Framer vs Squarespace: Which is the better choice?
Framer offers more design freedom, better performance, and superior animations compared to Squarespace. Squarespace is easier for beginners but limits customization. For businesses that want a distinctive, high-performing website, Framer is the better platform.
What is Squarespace?
Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder known for its beautiful templates and ease of use. It's popular with small businesses, creatives, and solopreneurs who want a polished site without technical complexity.
Squarespace
Strengths
- Extremely easy to use — no learning curve
- Beautiful, professionally designed templates
- Built-in e-commerce, scheduling, and email marketing
- All-in-one platform — domain, hosting, analytics included
- Good for simple sites that need to launch quickly
- 24/7 customer support
Weaknesses
- Limited design customization — locked into template structure
- No animation or interaction capabilities
- All sites look similar — "Squarespace look" is recognizable
- Poor performance scores compared to modern platforms
- Can't add custom code easily
- Not suitable for complex or highly custom designs
Framer
Advantages
- Complete design freedom — no template constraints
- Advanced animations and interactions
- Better Core Web Vitals and page speed
- Custom code components for any functionality
- Responsive breakpoint control
- Real-time collaboration
- More professional result — no "template look"
- Better SEO performance out of the box
Choose Framer for custom design. Choose Squarespace for simplicity.
If you want a distinctive, high-performing website that stands out, Framer is the clear winner. If you just need a simple brochure site up in a weekend with minimal effort, Squarespace works. For any business investing in their web presence, Framer delivers dramatically better results.
Frequently asked questions
Is Framer harder to use than Squarespace?
Framer has a slightly steeper learning curve but is still very intuitive — it feels like Figma. The extra flexibility is worth the learning investment for businesses that want a unique site.
Which is cheaper, Framer or Squarespace?
They're comparable. Squarespace starts at $16/month. Framer starts at $5/month for a custom domain. When you factor in the design limitations of Squarespace and the cost of customization workarounds, Framer is often cheaper overall.
Can I migrate from Squarespace to Framer?
Yes. We regularly migrate Squarespace sites to Framer. The process includes redesigning in Framer, migrating content, and setting up redirects.
Ready to build with Framer?
Book a free strategy call. We'll help you decide if Framer is right for your project.