Framer vs Squarespace in 2026: which website builder should you pick?
Pick Framer for CMS-driven sites with a $0 non-commercial plan and paid plans from $10 per month billed
yearly. Pick Squarespace for built-in selling, AI tools, and unlimited bandwidth starting at $19 per
month after a 14-day trial. For simple one-page or small sites, Heya starts at $0 with custom domains on
its $6 per month plan.
Heya is ours, so read its row with that in mind. Every other number comes from each company's own pages,
checked on October 29, 2026.
The short answer
-
Best for CMS and localization Framer starts at $0 for non-commercial sites and $10
per month billed yearly for a custom domain, with CMS collections, staging on Pro at $30 per month,
and AI translation locales.
-
Best for selling and bookings Squarespace starts at $19 per month after a 14-day free
trial and includes an online store, Acuity Scheduling, invoicing, email campaigns, and unlimited
bandwidth.
-
Best for small, simple sites Heya is built for one-page and small sites, with a $0
free plan for up to 3 sites and 5 pages per site, and 68 templates on every plan.
-
Best for a lower-cost custom domain Heya Pro Standard costs $6 a month and includes
up to 5 sites and 1 custom domain per account using a domain you already own.
Framer vs Squarespace vs Heya at a glance
This table compares Framer, Squarespace, and Heya across free plans, starting prices, custom domains,
templates, and selling tools.
| Compared |
Framer |
Squarespace |
Heya |
| Free plan or trial |
$0 Free plan for non-commercial use |
14-day free trial, no credit card needed |
$0 Free plan, up to 3 sites, 5 pages/site |
| Cheapest paid plan |
Basic at $10/mo billed yearly |
Basic at $19/mo |
Pro Lite at $3/mo |
| Cheapest plan with custom domain |
Basic at $10/mo billed yearly (free domain included) |
Basic at $19/mo (free custom domain*) |
Pro Standard at $6/mo (bring your own) |
| Branding on free sites |
Published on a free Framer domain |
Trial only; plan required to go live |
yourname.heya.bio with Made with Heya badge |
| Templates and AI setup |
500 AI credits on Free plan; templates not stated |
Designer templates plus Blueprint AI generator |
68 templates (12 designs, 56 use-case) or blank page |
| Online store and selling |
Not stated |
Online store, memberships, invoicing, Acuity Scheduling |
Link a button to your checkout or store; Calendly embed for bookings |
| CMS and blogging |
2 CMS collections on Basic, 10 on Free and Pro |
Built-in CMS and blog with optional paywalls |
Link to your blog from a links block |
| Bandwidth and hosting limits |
1 GB on Free, 50 GB on Basic, 100 GB on Pro |
Unlimited bandwidth on all plans |
Up to 200 files per site, images up to 20 MB |
| HTML export |
Not supported; must host on Framer |
Not stated |
On Pro Plus ($15/mo) |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
How Framer, Squarespace, and Heya compare one by one
Framer
Free ($0); paid from $10/mo billed yearly
Framer has a $0 Free plan for non-commercial use on a free Framer domain. Paid tiers start at $10
per month with yearly billing for Basic and $30 per month for Pro, though HTML export isn't
supported.
- Better at
-
Sites needing CMS collections, staging environments, multi-locale translation, or A/B testing
add-ons.
- Watch out
- No HTML export for self-hosting, and Basic drops from 10 CMS collections on Free to 2.
Squarespace
14-day free trial; paid from $19/mo
Squarespace starts with a 14-day free trial and paid plans at $19 per month on Basic, $29 per month
on Core, $49 per month on Plus, and $99 per month on Advanced. All plans include unlimited
bandwidth, selling features, and 24/7 support.
- Better at
-
Businesses that want an all-in-one online store, appointment booking, blogging, and unlimited
bandwidth.
- Watch out
- No permanent free plan, and the Basic plan charges a 2% online store transaction fee.
Heya
Free ($0); paid from $3/mo
Our builder, Heya, is for one-page and small sites. Heya Free is $0, Pro Lite is $3 a month, Pro
Standard is $6 a month for 1 custom domain, and Pro Plus is $15 a month with HTML ZIP export.
- Better at
- One-page or small sites, editing on a phone, or starting without an account.
- Watch out
-
Custom domains start on Pro Standard ($6/mo); Free sites have a 5-page limit and a small badge;
publishing requires Google sign-in.
Who should pick Framer vs Squarespace
Framer works well for teams and creators who want structured CMS collections, multi-editor workspaces,
localization, and publishing tools. On Pro at $30 per month, you get 10 CMS collections with 2,500 CMS
items, site redirects, staging, and branching with previews. You can also buy AI translation locales
at $20 per locale for up to 20 locales, or get the Convert add-on at $50 per 500,000 events to run up
to 5 A/B tests.
Squarespace is built for businesses that want commerce, content, and client tools together without
separate plugins. Every plan has selling functionality and unlimited bandwidth, and the platform gives
you an online store, Squarespace Payments, Acuity Scheduling for bookings, memberships, a blog with
paywalls, email campaigns, and invoicing with proposals and contracts. Framer's facts don't mention
ecommerce or booking tools.
