Founder of Goodspeed
Framer Agency vs. In-House Development: Which Delivers Better Results?
If you’re building a digital experience with Framer, you’re probably wondering: Should you hire an in-house team or work with a specialized Framer agency?
Hiring internally gives you more control, but it also comes with recruitment challenges, skill gaps, and hidden costs. On the other hand, a Framer agency provides immediate expertise, scalability, and faster results—but is it the right fit for your business?
In this guide, you’ll learn Framer agency services vs in-house development – how each approach stacks up, what challenges to expect, and how to decide which option delivers the best ROI for your goals.
(If you want to get a broader perspective on choosing the right Framer agency, check out our comprehensive agency selection guide).
Why Companies Consider Going In-House for Framer Development?
Many companies assume that building an in-house team is the best way to go. It seems like the logical choice—you get full control, potential cost savings, and a team aligned with your brand. But does it actually work that way?
Control & Ownership
With an in-house team, you oversee design and development directly. You can:
Set project priorities on your own timeline
Make real-time adjustments without waiting on an external team
Keep communication streamlined within your existing workflows
If your business relies on continuous product updates, having an in-house team might seem more efficient.
Perceived Lower Cost
At first glance, hiring in-house looks more affordable than paying an agency fee. If you’re hiring just one or two developers, you might expect to save money compared to an external contract.
But here’s the catch—you’re not just paying salaries. You also have to cover:
Recruiting costs (job ads, hiring platforms, HR time)
Onboarding and training (Framer isn’t an easy tool to master)
Software licenses and ongoing professional development
When you add up the total cost of an in-house hire, it’s often higher than you expected.
Company Culture & IP Security
Maybe you’re worried about sharing sensitive data with an external agency. Or perhaps you want your development team to fully understand your brand and work within your company culture.
While these are valid concerns, strong NDAs and agency agreements can usually solve the security issue. And when it comes to branding, a great agency will work closely with you to align with your vision.
Even though these reasons make in-house development seem appealing, it’s important to look at the real challenges you’ll face.
The Real Challenges of Building an In-House Framer Tea
While hiring internally gives you more control, it also comes with major obstacles. Finding skilled Framer developers, scaling your team, and keeping costs under control can quickly become a headache.
Hiring Takes Time (And It’s Expensive!)
If you think you can hire a Framer developer in a few weeks, think again. On average, it takes 29 to 43 days to fill a tech role—and finding a skilled Framer expert can take even longer. One report found that recruiting an in-house developer takes around 40 days, plus all the additional costs that come with hiring.
And once you hire, onboarding isn’t instant. New team members need time to ramp up, get familiar with your workflows, and start delivering results. If you’re on a tight timeline, these delays can push your project back by months.
Businesses partnering with an agency can save months of recruitment headaches. Goodspeed assisted Dwellr, a VC-backed startup, in launching their senior care marketplace within just two months, overcoming previous delays and challenges.
One or Two Developers Can’t Do It All
Building a Framer-powered site or product isn’t just about writing code. You also need:
UI/UX design
SEO optimization
Prototyping & animation expertise
Performance tuning for speed and usability
If you hire just one or two developers, they’ll have huge gaps in expertise. You might need multiple hires to cover everything, which means more salaries, more benefits, and more training.
And here’s another challenge—finding top-tier UX and design talent is harder than ever. Between 2022 and 2023, job postings for UX researchers dropped 73%, and UX designer openings fell 71%. That means competition for top talent is fierce, and hiring the right person won’t be easy.
The “Hidden” Costs of In-House Development
Think hiring a full-time Framer developer saves money? Let’s break it down:
The average annual salary for a software engineer in the U.S. is $116,909—and that’s just base pay.
Add in benefits, hiring costs, training, and retention expenses, and the total cost skyrockets.
If your project expands, you’ll need more hires, leading to higher expenses and longer delays.
On the other hand, an agency gives you instant access to a full team—without the long-term financial commitments of full-time employees.
These hiring and cost challenges are why many businesses choose Framer agencies instead. Agencies eliminate the hassle of recruitment, deliver results faster, and give you access to a broader skill set from day one.
Why a Framer Agency Often Outperforms an In-House Setup?
