Framer vs Squarespace
We give Framer and Squarespace the same GPA: 2.6 out of 4.0. Framer grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Squarespace grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Framer
AI website builder with a visual canvas, CMS and hosting
Squarespace
Template-based website builder with an online store and invoicing
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAFramerGood | 2.6GPASquarespaceGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $10 a month per site, billed yearly, inside the cheapest quarter of what builders here charge, and it covers 1,000 AI credits a month, 30 pages, 50 GB of bandwidth and a custom domain. Two multipliers to watch: every site needs its own plan, and each extra editor is $20 a month on top. | CBasic is $19 a month for one site on yearly billing ($25 monthly), and it's the plan a small business would buy, since the store comes with it. That's the ordinary middle of this category ($9 to $22). Core at $29 drops the 2% store fee. |
| Free plan and trial | BBetter than most free plans in this category: you can actually design and publish, on a Framer address, with up to three editors. The limits are 1 GB of bandwidth and 500 AI credits to try, no custom domain, and Framer calls it suited to non-commercial use. A personal site could live here. | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial with no card needed, which is long enough to build the thing and see if you like it, but after that every site needs a paid plan. |
| Features | CIt does the website job fully: agents draft layouts on a canvas you can still edit by hand, with a CMS, hosting, SEO, analytics, staging, branch previews, multiplayer editing and a Server API. But Framer's own pages say it builds websites rather than applications, which is the smaller job here. | BTemplates, a drag-and-drop editor, a store on every plan, invoicing, memberships, forms, newsletters and SEO tools. That's the whole job of a small business site. Custom code and pop-ups wait for Core, but nothing core is missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record, and a freeform canvas with responsive breakpoints, components and CMS collections takes learning, even with agents drafting the first pass. The good part is that what the AI changes stays visible and editable, so you're never locked out of your own page. | B4.6 from about 18,800 App Store ratings for its phone app. Templates do most of the design work, so you're mostly swapping in your own words and photos. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus desktop apps for Mac and Windows, with no phone or Linux app listed. Claude Code, Codex and Cursor can connect to a project, there's a Server API for publishing from a script, and it works with Shopify, Tally and Cal.com. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal and Printful, plus commerce APIs on Core and up. There's no desktop app, which keeps it off an A. |
| Best for | marketing sites and portfolios you can still hand-tune | polished template sites with a shop built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Framer and Squarespace. How we grade
Where they differ
- Framer starts at $10 per site / month, billed yearly (Basic). Squarespace starts at $19 per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly).
- Framer has a free plan. Squarespace does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Framer lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Only Squarespace lists iOS and Android apps.
- Framer also covers AI agents and no-code.
- Squarespace also covers templates, forms and invoicing.
At a glance
| Framer | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per site / month, billed yearly (Basic) | $19 per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Design pages and publish on a Framer domain with 1 GB of bandwidth, 500 AI credits to try and up to three editors. A custom domain needs a paid plan. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Framer B.V. | Squarespace, Inc. |
| Price read from | framer.com | squarespace.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Framer
- Designers and marketers building marketing sites, portfolios and landing pages
- Teams that want AI-generated pages they can still adjust by hand
- Students and early-stage startups, who can apply for a free year
Squarespace
- Creatives and small businesses who want a polished site from a template
- Service businesses that also invoice clients and take payments
- Small shops that want the store and the website in one subscription
Worth knowing
Framer
- Framer builds websites rather than applications, and each published site needs its own plan.
- Additional editors cost $20 a month each, or $10 for content-only editors, on top of the site plan.
- Basic stops at 30 pages and 2 CMS collections; staging and branching need Pro.
- The desktop app covers Mac and Windows only; no mobile or Linux app is listed.
Squarespace
- There is no free plan; after the 14-day trial every site needs a paid plan.
- Basic takes a 2% fee on online store sales and allows only 2 contributors; Core removes both limits.
- Custom JavaScript, code injection, pop-ups and shipping labels all need Core or higher.
- The free domain covers the first year of an annual plan only and then renews at Squarespace's standard rate.
Key features
Framer
- Agents on the canvas
- A design agent generates and refines layouts in place, and other agents manage CMS content or write code components. Each change stays visible and editable.
