Framer vs Webflow: Which Tool is Better for Web Design?
Comparison Criteria
Comparison of anything is based on objectivity; therefore, below is how we are going to compare these platforms.
- Ease of use of tools: How easy would it be to use the tools?
- Templates and Designs: Review designs and templates provided;
- Price: Look at the cost of plans and features offered;
- Opportunities: Study the pricing of plans and available features;
- SEO: Evaluate support for search engine optimization;
- AI: Research artificial intelligence features;
- E-Commerce and marketing: Evaluate the online store creation features;
- Integrations: Evaluate integration with other services;
- Community and Learning: Compare community support and learning materials.
What Do the Tools Represent?
Both platforms are great web design tools, each with unique capacities for creating modern and responsive websites. With Framer, you have design and prototyping tools that will help you prepare interactive and animated mockups. At the same time, Webflow has a reputation for developing and hosting a lot and includes powerful tools to build and manage sites.
About Framer
The website was originally launched in 2015 and focused on interactive prototyping but has expanded beyond that. The website is now the closest competitor to Webflow for no-code development. It shares the best from Webflow, Axure, Tilda, and Figma: you may "draw" user interfaces using components, styles, and even themes on the canvas and later publish them on the web instantly without having to send the design to a developer or deal with code.
The most prominent advantages of the platform are simple site management, integrated translation into 500 languages, libraries of beautiful animations and fonts, and the development of your own CMS. On the platform, you will find hundreds of free and paid templates, training guides, and a marketplace with dozens of multilingual experts. The platform is integrated with a huge number of third-party services, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, Typeform, Calendly, Google Optimize, etc. During the summer of 2023, Platform launched the AI project—a neural network that has the ability to create basic landing pages or take an existing site and translate it into various languages.
Key Features and Characteristics
The platform is most similar to Webflow, which requires knowledge of front-end development, but to launch a site on Framer, this is not necessary. The editor simplifies working with blocks, CMS, and content. Components are dragged from a common or local library, like in Tilda and Axure, but can be placed anywhere on the screen and customized via the right panel, like in Figma.
Distinctive features of the platform editor include:
- Flexible styling and theme settings (like in Figma);
- Visual display of different screen resolutions (breakpoints);
- Master components are collected in a separate section (like in Axure);
- Variants for displaying element states (like in Figma);
- Stacks for automatic padding and margin settings (like auto-layout in Figma or Flexbox in Webflow);
- CMS with dynamic content integration directly in the editor;
- AI localization: translation of the site interface into more than 500 languages;
- Library of ready-made pages, blocks, and components (like in Tilda and Axure);
- Ability to insert custom code on the site or display it as a code block or inline code.
Who Is Framer For?
The platform is designed for web designers who need powerful tools to create interactive and animated mockups. This tool is also suitable for prototypers who need to quickly and efficiently create prototypes and test ideas before implementation. Additionally, the platform is ideal for beginners in web design who want to learn and develop skills for creating modern and responsive websites.
About Webflow
The platform is popular among website and landing page builders. It was launched in 2013 and has remained a popular tool for several years, despite being designed for designers familiar with front-end technologies and flexboxes.
The main feature of the platform is the combination of tasks performed by the visual editor with the functionality of HTML and JavaScript. For front-end developers, the interface may seem too limited, while for designers, it may appear too complex, although somewhat similar to Figma. The platform achieves its goals by merging these two functions. The interface allows you to quickly manage the content and structure of the site, not just its appearance.
Key Features and Characteristics
Unlike other popular site builders where designers can avoid coding, in the platform, the designer and front-end developer are often the same person. If you are familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, mastering the platform won't be difficult. However, if you are not familiar with terms like "div" and "container," you may need to put in some effort to learn the program. On the other hand, if you want to better understand developers, learning Webflow is a great idea.
Distinctive features of the platform:
- Visual editor that generates relatively clean code;
- Automatically generated and finely tuned responsive design;
- Ability to work with wide screens;
- Component-based design for reusing blocks and individual elements;
- Creation of themes and styles;
- Insertion of custom code;
- Libraries of animations and motion design;
- Transfer of layouts from Figma, animations from After Effects, and Lottie;
- Free templates, with the option to copy or purchase unique templates from designers and studios;
- Role-based model for project collaboration.
Who Is Webflow For?
This platform is intended for those designers who wish to advance more in-depth in the process of website development, working in the roles of designer and front-end developer. This tool teaches you the technical part of web design.
Brief Comparison
According to W3Techs, Webflow is used on approximately 0.7% of all websites worldwide. As for Framer, BuiltWith Trends data indicates that over 109,000 sites have been created with it. However, recently obtained funding of $25 million suggests rapid growth for the platform in the no-code segment.
Webflow generates semantically correct code, combining visual editing, CMS, and hosting, but has a complex interface. Framer, on the other hand, is geared towards designers, supporting interactive components, responsive design, and custom code, offering a more user-friendly UI experience.