If building an in-house team comes with hiring delays, skill gaps, and high costs, what makes a Framer agency the better choice? Speed, expertise, and flexibility.
A great agency already has a team of Framer specialists ready to start immediately. Instead of spending months hiring and onboarding, you can hit the ground running with experts who know the platform inside and out.
You Get Instant Access to Framer Experts
Hiring one in-house Framer developer won’t give you everything you need. But with an agency, you get a team with specialized skills in:
UI/UX design
Advanced animations & interactions
SEO & performance optimization
Prototyping and usability testing
Instead of relying on one or two hires who may have skill gaps, you get a full team of Framer pros—all for the cost of a single agency fee.
Goodspeed’s team of Framer specialists has worked on projects across multiple industries, delivering advanced interactions and scalable designs. Yassine Larbi, the founder of Stratverse, mentioned, 'Goodspeed is very responsive, and they try their best to put themselves in the shoes of their clients.'
Agencies Deliver Faster Results
Time is money. The longer your project takes, the more you lose in potential revenue, market share, and growth opportunities.
A Framer agency starts immediately, without the 40-day hiring delays that come with in-house recruitment. And because agencies work with multiple specialists at once, they can complete your project faster than an in-house team working with limited resources.
Instead of waiting weeks for an in-house hire to onboard, an agency can launch your Framer project in a fraction of the time—helping you reach users and generate revenue sooner.
You Reduce Risk & Get a Better ROI
When you rely on an in-house team, losing a key developer can throw your entire project off track. If one person leaves, you’re stuck back at square one—searching for a replacement and delaying progress.
With an agency, you don’t have to worry about turnover or skill gaps. If one team member is unavailable, another expert steps in—keeping your project on schedule.
And let’s talk about cost. Companies worldwide are recognizing the value of outsourcing, with IT services spending reaching $1.2 trillion globally in 2022. The reason? Agencies eliminate overhead costs, giving businesses access to high-quality expertise without long-term financial commitments.
While an agency is the best option for most businesses, there are a few rare cases where in-house development still makes sense.
When In-House Development Might Still Be a Good Option
For most companies, a Framer agency delivers faster, more scalable, and more cost-effective results. But if you fall into one of these categories, hiring in-house might be a better fit.
You Need Constant, High-volume Updates
If your project requires daily updates or ongoing Framer changes, hiring an internal team could make sense. Large companies with constantly evolving digital products may prefer having developers on standby instead of waiting on agency availability.
You Have an Enterprise-Level Budget
If you’re an enterprise with a large budget, you can afford to hire multiple Framer specialists and build an internal team. In this case, you won’t have to worry about recruitment delays or skill gaps, because you can hire an entire department rather than just one or two developers.
You Have Strict IP or Security Requirements
Some industries—like finance, healthcare, or government sectors—have strict intellectual property and data security requirements. While most agencies follow strong security protocols, you may prefer to keep everything in-house if your company handles sensitive or proprietary data.
If none of these situations applies to you, a Framer agency is likely the better choice—offering more expertise, flexibility, and scalability at a lower cost. But how does the price actually compare? Let’s break it down.
Cost & Value: A Realistic Comparison
Many businesses assume in-house development is cheaper—but is it really? Let’s compare the true costs of hiring in-house versus working with a Framer agency.
In-House Costs: What You’re Actually Paying For
Hiring an in-house developer doesn’t just mean paying a salary. You’re also covering:
Recruitment & hiring costs (job postings, HR expenses, onboarding)
Salaries & benefits (insurance, retirement contributions, bonuses)
Software & tools (Framer licenses, design tools, project management software)
Ongoing training & professional development
And if you need more than one developer, those costs multiply quickly. With the average software engineer salary in the U.S. at $162,592, your in-house team could cost hundreds of thousands per year—before even launching your project.
Framer Agency Costs: A Better ROI?
When you work with a Framer agency, you pay one predictable fee that covers:
A full team of specialists (without multiple salaries)
Faster delivery (reducing time-to-market)
Expert-level quality (eliminating trial-and-error costs)
Scalability (adjust resources based on project needs)
Since an agency has established workflows and processes, you won’t waste time on onboarding, hiring, or internal delays. Instead, your project moves forward immediately, ensuring a faster path to revenue.
