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

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.

Not stated means the provided product facts do not mention that feature or limit.

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.