Compared · 2 minute read
Appetite Host or Squarespace?
Squarespace is known for good-looking websites, and it deserves that reputation. But good-looking tools still need someone to use them. For a busy owner, the real question is not which tool is prettier. It is who does the work.
The short answer
Squarespace gives you a design studio and leaves the building to you. Appetite Host gives you the finished website: designed for your kind of business, written from a conversation with Naya, with your .co.za included. Your website is live within 1 working day of payment.
Side by side
| Appetite Host | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Who builds the website | Naya builds it for you from a chat | You do, in Squarespace’s editor, with built-in AI tools |
| Price | R5 000 to R15 000 once-off with your first year included, then R249 to R499 a month | R300 to R590 a month paid yearly, or R430 to R850 paid monthly |
| A .co.za address | Registered in your name and renewed for you, included | Squarespace does not sell .co.za addresses; it suggests registering one elsewhere and connecting it. |
| Changes | Ask Naya: 20, 50 or 100 a month, depending on your plan | You make them yourself in the editor |
| Help | a real person in Durban, replying within 1 working day | Live chat or email through its Support Assistant; no phone line listed |
| Time to go live | Your website is live within 1 working day of payment. Your own .co.za address follows as soon as you confirm your email, usually the same day. | As long as it takes you to build |
Who builds the website
- Appetite Host
- Naya builds it for you from a chat
- Squarespace
- You do, in Squarespace’s editor, with built-in AI tools
Price
- Appetite Host
- R5 000 to R15 000 once-off with your first year included, then R249 to R499 a month
- Squarespace
- R300 to R590 a month paid yearly, or R430 to R850 paid monthly
A .co.za address
- Appetite Host
- Registered in your name and renewed for you, included
- Squarespace
- Squarespace does not sell .co.za addresses; it suggests registering one elsewhere and connecting it.
Changes
- Appetite Host
- Ask Naya: 20, 50 or 100 a month, depending on your plan
- Squarespace
- You make them yourself in the editor
Help
- Appetite Host
- a real person in Durban, replying within 1 working day
- Squarespace
- Live chat or email through its Support Assistant; no phone line listed
Time to go live
- Appetite Host
- Your website is live within 1 working day of payment. Your own .co.za address follows as soon as you confirm your email, usually the same day.
- Squarespace
- As long as it takes you to build
The look, without the learning curve
Squarespace’s designs are a starting point: you still choose one, replace every placeholder, write every page and arrange every photo. Appetite Host’s looks are designed for specific kinds of business, from trades and salons to guesthouses and clinics, and Naya fills them in for you from what you tell her about your business.
You see your website take shape while you talk, before you pay anything. No editor to learn, no placeholder text left behind by mistake.
Your .co.za, sorted
Squarespace does not sell .co.za addresses; it suggests registering one elsewhere and connecting it. That means a separate account with a South African provider, a separate yearly bill and some settings to connect the two. With Appetite Host, your .co.za is registered in your name, connected and renewed every year, all included.
Compare what you get for the money
Squarespace’s Basic plan is R300 a month, paid yearly, which buys the tools. Appetite Host’s monthly price, from R249 after your included first year, covers your website being kept online and safe, your .co.za, and changes made for you when you ask.
A person in South Africa
Squarespace offers help by live chat and email. With Appetite Host you get a real person in Durban, replying within 1 working day, in your time zone, who knows South African business.
When Squarespace makes sense
- You enjoy design and want to control every detail yourself.
- You want an online shop with many products built into the same tool.
Why owners choose Appetite Host instead
- A finished, professional website without learning an editor.
- Their .co.za included and registered in their name.
- Changes made for them, just by asking.
- If you are not happy, tell us within 30 days of paying and we refund you in full, no reason needed.
Questions
Can I use a .co.za with Squarespace?
Not one bought from Squarespace: Squarespace does not sell .co.za addresses; it suggests registering one elsewhere and connecting it.
Is Squarespace cheaper than Appetite Host?
Squarespace starts at R300 a month paid yearly, and you build the website yourself. Appetite Host costs more up front because the website is built for you, and the price includes your .co.za, keeping it online and your changes.
Can I move from Squarespace to Appetite Host?
Yes. Naya builds you a new website from a conversation, and can read your current website to start from what it already says. If your web address is yours, you can point it at your new website.
Prices checked on 8 October 2026, as each provider showed them to a visitor in South Africa. They change; check with the provider before you decide.
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See yours before you decide
Tell Naya about your business and watch her build it. Free to try.