Builder Studio vs Framer
Both are visual website builders with a CMS, hosting and an MCP server for AI agents. Builder Studio serves your site from its own runtime, encodes every image when you publish, and lets you take the code with you.
vsThe short answer
Builder Studio fits when
You want a light site with nothing to configure, a CMS your agents can write to, one plan across several sites, and the option to take the code with you.
Framer fits when
Your team already builds in Framer and uses its hosting, localization add-ons or A/B testing, and keeping the site on Framer suits you.
- Builder Studio
- Its own edge runtime
- Framer
- Framer's CDN, sized by plan
- Builder Studio
- Astro project or React
- Framer
- No HTML export
- Builder Studio
- Every site in a workspace
- Framer
- One site
- Builder Studio
- US$9/mo
- Framer
- From $10 a month
What runs your site?
Builder Studio compiles your canvas to HTML and CSS and serves it from its own runtime on Cloudflare's edge, on every plan. A static page carries no framework: no React and nothing to hydrate. A link a visitor is about to open loads ahead of the click.
On a real home page with 13 images, that's 11.9 KB of HTML and 3.4 KB of analytics script. Framer hosts your site on a global network sized by plan: 20 locations on Basic and 300+ on Pro.
What happens when you press Publish?
Publish takes the site live on a builder.website address or your own domain. Each publish is a complete version with its images and fonts pinned. A CMS update doesn't rebuild the design: the live page is filled with your new content and nothing is compiled.
Restore any of your newest 50 versions without a rebuild. If something would break, publish stops and names the problem, and Ask Builder to fix hands it to the agent. Framer lists staging and branching with previews on Pro.
Can an agent run your CMS?
Yes. Over MCP, a connected agent can create collections and write up to 25 items in one transaction, with their slugs, status, publish dates and SEO. If one item is refused, nothing in that call is written, and a retry with the same key writes once. The live site changes only at the next publish.
Collections take typed fields, references, galleries and option lists, with drafts, schedules, CSV import and WordPress import that redirects the old addresses. Framer's MCP server, in preview, also reaches the CMS. Its plans include 2 collections and 1,000 items on Basic, and 10 and 2,500 on Pro, with paid add-ons beyond that.
What happens to your images?
Publish encodes each image as WebP at the widths your layout can ask for, then adds an AVIF of each as it's ready. The browser fetches the size the layout needs, and the page preloads the largest image in its first view. You don't set any of this up.
The swan here is an 864 KB PNG. At 840 pixels wide it publishes as a 9 KB AVIF, encoded at publish's real settings. Framer's help center says it converts most images to AVIF, in sizes from 512 to 4,096 pixels on the longer side.
How do AI agents work on each?
Builder Studio hosts its MCP server at https://builder.studio/api/mcp, and agents sign in with OAuth or a workspace API key. An agent such as Claude Code works on the same canvas you design on. Framer's MCP server is in preview and free on every plan during the preview.
Inside the editor, Builder edits the canvas and generates images, video and sound, paid from your workspace's AI balance. Framer's own agents use credits: 1,000 a month on Basic and 3,000 on Pro.
Can you take your site with you?
Yes. Export a canvas as an Astro project with its routes, CMS content and SEO settings, export React and CSS for any page or layer, or have an agent open a draft pull request in your GitHub repository. Framer's help center says it does not offer HTML export for self-hosting.
Exports aren't how your site runs: it publishes to our runtime, and the files are there when you want them.
How does the price change with more sites?
One plan covers every site in a workspace: 1 on Free, up to 15 on Studio. Framer prices its plans per site, with Basic from $10 a month and Pro from $30 a month. From 6 to 9 sites on their own domains, Framer Basic costs less.
Sites aren't the whole bill. Count the people who edit, your CMS items and your AI use too: 1 member per workspace on Free, 2 on Pro and 5 on Studio, owner included. Framer's extra editors are $20 a month each, content editors $10, and viewers are free.
| Sites | Builder Studio | Framer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$9Starter | $10Basic × 1 |
| 3 | US$20Pro | $30Basic × 3 |
| 5 | US$20Pro | $50Basic × 5 |
| 6 | US$99Studio | $60Basic × 6 |
| 9 | US$99Studio | $90Basic × 9 |
| 10 | US$99Studio | $100Basic × 10 |
Each site on its own custom domain, at list prices. Framer Basic is listed from $10 a month per site with yearly billing. Editors, CMS items, bandwidth and AI use aren't counted.
