Choosing between Framer and Wix? Dive into our detailed analysis to make an informed decision for your design and frontend needs.
Irvin Zhan
•
2025-01-13
When choosing a platform to build and manage your website, Framer and Wix often come up as two leading options. Both are popular tools but cater to different needs. In this article, we'll compare their key features, pricing, limitations, and user reviews to help you decide clearly and confidently.
Framer: Overview and Key Features
Framer is a design tool that combines visual design with powerful prototyping capabilities, catering to both designers and developers.
Visual Design Interface: Framer offers a user-friendly interface for creating high-fidelity designs. Users can drag and drop elements, customize styles, and see real-time previews.
Advanced Prototyping: Framer allows the creation of interactive prototypes with complex animations and transitions. This helps in visualizing user interactions before development.
Code Components: Users can integrate custom code components using React. This feature enables the addition of dynamic elements and advanced functionalities.
Collaboration Tools: Framer supports real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on the same project simultaneously. This feature is essential for team-based projects.
Design Systems: Framer includes tools for creating and managing design systems. Users can maintain consistency across projects by reusing components and styles.
SEO Optimization: Framer provides built-in SEO tools, including meta tags, alt text for images, and customizable URLs. These features help improve search engine rankings.
Custom Plugins: Framer supports a variety of plugins, such as Lottie for animations and Unsplash for stock images. These plugins extend the platform's functionality.
Responsive Design: Framer allows the creation of responsive designs that adapt to different screen sizes. Users can set breakpoints and adjust layouts for various devices.
Framer's Reviews
Overall, user feedback on Framer highlights its ease of use and powerful design capabilities, though some users note a steep learning curve and high pricing.
G2: 4.4/5
"Easy to use and good default designs make it easy and fast to set up a modern-looking website." - Verified User in Computer Software, 4/5
"By creating new components as per our wish, we can try our creative animation and ideas. Best free templates." - Soniya S., 4/5
"Easy to understand and use, especially for those familiar with Figma. Great customer support and integration with other tools." - Jorge H., 5/5
"Initially promising but caused significant issues with blog post URLs and SEO rankings." - Güven S., 2/5
"Easy to create and publish portfolio websites, seamless integration with Figma." - Ayush S., 4/5
Positive Aspects:
Easy to use and intuitive interface
Good default designs and templates
Fast setup and creation of modern-looking websites
Integration with other design tools like Figma
Real-time collaboration and customizable components
Common Concerns:
Steep learning curve for advanced features
Expensive pricing, especially for additional features and localization
Limited customization options
Issues with blog functionality and SEO rankings
Lack of direct support for critical issues
Wix: Overview and Key Features
Wix is a widely-used website builder known for its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options.
Drag-and-Drop Editor: Wix offers an intuitive drag-and-drop editor, allowing users to place elements anywhere on the page without needing coding skills.
Template Library: Wix provides a vast library of over 500 designer-made templates, catering to various industries and styles, which users can customize to fit their needs.
App Market: The Wix App Market includes numerous third-party apps and plugins, such as Google Analytics for tracking site performance and Ecwid for adding e-commerce functionality.
SEO Tools: Wix includes built-in SEO tools like customizable meta tags, alt text for images, and a structured data markup tool to improve search engine visibility.
Mobile Optimization: Wix automatically creates a mobile-friendly version of websites, ensuring they look good and function well on smartphones and tablets.
Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence): Wix ADI helps users create a personalized website by asking a few questions and then generating a site based on their answers.
Hosting and Security: Wix provides secure hosting with free SSL certificates, ensuring data protection and faster load times for websites.
Wix's Reviews
Overall user feedback on Wix highlights its user-friendly interface and extensive features, though some users note issues with customization and pricing.
G2: 4.2/5
"Liked the ease of website functionality and real-time updates but found the SEO features terrible and unsupported." - Andrew C., 1/5
"Found the platform to be a jack-of-all-trades but master of none, with hidden upcharges and confusing subscription plans." - Dave M., 0/5
"Praised the simplicity and ease of use, especially for beginners, but found the initial pricing guide misleading." - Juan S., 5/5
"Appreciated the ease of use and simplicity but mentioned that pricing could be more reasonable for loyal customers." - Tom R., 5/5
"Found Wix very user-friendly but had issues with SEO functionality." - Beth L., 5/5
Positive Aspects:
User-friendly drag-and-drop editor
Extensive template library
Advanced SEO and eCommerce features
Built-in marketing tools
Full blogging capabilities
Common Concerns:
Limited customization options
High pricing and hidden upcharges
Issues with SEO functionality
Customer support concerns
Confusing subscription plans and renewal practices
Feature Comparison: Framer vs. Wix
Similarities
Despite targeting slightly different audiences, Framer and Wix share some important similarities:
User-friendly Interfaces: Both platforms offer visual, drag-and-drop editors, allowing users to build and manage websites without coding skills.