Framer vs Webflow: Key Differences
Below is a subjective comparison of these platforms on key criteria on the basis of a 10-point scale. You can see that is not a coincidence—the final score is the same.
Comparative rating table of Framer and Webflow
Each tool excels in certain tasks and has its own strengths and weaknesses. Below, we will provide a more detailed explanation of them.
Usability
Both tools have an easy-to-use visual editor but with some differences in their methodology. Framer is suited for designers who like working within a Figma-like drag-and-drop paradigm, while Webflow meshes visual editing with functionality that can be understood using basic HTML/CSS knowledge.
Framer
Similar to Figma, the visual editor helps designers to create and design interfaces easily with or without using the code as compared to the regular platform. They can pull an item from a shared or local library, as well as Variants and Variables ensure that they can design and stay as multiple component states (things like hover or dynamic content switch). Stacks also solve the problems of arranging and supplying padding automatically in elements and across different screens very quickly.
It offers integrated CMS and Code Blocks integration features, through which content is managed straight from within the editor, and the platform enables fast AI localization of the site so that it gets translated for other languages. Even people with no experience at all can start building meaningful things with the tool quickly (there is a wide training material foundation such as Framer Academy, YouTube channel, and Framer University).
Webflow
The platform integrates a visual editor with HTML/CSS capabilities, allowing for the development of websites with clean and optimized code. The interface is split into a number of panels: on the left, there is a navigator with nested levels and pages, and on the right, there are layout tools and settings. This provides precise control over the structure and style of the site but demands knowledge of front-end basics, particularly for responsive design and custom code.
While the platform was initially complicated, experienced designers liked the platform for its flexibility, strong customization options, and third-party integration, making it a solid platform for creating complicated web projects.
Design and Templates
Both builders have massive libraries of templates and elements to enable quick project deployment. But they are very distinct in their design elegance and customizability strategy.
Framer
The platform provides access to hundreds of free and paid templates, pages, blocks, and components. The template marketplace allows you to quickly create a prototype or a full website based on pre-designed solutions developed by experts. Regular updates to the library ensure relevance and adherence to the latest design trends.
Webflow
The platform includes granular design customization through the use of a visual editor that works together with HTML/CSS templates. Adding bespoke code and importing layouts from Figma or animation from After Effects provides designers full control over the way the site is going to look. Component structure and deep styling customization allow for unique and purposeful design solutions.
Pricing
The pricing differs in terms of subscription costs and the set of features offered in free and paid plans.
Framer
The platform offers a free plan that allows you to use the platform's core features. You can use it for free and then upgrade to paid plans for adding your own domain, accessing additional features, and increasing limits.
The free plan is ideal for non-corporate use. The Mini and Basic plans are suitable for students, freelancers, and small studios, while the Pro and Business plans are designed for agency teams, startups, and growing companies. For larger teams that require custom limits and support, the Enterprise plans are a good fit.
Table of Framer subscription plans and features
Webflow
The platform offers a free starter plan that allows you to use the platform without time limits. To publish, host, and access additional features, you can purchase a paid plan:
Table of Webflow subscription plans and features
Features
Features of both platforms are adjustable, ranging across a wide variety of environments, and enabling versatility in implementing design solutions and working on specific client needs.
Framer
The platform is very flexible when it comes to options for style and theme and therefore gives the freedom to create quite unique visual solutions. Characteristics such as customization of collections, the inclusion of code blocks, and inline code make the CMS integration less restrictively used.
Then you have a simple switching of the light and dark modes, simple responsive control, and copying of your design to a Figma. Variants and Variables feature comes in handy when developing dynamic components for any device.
For quick prototyping and visually intensive website development, the tool is excellent. This integration of code blocks and atypical code delivers a unique solution whilst not demanding a change of tools, meeting designers' specific requirements.
Webflow
The platform offers a good CMS with deep fields and self-managing content. There is a good level of control over the site with the visual editor and custom code support.
The platform tailors each item in a flexible way where you can define the visual and code section, animations part, and styles according to your requirements so that you can keep the site in any shape you desire.
When projects need a lot of technical tailoring, this platform excels. Custom code, API integrations, and external services allow any request to be fulfilled, from simple animations to custom business logic tailored for a specific need.
SEO
Both tools offer SEO customization options, but their optimization approaches differ.
Framer
The tool accommodates in-place editing of SEO configurations through its visual editor, e.g., metadata and alt tags. AI localization aids the automatic translation of SEO configurations to make it easier to internationalize the site and boost search engine rankings.
Webflow
The platform generates clean, SEO-friendly code, facilitating better indexing of the site by search engines. The built-in tools allow detailed customization of metadata, URLs, alt tags, and other optimization elements, ensuring high rankings and improved SEO.
