Short answer: pick Squarespace if you want a good-looking site from a template, a simple store or email campaigns, and you are building it yourself. Pick Framer if you want a custom design that stands out, faster pages and a CMS that can grow into a real content engine.
I have moved clients from Squarespace to Framer, including Deitell Consulting, so this comparison comes from real projects.
How do Framer and Squarespace differ on design?
Squarespace templates are elegant, but you work inside their sections and blocks. Change too much and things start to fight back. That is why so many Squarespace sites feel similar.
Framer has no template walls. A designer can build any layout, set it up for desktop, tablet and phone, and add motion that feels premium. Your site looks like your brand, not like a theme.
Which is better for SEO and speed?
Squarespace covers the basics: titles, descriptions, sitemaps and clean URLs. Its pages carry a lot of platform code, though, and you have limited control over structured data.
Framer publishes fast, server-rendered pages and lets you add structured data, custom code and per-page settings. That matters for Google and for AI answers in ChatGPT and Google AI Mode. More in What are AEO and GEO?.
How do their blogs and CMS compare?
Squarespace has a blog and basic collections. Framer has a flexible CMS where you design the fields yourself: blog posts, case studies, team members, locations, products. Each item gets its own SEO-friendly page. See Framer CMS, explained.
How much do Framer and Squarespace cost?
Squarespace costs $19, $29 or $49 a month for Basic, Core and Advanced on annual billing, or $25, $39 and $65 paid monthly (US prices, Oct 2026).
Framer Basic is $10 a month per site billed yearly and Pro is $30. For most service businesses that only need a marketing site, Framer is cheaper to run.
Which one should you choose?
✓ Choose Squarespace if you sell products online, send email campaigns from the same tool and want to do it all yourself.
✓ Choose Framer if the site needs to win clients, you care about design and speed, and you want room for landing pages, a blog and case studies.
Ready to switch? My Squarespace to Framer migration moves your pages and blog, sets up redirects and keeps your rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Is Framer better than Squarespace?
For custom-designed marketing websites, yes. Framer gives full design freedom, faster pages and a more flexible CMS. Squarespace is simpler for DIY sites with a store or email marketing built in.
Will I lose SEO if I move from Squarespace to Framer?
Not if the move is done properly. Every old URL is redirected to its new page, titles and descriptions are carried over, and the sitemap is resubmitted to Google.
Can I export my Squarespace content?
Squarespace exports blog posts and some pages, but not design or most blocks. Pages are rebuilt in Framer, which is also the chance to improve them.
Is Framer cheaper than Squarespace?
Usually. Framer Basic is $10 a month per site billed yearly, while Squarespace starts at $19 a month on annual billing.
Thinking about leaving Squarespace?
Book a free 30-minute call or see my Squarespace to Framer service, from $2,000 and done in 1 to 3 weeks.
