Framer vs Webflow: Which Is Better? A Real Designer’s Take

Introduction: My Journey from WordPress to Webflow to Framer

When I first started building websites, I was using WordPress with page builders like Elementor. It was flexible and I didn’t need to touch much code, which was great at the time. But as I wanted more design control, I started looking into Webflow.

The hype was real but so was the learning curve. It felt more like learning how to code visually and I didn’t have the time or brain space to fully dive in.

Then I found Framer. The interface looked and felt just like Figma, which I already used daily. I was designing and building in the same flow without switching between tools or thinking in code.

If you’re wondering which one is better for your next site, whether you’re a designer, developer, or solo founder, here’s my honest comparison from using both tools in real life.

Framer vs Webflow: A Quick Overview

Framer is a no code visual website builder made with designers in mind. It feels like working in Figma, but your design becomes a real live site. Hosting, animation, and even basic analytics are built in.

Webflow is more like a visual development platform. It gives you full control over structure, styles, and interactions, but with that control comes a steeper learning curve. It’s super powerful, especially if you’re comfortable thinking like a front end developer.

Google Trends: Framer Is Closing the Gap

Search interest tells us a lot about where attention is going. Over the last few years, Webflow consistently led in global search volume, but that’s changing fast.

This chart from Google Trends shows how Framer’s popularity is rapidly rising, and in late 2025, it actually surpassed Webflow in worldwide interest.

Source: Google Trends

As of November 16–22, 2025, Framer hit a score of 54 while Webflow was at 49. That spike represents more designers, creators, and startups exploring or switching to Framer for its visual-first experience and fast shipping.

This shift supports what many in the design world are already seeing, Framer is no longer just “up and coming.” It’s here.

How Many Sites Use Framer vs Webflow

Framer

Framer is newer, but growing fast. According to BuiltWith Framer powers over 232,026 live websites. Adoption is especially high among solo creators, startups, and indie designers.

Source: BuiltWith

Webflow

According to BuiltWith, Webflow powers over 658,432 live websites and is used by brands like Dropbox Sign, TED, and MURAL. It currently powers about 0.6% of the internet.

Source: BuiltWith

Design Experience: Visual Freedom vs Developer Control

Framer

For me, Framer just felt easier from day one. The layout, shortcuts, and entire UI felt familiar because it mirrors how Figma works. I was designing and shipping at the same time. No dev handoff. No CSS headaches.

Framer animations look clean but sometimes feel a little soft or laggy, which I think comes from using Motion.

Webflow

Webflow, on the other hand, gave me more control but also more things to manage. Classes, combo classes, z-index, positioning, it was all there, and it’s powerful, but it slowed me down at first.

If you’re a developer or someone who understands HTML and CSS, you might feel right at home.

When it comes to animations, Webflow felt snappier. That’s probably because it uses GSAP behind the scenes, so transitions and interactions feel super responsive.

So for animations, I choose Webflow over Framer.

Framer CMS vs Webflow CMS

Framer

Framer’s CMS is simpler, but still works great for projects that don’t need a huge content structure. I’ve used it for simple blog sections and dynamic case study pages, and it was fast and smooth.

Webflow

This is where Webflow still wins for now. Its CMS is more mature and better suited for blog heavy or content driven sites. You can create collections, add fields, create custom post types and it feels like a full CMS.

Client Handoff

Framer

Now, here’s a big win for Framer. If you become a Framer Pro Expert, you can join client projects as a project editor, for free. That’s a huge deal when handing off client work.

Framer also has project transfer feature. When you’ve designed a site for a client or someone else and want to transfer the project to them without any downtime, you can use the Project Transfer option.

Webflow

Webflow doesn’t offer this. Clients need their own paid Workspace, or you have to transfer the site entirely, which isn’t always smooth. You can read more about how that works in How to hand off a website to your clients from webflow.

Ecommerce: Selling with Framer vs Webflow

Framer

Framer doesn’t have ecommerce built in. But you can still sell with tools like LemonSqueezy, Gumroad, or Shopify by integrating third party solutions like FramerCommerce or Frameship.

I’ve personally used LemonSqueezy, but now move to Polar to sell Framer templates and while it works well, it’s not as plug and play as Webflow.

Webflow

If you’re planning to build a full ecommerce store with products, inventory, taxes, and shipping, then Webflow’s ecommerce solution is definitely more complete.

It’s all built in and works seamlessly for both physical and digital products.

Affiliate Programs and Selling Templates

If you want to earn money through templates or referrals, both platforms give you pretty solid options.

Framer

With Framer’s affiliate program, you can earn 50% recurring commission for the first 12 months on every paying user you refer.

For selling templates, Framer gives creators 100% of the revenue, which is super generous.

Webflow

Webflow also offers a 50% affiliate commission, which is a great deal if you’re already helping people choose a platform. Plus they also offer up to 15% on top if you are Pro affiliate or Premium Affiliate.

Webflow recently increased their payout from 80% to 95% and also started allowing creators to sell templates outside of their official marketplace, something Framer already allowed from the beginning.

That freedom to sell wherever I want has made a big difference for me. I like that I’m not locked into one ecosystem, especially when I want to promote or price my work how I want.

SEO and Performance

SEO wise, both platforms are strong, but they approach it differently.

Framer

Framer makes it simpler. It has built in SEO settings where you can add meta titles, descriptions, and social sharing details.

Plus, it includes 30 day built in analytics with every site, so you don’t need any extra setup to get basic traffic data.

Webflow

Webflow gives you full control over meta tags, page structure, open graph settings, and even schema markup.

But to track traffic and behavior, you’ll need to pay an add-on to your site plan.

Framer Pricing vs Webflow Pricing

Framer

Framer pricing is simple and includes hosting, CMS, animations, and editor access.

Webflow

Webflow pricing is split into Site Plans, Workspaces, and Ecommerce.

Workspace Plans (for team collaboration)

Ecommerce Plans

Which One Is Better For Who

Which One I Use and Why

I use both and that’s the honest answer.

I use Framer when I want to move fast, get creative, and ship something beautiful. It’s perfect for landing pages, MVPs, and personal projects. The design freedom is unmatched, and I don’t need to worry about code or plugins.

I use Webflow when I need structure, complex CMS features, or full ecommerce. It’s more powerful but also more technical.

For me, it’s not about which one is better overall. It’s about choosing the right one for the right project.