AI
The use of artificial intelligence technologies is changing the way development is done on the web. Both tools reflect different approaches to using AI.
Framer
The tool actively integrates AI technologies to accelerate development. The AI allows for the automatic creation of landing pages and translation of completed sites into other languages, like SEO options, dates, and fields within the CMS, simplifying localization and adaptation considerably for a worldwide audience.
Webflow
AI is used in Webflow to help web designers with improvements in web design and development with personalized help, automatic content creation, efficient code creation, multi-language support, and custom templates. Webflow helps streamline workflows, take away some repetitive tasks, and allow for greater innovation with these AI-driven features to allow it to help you have highly customized and also effective websites in general.
E-Commerce and Marketing
Businesses rely on e-commerce functionality and promotional tools. There are different ways and capabilities in this area for both platforms.
Framer
The platform is mostly prototyping-oriented and has not developed an all-total e-commerce platform with all the functionalities. The service sets up automatically to make nice-looking websites that take priority of presentation and interactivity but not online sales functionality. It’s connected to marketing services like Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Google Optimize, so there’s the ability to manage campaigns and capture data. Because the site is adapted to different markets due to the AI localization features, international promotion becomes easier.
Webflow
The platform offers all the necessary tools for creating a full-fledged online store, including the setup and customization of carts, storefronts, product cards, and checkout pages. Integration with payment systems such as Stripe, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal enables e-commerce projects for businesses of any scale. The platform provides an extensive marketplace of integrations, including widgets for analytics, SEO, and promotion. The ability to fine-tune content and connect external tools allows for effective management of marketing campaigns and increased conversion rates.
Integrations
Webflow vs Framer offers a wide range of possibilities for connecting third-party services, but they approach it differently.
Framer
The platform integrates with numerous external services, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot, Typeform, Calendly, Google Optimize, and others. API support allows for expanding the site's functionality by adding necessary tools for content and marketing management.
The most commonly used integrations in the platform are Mailchimp, HubSpot, Typeform, Calendly, and Google Optimize. These tools allow for the quick setup of marketing campaigns and effective content management.
Webflow
The platform offers a wide range of integrations through its marketplace, including services like Typeform, HubSpot, Jasper, Unsplash, Finsweet, Memberstack, and Zapier. Additional connection capabilities via API and hosting on AWS contribute to the platform's high reliability and scalability.
In Webflow, integrations with Typeform, HubSpot, Jasper, Unsplash, Finsweet, Memberstack, and Zapier are popular, allowing for expanded site functionality, analytics, and creating a comprehensive business solution.
Community and Learning
An active user community and extensive educational resources significantly ease the learning process of the platforms. Both platforms actively develop these areas, supporting users at all stages of their work.
Framer
The platform has a vibrant community where both designers and developers interact and share their experiences, ask questions, and discuss new features. Social media, forums, and exclusive groups enable one to get answers and inspiration for new projects instantly.
The platform offers a wide range of learning materials: Framer Academy, YouTube channel, Framer University, and a great number of articles with case studies and tutorials. These materials allow beginners and professionals to learn all the platform's features in a short period of time.
Webflow
The platform has more than 4 million users worldwide. A living community, regular contests (such as the Webflow Awards), and the exchange of experiences among designers and developers contribute to the constant evolution of the platform and the creation of innovative solutions.
Webflow University is a properly structured website featuring courses, interactive games, streams, and video lessons for beginners and all levels. Additional learning material from external instructors, such as JanLosert and Awwwards, makes the learning process as simple and quick as possible.
Pros and Cons
Here we are at the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each builder, so you can decide based on your needs.
Framer
Choose it for rapid development of nice-looking websites and prototypes with minimal code knowledge needs.
Framer pros and cons table
Webflow
The platform combines visual editing and manual code management capabilities, making it a powerful tool for creating complex and functional websites.
Webflow pros and cons table
Who Is It Suitable For?
Framer is ideal for designers and startups who value how quickly visually appealing websites and prototypes can emerge. If you’re simply looking for simplicity and fast import from Figma as well as process automation (e.g., auto localization), it’ll get a project live without you having to code. If you have a small company or even a small creative agency that likes flexibility and accessibility worldwide without overcomplicated e-commerce features, it is ideal for you.
Webflow suits professional designers and agencies that deal with complex and functional web projects. Suppose you are prepared to spare some time trying to learn a richer feature interface and have some basic coding knowledge. In that case, then the platform will give you a greater level of customization, integration with external services, and a full online store that you can deploy. This tool is meant for large brands, large corporations, and projects with specific technical requirements.
Summary
The use of these tools is up to you and your plans: the first is great for rapid prototyping of stunning interfaces and responsive websites, and the second is ideal for complicated projects with advanced customization and e-commerce integration. Both of the programs have advantages and disadvantages, so the decision is based on your individual requirements. Have a good day and we hope our article was helpful for you.
