Hostinger is the low-cost option if you prepay for years. Squarespace costs more per month but the price does not jump at renewal and its templates are design-led. Here is the maths and a test to run on both.
Sign up free: 3 template sites on a we.inc address. AI building from $20/mo.
Pick Hostinger if the lowest cash cost matters most and you are happy to prepay: its Website Builder Premium plan was $2.99 a month on a 48-month term as of September 2026, renewing at $10.99. Pick Squarespace if design and a predictable price matter more: Basic is $12 a month billed annually, and Core ($17) removes its 2% store transaction fee.
Where We.Inc fits: the free plan publishes up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, with no AI and no custom domain. AI building, where you describe the site and it is written for you, starts at $20 a month (Starter); Pro is $50 and Max $99.
| Hostinger Website Builder | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $2.99/mo on a 48-month term | $12/mo billed annually, $19 month to month |
| Renewal | $10.99/mo (Premium) | Same as the plan price |
| Free plan | No; 30-day money-back guarantee | No; 14-day free trial |
| Free domain | One year | One year on annual plans |
| Sites per plan | Premium up to 3; Unlimited and Cloud Startup unlimited | One site per subscription |
| Store fees | See Hostinger's plan page | Basic 2% transaction fee; Core and Advanced 0% |
Prices checked September 28, 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page, in US dollars. Vendors change prices often, so confirm on their page before you buy.
Best for: Budget buyers who will prepay and want several small sites
Price: Website Builder: Premium $2.99, Unlimited $3.99, Cloud Startup $7.99 a month on a 48-month prepaid term, renewing at $10.99, $16.99 and $25.99 a month. Free domain for one year
Pros: Lowest cash cost over the prepaid term; Premium plan covers up to 3 sites; 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons: Intro price needs a 48-month prepay; Renewal is over three times the intro price; Fewer design-led templates than Squarespace
Best for: Photo-led and design-conscious businesses that want a steady price
Price: Basic $12, Core $17, Advanced $25 a month billed annually ($19, $27, $36 month to month). 14-day free trial, no free plan. Free domain for one year on annual plans
Pros: Polished, design-led templates; Price does not jump at renewal; Month-to-month billing available
Cons: No free plan; 2% store fee on Basic; Higher monthly cost than Hostinger's intro price
Best for: People who want to describe a site or web app in plain English and have AI build it
Price: Free plan: up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI. AI building from $20/mo (Starter, 250 credits). Pro $50/mo, Max $99/mo.
Pros: Describe what you want in chat and AI builds a full, editable site or app; Edit by clicking on the page, by asking in chat, or in a real code editor; Export the React and TypeScript code to GitHub, so you are never locked in; Unlimited sites on paid plans, custom domains from Starter
Cons: The free plan is templates only; AI building needs a paid plan; Newer platform with a smaller app marketplace than the big names; Store features are simpler than a dedicated ecommerce platform
Hostinger Premium: 48 x $2.99 = $143.52 paid up front, which covers four years. Per year that is $35.88; after four years it renews at $10.99 a month, which is $131.88 a year.
Squarespace Basic: $12 x 12 = $144 a year, so $432 over three years. Core is $204 a year, $612 over three years.
We.Inc Starter: $20 x 12 = $240 a year, $720 over three years, with AI building and a custom domain included. The free plan costs $0 on a we.inc address.
Hostinger is clearly cheapest in cash if you are sure you will keep the site for four years. If you might change your mind in year one, Squarespace's monthly billing or a free trial is lower risk.
Tight budget, several small sites: Hostinger. Photographer, restaurant or boutique where looks sell: Squarespace. Small online store on a budget: Squarespace Core avoids the 2% fee, or compare Hostinger's store features on its plan page. Want the site written for you from a description: We.Inc Starter.
Prices only tell you half the story. The fairest way to judge Hostinger or Squarespace is to give it the same small job you would give any builder: a five-page website for a local service business (home, services, about, reviews and contact).
1. Build the service list with a price or short description for each service. 2. Add a quote request form and send yourself a test entry to check it arrives. 3. Connect a custom domain and confirm the site loads on it with a padlock. 4. Change one piece of content, such as a new service or opening hours, and time how long it takes. 5. Check the result on a phone.
Note which plan each step needed. That tells you the plan you will really pay for, which is often not the cheapest one advertised. When the site is live, run it through our free website grader to check search basics and speed.
Both are hosted builders: your design lives on their platform and does not export as a working site. You can copy your text and images out, and your domain can be pointed elsewhere. Register the domain in your own account so a move only means changing DNS records. We.Inc lets you export your site's code to GitHub.
We.Inc makes a competing website builder, so read this with that in mind. Every price on this page comes from the vendor's own pricing page on the date shown, with a link to it. We say where the other option is the better choice, and we do not publish scores for tests we have not run.
Yes in cash, if you prepay. Hostinger Website Builder Premium was $2.99 a month on a 48-month term as of September 28, 2026, renewing at $10.99. Squarespace Basic was $12 a month billed annually.
Both are drag-and-drop builders aimed at beginners. Run the five-task checklist on this page on each one's trial or money-back period to see which suits you.
Both listed a free domain for the first year on September 28, 2026 (Squarespace on annual plans). From year two it renews at their domain price.
Not automatically. You rebuild the site on the new builder, copy your content across and point your domain at it.
Squarespace Core and Advanced charge no transaction fee on store sales; Basic charges 2%. Compare that with Hostinger's store features on its plan page for your product count.
Sign up free and publish your first site today.
How we research, test and update this page: our editorial policy. We.Inc is our own product.
We.Inc is an AI-powered website builder you can resell under your own brand. Launch a branded client dashboard, bill on Stripe Connect, and deliver AI-generated websites in minutes. White-label plans start at $99 a month for 25 client sites, with a 7-day free trial and no per-site fees.