Squarespace is often the first website builder people try, and for good reason: you pick a template, swap in your photos and you can be online in a weekend. Framer is younger, and it has become the tool of choice for many design studios, mine included.
I’m a certified Framer Expert and I build Framer websites for a living, so I’m not neutral. If you came here looking for the kind of honest opinion people hunt for on Reddit, here it is: I’ll tell you plainly when Squarespace is the better choice, because sometimes it is.
In short: Squarespace is the easier choice if you want to build your own site from a template and keep booking, courses and payments in one place. Framer is the better choice if you want a custom design that doesn’t look like a template, fast pages and a site you can still edit easily. Both can rank on Google; your content matters more than the tool.
Framer vs Squarespace: the comparison at a glance
| Criterion | Framer | Squarespace |
|---|---|---|
| Price (as of November 2026) | Free plan on a Framer domain; Basic from $10/month billed yearly | Basic from $12/month billed yearly, $19 billed monthly |
| Best for | A custom design, built by you or a designer | A DIY site built from a template |
| Design freedom | Free layout and animations, no template limits | Limited to its section system |
| Learning curve | Steeper to build, easy to edit once built | Easy for a first site |
| SEO basics | Titles, descriptions, sitemap built in; redirects on the Pro plan | Titles, descriptions, sitemap, redirects built in |
| Blog | CMS included (1,000 items on Basic) | Built-in blog |
| Booking | Embed or link your tool (Calendly, Cal.com, Acuity) | Acuity Scheduling built in, paid extra |
| Courses and members | Connect a dedicated tool such as Kajabi | Digital Content, with a 7%, 5% or 0% fee by plan |
| Maintenance | Hosting, SSL, CDN and updates included, no plugins | Hosting and updates included |
Framer vs Squarespace pricing in 2026
Framer costs less to start: $10 a month against $12 for Squarespace, both billed yearly, as of November 2026. Here’s what each level includes, according to the official Framer pricing page and Squarespace pricing page.
- Framer: a free plan on a Framer domain, then Basic at $10 a month (30 pages, 2 CMS collections, 1,000 CMS items, 50 GB bandwidth, a custom domain included) and Pro at $30 a month (150 pages, 10 CMS collections, 2,500 CMS items, 100 GB bandwidth), billed yearly. Each extra language costs $20 per locale, and extra content editors cost extra.
- Squarespace: Basic at $12 a month, Core at $17 and Advanced at $25, billed yearly. Billed monthly, that becomes $19, $27 and $36. Acuity Scheduling is extra, and selling courses or memberships through Digital Content comes with a fee of 7%, 5% or 0% depending on your plan.
For most coaches and therapists starting a new site, Framer Basic is enough, blog included. If you’re moving an existing site that already gets visits from Google, plan for Pro: site redirects are part of the Pro plan. You’d move to Pro if you need more pages or more types of content.
The subscription is the small part of the bill, though. The real cost is the build: your own time, a template or a designer. With me, a landing page starts at $1,000 USD and a complete website at $1,500 USD, in 2 to 3 weeks. The details are on my pricing page.
Which is better for SEO?
Neither one wins on its own: both Framer and Squarespace can rank well on Google. Both let you write a title and a description for each page, generate a sitemap and set up redirects. What makes a site rank is speed, a clear structure, well-written titles and, above all, content that answers the questions your clients type into Google.
Framer’s edge is control: every page is built exactly the way you want, and pages are served fast from a global network. On Squarespace, a small, well-written site can rank just as well, with less control over each page’s layout.
One example: Andréanne Martin’s new Framer website got 732 visits from search engines in 30 days in June 2026, with no ads. On any tool, it’s the pages and the content that bring visits. The details are in her case study.
Design: a template or a custom site?
Squarespace gives you polished templates and a section-based editor: you stack ready-made blocks and adjust them. It’s quick, and it looks good. The catch is that your design freedom stops where the section system stops, which is why many Squarespace sites feel familiar.
Framer works like a design tool: you place every element where you want it, add smooth animations and adjust the mobile version with care. That freedom is also why it takes longer to learn from a blank page. A good middle ground is a well-made template: you get a professional design and you only replace the content. You’ll find mine on the templates page.