When BunkerEx needed to modernize their order experience, Goodspeed delivered a tailored mobile app solution in just three months, saving their team 10 hours a week and enhancing customer satisfaction.
The Scalability Factor: Agencies Adapt, In-House Teams Don’t
Your project’s needs will evolve. Maybe you need extra development support one month and fewer resources the next. With an in-house team, scaling up means hiring new staff, and scaling down means letting people go.
A Framer agency adjusts resources on demand—allowing you to scale up or down without restructuring your entire team.
Now that you know the cost breakdown, how do you decide which approach is best for you? Let’s walk through a step-by-step evaluation process.
How to Decide If a Framer Agency or In-House Team Is Right for You
Now that you know the pros and cons of both approaches, how do you decide which one works best for your business? Ask yourself these key questions:
Do You Already Have Framer Expertise In-House?
If you already have a team with Framer experience, hiring a specialized agency may not be necessary. You can supplement your internal team with an agency for additional support, faster execution, or specialized skills like advanced animations or SEO.
But if your team has limited experience with Framer, an agency will eliminate the learning curve and ensure you get the best results without wasting time on trial and error.
What’s Your Project Timeline?
If you need to launch quickly, hiring an agency is the fastest way to get results. Instead of spending 40+ days hiring and onboarding an internal team, you can start immediately with an agency that already has Framer experts ready to go.
On the other hand, if your project has a long development timeline and you’re comfortable with delays from hiring and training, an in-house team might be an option.
Can You Afford the Long-Term Cost of an In-House Team?
Hiring full-time employees means committing to long-term costs—not just salaries, but also benefits, hiring expenses, and ongoing training. A Framer agency bundles everything into one predictable fee, making it easier to manage your budget.
If your budget is flexible and you can afford to hire multiple specialists, an in-house team could be an option. But if you want to maximize your budget and get the most expertise for your money, an agency is usually the better investment.
If you decide to work with an agency, here’s how to get the most value from your partnership.
How to Make the Most of a Framer Agency Partnership?
Choosing a Framer agency is only the first step. To ensure a successful project, you need to set clear expectations, establish a workflow, and leverage the agency’s expertise effectively.
Define Clear Objectives & KPIs
Before starting your project, define exactly what success looks like. Ask yourself:
What metrics matter most? (e.g., page speed, conversion rate, user engagement)
What are your must-have features?
Do you have a launch deadline?
By setting clear KPIs, you ensure your agency aligns its work with your business goals.
Establish a Clear Workflow
Successful agency partnerships thrive on good communication. Make sure you:
Set a preferred communication channel (Slack, email, project management tools)
Define a review & feedback process to avoid delays
Agree on a project timeline with key milestones
When everyone understands the process, projects run faster and more smoothly.
Trust the Agency’s Expertise
You hired a Framer agency for a reason—they bring specialized skills and industry knowledge. Instead of micromanaging, let them recommend best practices based on their experience.
For example, they might suggest:
A more user-friendly navigation system
SEO optimizations to improve rankings
Performance improvements to make your site load faster
A strong agency isn’t just an execution partner—they’re a strategic collaborator that helps you build a better product.
Plan for Long-Term Growth & Maintenance
Framer makes it easy to iterate and improve over time. If your website or app needs regular updates, consider setting up a long-term support plan with your agency.
Instead of scrambling for help every time you need a change, a retainer agreement ensures you have ongoing access to Framer experts whenever you need them.
Now let’s wrap up with the key takeaways—and how to take the next step.
Conclusion
Building an in-house Framer team offers control, but it comes with hiring delays, skill gaps, and high costs. Recruiting, onboarding, and retaining specialists take time—often months—before real progress is made.
A Framer agency, on the other hand, delivers immediate expertise, streamlined workflows, and faster execution. With a team of specialists available from day one, agencies reduce risk, improve efficiency, and often provide better ROI. Instead of managing salaries, training, and turnover, you get a full-stack team at a predictable cost.
So now, you need to choose between Framer agency services vs in-house development for your business.
Check out our case studies or schedule a consultation today to know exactly how a Framer Agency can help your business.
Written By
Harish Malhi
Founder of Goodspeed
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