The short version
If you just need bare Google and Apple links on an events calendar and don't care how they look, Squarespace's own free export links are all you need. If you're comfortable with code, you can hand-build a link for free on any page. If you want a no-code widget and don't mind a monthly subscription, a third-party service works. And if you want a native, brand-matched button on any page at a one-time price, that's what CalButton is for. Details on each below.
The four options at a glance
| Native export links | Hand-coded link | Third-party widget | CalButton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free | Monthly fee | One-time |
| Where it works | Events pages only | Anywhere | Anywhere | Anywhere |
| Calendars covered | Google, Apple | Whatever you build | Usually all | Google, Apple, Outlook, Office 365, Yahoo, .ics |
| Full details (description + link back) | No | If you build it | Varies | Yes |
| Matches your brand | No — tiny text links | Manual styling | Generic widget look | Automatic |
| Effort per event | None (automatic) | Hand-code each one | Paste an embed | None (automatic) |
The free routes are genuinely fine for simple, one-off needs. What you're paying for with a tool is coverage, branding, and never touching code.
1. Squarespace's native export links — free, but bare
Squarespace 7.1 has a built-in "Show export links" toggle that adds small Google Calendar and iCal text links to your events. It's free and automatic once you turn it on — but it only works on Events pages, covers only Google and Apple, and the saved calendar entry includes just the title, time, and location: no description and no link back to your page. It's the right pick when you have a simple events calendar and just want the basics. Here's how to turn on Squarespace's export links if yours aren't showing.
2. A hand-coded link — free, if you're technical
You can construct an "add to calendar" URL by hand and drop it into a Code Block on any page. It's free and works anywhere. The downside is real effort: you build it per event and per calendar, the date-time and time-zone formatting is easy to get wrong, and you style it yourself. Best for a developer placing one or two static buttons.
3. A third-party widget (AddEvent and similar) — fast, but a subscription
Services like AddEvent or Elfsight generate an add-to-calendar widget you paste into an Embed Block. This is the quickest no-code way to cover every calendar at once. The trade-offs: an ongoing monthly fee, a generic look that won't match your theme without extra work, and sometimes their branding on your button. A solid choice if you want it handled today and the subscription doesn't bother you.
4. CalButton — native, brand-matched, one-time
CalButton is built specifically for Squarespace 7.1. It adds an Add to Calendar block right in the editor, so you place a button on any page like any other block — no per-event code and no embed. It covers Google, Apple, Outlook, Office 365, Yahoo, and .ics, carries the full event description and a link back to your page, and matches your site's styling automatically. It's $49 once for a single site ($149 for designers, unlimited client sites) — no subscription. It's the pick when you want the button to look like it shipped with your theme and you'd rather not pay monthly forever.
Want the native, one-time option?
CalButton gives you a brand-matched Add to Calendar button for every calendar, on any page — one-time price, no subscription, no code per event.
See CalButton →So which is best?
There's no single winner — there's a best fit:
- Simple events calendar, don't care about looks: Squarespace's free native export links.
- Comfortable with code, just a button or two: hand-build a link, free.
- Want it now, no code, subscription is fine: a third-party widget.
- Want native, brand-matched, on any page, no monthly fee: CalButton.
Frequently asked questions
The bottom line
Every option here has a place, and the free routes are honestly fine for simple needs. The reason to reach for a paid tool is coverage, branding, and never touching code again. If that's you — and you'd rather pay once than every month — CalButton is the Squarespace-native choice. For a fuller walkthrough of each method, see our main guide on how to add an Add to Calendar button in Squarespace.