Introducing the long-awaited duel between two powerful tools for web design: Webflow and Framer. These no-code, feature-packed tools offer you endless possibilities for designing breathtaking modern websites. With a wide range of features , each has its own specific and advanced features and a wide range of resources.
Why use Framer and Webflow? What are the different functionalities of these tools? Should you choose one over the other? What's the real difference between them? We'll take an in-depth look at all these points in this Webflow vs. Framer article, so that you end up with a winning no-code tool.
Technology description: creation + what the tool is used for
Technology description of Webflow
Created in 2013, Webflow is a no code web design platform and one of no-code development tools specialized in website design. Like other CMS (Content Management Systems) such as Wordpress, Webflow lets you create your website from scratch, adding functionality and customization to suit your needs.
With its drag-and-drop editor, you can develop static websites, simple landing pages and e-commerce pages to sell your offers online. Its content management system lets you add any type of content - images, articles, videos - to your site while updating it.
Webflow also includes a feature that will delight bloggers. It can be used to manage your site's SEO and optimization. More on these features later.
Technology description of Framer
Framer is a no-code powerful design tool created in 2015. It's widely recognized and recommended for its ability to properly manage your website with interactive design and complex animations. Even Facebook, Google and other platforms have resorted to their solution. Its integrated code editor lets you design the prototype of your website while making it dynamic and interactive.
In other words, you can design the site, add basic functionality so that users can interact with it, and leave you feedback if possible.
Unlike Webflow, which lets you add complex functionality and manage content, Framer focuses specifically on making the front end of sites more attractive and dynamic. In addition, knowledge of JavaScript will help you get the most out of this tool.
Comparison of main differences and characteristics
After this brief presentation of our two tools, we'll now compare their functionality and the context in which they should be used.
User interface of Webflow
Webflow features a drag-and-drop interface to make site design easier for user experience. This eliminates the need to write code. As a result, it allows complete customization to develop sites tailored to your specific needs.
In fact, there are various sections in the editor, notably for managing written content (HTML) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). It also features a design section with a panoply of tools and graphic elements such as panels for: logic, CMS, e-commerce, configuration, etc.
User interface of Framer
Even though Framer is a no-code tool, you can add custom code, particularly JavaScript, to extend its functionality. Framer's interface is easier to understand than that of Webflow. This one has many more sections and complexities that require you to make a few adjustments before you can use it.
Next, the code replacement that lets you enhance already available interactive components to achieve better rendering. Finally, the code component, which lets you create and display custom React components in Framer. By definition, a React component is a toolbox for creating interactive elements on a website or application.
Search Engine Optimisation - SEO
With Webflow, you're guaranteed to create a complete interactive website that can be published online. Despite the fact that the entire design will be done in no code, search engine algorithms like Google will recognize the authenticity of the website. With integrated powerful features such as CMS, you can publish and manage your content without constraint.
What's more, it will help your pages to be better referenced by adding titles, headings, keywords and so on. What's more, webflow allows responsive websites , so all websites developed with Webflow are compatible with all devices. If you subscribe to Webflow's premium offer, you'll benefit from SEO tools to optimize your site, and quality hosting for better positioning.
Like Webflow, Framer helps your site's SEO. In fact, you can use HTML tags and make a success of the semantics code of your content. Framer provides you with analysis tools such as Google Analytics to measure your site's performance over time and make improvements where necessary.
One of the useful features that Framer offers its users is its Site Map. This helps your sites to be better indexed by search engines.
Framer also helps you better structure your site by adding custom tabs, tags and more. Its server also improves page loading speed, and hosts your site on AWS (Amazon Web Service).
Templates
Webflow offers over 2,000 templates to make site design quick and easy. You'll find templates for business, blogging, gaming, e-commerce and templates for creating portfolios. Costs vary according to the array of features you're looking for and your expectations. An important detail is that all templates are responsive.
Framer offers a wide variety of free and paid templates for designing your first site. As soon as you open the template of your choice, Framer duplicates it and installs it on your dashboard. Thereafter, you can modify it as you wish to suit your needs.
You also have full control to modify text, elements or adjust other things from within the CMS (Content Management System). Then, if you run into difficulties, you can always consult the free tutorials available in the resources to get the most out of the template.
Another advantage with Framer templates is that you can get in direct contact with the template designer for support. And, if you're experienced in no-code with Framer, you can always design templates and sell them for extra income.
API integration
Webflow's APIs help developers save precious time and increase productivity when retrieving JSON data from sites. It's even possible to use CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) to modify, update or delete data.
On the one hand, this enables the integration from third party tools for a better connection with Webflow to improve design. On the other hand, it enables interaction with third-party applications through the creation of a Webhook (a means of sending information from one application to another).
Unlike Webflow, Framer does not yet integrate with APIs, and although this feature is under development, it is not yet effective. The only possible opening at present is to enhance your creations on the tool using low code, for those who are into development and know a thing or two about JavaScript.