Can I edit it myself?
Yes, on both, but the easy part differs.
- Squarespace is easier to build. If you’re creating your first site alone, its editor is one of the gentlest there is.
- Framer is easy to edit once it’s built. Changing a text, swapping an image or publishing a blog post happens in a visual editor, without touching the layout. Reworking the layout itself takes more skill.
Some people start alone in Framer and then ask for a hand with the structure. As Aaron, a client in the United States, put it: “I had pieced together my Framer website myself. Salah made it consistent, mobile-friendly and ready to launch.”
Booking, courses and client tools
Squarespace keeps more under one roof. Acuity Scheduling is built in (as a paid extra), and Digital Content lets you sell online courses and run a member area, with a transaction fee of 7%, 5% or 0% depending on your plan.
Framer has no booking or course system of its own. Instead, you connect the tools you already use: a Calendly, Cal.com or Acuity booking page, embedded or linked, and a course platform like Kajabi for your programs. That’s how Andréanne Martin’s Framer website works, connected to Shopify and Kajabi.
If you’re a therapist, one rule applies to both platforms: don’t collect health information through a website form. Send clients to the secure intake of your practice management tool (SimplePractice, Jane or similar) and simply link to it. I go into more detail in what a therapist’s website needs.
Framer vs Squarespace vs Wix
Wix is the third name that comes up, and it has the biggest app market of the three, with Wix Bookings built in and a drag-and-drop editor. Its plans run from about $17 to $40 a month billed yearly for Light, Core and Business, as of November 2026, and prices vary by country, so check the Wix plans page.
On the classic Wix Editor, you can’t switch to a different template once the site is live, and pages tend to be heavier. Wix Studio is the version made for designers. Of the three, Squarespace is the simplest for a first DIY site and Framer gives the most design freedom. I go further in Framer vs Wix.
When Squarespace is the better choice
Squarespace is the better choice when you want to build the site yourself, quickly, and keep everything in one place.
- You’re starting out, your budget is tight and you’re happy to build from a template.
- You want booking, a member area and online courses on the same platform as your website.
- You don’t need a design that stands apart from other sites in your field.
When Framer is the better choice
Framer is the better choice when the website has to do more than exist: make a strong first impression, load fast and grow with your business.
- You want a design that looks like your brand, not like a template.
- You plan to work with a designer, or you already have a design in Figma.
- You want to edit your texts, images and blog yourself after launch.
- You plan to publish articles regularly or add a second language later.
Already on Squarespace? You don’t have to give up your domain: a domain bought through Squarespace can stay there and simply point to Framer, or be transferred later. During a migration, I move your pages, blog posts and images and set a 301 redirect for every old URL. I explain the steps in moving from Squarespace to Framer.
My advice, in one sentence
If you’re building your first site yourself and want booking and courses in one place, choose Squarespace; if you want a site that looks like your brand, loads fast and stays easy to edit, choose Framer. If you’re a coach, see what a coach’s website needs to do.
FAQ
Is Framer better than Squarespace?
For a custom, fast website that you can still edit yourself, yes. For a first site you build alone from a template, with booking and courses on the same platform, Squarespace is often the better pick. It depends on who builds the site and what it needs to do.
Is Framer cheaper than Squarespace?
To start, yes: Framer Basic costs $10 a month and Squarespace Basic $12, both billed yearly, as of November 2026. The bigger cost is the build, whether that’s your own time on Squarespace or a designer on Framer.
Is Framer or Squarespace better for SEO?
Both can rank well. Each one handles titles, descriptions, the sitemap and redirects. Framer gives you more control over each page and fast loading, but your content, a clear page for each service and answers to your clients’ questions matter more than the platform.
Can I move my website from Squarespace to Framer?
Yes. The pages are rebuilt in Framer, blog posts and images are moved over, and every old URL gets a 301 redirect to keep your SEO. Your domain stays yours: you can keep it at Squarespace and point it to Framer.
Is Framer harder to use than Squarespace?
To build a site from a blank page, yes, Framer takes longer to learn. To edit a site that’s already built, it’s just as simple: you change texts, images and blog posts in a visual editor without touching the layout.