SEO Tools: Each platform includes built-in SEO tools, such as customizable meta tags and alt text for images, to improve search engine visibility.
Hosting Services: Both provide secure, managed hosting, ensuring users don't have to worry about server maintenance or security.
Template Libraries: Framer and Wix offer extensive libraries of customizable templates, catering to various industries and styles.
Third-party Integrations: Both platforms support numerous third-party integrations, enhancing functionality through plugins and apps.
Collaboration Features: Each platform includes tools for real-time collaboration, allowing multiple team members to work on projects simultaneously.
Differences
Critical differences between Framer and Wix will likely influence your choice.
Primary Focus:
Framer: Emphasizes design flexibility and prototyping capabilities, catering primarily to designers.
Wix: Focuses on providing a user-friendly website builder with comprehensive business solutions.
Customization and Design Flexibility:
Framer: Offers a true design canvas with advanced animation and prototyping features.
Wix: Provides extensive customization through a drag-and-drop editor and AI tools, but with less emphasis on prototyping.
Business Features:
Wix: Includes built-in business management tools like scheduling, CRM, and marketing automation.
Framer: Lacks integrated business management tools, focusing more on design and prototyping.
Template Library:
Wix: Offers over 900 customizable templates for various industries.
Framer: Provides a smaller selection of templates, focusing on high-fidelity design elements.
Third-Party Integrations:
Framer: Integrates with design-focused tools like Figma and Notion.
Wix: Supports a wide range of third-party apps through its App Market, including Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel.
Pricing Comparison: Framer vs. Wix
Framer Pricing
Framer offers a range of pricing plans tailored to different business needs, from startups to large enterprises.
Startup Plan: $75 per month (billed yearly)
Pages: 15,000
Bandwidth: 200 GB
CMS Collections: 20
Editors: 6 max, $40 per editor
Version History: 90 days
File Storage: 50 GB
File Uploads: 50 MB
Form Entries: 5,000
Redirects: 250
CDN: Global
Custom Proxy: $350
Uptime SLA: 99.99%
SSO for Sites: Yes
Locales: 5 max, $40 per locale
Support: Community support
Billing: Automated
SSO for Editors: Yes
Access Controls: Yes
SOC Type 2: Yes
ISO 27001: Yes
Scaleup Plan: $200 per month (billed yearly)
Pages: 30,000
Bandwidth: 500 GB
CMS Collections: 30
Editors: 6 max, $40 per editor
Version History: 120 days
File Storage: 100 GB
File Uploads: 100 MB
Form Entries: 10,000
Redirects: 500
CDN: Global
Custom Proxy: Included
Uptime SLA: 99.99%
SSO for Sites: Yes
Locales: 5 max, $40 per locale
Support: Premium support
Billing: Automated
SSO for Editors: Yes
Access Controls: Yes
SOC Type 2: Yes
ISO 27001: Yes
Enterprise Plan: Custom pricing and billing terms
Pages: Custom
Bandwidth: Custom
CMS Collections: Custom
Editors: Custom
Version History: 180 days
File Storage: Custom
File Uploads: 150 MB
Form Entries: Custom
Redirects: Unlimited
CDN: Premium
Custom Proxy: Included
Uptime SLA: 99.99%
SSO for Sites: Yes
Locales: Custom
Support: Priority support
Billing: Custom
SSO for Editors: Yes
Access Controls: Yes
SOC Type 2: Yes
ISO 27001: Yes
Wix' Pricing
Wix offers a variety of pricing plans to cater to different business needs and budgets.