E-commerce
With Webflow, you can develop an e-commerce site from a template or from scratch (starting from scratch). On this site, you can sell all types of products, both goods and services. E-commerce sites developed with webflow are not limited in terms of functionality.
In fact, you can just as easily design your interface to make it more intuitive. At the same time, you can add custom fields and payment flows to match your products. What's more, with Webflow, you can create a user space for your customers.
Finally, you can take advantage of features that will help you manage your shops and ensure the success of your after-sales service: MailChimp, Quickbooks, Shippo, etc.
Framer, on the other hand, is not suited to developing an e-commerce site, with all that that implies. Although it has templates available, you'll need external integrations such as Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy to qualify as an MVP (minimum viable product).
Responsive support
As we mentioned earlier, all Webflow-based sites are responsive. All you need to do is make a few adjustments and you're all set. Although Webflow's no-code design is responsive, you can still use code to add conditions and further customize your site. This approach allows you to provide different versions of your site on any type of medium, wherever your users might log on.
Framer's responsive option offers various methods for adapting the site to different device formats. To begin with, Framer offers the scaling method, which uses the viewport meta tag to reduce the site's presentation on mobile devices.
Then there are the breakpoints, which make it easy to modify content and layout to suit the size of the screen. There are many ways to make your site adaptive. Multimedia queries enable side-by-side viewing and seamless integration with CSS.
Finally, the third method is reactive elements such as Stack and Grid, which adjust automatically using options such as min-width or flex-wrap. To sum up, scaling requires little work, breakpoints offer more customization and reactive elements facilitate the process.
Multilingual feature
Webflow supports multiple languages to make your site accessible to a wide audience from different backgrounds. This functionality is possible on Webflow without having to resort to code. You can integrate Weglot, which automatically translates your pages. Without any manual processing.
Framer also lets you enjoy a multilingual experience on your site. Again with Weglot, you can easily switch from one language to another, offering a personalised, more inclusive experience. This integration process is quick and easy, with no constraints.
Pricing comparison
Below, we'll go into more detail about the cost of the various tools if you want to go all out.
Webflow pricing structures
Webflow's service offerings are divided into two main categories: the general offering for site construction, and the Workspace offering for those who like to collaborate in groups, particularly agencies.
The first category, dedicated to site construction, includes the Starter package, which is free and ideal for learning how to get started. Secondly, there's the Basic package at $14/month, ideal for launching a simple site. The CMS package costs $23/month and is ideal for blogs or content sites.
Thirdly, the $39/month Business package is recommended for high-traffic marketing sites. However, all packages include a custom domain, generous bandwidth and specific features such as CMS elements and form submissions.
In terms of Workspace service offerings, there's the free Core package at $19/month per seat, offering more control over code and suitable for smaller teams. The Growth package, at $49/month per seat, is designed for growing teams, offering an unlimited number of unhosted sites and advanced permissions.
This category of offers brings together many other advantages for the design process, such as code export, the addition of agency or freelance guests and many other features.
Framer pricing structures
Framer offers different pricing packages to suit your needs. The Free plan is suitable for hobby projects, while the Mini plan is ideal for landing pages at $5/month. The Basic package is suitable for personal sites at $15/month, and the Pro package is suitable for larger sites at $25/month.
Each service offers specific features such as personalized domains, unlimited pages, password protection and CMS collections.
Then there's the Team editor offer at a price of $20 per month for team collaboration. Then there's the Business service offering, which can be customized to suit your company's needs.
At first glance, Webflow's pricing options appear to be higher than those of Framer. However, you should always take into account your needs and your reasons for subscribing to one of these subscriptions.
Advantage/Disadvantage table
Noxcod at your service
At Noxcod, we've mastered both Framer and Webflow to perfection. Although Figma is one of our design creation tools, Framer is also a great resource for developing attractive, responsive prototypes. For all your site design needs, whether it's a blog, a capture page, a portfolio or an e-commerce site, our team has the resources to help you bring your project to fruition.
Conclusion
We've come to the end of our Webflow vs Framer review. Each of these tools is designed to meet specific needs. Webflow is best suited to companies or individuals who want to put a high-performance website online and built online presence, with workflows and functionalities that encourage excellent SERP (search engine page rankings) traffic.
What's more, although Webflow is more complicated to get to grips with than Framer, you can be sure of having an advanced site that has nothing to envy to a site designed entirely with code. This is also one of the reasons why Webflow has a larger community, which is not only due to its age.
Framer is better suited to designers because it is similar to Figma in terms of design. Webflow, on the other hand is better suited to more complex websites, as it has many functions but a steeper learning curve. Its AI makes the design process even easier. What's more, you can use it to design interactive prototypes before officially creating and launching a site.
In short, Framer and Webflow can help you realize your most unimaginable digital projects. Following this Webflow vs. Framer comparison, all that's left to do is making the ideal choice of tool that will help you achieve your goals more quickly.