- Visual design canvas
- Pages are laid out on a freeform canvas with responsive breakpoints, components and effects, with no coding needed for layout or interactions.
- Built-in CMS
- Collections, fields and detail pages hold a site's content: 2 collections and 1,000 items on Basic, 10 collections and 2,500 items on Pro.
- Hosting and publishing
- Sites publish to built-in hosting with custom domains, SSL and analytics. Pro adds a staging environment, site redirects and 90 days of analytics history.
- Live collaboration
- Teams work together with multiplayer cursors, comments, roles and branch previews. Viewers are free, and extra editors are billed per seat.
- External agents and Server API
- Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and other AI tools can connect to a project, and a Server API updates and publishes sites from a script without opening Framer.
Squarespace
- Templates and drag-and-drop editing
- Sites start from a designer template and are laid out in the Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor. Every site is adjusted for phones automatically.
- AI site builder and AI credits
- Blueprint builds a starting site from a few answers, and built-in AI writes content. Credits run from 10 one-time on Basic to 120 a month on Advanced.
- Online store on every plan
- Sell unlimited physical products, services, digital goods, gift cards and subscriptions, with abandoned-cart emails on all plans. Basic adds a 2% fee on store sales.
- Invoicing, memberships and paid content
- Branded invoices and pay links are free on every plan. Courses, memberships and paywalled content carry a fee of 7% on Basic, falling to 0% on Advanced.
- Hosting, SSL and unlimited bandwidth
- Managed hosting, free SSL certificates and uncapped bandwidth and storage come with every plan. Video hosting runs from 30 minutes on Basic to unlimited on Advanced.
- Forms, newsletters and SEO tools
- Form and newsletter blocks feed a contacts panel, and SEO guidance and keyword reports come built in. Pop-ups and the announcement bar need Core or higher.
Plans
Framer
Free$0
A Framer domain, 1 GB of bandwidth, 500 AI credits to try and up to three editors. Described by Framer as suited to non-commercial use.
Basic$10
per site / month, billed yearly
1,000 AI credits a month, 30 pages, 2 CMS collections, 50 GB of bandwidth, a custom domain and built-in SEO.
Pro$30
per site / month, billed yearly
3,000 AI credits a month, 150 pages, 10 CMS collections, 100 GB of bandwidth, staging, branching with previews and site redirects.
EnterpriseCustom
Custom limits, unlimited editors, SSO, SCIM, an uptime guarantee and credits with volume discounts.
Squarespace
Basic$19
per site / month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
A full website and store with up to 2 contributors, 30 minutes of video, a 2% fee on online sales and 7% on paid memberships.
Core$29
per site / month, billed annually ($39 billed monthly)
Unlimited contributors, no fee on store sales, custom CSS and JavaScript, shipping labels, commerce APIs and 20 AI credits a month.
Plus$49
per site / month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly)
Lower card rates (2.7% + $0.30), a 1% fee on paid memberships, 50 hours of video and 40 AI credits a month.
Advanced$99
per site / month, billed annually ($139 billed monthly)
The lowest card rates (2.5% + $0.30), no fee on memberships, unlimited video and 120 AI credits a month.
Ways to pay less
Framer
- Annual discount
Free custom domain with yearly billing
The pricing page lists a complimentary custom domain for Basic and Pro sites on yearly billing.
- Education
Free Basic plan for students
Students can apply for a year of the Basic plan at no cost, which Framer values at $120, along with 1,000 AI credits a month. Applications are reviewed within about 5 working days.
- Startups
Free year of Framer Pro for startups
Startups can apply for a 100% discount on their first year of the Pro plan, which Framer values at $360.
Squarespace
- Annual discount
Pay yearly to save about 24% to 29%
Basic costs $19 a month billed yearly against $25 billed monthly, and Advanced $99 against $139. Squarespace's page advertises savings of up to 36%.
- Other savings
Free domain for a year with an annual plan
Annual website plans include one year of free registration for one domain on Squarespace's cheapest pricing tier; it then renews at the standard rate.
- Education
Students get 50% off the first year
Students who verify their status through Student Beans get 50% off their first full year on a new annual website plan.
