Squarespace Free Trial: How It Works & How to Get an Extended 365-Day Trial
If you’ve been thinking about launching a new website on Squarespace, a free trial is the perfect place to start. It gives you the freedom to experiment, explore templates, and see whether Squarespace is the right fit for you—before you ever spend a dime.
But here’s something many people don’t realize: not all Squarespace trials are created equal. The standard Squarespace trial lasts just 14 days, while at Station Seven, we offer a 365-day free trial through our Circle Platinum Partner status—giving you nearly a full year to design, build, and launch your site with confidence. While most of our clients launch well before the full 365 days, 14 days is still a tight window to customize and add content—even to a simple template. It’s nice to have plenty of time to work without feeling rushed.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how Squarespace free trials work, how to make the most of your time before your trial expires, and how to access our extended 365-day trial and exclusive 25% hosting discount.
What Is a Squarespace Free Trial?
When you start a new website directly through Squarespace, you’ll receive a free 14-day trial. This allows you to explore all of Squarespace’s tools and features—no credit card required.
You can use the trial to:
Choose and test different templates
Add pages, images, and text
Experiment with design settings and styles
Preview your content across devices
Invite collaborators or get feedback
During this time, your site will live at a temporary Squarespace URL (something like yourname.squarespace.com). Visitors can’t access it publicly until you purchase a paid plan and connect your custom domain.
The 14-day trial is a great introduction, but for most business owners, it’s simply not enough time to build a full, polished website—especially when you’re also refining your brand, copy, and visuals.
How to Start a Squarespace Free Trial
Starting your free trial is simple:
Go to Squarespace.com and click Get Started.
Answer a few short questions to have Squarespace suggest templates that match your business description—or click Just Browsing to explore all templates.
Choose a template.
Enter your email and create an account.
Once you’re in, you can begin customizing right away using Squarespace’s drag-and-drop tools. You’ll have access to all core features—pages, site styles, SEO tools, and more.
Pro Tip: You can start multiple trial sites under one account if you’re experimenting with different ideas or business concepts.
What Happens When the Trial Ends?
At the end of the 14 days, your trial will automatically expire unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Squarespace will usually send reminder emails so you don’t lose your progress.
If your trial expires, your content will be saved for a limited time (usually 30 days), but you will no longer be able to edit your site until you purchase a plan.
You can’t extend the trial directly through Squarespace beyond 14 days—unless you start fresh or work with a Squarespace Circle Partner and Template Shop like Station Seven.
Our Exclusive 365-Day Free Trial
Because Station Seven is a Squarespace Circle Platinum Partner, anyone who purchases one of our templates receives access to an extended 365-day trial instead of the standard 14 days.
That’s nearly a full year to:
Build your website at your own pace
Customize your design using our step-by-step Template Guide
Upload your content, connect your domain, and prepare for launch
Test your site across pages and devices before going live
This extended timeline removes the stress of the ticking 14-day clock. You can work at your own pace, make thoughtful design decisions, and feel ready to publish when everything looks just right.
Additional Perk: 25% Off Your First Year of Hosting
Along with the 365-day free trial, our template customers also receive 25% off their first year of Squarespace web hosting (when paying annually).
When you pay annually, Squarespace already offers a 36% savings compared to monthly pricing—and through our Circle Partner status, you’ll receive an additional 25% off your first year. You will also receive a free domain for the first year if you buy the domain through Squarespace.
That means you can:
Save money when you’re ready to launch
Keep your domain, hosting, and site all managed in one place
Enjoy ongoing access to premium Squarespace tools and support
Together, these perks make starting your new website smoother, simpler, and more affordable than ever.
What to Do During Your Free Trial
Whether you’re using the 14-day or 365-day trial, here’s how to make the most of it:
1. Choose a Template That Matches Your Goals
Squarespace templates are highly customizable, but it’s smart to start with one designed for your type of business—such as a portfolio, online store, or service-based site. Squarespace offers nearly 200 free templates to choose from. We also have 15 different premium templates that come with the 365-day free trial and discounted year of web hosting.
2. Map Out Your Pages and Content
Decide what pages your site will include and what content you’ll feature on each. Creating a rough site map early helps you design more strategically.
3. Explore the Style Settings
Use the Design panel to explore color palettes, fonts, spacing, and layout options. Experiment until you find a look that feels like your brand.
4. Add Real Content Early
It’s tempting to fill your site with placeholder text, but using real photos and copy helps you better visualize how your site will actually feel.
5. Connect Your Domain and Email
Even during your trial, you can purchase or connect your custom domain (through Squarespace or transfer from another registrar) and set up a branded Google Workspace email address.
6. Test on All Devices
Use Squarespace’s responsive design tools to ensure your site looks great on desktop, tablet, and mobile screens.
Pro Tip: Each of our Squarespace templates comes with a comprehensive Template Guide to walk you through each step of creating a website from start to launch.
When You’re Ready to Launch
Once your site is ready and you’re happy with the design, all you need to do is:
Choose a paid plan (Basic, Core, Plus, or Advanced)
Add your custom domain
Click Publish
Your trial site instantly goes live under your domain, and you can continue making updates anytime.
Why Work With a Squarespace Circle Partner?
Squarespace Circle Partners are experienced designers and developers recognized by Squarespace for their expertise and experience on the platform.
As a Circle Platinum Partner, Station Seven is in the top tier of this program—meaning we have deep knowledge of Squarespace, extensive experience in helping to launch thousands of templated and custom Squarespace websites, and access to extended benefits not available to standard users.
These include:
Extended 365-day trials for our customers
25% discount on annual hosting
Direct support access and early feature releases
Guidance from a team who knows Squarespace inside and out
When you purchase a Station Seven template, you’re not just getting a design—you’re getting expert support and exclusive tools to help you build your site the right way from the start.
Final Thoughts
Squarespace’s free trial is one of the easiest ways to explore what the platform can do. Whether you’re testing out a design idea or planning your full site launch, the trial lets you experiment freely—without any commitment.
But if you want more time, flexibility, and value, Station Seven’s 365-day free trial and 25% hosting discount make it easier than ever to bring your website to life.
Ready to get started? Choose one of our Squarespace templates or explore our custom web design services to unlock your extended 365-day free trial today.
FAQ
Can I build a full site during my free trial?
Yes! You have full access to Squarespace’s features during the trial. The only limitation is that your site won’t appear publicly until you purchase a plan and make it public.
Can I transfer my free trial to another account?
No. Trial sites are tied to the account that created them, but you can add collaborators with different permissions.
What happens if my 14-day trial expires?
Your site becomes inactive but can be restored within about 30 days by upgrading to a paid plan.
Do Station Seven templates include the extended trial automatically?
Yes. Once you purchase a Station Seven template, you’ll receive a unique Squarespace link to start your 365-day free trial—no extra steps required.
Can I use the 25% hosting discount on any plan?
Yes, the discount applies automatically to your first year of any annual Squarespace plan when starting with a template purchased from Station Seven.