You want the best website builder in 2026, and Framer vs Squarespace is one of the most common comparisons you’ve run into.
Both platforms promise professional design, ease of use, and the ability to launch without heavy development work. But they approach those goals in very different ways.
Squarespace is known for its structured templates and all-in-one simplicity.
Framer is often associated with design freedom, performance, and more modern interactions.
On paper, both can look like the right choice, which is what makes the decision harder than it seems.
You’re likely trying to balance ease of use with long-term flexibility, a site that looks great today but can also scale as your needs grow.
You may also be thinking about SEO, page speed, and how much control you’ll realistically want over your site down the line.
Let’s look at Framer and Squarespace side by side.
Framer vs Squarespace: Quick Comparison
Feature | Squarespace | Framer |
Best for | Beginners, templates | Designers, custom sites |
Design flexibility | Limited to templates | Full creative control |
Ease of use | Very easy | Moderate learning curve |
Animations | Basic | Advanced |
Performance | Average | Fast |
Ecommerce | Built-in | Via integrations |
Pricing (2026) | From $12/month | From $10/month |
When to Choose Squarespace
Squarespace works well when you need a professional-looking site quickly without extensive customization requirements.
Choose Squarespace if you:
Need to launch a site quickly with minimal setup
Prefer working with pre-designed templates
Want built-in ecommerce without additional integrations
Have limited design or development experience
Need a straightforward content management system
Run a small business, portfolio, or blog with standard requirements
Template-Based Simplicity
Squarespace's main strength is its template library. The templates are professionally designed and cover common use cases like portfolios, restaurants, retail stores, and service businesses.
You select a template, add your content, and launch. This approach works when your needs align with what the templates offer.
The platform handles hosting, security, and updates automatically. This managed approach means less technical maintenance, which matters if you don't have development resources or want to focus on running your business rather than managing infrastructure.
Built-In Ecommerce
Squarespace includes ecommerce functionality across all paid plans. You can add products, process payments, manage inventory, and handle shipping without installing additional tools or integrations.
This integrated approach simplifies setup if you're selling physical or digital products.
The platform includes payment processing through Stripe and PayPal, automated tax calculations, and shipping integrations with major carriers. For straightforward online stores without complex inventory requirements or custom checkout flows, this built-in functionality handles most needs.
Squarespace's Pricing for 2026
Squarespace uses a tiered pricing model based on features needed.
Squarespace pricing structure:
Basic ($12/month, billed annually): Custom domain, templates, Squarespace AI, up to 2 contributors. Online store transaction fee of 2%, digital content transaction fee of 7%.
Core ($17/month, billed annually, recommended): Everything in Basic, plus unlimited contributors, advanced analytics, CSS/Javascript customization, professional email from Google Workspace. No online store transaction fees, 5% digital content transaction fee.
Advanced ($25/month, billed annually): Everything in Core, plus professional shipping and tax services, sales funnel analytics, API integrations, linked shipping carriers. Zero transaction fees on all sales.
The Core plan makes sense for most businesses that need a professional site with analytics and customization options.
The Advanced plan is designed for higher-volume stores that need detailed analytics and advanced commerce features.
Where Squarespace Has Limitations
The template-based approach that makes Squarespace easy to use also creates constraints.
Customization beyond what templates allow requires CSS and Javascript knowledge, and even then, you're working within the platform's structure rather than building freely.
Performance can become an issue with media-heavy sites. Template overhead and limited optimization options mean slower load times compared to more performance-focused platforms. This matters for conversion rates. Research shows a 1-second delay in page load time leads to a 7% reduction in conversions.
When to Choose Framer
Framer makes sense when design control, performance, and interactive features are priorities over ease of initial setup.
Choose Framer if you:
Need full control over design and layout
Want fast page load speeds and optimized performance
Build marketing sites or landing pages with custom interactions
Have design or development resources available
Plan to update your site's design frequently
Need advanced animations and interactive elements
Design Flexibility and Control
Framer gives you pixel-perfect control over every element on your site. Instead of working within template constraints, you design exactly what you need. This matters when your brand requires a specific look or when you're building marketing pages that need to stand out.
The platform includes a visual design interface, so you're not writing code for basic layout and styling. Advanced customization is available through code when needed, but most site building happens through the interface.
