificate keeps your data safe and builds trust with visitors. This is especially important for businesses and online stores. 

High-performance hosting with 99.99% uptime 

Bluehost provides fast loading times and reliable uptime.  

This means your website is always reachable. They use unique WordPress hosting, which includes built-in caching and CDN integration. As a result, your site runs smoothly, even when many people visit it at the same time. 

Scalable plans for every need 

Bluehost offers hosting plans that can grow as you grow.  

It doesn’t matter if you are starting a blog, building a small business website or managing a busy eCommerce store. You can choose from shared hosting, VPS hosting or dedicated hosting. This ensures your site will work well as it gets bigger. 

24/7 customer support 

Bluehost provides customer support all day, every day. You can contact them by live chat, phone or email.  

Their support team knows a lot about WordPress. They can assist you with technical issues, setting up your website and solving problems. This is to ensure that your experience is easy and smooth. 

If you are still not sure whether Bluehost WordPress hosting is better than Squarespace, checking out their main features may help you choose. 

Here’s a quick comparison table: 

Feature Bluehost  Squarespace 
Customization Complete control over themes, plugins and code Limited customization options. 
Ease of use AI-powered WonderSuite simplifies WordPress setup. Drag-and-drop editor, beginner-friendly. 
Scalability Supports small to large websites, with upgrade options. Limited scalability for high-traffic sites 
Pricing More affordable, flexible plans. Higher costs for premium features. 
eCommerce WooCommerce integration for online stores. Built-in eCommerce but limited payment options. 
SEO & performance Advanced SEO features, fast loading speeds. Basic SEO performance depends on the template. 

Bluehost is great because it offers customization opportunities while still remaining affordable. This makes it an excellent choice for people who want a website that can grow with their business. 

Backing up your WordPress site is crucial to protect your data and keep your site running smoothly. Bluehost makes it simple with built-in backup and restore options.  

Whether you need to recover a previous version or safeguard your site from accidental changes, you can do it hassle-free. 

Learn how to transfer a website from one host to another with this easy step-by-step guide. 

Other alternatives to Squarespace 

There are several other Squarespace alternatives that you can choose from. They offer different features and customization options. 

If you want a drag-and-drop builder, a design-focused platform or a developer-friendly solution, here are some good options to consider. 

1. WordPress.org (Self-hosted) 

Best for: People who are advanced users, bloggers, businesses and developers who want to make complete custom changes. 

WordPress.org is the best website-building platform. It allows you to fully control how your site looks, works and develops. Unlike Squarespace, WordPress is self-hosted. This means you need to have a reliable hosting platform. 

Also read: Why WordPress: 10 Benefits You Need to Know 

Why choose WordPress.org? 

  • You can have a lot of choices with thousands of free and paid themes. 
  • There are more than 55,000 plugins to add things like SEO, eCommerce and analytics. 
  • It is excellent for blogging, with advanced tools to help manage your content. 
  • It grows with your business, offering options for small personal sites or large enterprise platforms.

Learn more: How to Create a Website on WordPress: A Practical Guide 

2. Webflow 

Best for: Designers and developers who want complete control without limits from coding. 

Webflow is a tool for web design that lets you build your site visually. You can change your site without writing any code. This is different from Squarespace, where you have less design freedom. With Webflow, you can make websites that are one-of-a-kind and look just the way you want. 

Why choose Webflow? 

  • A powerful visual editor that lets you make changes by dragging and dropping. 
  • More freedom than Squarespace to design your own layouts. 
  • Built-in CMS for managing blogs, portfolios and business websites. 
  • Great for designers who want to avoid using standard templates.

3. Wix 

Beginners and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use website builder will see this as the best choice. 

Wix is a simple website-building platform for beginners. Like Squarespace, it has a drag-and-drop editor. This means you can design professional-looking websites even if you don’t have technical skills. Plus, Wix offers more choices for design and customization. 

Why choose Wix? 

  • Super simple to use—ideal for beginners. 
  • Over 900 templates are available for different industries. 
  • SEO tools are included to help boost search engine results. 
  • More ways to customize than Squarespace using the drag-and-drop editor.

Each of these Squarespace alternatives offers something unique. 

If you want total control, go with WordPress.org. For designers, Webflow is a great option. If you need a straightforward platform that is simple for beginners, then Wix is the best choice. 

Read more: 12 Best Squarespace Alternatives for Building Your Website 

Final thoughts 

Canceling your Squarespace subscription is easy. If you follow the steps and prepare ahead, you can avoid losing data, billing issues and problems with your online presence. 

If you are switching platforms, your choice should be based on your needs. If you need more control and space to expand, Bluehost WordPress hosting is a good choice. It is both flexible and affordable. It also offers tools for building websites using AI and works well with WordPress. 

The best choice is the one that matches your goals. This could involve how flexible it is, how simple it is to use or how budget-friendly it is. 

Ready to upgrade from Squarespace? Get started with Bluehost WordPress hosting today and build a fully customizable website with AI-powered tools, one-click WordPress setup and expert 24/7 support 

FAQs

Can I cancel my Squarespace subscription and get a refund? 

You can get a full refund for annual and website subscriptions if you cancel them within 14 days of buying. However, monthly plans and renewal payments are non-refundable. Always review your billing details before you cancel. It may take up to two business days to process any requests. 

What happens to my domain after cancelling my Squarespace subscription? 

If you got your domain from Squarespace, it will stay active as long as you renew it. You can also move it to a different provider before you cancel your subscription. If you do not take these actions, your domain will expire after the renewal period ends. 

Why is Bluehost a better alternative to Squarespace? 

Bluehost WordPress hosting offers more flexibility and options for growth and customization compared to Squarespace. It includes AI tools, a simple one-click WordPress setup and a free domain and SSL. Bluehost is an affordable and strong choice that can change as your needs grow. 

Can I reactivate my Squarespace site after canceling? 

Yes, Squarespace allows reactivation within a limited grace period after cancellation. However, if your site has been fully deleted, it cannot be recovered and you’ll need to rebuild it from scratch. 

Does Bluehost provide website migration from Squarespace? 

Yes, Bluehost offers guidance and tools to help users migrate their website from Squarespace to WordPress. Additionally, you can export content from Squarespace and import it into a WordPress site hosted on Bluehost for a seamless transition. 

  • Minal is the Director of Brand Marketing at Bluehost. With over 15 years of business experience in the technology industry, she strives to create solutions and content that fulfill a customer's needs. She is a dog mom and a stickler for calendaring.

  • With a background in content writing, I thrive on turning complex concepts into relatable content. I focus on delivering clarity and creativity to help our brands stand out in the crowded digital realm.

Learn more about Bluehost Editorial Guidelines

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