Squarespace Member Sites vs MemberSpace: Which Membership Solution Fits Your Needs?

Haiden Hibbert

I'm a Content Manager at MemberSpace helping entrepreneurs and creators sell digital products.

If you’ve been building a membership site on Squarespace, you’ve probably started with their native Member Sites feature. It’s built right in, easy to set up, and feels like a natural fit. But here’s the thing — many Squarespace site owners hit a wall pretty quickly. The native membership tools just don’t have the flexibility or features needed to build a truly powerful membership experience.

What you might not know is there’s another option that works with Squarespace but brings way more to the table: MemberSpace. In this post, I’ll walk you through what Squarespace Member Sites offers, where it falls short, and how MemberSpace can fill in those gaps — plus a straightforward comparison chart so you can see how they stack up.

Launch a Squarespace membership business!

The easiest way to accept membership payments or one-time charges for digital products like online courses, communities, content libraries, and more — all from your own website!

Get started for free! 5 minutes to set up.

What is Squarespace Member Sites?

Squarespace Member Sites is Squarespace’s built-in membership platform. It lets you restrict pages or content to members only, collect payments, and manage member access — all inside your Squarespace dashboard.

It’s a solid starting point if you want something simple: gated content, a single membership tier, and basic payment processing. But once you want to do more — like offer free trials, drip content, or handle complex billing — you’ll quickly find yourself limited.

What Are the Common Challenges with Squarespace Member Sites?

Squarespace Member Sites is a solid starting point for simple memberships, but many site owners quickly realize it can feel limiting as their needs grow. For example, selling across multiple membership tiers isn’t straightforward—you often have to duplicate content, which gets messy and hard to manage.

Payment options are basic, with no free trials or flexible billing dates, and content dripping isn’t supported, making it tough to deliver content on your schedule. Plus, engagement tools like abandoned signup reminders or failed payment alerts are missing, which can make member retention harder.

These limitations aren’t deal-breakers for everyone, but if you want more control and features that help your membership site grow smoothly, that’s where MemberSpace really stands out.

MemberSpace: A Squarespace Member Sites Alternative

Enter MemberSpace. It’s a third-party membership platform designed to work seamlessly with Squarespace (and other website builders). The difference? It offers way more flexibility and features that let you build a membership site that actually fits your unique needs.

MemberSpace gives you control over billing, content access, member management, and integrations — all without leaving Squarespace. And it’s built with real membership site owners in mind, so it handles the tricky stuff Squarespace doesn’t.

Squarespace Member Sites vs MemberSpace

Here’s a simple chart showing the key features MemberSpace offers that Squarespace Member Sites doesn’t:

Feature	Squarespace Member Sites	MemberSpace
Sell products across tiers	❌	✅
1-click payments	❌	✅
1-click Google signup	❌	✅
Free trials & plans	❌	✅
Member pricing changes	❌	✅
Drip out pages & content	❌	✅
Charge signup fees	❌	✅
Choose billing dates	❌	✅
Automatic plan upsells	❌	✅
Plan expirations	❌	✅
Failed payment popups	❌	✅
Cancellation alternatives	❌	✅
Abandon signup reminders	❌	✅
Affiliate program	❌	✅
Member Directory	❌	✅
Integrate Zapier	❌	✅

FAQ

Q: Can I switch from Squarespace Member Sites to MemberSpace without rebuilding my site?
A: Yes! MemberSpace works alongside your existing Squarespace site, so you don’t need to start from scratch. You’ll just set up MemberSpace to manage memberships while keeping your current content intact.

Q: Is MemberSpace difficult to set up for someone new to membership sites?
A: Not really. MemberSpace offers step-by-step tutorials and responsive support. If you’re comfortable with Squarespace, you’ll find the setup pretty manageable.

Q: Does MemberSpace charge extra fees?
A: Yes, MemberSpace is a separate service with its own pricing plans. But many users find the extra features and flexibility well worth the investment compared to the native Squarespace membership tools.

Q: Can I offer free trials or limited-time plans with MemberSpace?
A: Absolutely. MemberSpace lets you create free trials, timed plans, and flexible billing options that aren’t available in Squarespace Member Sites.

Q: Will MemberSpace handle failed payments and cancellations?
A: Yes. MemberSpace has built-in tools to notify members of failed payments, offer cancellation alternatives, and send reminders — helping you reduce churn and keep members engaged.

Q: Can I integrate MemberSpace with other tools like email marketing or CRMs?
A: Definitely. MemberSpace supports Zapier integration, which means you can connect it to hundreds of apps to automate workflows and keep your business running smoothly.

Q: Does MemberSpace support member directories or community features?
A: Yes, MemberSpace includes member directories, which help you build a stronger community by letting members connect and see who else is part of your site.

Q: What if I want to sell multiple membership tiers or products?
A: MemberSpace makes it easy to sell across multiple tiers without duplicating content. You can set different access levels and pricing, all managed cleanly within the platform.

Final Thoughts

If you’re just starting out and want a simple membership site, Squarespace Member Sites might do the trick. But if you’re feeling boxed in by what it can (and can’t) do, MemberSpace is a smart alternative that gives you more control and options — without leaving Squarespace.

I’ve seen many site owners get stuck, thinking native membership is their only choice. But once they discover MemberSpace, things start to click. You get the tools you need to build a membership site that grows with you, not against you.

Give it a look, and see if it fits your goals better. Sometimes, the right tool makes all the difference.

Launch a Squarespace membership business!

The easiest way to accept membership payments or one-time charges for digital products like online courses, communities, content libraries, and more — all from your own website!