This combination works well for designers who want control without requiring development expertise for every change.
Performance and Speed
Framer's architecture is built for speed. The platform uses modern web technologies and optimized infrastructure that result in faster load times compared to template-based builders. This performance difference affects both user experience and search engine rankings.
Advanced Animations and Interactions
Framer's animation capabilities go beyond basic hover effects. You can create complex interactions, scroll-based animations, and micro-interactions that respond to user behavior. These animations are production-ready and optimized for performance, not just design demonstrations.
This capability matters for brands that use motion and interaction as part of their identity, or for marketing pages where engagement and user experience directly impact conversion rates.
Framer Success Stories
Don’t just take our word for it, here’s what we’ve achieved for clients who chose Framer:
Daily Body Coach launched a high-touch fitness concierge platform in four weeks, built specifically for elite founders and executives. The Framer site enabled a premium visual identity, refined motion design, and seamless booking, helping the brand scale fast while reinforcing its luxury positioning.
Zen Educate migrated its Series B–backed edtech platform to Framer, removing release bottlenecks and dramatically speeding up experimentation. What previously took weeks of development now ships in days, allowing the team to iterate twice as fast and support sustained growth.
The Nations replatformed one of YouTube’s largest music channels on Framer with a focus on performance and search visibility. Within a month, the new site reached #1 on Google, loaded faster, and drove a significant increase in artist submissions compared to the previous site.
Framer's Pricing for 2026
Framer's pricing is structured around sites rather than user accounts.
Framer pricing structure:
Free: Personal projects, 10 CMS collections, 1,000 pages, basic features for exploring the platform
Basic ($10/month, billed annually): Custom domain (free .com included), CMS, AI-powered design tools, hosting, built-in SEO, 30 pages, 1,000 CMS items. Additional editors $20/month.
Pro ($30/month, billed annually): Everything in Basic, plus staging environments, roles and permissions, relational CMS, site redirects, 150 pages, 2,500 CMS items. Additional editors $40/month.
Scale ($100/month plus usage, annual only): Everything in Pro, plus custom locale regions, events and funnels, priority support, premium CDN, flexible usage-based limits, 300 pages base. Additional editors $40/month.
Enterprise: Custom limits, enhanced security, dedicated support, annual billing options. Contact for pricing.
The Basic plan works for freelancers and small businesses with straightforward site requirements.
The Pro plan makes sense for growing businesses that need staging environments and more sophisticated content structures. The Scale plan is designed for high-traffic sites where you pay for usage beyond base limits.
What Framer Requires
Framer has a steeper learning curve than Squarespace. The design interface requires time to learn, particularly if you want to use advanced features like animations and interactions.
This upfront investment pays off with more control and better performance, but it's a real consideration if you need to launch quickly.
Moving from Squarespace to Framer
Businesses outgrow Squarespace's templates when they need more design control or better performance. The migration process is straightforward but requires planning.
When Migration Makes Sense
Consider migrating when you're hitting Squarespace's limitations. Common triggers include needing faster page load speeds, wanting more control over design and layout, or requiring advanced animations and interactions that templates don't support.
The migration also makes sense when you're rebranding or redesigning anyway. Rather than working within Squarespace's constraints for the new design, you can build exactly what you want in Framer.
The Migration Process
Basic migration steps:
Export your content – Squarespace provides a CSV export of blog posts, pages, and basic content. Some content types require manual export.
Set up Framer CMS – Create collections in Framer that match your content structure. Map fields accurately to avoid post-migration cleanup.
Import your content – Upload the prepared CSV into Framer's CMS. Verify URLs match your Squarespace structure to maintain SEO and avoid broken links.
Rebuild your design – This is where Framer differs from Squarespace. You're designing the new site rather than migrating a template. This gives you the opportunity to improve the design and user experience.
Test thoroughly – Check all pages, forms, and functionality before switching domains. Verify that URLs redirect properly and that no content is missing.
What to Watch During Migration
URL structure needs careful attention. Maintaining the same URLs (or setting up proper redirects) preserves your search rankings.
Poorly handled migrations can cause significant traffic loss. Research shows some sites lose up to 80% of organic traffic from migration mistakes.