Can you bring your design system?
Builder Studio imports CSS, DTCG token files, Figma Variables or Tokens Studio as variables and styles, with no plugin to install.
On Framer, plugins in its marketplace do this: Tokens Studio for Framer exports design tokens to Framer styles.
Side by side
| Capability | Builder Studio | Framer |
|---|---|---|
| Publishing | ||
| Hosted address on the free plan | YesEvery site gets a builder.website subdomain. | YesThe Free plan includes a Framer domain. |
| Custom domain | YesCustom domains start on Starter (US$9/mo) with 1, up to 10 on Studio. | YesA custom domain needs a paid plan. Basic and Pro include one. |
| CMS collections and items | Yes250 published items per site on Free. | Yes2 collections and 1,000 items on Basic; 10 collections and 2,500 items on Pro, with paid add-ons beyond that. |
| Redirects | YesAdd redirects yourself; moving a page records a 301 from its old address. | YesSite redirects are listed on the Pro plan. |
| Agents and code | ||
| MCP server for outside agents | YesHosted at https://builder.studio/api/mcp. Agents sign in with OAuth or a workspace API key. | YesIn preview, and free on every plan during the preview. |
| AI agent inside the editor | YesBuilder edits the canvas and generates images, video and sound, paid from your workspace's AI balance. | YesAgents use credits: 1,000 a month on Basic and 3,000 on Pro. |
| Export the site as code | YesExport an Astro project with routes, CMS content and SEO settings, or React and CSS for any layer. | NoFramer's help center says it does not offer HTML export for self-hosting. |
| Import an existing design system | YesImport CSS, DTCG token files, Figma Variables or Tokens Studio as variables and styles. | YesThrough marketplace plugins such as Tokens Studio for Framer, which exports tokens to Framer styles. |
| Plans | ||
| Free plan | YesFree plan: 1 published site on a builder.website address, 3 canvases and a US$2 one-time AI balance. | YesA Framer domain, 1 GB of bandwidth and 500 AI credits to try. |
| Paid plans | YesStarter US$9/mo, Pro US$20/mo, Studio US$99/mo. One plan covers every site in a workspace: 1 on Free, up to 15 on Studio. | YesBasic from $10 a month and Pro from $30 a month, per site. |
| More people editing | Yes1 member per workspace on Free, 2 on Pro and 5 on Studio, owner included. | YesExtra editors are $20 a month each, content editors $10, and viewers are free. |
Questions before you choose
Can I use my own domain on the free plan?
Not on either. Custom domains start on Starter (US$9/mo) with 1, up to 10 on Studio. Framer's pricing page says connecting a custom domain needs a paid plan.
Can I take the site's code with me?
Builder Studio exports a canvas as an Astro project with its routes, CMS content and SEO settings. Framer's help center says it does not offer HTML export for self-hosting.
Do both work with AI agents?
Yes. Framer lists an MCP server in preview on every plan. Builder Studio hosts its MCP server at https://builder.studio/api/mcp, and agents sign in with OAuth or a workspace API key. How the MCP server works.
How should I compare costs?
Count the sites you run, the people who edit, your CMS items and your AI use, then price that against Builder Studio pricing and Framer pricing. One plan covers every site in a workspace: 1 on Free, up to 15 on Studio. Framer prices plans per site.
Can I move a Framer page across?
Ask Builder to rebuild a page from a screenshot of it, then check the layout, the responsive views and the links before you publish. Moving a page is a rebuild, not a file import.
Sources
Checked November 1, 2026 against Framer's own pages and Builder Studio's current product. Plans change, so confirm details with Framer before you decide.
Try it with one page
Build a page on the Free plan and publish it on a builder.website address.
Related
- AlternativesFramer alternativeWhen code you can host yourself, one plan for several sites or agent access matters more than staying put.
- GlossaryPublished siteA live website compiled from the pages of one canvas and served on a builder.website subdomain or your own domain. Each publish is kept as a version you can return to.
- PlatformMCP server: Builder Studio for agentsThe protocol agents use to read and edit your canvases.