Aaron Rolston
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Templates
Introducing Framer Templates: A Fresh Alternative to Squarespace
Squarespace has long been a favorite for creating beautiful, easy-to-manage websites. But if you’re craving more creative flexibility, Framer—a powerful, design-friendly alternative—might be exactly what you’re looking for.
As someone who values simplicity and effectiveness in website design, you've probably come to appreciate Squarespace's straightforward approach. It's been a steadfast companion in the field of web design for over a decade, and personally, it's how I stepped into the world of design. But recently, you may have noticed I've introduced a new template platform into the Studio Mesa shop: Framer.
I've been using Framer for over a year now: Building client sites, personal projects, and even the Studio Mesa site (gasp), and I can confidently say it's one of the most fun tools I've used in a while. The Framer Template Marketplace is already quite impressive, with over two thousand designs available—but in my opinion, very few have the scale, flexibility, and feature set to make them a no-brainer for real businesses. Most are for hypothetical brands with ultra-specific use cases that just fall flat. I felt that the templates I've made for Squarespace could be similarly useful on this new platform… which is why I've launched Kintsugi for Framer.
But, what are the differences between the platforms? Is Framer worth learning as a primarily Squarespace designer? Who might do well with sticking with Squarespace? Let's get into it.
Framer is a modern website builder blending ease of use with advanced design capabilities. Initially popular as a prototyping tool, Framer now helps you build beautiful, interactive, and highly customized websites without needing deep coding knowledge. For SQSP Pros: That means ZERO Custom CSS for all customizations.
Imagine Framer as something akin to Figma—intuitive, visually driven, and user-friendly—but designed specifically for building responsive, high-performing websites rather than just mockups or prototypes. If you've enjoyed using Figma for design work, Framer will feel familiar, almost like using Figma directly to build your live website. If you can imagine it, you can build it.
Visual overview of Framer's interface, from Framer's home page
Comparing Framer with Squarespace
Now, let's take a more detailed look at how these two platforms stack up. Just to preface: There's no perfect platform. Everyone has their goals and needs, and some platforms will be better than others for accomplishing them. These points are mostly focused on comparing features, with bits of my own experience using both platforms sprinkled in.
Ease of Use and Learning Curve
Squarespace is famously straightforward, making it a go-to choice for those who need websites quickly or have limited design experience. DIY users will typically find Squarespace easier to manage without extensive technical knowledge.
Framer, while intuitive, introduces more initial complexity. It requires a bit more understanding of how websites work, even while technically a "no-code" platform. However, the learning curve is rewarding: Once you've learned the fundamentals, the sky's the limit for what you can make. Being able to easily "Remix"—that's "duplicate" in Framer lingo—free templates (or paid ones, wink) provides the perfect space to learn how things work.
Design Flexibility
Squarespace excels in providing structured, elegant templates that guide users along a clear design path. However, it restricts precise positioning and granular customization. Even with Fluid Engine, there are still many design limitations that can keep you from building the site you envision.
Framer, on the other hand, gives you near-total freedom. You're not confined by strict grids or layouts, allowing designs to become uniquely yours. Imagine the flexibility of designing in Figma and translating that exact vision onto your website seamlessly. Framer also provides limitless global color and text variables, moving beyond Squarespace's five-color palette limitation while keeping consistency easy through global variables.
Integrations and Add-ons
Squarespace includes several built-in services like Email Marketing, Commerce, and Scheduling, which can be crucial for many small businesses. Framer doesn't have these add-ons directly, but excels in integrating seamlessly with third-party apps such as Loops for email marketing or LemonSqueezy for e-commerce, providing flexibility to build precisely the functionality you need. The recent release of Plugins also opens the floodgates for what can be done in Framer.
Framer's robust and growing collection of plugins
Animation and Interactive Elements
Animation is an area where Framer significantly outshines Squarespace. Squarespace offers basic animation capabilities, suitable for most static websites, but Framer goes much further. With Framer, creating smooth transitions, dynamic interactions, and engaging experiences is straightforward. If animations and interactivity form a crucial part of your brand's online experience, Framer becomes very attractive.
