Framer vs WordPress from a Designer's Perspective

Introduction: My Journey from WordPress to Framer

Back when I first started building websites, I was all about WordPress. I used Elementor to build my portfolio, and for a while, it worked. It was free, pretty easy to use, and I didn’t have to touch much code, unless I wanted something fancy like custom animations. That’s when things started to get messy.

Over time, plugin updates would break parts of the site. Managing SEO needed extra tools like Yoast or RankMath, and when something didn’t work, I found myself digging into PHP (which I’m not exactly best friends with).

Now? I use Framer for most of my projects. It’s visual, feels a lot like Figma, and I can create beautiful, animated, responsive sites fast with no code required.

But it’s not perfect either.

If you’re a designer or a solo founder trying to decide between Framer and WordPress, here’s my real experience after building on both.

Getting to know WordPress

WordPress is an open-source CMS that powers a huge chunk of the internet. According to W3Techs, WordPress powers:

• 43.2% of all websites on the internet

• 62.8% of all websites that use a content management system

It’s flexible, powerful, and has been around since 2003. But to get the most out of it, you’ll probably need themes, plugins, and sometimes even custom development.

Getting to know Framer

Framer started as a design tool and evolved into a powerful, no-code website builder. It’s made for designers and feels just like Figma, but your designs actually go live.

While it’s newer, Framer is growing fast::

• 208,147 websites have been built with Framer (Nov 18, 2025)

• It's one of the fastest-growing no-code tools among designers and startups

Source: builtwith

What It's Like to Actually Use Each One

WordPress

When I built my first portfolio site, I used WordPress with Elementor. It made things a lot easier since I didn’t have to write any code. Drag-and-drop was super helpful, especially when I was just starting out.

But whenever I wanted to add animations or something more advanced, it usually meant digging into PHP or writing custom JavaScript, and that’s where I hit a wall.

Plus, whenever a plugin updated, there was always that fear it might crash the site or clash with another plugin.

For SEO, I had to install extra tools like Yoast or RankMath just to handle basic stuff like meta tags and sitemaps.

WordPress was cheap and flexible, but honestly, it came with more maintenance than I was comfortable with.

Framer

Switching to Framer felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s definitely more expensive, but hosting is built in, so I didn’t have to think about managing that part.

The interface is super similar to Figma, which made the learning curve almost nonexistent. I could design, animate, and launch, all from the same place.

Animations and responsive design come built-in, which saved me hours.

One of my favorite features is the AI workshop. It helped me build custom components that I’d never be able to make on WordPress without writing a bunch of code.

Framer also has built-in SEO tools, so I didn’t need any extra plugins, and it even gives you simple site analytics for the past 30 days.

The only real downside? You can’t export your code, so once you build on Framer, you’re pretty much committed to their hosting.

Framer SEO vs Wordpress SEO: Which One Does It Better?

WordPress

With WordPress, you’ll definitely need SEO plugins like Yoast, RankMath, or All-in-One SEO to get started. These tools help you manage things like meta tags, schema markup, sitemaps, and even social sharing previews.

But SEO doesn’t stop there. You’ll also need to install extra tools for things like performance optimization, image compression, analytics, and caching, and getting everything to work smoothly can take a bit of setup.

How fast your site loads really depends on your theme, your hosting provider, and how many plugins you’re running.

Framer

On the other hand, Framer has built-in SEO tools that cover most of what you need. You can easily set meta titles, descriptions, OG image, and generate a sitemap, all without installing anything extra.

The sites are also optimized for speed right out of the box, which definitely helps with search rankings.

Another bonus is Framer’s built-in analytics, which lets you track traffic from the past 30 days without connecting anything external.

You still need to manually write your SEO content and optimize each page, but the whole workflow stays inside the app, which makes things feel simpler.

If you’re curious about Framer seo, I’ve actually written a full article on my experience about Framer seo tips for begginers.

Designer Workflow: Drag vs Design

WordPress

In WordPress, tools like Elementor or Breakdance definitely make building layouts easier, especially if you’re not into coding. But even with those builders, it still feels a bit like stacking blocks, you’re working within a set structure, not designing freely.

If you want to create a complex layout or add smooth animations, you’ll probably end up needing custom code or another plugin. And of course, the more plugins you stack, the higher the risk of something breaking when you least expect it.

Framer

With Framer, the experience is totally different. It feels just like designing in Figma, except the result is a live, interactive website. You get full control over every detail, from layout to animation to responsiveness, all without writing a single line of code.

It’s perfect for quick prototyping and launching, especially if you’re working on MVPs, portfolios, or startup sites where design needs to move fast without friction.

Usage Stats: WordPress vs Framer

Pros and Cons (From My experience)

WordPress

Pros:

• Free to get started

• Massive ecosystem of themes and plugins

• Great for blogs and content-heavy sites

• Full backend control

• Easily hand off to clients

Cons:

• Needs maintenance

• Plugins can break things when updated

• Requires dev skills for advanced stuff

• SEO and speed need extra optimization

• Feels outdated for modern designers

Framer

Pros:

• Fast to launch

• Looks and feels like Figma

• Hosting, SEO, and animation all in one place

• AI Workshop helps build custom features

• Built-in analytics for traffic and performance

Cons:

• More expensive monthly cost

• No code export

• Less ideal for blog-heavy or CMS-heavy sites

• Still growing in terms of third-party integrations

When to Choose Framer or WordPress

Use Framer if:

• You’re a designer who wants full visual control

• You want to launch a SaaS site, portfolio, or landing page fast

• You don’t want to deal with hosting or plugin updates

• You care about speed and want built-in animation and responsiveness

• You’re okay being tied to the Framer ecosystem

Use WordPress if:

• You’re building a blog, magazine, or large content site

• You want complete backend control

• You need complex plugins or integrations (like WooCommerce, forums, etc)

• You’re okay with a bit more maintenance

• You’re on a tight budget

Which one should I pick?

If you asked me a few years ago, I’d say WordPress. But now? I use Framer for all of my projects.

It’s just easier for designers like me. The UI, the built-in features, and the speed of launching, it saves so much time. I can focus on what matters: design, content, and results.

Usually I will start with Framer templates since they save a ton of my time without building website from zero.

That said, WordPress is still a beast if you're running a large blog or want full dev control. There’s no “one-size-fits-all,” but for modern web creators, Framer is catching up fast.