Haiden Hibbert
If you run a membership site, you’ve probably thought about offering a free trial.
It makes sense. Letting people try your content before committing can dramatically increase signups. It builds trust. It lowers hesitation. And honestly, it just feels fair.
But if you’re using Squarespace’s native Membership Sites, you may have already hit a wall: there’s no built-in way to offer a true free trial.
Yes, there are a few workarounds. You could create a $0 plan and manually move people over later. You could issue coupons. You could manually refund people.
But none of those options create a smooth experience — for you or your members.
The good news? You can easily offer free trials on your Squarespace site by adding MemberSpace. It lets you set the exact trial length you want, automatically handles billing, and keeps everything running in the background.
Here’s how to set it up step by step!
Build a powerful Squarespace membership site!
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.
Step 1: Install MemberSpace on Your Squarespace Site
First, install MemberSpace on your Squarespace site.
It connects using a simple code snippet — no complex setup required. Once it’s installed, you’ll have access to a dashboard where you can:
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- Sell access to exclusive content and pages of your website
- Create flexible pricing plans
- Offer free trials
- Automatically manage payments through Stripe
You don’t need to rebuild your site. MemberSpace works with the pages you already have.
Step 2: Upload Your Exclusive Content
Next, decide what content will be members-only.
This could be:
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- Courses
- Video libraries
- Premium blog posts
- Resource hubs
- Community pages
With MemberSpace, you simply create Spaces (collections of exclusive content [videos, files, links, pages of your website]). Once protected, only members (including people on a free trial) can access them.
Step 3: Set Up Your Payment Plans — and Turn On Your Free Trial
When creating a Pricing Plan in MemberSpace, you’ll see the option to add a free trial.
And yes — it’s actually straightforward.
We know how valuable it can be to let potential members experience your offering before committing, so setting up a free trial is quick and easy.
When creating your plan, you simply choose how long the trial should last. You decide how much time members get to explore before being charged.
Here’s how it works:
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- A member signs up and starts their free trial immediately
- They enter their payment details upfront
- When the trial ends, they’re automatically charged
No spreadsheets. No manual reminders. No awkward follow-up emails.
Even better, when you enable trials in MemberSpace, automatic account-based emails are sent to members letting them know:
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- When their trial starts
- When it’s about to end
- When their paid subscription begins
It’s clean, automated, and feels professional to your members!
Step 4: Add Your Signup Link to Your CTA Buttons
Once your plans are ready, MemberSpace gives you a signup link.
You can use:
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- A specific plan link (great if you’re promoting one main offer)
- An all-plans link (so people can choose their option)
- Then simply add that link to your buttons across your site.
For example:
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- “Start Your Free Trial”
- “Try It Free for 14 Days”
- “Get Instant Access”
Now when someone clicks, they’re taken straight into your signup flow — with the free trial automatically applied.
Simple for them. Simple for you.
FAQ
Can I offer different trial lengths for different plans?
Yes. Each plan can have its own trial length.
Do members have to enter a credit card?
Yes. This allows the subscription to automatically begin once the trial ends. It also significantly reduces trial abuse.
What happens if someone cancels during the trial?
If they cancel before the trial ends, they won’t be charged.
Can I extend someone’s trial?
Yes. You can extend a member’s trial directly from your Stripe account if you’d like to give them more time.
Will members get notified about their trial ending?
Yes. MemberSpace automatically sends account-based emails so there are no surprises.
How can I build a full membership site on Squarespace?
Check out our video tutorial below!
Final Thoughts
Free trials work.
They remove friction. They build trust. And they often convert better than asking someone to commit immediately.
Unfortunately, Squarespace’s native membership features don’t make it easy to offer a true free trial experience. And the available workarounds usually create more admin work than they’re worth.
Adding MemberSpace gives you a clean, automated way to:
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- Set any trial length
- Automatically charge when it ends
- Send built-in reminders
- Manage everything in one place
If you want to let people “try before they buy” without creating extra work for yourself, this is one of the simplest ways to do it.
And once it’s set up, it just runs.
Exactly how a membership business should.
Build a powerful Squarespace membership site!
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.