Price, free plans, and custom domains compared
Framer has a $0 Free plan for non-commercial use on a free Framer domain. Squarespace only gives you a
14-day free trial with no credit card required, and you need a paid plan to go live. Framer's Basic
plan is $10 per month with yearly billing and Pro is $30 per month, both with a complimentary custom
domain on yearly plans. Framer charges extra for growth though: $20 per month for additional editors,
$10 per editor for content editors, $20 per 100 extra pages on Pro, and $40 per 100 GB of extra
bandwidth on Pro.
Squarespace starts at $19 per month for Basic and $29 per month for Core, which drops the 2% online
store transaction fee and adds unlimited contributors. Plus is $49 per month, Advanced is $99 per
month, and paying annually saves up to 36%.
Ease of use, templates, and site ownership
With Squarespace, you can pick a designer template or build a site with Blueprint AI, then edit with
Fluid Engine drag-and-drop tools without touching HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. You also get 24/7 support,
built-in SEO, AI Visibility tools, and Squarespace Analytics. Framer has built-in SEO too, plus 500 AI
credits on Free, and keeps analytics history for 30 days on Basic, 90 days on Pro, and unlimited on
Enterprise. Framer doesn't allow HTML export or self-hosting because sites rely on its backend
services.
On Heya, you start from a blank page or 68 templates using 10 block types, and you can build and edit
everything on your phone. On Pro Plus ($15 a month), you can download your published site as a ZIP
with an index.html per page, styles, fonts, and images.
When neither Framer nor Squarespace is needed
If you only need a one-page site or a small site up to 20 pages without a blog, online store, or
complex CMS, Framer and Squarespace might be more than you need. With our builder, Heya, you can start
drafting in your browser without an account and sign in with Google to publish. Heya Free is $0 for up
to 3 sites and 5 pages per site at yourname.heya.bio with a Made with Heya badge. Pro Lite is $3 a
month to drop the badge and get 20 pages per site, while Pro Standard is $6 a month to connect 1
custom domain you already own.
We leave out contact forms, an online store, payments, a blog, visitor analytics, AI site generation,
and multi-language tools. You can still embed Calendly, YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, SoundCloud, and
Google Maps.
How we checked
We compared Framer, Squarespace, and Heya using verified product documentation and pricing facts
checked on October 29, 2026, looking at free plans, paid tiers, custom domain rules, templates, and
selling features. The facts come from
framer.com/pricing,
framer.com/help/articles/can-i-export-my-website-to-html-and-self-host-it, squarespace.com/pricing,
squarespace.com/websites,
heya.page/pricing,
heya.page/docs.
Plans change often. If a number here is out of date, email hello@heya.page and we'll fix it.
FAQ
Is Framer cheaper than Squarespace?+
Yes, Framer is cheaper at the entry level. It has a $0 Free plan for non-commercial use and Basic
starts at $10 per month with yearly billing, while Squarespace only has a 14-day free trial and
starts at $19 per month on Basic. However, Framer Pro is $30 per month compared to $29 per month
for Squarespace Core, and Framer charges extra for additional editors ($20 per month) and
bandwidth.
Does Squarespace or Framer have a free plan?+
Framer has a $0 Free plan for non-commercial use on a free Framer domain, while Squarespace only
offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. To go live and connect a custom domain on
Squarespace, you have to pick a paid plan. Our builder, Heya, also has a $0 Free plan with no time
limit for up to 3 sites and 5 pages per site at yourname.heya.bio.
Which is better for ecommerce and bookings, Framer or Squarespace?+
Squarespace is built for ecommerce and bookings. Every Squarespace plan includes selling
functionality, and the platform offers an online store, Squarespace Payments, memberships,
invoicing, and Acuity Scheduling, with a 2% online store transaction fee on Basic ($19 per month)
and no store transaction fees on Core ($29 per month), Plus ($49 per month), or Advanced ($99 per
month). On Heya, you can link a button to your checkout or store page and embed a Calendly page
for bookings.
Can I export my site as HTML from Framer, Squarespace, or Heya?+
You can't export HTML from Framer, and HTML export isn't stated for Squarespace. Framer sites rely
on backend services on Framer's infrastructure, so you can't download standalone HTML files to
self-host. On Heya, Pro Plus ($15 a month) lets you download your site as a ZIP file with an
index.html per page, styles, fonts, and images.
How do custom domains work on Framer, Squarespace, and Heya?+
All three require a paid plan for a custom domain. Framer includes a complimentary domain on
yearly Basic ($10 per month billed yearly) and Pro ($30 per month) plans, and Squarespace includes
a free custom domain* on Basic ($19 per month) and Core ($29 per month). On Heya, you connect a
domain you own on Pro Standard ($6 a month, 1 domain) or Pro Plus ($15 a month, up to 10 domains)
with automatic HTTPS.
When is Heya a better fit than Framer or Squarespace?+
Heya fits best when you just need a one-page or small site (up to 5 pages on Free, or 20 on paid
plans) and want to build on a phone or computer without making an account first. Every plan
includes 68 templates, custom domains start at $6 a month on Pro Standard, and Pro Plus ($15 a
month) exports static HTML.
Try Heya free
If you only need a one-page or small site, try Heya in your browser with no account required,
publish up to 3 sites for $0 on Heya Free, or upgrade to Pro Standard for $6 a month when you want
to connect your own custom domain.