Framer’s pricing page looks simple until you’re actually trying to launch a client site and realize the plan you picked doesn’t cover custom domains, or the CMS collection limit is smaller than you thought. Here’s what each tier actually gets you, where people get tripped up, and how to pick without overpaying.
The Free Plan: Good for Prototypes, Not Client Work
Framer’s free tier lets you build and publish on a framer.app subdomain. It’s genuinely useful for portfolio drafts, internal mockups, or testing a layout idea before committing budget. What it doesn’t give you: a custom domain, and that’s the dealbreaker for almost any real project. If you’re freelancing or running an agency, treat the free plan as a sandbox, not a deliverable.
Mini: The Starting Point for Real Sites
The Mini plan (around $10/month billed annually) is Framer’s entry-level paid tier. It adds a custom domain, which is the one thing most people actually need. It caps CMS items at a modest number and doesn’t include the full CMS feature set, so if your site is basically static — a landing page, a simple brochure site, a single-page portfolio — Mini covers it fine. Where it falls short: if you want a blog with more than a handful of posts, or you need form submissions beyond a trivial volume, you’ll outgrow it fast.
Basic and Pro: Where Most Freelance/Agency Work Lands
The Basic tier (around $20/month annually) unlocks a bigger CMS item allowance and more form submissions — this is the realistic floor for a blog-driven marketing site or a small business site with a contact form that actually gets used. Pro (around $30/month annually) pushes CMS limits further and adds things like password protection, staging environments, and higher traffic ceilings. If you’re publishing content regularly (a blog, a resources section, case studies), Pro is usually the plan that stops you from hitting walls mid-project.
The gotcha here: prices roughly double if you bill monthly instead of annually. If you’re committing to a client site for more than a few months, annual billing pays for itself quickly.
Comparison Table
| Plan | Custom Domain | CMS Collections | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | No | Limited | Prototypes, internal drafts |
| Mini | Yes | Small | Static landing pages |
| Basic | Yes | Moderate | Small blogs, brochure sites |
| Pro | Yes | Large | Content-driven sites, agencies |
Workspace Seats vs Site Plans
A detail that confuses new users: Framer separates workspace billing (how many people can edit) from site billing (what each published site can do). You can have a free workspace with one paid site plan attached, or a paid workspace managing multiple sites each on their own plan. If you’re an agency managing five client sites, you’re paying per-site, not once for the workspace — budget accordingly when you scope a project.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the free plan supports a real domain. It doesn’t — you’ll hit this wall the moment you try to point a client’s DNS at it.
- Underestimating CMS growth. A blog that starts with 10 posts often hits 100 within a year; pick a plan with headroom, not just enough for launch day.
- Forgetting monthly vs annual pricing. Annual billing is usually 30-40% cheaper per month — lock it in once the project is confirmed to be long-term.
- Not checking current numbers before quoting a client. Framer adjusts CMS/form limits periodically — check the live pricing page before finalizing a proposal.
FAQ
Can I switch plans after launch?
Yes, upgrades and downgrades are available anytime from the site’s settings; downgrading may require trimming content if you’re over the new plan’s limits.
Does Framer charge extra for SSL?
No, SSL/HTTPS is included automatically on custom domains at every paid tier.
Is there a plan for e-commerce?
Framer added commerce features to its higher tiers; if you need a storefront, check the current plan page for the specific commerce tier, since this is one of the areas Framer updates most often.
What happens if I exceed my CMS limit?
You’ll be prompted to upgrade before you can add more items — existing published content isn’t taken down.
The Verdict
For a single client landing page with no blog, Mini is enough. For anything with an ongoing content section — which is most real business sites — budget for Basic or Pro from the start rather than migrating plans mid-project. Always re-check the live pricing page before quoting, since Framer revises tier limits more often than most page builders.
