Framer vs Squarespace, from a designer’s point of view
One is a design tool that learned to publish. The other is a business platform that learned to look good.
Every figure read off both vendors’ own pages on
The short answer.
Pick Framer if the design is the product: the motion, the layout and the Figma file it came from. Pick Squarespace if the site is a business with content or stock behind it, and someone else will edit it next.
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Pick Framer if
The motion is the work. Scroll effects, component variants and page transitions, against Squarespace's five site-wide presets and a speed control.
You design before you build. Framer imports a Figma file one way, and Squarespace has no Figma import at all.
You want the layout you drew. Breakpoint-based control, against Squarespace's two layouts with no tablet layout and no custom breakpoints.
There is a free tier to try. Framer publishes to a framer.website subdomain for nothing, where every Squarespace site starts on a 14-day trial.
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Pick Squarespace if
The site is content or commerce. A native blog, portfolio pages, a store, memberships, courses and invoicing, all on one bill.
Someone else will edit it. Two contributors on Basic and unlimited from Core up, against Framer's $20 a month per extra editor.
The template should hold. A client can add three paragraphs and a photo and the layout survives.
You want one bill and a phone number. Hosting, SSL and DDoS protection are included, and support is 24/7 and human.
Side by side.
Neither column is ours. Where a vendor gives no figure, the cell says so instead of guessing.
| Feature | Framer | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan publishes a public site | Yes, to a framer.website subdomain, but with no custom domain | No. There is no free plan. Every site starts on a 14-day trial, no card required |
| Cheapest plan that publishes to your own domain | $10/mo billed yearly, charged per site | $19/mo billed annually, on Basic |
| Figma import | Yes. One-way import; interactions and responsive behavior are rebuilt after | None. A Figma design is rebuilt by hand inside the editor |
| CMS, collections or blog | Yes. 2 collections and 1,000 items on Basic, 10 collections and 2,500 items on Pro | Yes. A native blog with categories and tags, plus portfolio pages, from the cheapest plan up |
| Responsive control | Breakpoint-based | Two layouts, desktop and mobile. No tablet layout and no custom breakpoints |
| Animation | Scroll effects, component variants and page transitions: the product is built around motion | Five site-wide presets with a slow, medium or fast speed control. No timeline, no scroll-scrub |
| AI features | AI agents metered in credits: 1,000/mo on Basic, 3,000 on Pro, no rollover | Not listed on the pricing page |
| Pages included | Listed at 1,000 on free, 30 on Basic and 150 on Pro, then $20 per extra 100 | Up to 1,000 on Basic |
| Editors on the entry paid plan | Workspace owner only; extra editors $20/mo each, content-only editors $10 | 2 contributors on Basic; unlimited from Core up |
| Taking the design with you | Not listed on the pricing page | A single .xml aimed at WordPress. Custom CSS and code, style settings, portfolio, index, cover, album and store pages are all excluded, and it cannot be imported into another Squarespace site |
| Custom domain | Yes, from Basic up | Yes, and free for the first year on annual billing |
| Hosting and SSL | Yes, included | Yes, included, with DDoS protection |
Framer and Squarespace details checked on 2026-09-03 against www.framer.com, www.squarespace.com, support.squarespace.com. Prices change; tell us if a cell is out of date.
What each one charges.
Framer’s price is per site, so three client sites is three subscriptions. Squarespace prices by region, and only its entry price is confirmed in dollars, from its own US-facing FAQ.
Framer plans, per site
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Free
Free
Builds and publishes to a framer.website subdomain. Lists 1,000 pages, 10 CMS collections and 500 AI credits to try. No custom domain.
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Basic Entry plan
$10 per site, billed yearly
Custom domain, 50GB bandwidth, 2 CMS collections, 1,000 CMS items, 1,000 AI credits a month. Listed at 30 pages.
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Pro
$30 per site, billed yearly
10 CMS collections and 2,500 items, 3,000 AI credits a month. Listed at 150 pages, then $20 per extra 100.
Read off Framer's pricing page on 2026-09-03. Prices change; tell us if one is out of date.