Interactive elements and custom functionality from Squarespace may not transfer directly. Plan to rebuild these features in Framer, which often provides an opportunity to improve them anyway.
Need help migrating from Squarespace to Framer? Goodspeed specializes in smooth migrations that maintain SEO performance while improving site speed and design.
Performance and SEO Comparison
Site speed and search visibility matter for business results. The platforms differ significantly in these areas.
Performance Differences
Framer's architecture delivers faster page load speeds than Squarespace's template-based approach. This performance difference shows up in Core Web Vitals, which Google uses as a ranking factor.
Faster sites also convert better.
Squarespace performs adequately for text-heavy sites with minimal media. Performance issues appear on image-heavy portfolios or content-rich sites where template overhead slows load times.
SEO Capabilities
Both platforms provide basic SEO features like custom meta descriptions, clean URLs, and mobile responsiveness. The differences appear in technical SEO and optimization capabilities.
Framer gives you more control over technical elements like structured data, page speed optimization, and custom code for SEO tools. This control matters when search visibility is a priority. For example, Formula Bot moved from 6th to 2nd position in Google rankings after migrating to Framer.
Squarespace's SEO capabilities work well for basic needs but limit advanced optimization. The platform handles fundamentals automatically, which helps if you're not familiar with technical SEO, but restricts optimization when you want to go deeper.
Which Tool Should You Choose?
The decision comes down to your priorities and resources.
Choose Squarespace if you need to launch quickly without design resources, prefer working within templates rather than building custom layouts, or run a straightforward online store that fits Squarespace's ecommerce features. The platform works well for portfolios, small business sites, and blogs where ease of use matters more than design flexibility.
Choose Framer if design control is important to your brand, site performance and page speed affect your business results, or you need advanced animations and interactions. Framer makes sense when you have design resources (or can hire them) and want a site that stands out rather than following a template.
Consider migrating from Squarespace to Framer when you're hitting template limitations, need better performance for SEO or conversions, or are planning a redesign anyway. The migration requires effort but often results in a faster, more flexible site that better represents your brand.
Work with experienced Framer developers who understand both platforms and can handle the migration without losing SEO performance or functionality. And if ease of use combined with long-term flexibility appeals to your team, exploring resources like this beginner’s guide to customising your Framer template can smooth the transition, balancing initial complexity with ongoing advantages.
Considering a Move from Squarespace to Framer?
If you're outgrowing Squarespace's templates or need more control over performance and design, we can help. Book a free consultation to discuss your migration timeline and requirements.
Already have a Framer site? Get a FREE detailed performance and conversion audit. We'll ask for your site URL and a few details about your traffic goals.
Harish Malhi
Founder of Goodspeed
Harish Malhi is the founder of Goodspeed, one of the top-rated Bubble agencies globally and winner of Bubble’s Agency of the Year award in 2024. He left Google to launch his first app, Diaspo, built entirely on Bubble, which gained press coverage from the BBC, ITV and more. Since then, he has helped ship over 200 products using Bubble, Framer, n8n and more - from internal tools to full-scale SaaS platforms. Harish now leads a team that helps founders and operators replace clunky workflows with fast, flexible software without writing a line of code.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I migrate from Squarespace to Framer without losing SEO rankings?
Yes, with proper planning. Preserve your URL structure or set up 301 redirects for changed URLs. Export content carefully, map URLs accurately, and test before switching domains. Well-planned migrations often improve rankings thanks to Framer’s better performance.
How long does it take to migrate from Squarespace to Framer?
A simple blog or portfolio takes a few days. Larger sites with extensive content or ecommerce may take several weeks. The design phase typically takes longer than technical migration since you’re rebuilding, not transferring a template.
Do I need coding knowledge to use Framer?
No coding required for basic site building. Framer’s visual interface handles layout, styling, and content. It has a steeper learning curve than Squarespace templates, but most sites don’t need code. Advanced animations may benefit from coding knowledge.
Can I use my own domain with both platforms?
Yes, both platforms support custom domains. Squarespace includes domain registration as part of their plans. Framer also includes a free .com domain with annual plans, or you can connect a domain you own from another registrar. Domain setup is straightforward on both platforms.