Business Elite: $159 per month
Free domain for 1 year
Unlimited storage space
Multi-cloud hosting
Advanced marketing suite
Accept payments
Advanced eCommerce
Advanced developer platform
100 site collaborators
Priority customer care
Advanced branded eGift cards
Unlimited back in stock notifications
Primary plus 10 currencies
50,000 products for dropshipping by Modalyst
75 lead-capture forms
100 fields per form
Google Ads with Wix
Get Found Today app by Uberall free for 1 year
Customer accounts
Plans and recurring payments
Sell on marketplaces and social channels
Automated sales tax for 500 transactions per month
Abandoned cart recovery
Automatic discounts
Accept pre-orders
Accept manual orders
Loyalty program and tiers
Loyalty points expiration
Referral program
Product reviews
Back in stock notifications
Business: $36 per month
Free domain for 1 year
100 GB storage space
Multi-cloud hosting
Standard marketing suite
Accept payments
Standard eCommerce
10 site collaborators
24/7 customer care
Advanced branded eGift cards
Unlimited back in stock notifications
Primary plus 5 currencies
250 products for dropshipping by Modalyst
25 lead-capture forms
75 fields per form
Google Ads with Wix
Get Found Today app by Uberall free for 1 year
Customer accounts
Plans and recurring payments
Sell on marketplaces and social channels
Automated sales tax for 100 transactions per month
Abandoned cart recovery
Automatic discounts
Accept pre-orders
Accept manual orders
Loyalty program and tiers
Loyalty points expiration
Referral program
Product reviews
Back in stock notifications
Core: $29 per month
Free domain for 1 year
50 GB storage space
Multi-cloud hosting
Basic marketing suite
Accept payments
Basic eCommerce
5 site collaborators
24/7 customer care
Basic branded eGift cards
10 back in stock notifications per month
25 products for dropshipping by Modalyst
10 lead-capture forms
50 fields per form
Google Ads with Wix
Get Found Today app by Uberall free for 1 year
Customer accounts
Plans and recurring payments
Sell on marketplaces and social channels
Abandoned cart recovery
Automatic discounts
Accept pre-orders
Accept manual orders
Loyalty program
Product reviews
Light: $17 per month
Free domain for 1 year
2 GB storage space
Multi-cloud hosting
Light marketing suite
2 site collaborators
24/7 customer care
Subframe, a Better Alternative to Framer and Wix
Subframe is a visual UI design tool that stays in sync with code. We combine a drag-and-drop editor with real, component-based design, allowing precise control for pixel-perfect, responsive layouts. Subframe instantly translates designs into clean, production-ready React and Tailwind code, removing the need for handoff and speeding up delivery.
Subframe's Features
Subframe is the UI design tool for the AI era, offering a seamless blend of design and code.
Component-Based Design: Create user interfaces with real, reusable components instead of static mockups. The visual editor includes a responsive drag-and-drop canvas for building precise, production-ready layouts.
Pre-Built UI Templates: Access a library of customizable templates inspired by established design patterns. Each template is built with reusable components to help speed up the design process.
Code Export: Generate clean, production-quality React and Tailwind code. Designs can be copied directly into a codebase, reducing time spent on handoff and manual CSS adjustments.
Free to Get Started: Enjoy free access to visual design tools with no credit card required.
AI-Driven Design: Leverage AI to quickly transform ideas into interfaces, adapting to your design style for a personalized experience.
Subframe's Pricing
Subframe pricing offers flexible options to suit different needs:
Free Plan: $0 per user/month
1 project
Up to 3 page designs
Up to 3 team members
100s of UI templates
Limited AI features
Pro Plan: $29 per user/month
Up to 3 projects
Unlimited page designs
Unlimited team members
Custom components
100s of UI templates
Full AI beta access
Custom Plan: Custom pricing
Unlimited projects
Unlimited page designs
Integrate your components
Dedicated Slack support
Figma plugin
Unlimited AI
For more details, visit the Subframe Pricing page. Book a demo with Subframe to see how it can transform your design process.
Subframe's Reviews
Users have shared positive feedback about Subframe, noting its user-friendly interface, time-saving tools, and the quality of the UI designs it produces. The platform has earned a 5/5 rating on Product Hunt. Customers especially value the visual editor, drag-and-drop functionality, and AI features that help refine designs based on user input.
"Without Subframe, the frontend build of this tool would've taken a lot longer and a lot more financial resources." - Erin Kim
"Subframe helped us make a super clean UI for our console without designers." - Carl Peterson
"Huge shoutout to Subframe guys! Super easy to create UI, and the support is great. Highly recommend!" - Amartya Jha
Framer, Wix or Subframe? Which is The Best Tool For You
Framer, Wix, and Subframe each offer unique strengths tailored to different user needs. Framer excels in design flexibility and prototyping, making it ideal for designers who need advanced animation and interaction capabilities. Wix stands out with its user-friendly drag-and-drop editor and comprehensive business solutions, perfect for those looking to build a website quickly without coding skills.
However, if you seek a platform that seamlessly integrates design and code, Subframe is the optimal choice. It combines real component-based design with AI-powered features, allowing you to generate production-ready React and Tailwind code effortlessly. This makes Subframe a standout option for those who want both design flexibility and efficient code generation in one platform.
Get started on Subframe for free to see how it can streamline your workflow and elevate your design process.
Join thousands of happy builders.
Subframe lets you build stunning UI with beautifully crafted components and a drag-and-drop visual editor.