Squarespace plans
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Trial
Free
There is no free plan. Every site starts on a 14-day trial, no credit card required.
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Basic Entry plan
$19 per month billed annually
Custom domain free for the first year on annual billing, up to 1,000 pages, blog and portfolio pages, 2 contributors, 30 minutes of video. No code injection, no JavaScript, 2% store transaction fee.
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Core, Plus, Advanced
EUR 18-69 per month billed annually, EU price sheet
Adds code injection, unlimited contributors, a 0% store fee and more video storage. Squarespace serves its pricing page by region and states no USD figure for these tiers on a US-facing page, so the EU sheet is what we can verify.
Read off Squarespace's pricing page on 2026-09-03. Prices change; tell us if one is out of date.
What the money buys.
$10 against $19 makes Framer look cheap. Two numbers decide whether it stays.
How many sites
One portfolio on Framer Basic is $10 a month billed yearly, which undercuts Squarespace comfortably. Three client sites is three subscriptions, $30 a month, so price the real number of sites rather than the first.
How many people
Framer bills $20 a month for each editor beyond the workspace owner, or $10 for a content-only one, halved in June 2026. Squarespace gives two contributors on Basic and unlimited from Core up, which a studio with a copywriter notices fast.
Paying can lower your page count
Framer lists 1,000 pages on its free plan and 30 on Basic, with extra pages sold in blocks of 100 above Pro’s 150. Squarespace lists up to 1,000 pages on Basic, so check the limit if the site has a page per project.
Frequently asked.
Which is better, Framer or Squarespace?
If there is a shop or a blog you will actually publish to, Squarespace; if not, Framer. Everything else Squarespace charges for is machinery a design-led site never switches on.
When should I use Framer instead of Squarespace?
When the design already exists and you care that it survives. Framer imports a Figma file and gives you breakpoint control; Squarespace has no Figma import and gives you two layouts.
Is Framer cheaper than Squarespace?
For one site, yes: $10 a month billed yearly against $19. For three sites, no, because Framer charges per site, and each extra editor adds $20 a month while Squarespace stays flat.
Why do designers switch from Squarespace to Framer?
Usually a layout that needed a tablet breakpoint Squarespace does not offer. Or they started designing in Figma and got tired of rebuilding the approved file by hand.
Can I move my domain from Squarespace to Framer?
Yes, but check who holds the registration first: Squarespace gives a custom domain free for the first year on annual billing, so it may be registered with them. Publish the new site before you touch DNS, and cancel only once it has moved.
What does Squarespace cost, and is there a free plan?
There is no free plan: every site starts on a 14-day trial, no card required, and Basic is $19 a month billed annually. The tiers above it are priced by region; see Squarespace alternatives for the full ladder.
Where Siter.io fits.
We make Siter.io, so this is the one section about us.
Siter.io suits designed pages with no shop or blog to run: you design on its own canvas, one layout per breakpoint, or import a Figma frame. It publishes free at name.getsiter.com or on your own domain from $7/mo billed yearly, priced per plan: Plus at $12 a month publishes 3 sites, with 4 editors already in it.
It has gaps: no CMS or blog, no e-commerce (listed as upcoming, with no date), no answer to Framer’s animation depth, and each breakpoint’s layout is positioned by hand. The Free plan publishes one website of up to 3 pages with our badge, and a custom domain needs a paid plan.
If any of those is the reason the site exists, pick one of the two above. Our Framer comparison sets out where each trade falls.
More honest comparisons
- Framer vs Wix Design tool or small-business platform.
- Webflow vs WordPress When you need a blog, and when you do not.
- Framer vs Lovable Designing a site against prompting one.
- Cargo vs Squarespace Two takes on the art and design portfolio.
- Wix vs Squarespace The closest pairing we compare, and neither one lets you leave with the design.
- Figma to Webflow, properly The official app, its three conditions, and what it will not do for you.
Also useful: Framer pricing, explained and Squarespace alternatives.
A third option,
if neither fits.
If the site is designed pages you already have in Figma and there is no blog or shop to run, Siter.io publishes them.