What Is an Unlimited License and Why It Matters

How Template Licensing Works

When you buy a premium Squarespace template, you're not buying the template itself. You're buying a license to use it. That license defines where and how many times you can install it.

Most template shops sell single-site licenses. You purchase the template, install it on one Squarespace site, and that's it. If you launch a second site later, or if you rebuild an existing site from scratch on a new Squarespace account, you need to buy the template again.

Some shops sell multi-site license upgrades. You pay a base price for one site, then pay an additional fee (often 50–75% of the original price) for each additional site.

An unlimited license removes that restriction entirely. One purchase, unlimited installations on your own sites, no additional fees.

What "Unlimited" Typically Covers

The scope of an unlimited license varies by shop. At Studio Mesa, the unlimited license included with every template covers:

• Installing the template on as many of your own personal or business Squarespace sites as you want

• Using the template on sites you own or operate directly

• Reinstalling if you delete and rebuild a site

What it doesn't cover:

• Installing the template on client sites you don't own (that's a different use case, covered below)

• Reselling or redistributing the template files

• Sharing access credentials with others

If you're evaluating a template from another shop, read the license terms carefully. "Unlimited" might mean unlimited personal sites, or it might mean something narrower. The definitive guide to third-party Squarespace template shops compares licensing models across the major shops.

When an Unlimited License Saves You Money

If you only ever build one website, a single-site license and an unlimited license are functionally identical. The unlimited license pays for itself in a few specific scenarios:

You run multiple businesses or brands. If you have a consulting practice and a side project, or a personal brand and a nonprofit board you volunteer for, an unlimited license means you can use the same template across all of them without repurchasing.

You rebuild your site periodically. Some people start fresh every year or two rather than iterating on an existing site. With a single-site license, each rebuild might require a new purchase depending on the shop's terms. With an unlimited license, rebuilds are covered.

You're testing or staging. If you want a staging version of your site on a separate Squarespace trial to test changes before pushing them live, an unlimited license lets you do that without worrying about violating your terms.

What About Client Work?

If you're a designer or developer building sites for clients, licensing gets more nuanced. Most unlimited personal-use licenses don't extend to client projects. The template is licensed to you, not to your client.

Some shops offer separate agency or developer licenses for this purpose. Others allow client use under their standard license with certain conditions. If client work is part of your workflow, check the specific terms before purchasing.

For a deeper look at how template costs compare to hiring a designer, the premium vs. free template breakdown puts the numbers in context.

What to Look for in a License

When comparing templates, licensing is one of the factors that's easy to overlook but affects long-term value. Here's what to check:

Start Building

Licensing might not be the most exciting part of choosing a template, but it directly affects what you can do with your purchase over time. If you build more than one site, or if you plan to rebuild down the road, an unlimited license removes a recurring cost and gives you flexibility.

Every Studio Mesa template includes an unlimited personal-use license, instant delivery, and lifetime email support. Browse the full template collection or read about what's included in every purchase.