The short answer: Squarespace is the design-lover’s DIY builder — NZ$19–NZ$109 a month on annual billing (July 2026, as displayed; tax shown at checkout), plus a realistic 15–30 hours of your own work. LaunchPad is done-for-you: $1 a day ($365 + GST a year, $419.75 incl. GST) with the build, .co.nz domain, hosting and five updates a year included. Beautiful tools versus a finished site — that’s the real choice.
The honest case for Squarespace
Squarespace makes genuinely beautiful websites, and if you have an eye for design it’s a pleasure to use. Templates are polished, the editor is calm, AI tools are built in, and the NZ pricing page quotes tidy NZD figures. On Core and up you can sell products, and there’s no ad-cluttered free tier muddying the brand — every Squarespace site is a paid, professional one. For a design-conscious owner with spare evenings and a clear message, it’s a strong DIY choice.
The rest of this page is for everyone who read “spare evenings” and laughed.
What Squarespace costs in NZ
As displayed on Squarespace’s pricing page in July 2026 (annual billing; monthly billing costs more — they quote up to 36% saved by paying annually):
| Plan | Advertised price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | NZ$19/mo | Core website features, 2 contributors |
| Core | NZ$31/mo | Full business features, professional email offer |
| Plus | NZ$49/mo | Lower payment processing rates |
| Advanced | NZ$109/mo | Full commerce toolkit |
The fine print that matters:
- No free plan — a 14-day trial, then you pay.
- The free domain lasts one year on annual plans; renewals are yours after that.
- Tax is applied at checkout on top of displayed prices.
- Store transaction fees apply on Basic (2%); payment processing fees apply on all tiers.
- And the invisible line: 15–30 hours to design, write, set up and connect everything — then upkeep, forever, in your evenings.
What LaunchPad costs
$1 a day — $365 + GST a year, $419.75 incl. GST (about $34.98 a month), billed annually, no lock-in, 30-day money-back. Build free during launch, .co.nz domain registered in your name, hosting, SSL, Google and AI-search setup, five updates a year. Your input: a two-minute brief.
The three-year maths
| Route | Cash over 3 years | Your hours |
|---|---|---|
| Squarespace Core + domain renewals | ≈ NZ$1,120 + tax and extras | 15–30 to build, plus ongoing |
| LaunchPad | $1,259.25 incl. GST | About two minutes of brief |
Near-identical money over three years. The difference is the job: with Squarespace you hold the pen; with LaunchPad you hold the coffee.
Who should pick Squarespace
- You care about design and will enjoy crafting the site yourself
- You need a store, memberships, or a multi-page brand site you’ll edit often
- You’ll genuinely finish — an unfinished beautiful site is still unfinished
Who should pick LaunchPad
- You mainly need to be findable, credible and contactable — one good page does that
- Your evenings are for the business (or the family), not the website
- You want a fixed NZD price with GST on the label and an Auckland team to email
Comparing other routes? See vs Wix, vs Rocketspark, vs hiring a web designer, or the full NZ cost guide. Or see your own site free first — it’s the quickest way to decide.