About 10; min
Figma designs websites. Framer builds them. Figma costs $16/editor for design files. Framer costs $15/site for a live website. They’re converging — Figma added Dev Mode, Framer added design tools. But they’re still fundamentally different: one outputs design files, the other outputs working websites. We compared both for teams deciding where design ends and development begins.
All pricing verified March 2026.
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Figma | Framer |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 3 design files | 1 site (framer.site subdomain) |
| Entry | Professional: $16/editor/mo | Mini: $5/site/mo |
| Mid | Organization: $50/editor/mo | Basic: $15/site/mo |
| Upper | Enterprise: $80/editor/mo | Pro: $30/site/mo |
Different pricing models entirely. Figma charges per editor (person). Framer charges per site (project). A solo designer with 5 client sites: Figma costs $16/month total. Framer costs $75/month (5 × $15). But Framer’s sites are live — no separate hosting needed.
What Each Tool Actually Produces
| Figma | Framer | |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Design files (.fig) | Live websites |
| Needs developer? | Yes (to build the site) | No (design = final site) |
| Hosting included? | No | Yes |
| Custom domain? | N/A | Yes ($5+/site plans) |
| CMS/blog? | No | Yes (built-in) |
| SEO control? | No | Yes |
| Animations? | Prototype only | Production animations |
The fundamental difference: Figma produces a blueprint that a developer builds into a website. Framer produces the website directly — what you design is what goes live.
Where Figma Wins
- Design system scale — components, variants, design tokens, shared libraries across teams. For organizations with 10+ designers maintaining consistency across products, Figma’s design system tools are unmatched.
- App/product design — designing iOS apps, Android apps, or complex web applications. Framer builds marketing sites, not products. Figma designs anything.
- Prototyping for testing — interactive prototypes for user testing before development. Test flows, gather feedback, iterate — then hand to developers. Framer skips this step because it IS the final product.
- Team collaboration at scale — 50+ designers working across projects. Branching, version history, commenting, and Dev Mode for developer handoff.
- Industry standard — every design job listing says “Figma.” Portfolios are in Figma. Design courses teach Figma. Professional fluency in Figma is a career requirement.
Where Framer Wins
- No developer needed — design a page, it’s live. No code, no hosting setup, no deployment. For marketing sites and landing pages, this eliminates the design-to-development handoff entirely.
- Production animations — scroll-triggered animations, hover effects, and page transitions that work on the live site. Figma’s animations only work in prototypes.
- Built-in CMS — blog posts, portfolio items, team members — managed through Framer’s CMS. No WordPress, no separate CMS tool.
- Speed to launch — idea to live website in hours, not weeks. Design, add content, connect domain, launch. The fastest path from concept to production.
- SEO included — meta tags, Open Graph, sitemap, clean URLs. Figma outputs design files — SEO doesn’t apply until a developer builds the site.
- Hosting included — fast CDN hosting with every plan. No separate Vercel, Netlify, or traditional hosting bill.
Who Should Pick What
Designing apps or complex products: Figma. Framer builds websites, not products. For iOS/Android/web apps, Figma is the only choice.
Marketing website without a developer: Framer. Design and launch in the same tool. No handoff, no hosting, no waiting for development.
Freelance web designer: Framer for client sites (deliver faster) + Figma for app/product clients. Use both based on the project type.
Design team at a company: Figma. Design systems, team libraries, and developer handoff are essential for organizational design work.
Landing pages and campaigns: Framer. Faster than Figma + developer. Built-in animations make landing pages more engaging.
Portfolio site: Framer Free. Build a beautiful portfolio at $0 on framer.site subdomain. Upgrade to $5/mo for custom domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Framer replacing Figma?
No. They serve different purposes. Framer replaces the Figma → developer → hosting pipeline for marketing sites. Figma remains essential for product design, design systems, and developer handoff.
Can I design in Figma and export to Framer?
Yes. Framer has a Figma import feature. Copy frames from Figma and paste into Framer. It’s not perfect — complex auto-layouts may need adjustment — but it bridges both tools.
Is Framer good enough for a real business website?
Yes. Thousands of startups and agencies run their sites on Framer. Performance is fast (CDN-hosted), SEO is solid, and the CMS handles blogs and dynamic content. It’s not WordPress-level flexibility, but it’s more than enough for marketing sites.
All pricing verified March 2026.
