Web hosting with an AI website builder and the Horizons AI app/site builder (now part of Hostinger AI Builder).
Framer vs Shopify
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Framer is best for designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers, while Shopify is best for businesses whose main goal is selling products online, from first sale to large catalogues. Framer has a free plan, while Shopify offers a free trial.
Which should you choose?
Choose Framer if…
- You need designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers
- You're one of: web and product designers, startups building marketing sites, design agencies
- You want a free plan (Shopify only has a trial)
- High design freedom with fine-grained layout and animation control
Choose Shopify if…
- You need businesses whose main goal is selling products online, from first sale to large catalogues
- You're one of: online retailers, d2c brands, businesses selling in person and online
- Most complete commerce feature set among hosted builders
At a glance
| Framer | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers | Businesses whose main goal is selling products online, from first sale to large catalogues |
| Free plan | Yes | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $10/mo | From $29/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows | Web, iOS, Android, API |
| Ideal for | Web and product designers, Startups building marketing sites, Design agencies, Portfolio sites | Online retailers, D2C brands, Businesses selling in person and online, Dropshippers |
Feature comparison
| Framer | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| AI site generation | Yes | Yes |
| E-commerce | Limited | Yes |
| Blog / CMS | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting included | Yes | Yes |
| Custom domain | Paid plans only | Yes |
| Code / content export | No | Limited |
| SEO tools | Yes | Yes |
| App / plugin marketplace | Yes | Yes |
| Design freedom | High | Medium |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Framer | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Shopify Plus (SAML) |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | Yes |
| Data residency options | No | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Framer
Framer is a visual website builder with a canvas similar to design tools, where users lay out responsive pages, add animations and publish directly to Framer's hosting. It includes a CMS, localization, A/B testing and AI features such as Wireframer for generating page layouts from prompts. It is popular with designers, startups and agencies building landing pages and marketing sites.
Key features- Design-tool style canvas with responsive breakpoints
- Wireframer AI page generation and AI agents
- Built-in CMS for blogs and collections
- Animations and interactions without code
- Localization and A/B testing add-ons
- Marketplace of templates, components and plugins
Shopify
Shopify is a hosted e-commerce platform that provides an online store, checkout, payments, inventory, shipping and point-of-sale in one system. Stores are built on themes that can be customised visually or in Liquid code, with Sidekick and Shopify Magic generating store designs, content blocks and copy from prompts. A large App Store extends it for marketing, subscriptions, reviews and more.
Key features- Hosted storefront with themes and visual editor
- Shopify Checkout and Shopify Payments
- Sidekick AI assistant that edits themes and generates blocks
- AI store builder that generates a storefront from a description
- Inventory, shipping, tax and POS tools
- App Store with thousands of apps
Pricing
Framer
Free plan (Framer subdomain); Basic from $10/mo, Pro $30/mo
Shopify
Free plan: no (free trial). Paid from $29/mo billed annually (Basic)
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Framer
Strengths- High design freedom with fine-grained layout and animation control
- Familiar interface for Figma users
- Fast global hosting included on paid plans
- Free plan for building and publishing on a Framer subdomain
- No native store; e-commerce needs Shopify or third-party tools
- No site code export, so leaving Framer means rebuilding
- Custom domains require a paid plan
- Localization and extra editors cost extra
Not ideal for: Businesses whose main need is selling products online should use Shopify or Squarespace, which include full commerce features.
Shopify
Strengths- Most complete commerce feature set among hosted builders
- Very large app and theme ecosystem
- Scales from a small shop to high-volume stores
- Mobile app for managing orders and products
- Many common features depend on paid third-party apps
- Extra transaction fees when not using Shopify Payments
- Blogging and content tools are basic compared with WordPress or Squarespace
- Full site design cannot be exported to another platform
Not ideal for: Portfolios, service businesses and content-led sites without much to sell will get better value from Squarespace, Wix or Framer.
Integrations
Framer
Shopify
FAQ
What is the main difference between Framer and Shopify?
Framer is built for designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers; Shopify is built for businesses whose main goal is selling products online, from first sale to large catalogues.
Is Framer or Shopify cheaper?
Framer starts from $10/mo and Shopify starts from $29/mo (as of September 2026). On entry price, Framer is cheaper — but compare what each plan includes, since limits differ. Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Framer and Shopify have free plans?
Framer has a free plan, while Shopify offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Framer or Shopify?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Framer and Shopify?
Other website builders tools worth comparing include Hostinger, Wix and Squarespace.
