Web hosting with an AI website builder and the Horizons AI app/site builder (now part of Hostinger AI Builder).
Framer vs Squarespace
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 Squarespace is best for creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling. Framer has a medium learning curve, compared with low for Squarespace. Framer has a free plan, while Squarespace 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 (Squarespace only has a trial)
- High design freedom with fine-grained layout and animation control
Choose Squarespace if…
- You need creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling
- You're one of: photographers and creatives, restaurants and local businesses, small online shops
- You want something quicker to learn
- Consistently polished design output with little effort
At a glance
| Framer | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers | Creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling |
| Free plan | Yes | Trial only |
| Starting price | From $10/mo | From $16/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Low |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows | Web, iOS, Android |
| Ideal for | Web and product designers, Startups building marketing sites, Design agencies, Portfolio sites | Photographers and creatives, Restaurants and local businesses, Small online shops, Consultants selling services |
Feature comparison
| Framer | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| AI site generation | Yes | Guided (Blueprint AI) |
| 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 | Limited |
| Design freedom | High | Medium |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Framer | Squarespace | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise plan | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | — |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | — |
| Data residency options | No | — |
| No training on your data | — | — |
| Audit logs | — | — |
| Admin controls | Yes | Enterprise plan |
| 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
Squarespace
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder known for its designer templates, with hosting, SSL and commerce included. Its Blueprint AI builder asks about your goals and style, then assembles a site from its design system that you refine in the Fluid Engine editor. It also bundles scheduling, invoicing, email campaigns and member areas.
Key features- Designer templates and Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editor
- Blueprint AI guided site builder on every plan
- Online store for physical, digital products and services
- Blog with scheduling and categories
- Acuity Scheduling, invoicing and email campaigns
- Extensions for shipping, tax and accounting
Pricing
Framer
Free plan (Framer subdomain); Basic from $10/mo, Pro $30/mo
Squarespace
Free plan: no (14-day trial). Paid from ~$16/mo billed annually (Personal)
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.
Squarespace
Strengths- Consistently polished design output with little effort
- Hosting, security and updates fully managed
- Commerce, scheduling and marketing tools in one account
- Mobile app for editing and managing orders
- No free plan, only a trial
- Only blog and page content can be exported, not the full site design
- Far smaller extension ecosystem than Shopify or WordPress
- Advanced store needs such as complex filtering or custom checkouts are limited
Not ideal for: Large stores with complex catalogues should use Shopify, and sites needing extensive custom functionality are better on WordPress or Webflow.
Integrations
Framer
Squarespace
FAQ
What is the main difference between Framer and Squarespace?
Framer is built for designers building polished, animated marketing sites without developers; Squarespace is built for creatives and small businesses wanting a polished, design-led site with built-in selling.
Is Framer or Squarespace cheaper?
Framer starts from $10/mo and Squarespace starts from $16/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 Squarespace have free plans?
Framer has a free plan, while Squarespace offers a free trial.
Which is easier to use, Framer or Squarespace?
Squarespace is generally quicker to learn (Framer: medium, Squarespace: low learning curve).
What are good alternatives to Framer and Squarespace?
Other website builders tools worth comparing include Hostinger, Wix and Webflow.