Performance and Speed
Website performance is crucial both for user experience and SEO. Squarespace sites generally perform alright, but offer limited optimization—I wrote about this a few years back when comparing my site performance with Webflow (more on that below). Framer is optimized explicitly for speed, giving you faster load times and improved SEO scores right out of the box. This can mean lower bounce rates and better user engagement.
Aside from the metrics, Framer just feels MUCH snappier in comparison to Squarespace. Switching between pages is near-instant, making sites feel more like apps than regular websites. They're also constantly making improvements to the platform to further boost speed and performance.
Framer is constantly working to upgrade platform speed
Fonts and Typography
Squarespace includes Adobe Fonts, a great feature for those loyal to Adobe's ecosystem. Framer doesn’t have Adobe Fonts, but it offers an extensive library of open-source fonts and foundry partnerships, making it easy to find and use stunning typography. Custom fonts are also incredibly easy to add—much simpler than Squarespace.
Framer also has a dedicated OpenType fonts menu for making those small tweaks to your brand's textual look without added code.
Open Source Fonts update in Framer
Cadence of Updates
Squarespace, as a massive international company, releases updates extremely slowly and cautiously—and even with new releases, many features are beta tested and improved over time. In contrast, Framer operates with a smaller, more agile team, delivering updates almost weekly, rapidly responding to user feedback and industry innovations. It's genuinely incredible seeing how many updates, both small and large, this nimble team produces on a regular basis. Squarespace users could only dream of this kind of cadence.
E-commerce Capabilities
Squarespace boasts comprehensive, built-in e-commerce solutions, perfect for most online stores. Framer is still catching up in this area. Although it has e-commerce capabilities that are quickly improving, they're currently less comprehensive than Squarespace's solutions. This could be a make-or-break for many small businesses or DIY website makers, so be sure to fully understand what your brand's needs are when choosing a platform.
Comparison Overview
Framer could be ideal if you:
Feel that Squarespace limits your potential for web development.
Want full creative freedom and control over your website's design.
Enjoy designing in Figma and want a similar experience directly on your website.
Aim to create interactive, animated websites that engage visitors uniquely.
Highly value performance and speed for better SEO and user experience.
Squarespace remains a strong choice if you:
Are a DIY website creator and don't want more complexity.
Prefer a quick, simple setup using professionally structured templates.
Don’t need extensive animation or extreme customization.
Rely heavily on built-in e-commerce solutions without third-party plugins.
Prefer the steadfast, proven option over the shiny, new thing.
How Does Framer Compare to Webflow?
As a quick addition: If you've considered Webflow, you might know it's incredibly powerful but also more challenging to master. In my experience, Framer sits comfortably between Squarespace and Webflow—it gives significantly more design power than Squarespace but maintains a simpler, more enjoyable learning curve than Webflow. If Squarespace feels limiting, but Webflow seems overwhelming, Framer could be the perfect middle-ground option.
Final Thoughts
Both Squarespace and Framer offer excellent value, each suited to different priorities and styles of work. Squarespace remains fantastic for straightforward, reliable, elegant solutions. Meanwhile, Framer offers a fresh, exciting alternative—especially for those who love the feel and flexibility of tools like Figma.
Here's my lofty ambition: To release both Squarespace AND Framer versions of any and all templates I create. I'm starting with Kintsugi for Framer since it's one of my favorite designs, and adds the most value to the marketplace. Transparently, I'm nervous about how receptive Framer designers will be to such a robust (and expensive) template, but… we'll see how things go!
If you're a long-time Squarespace designer looking to try something new, potentially elevating your skillset with a new tool, give Framer a try—you might just love it. And if you're a die-hard Squarespace fan… you'll be the first to know when my next SQSP template drops. I'm happy to answer any questions, just send me a message!
