Compare Format and Framer on pricing, features, platforms, and ratings — both Website Builders tools, Subscription vs Freemium (subscription tiers with a free…
At a Glance
Format
Framer
Primary category
Website Builders
Website Builders
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Subscription
Freemium (subscription tiers with a free plan)
Starting price
$14/month (or $10/month billed annually)
Free (paid plans from $10/month)
Free plan
Not documented
Yes
Free trial
Yes
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS
Web
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Not documented
Yes
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Format
Basic — $14/month ($10/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Pro — $24/month ($12/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Pro Plus — $36/month ($15/month billed annually) monthly or annual
Framer
Free — $0 Free forever
Basic — $10/month Monthly or annual
Pro — $30/month Monthly or annual
Enterprise — Custom pricing Annual contract
Pros & Cons
Format
Pros
Commission-free store means photographers keep 100 percent of print and product sale revenue on paid plans
Deep photography-specific workflow integration via Adobe Lightroom sync
Client proofing galleries are built into every plan rather than sold as an add-on
More than a decade of operating history and a large template library aimed specifically at visual portfolios
Annual billing offers a substantial discount versus month-to-month pricing
Cons
Higher standard monthly pricing than some general-purpose website builders if not committing to an annual plan
Feature set is narrowly focused on photography and visual portfolios, less suited to non-visual small businesses
Lower-tier Basic plan has meaningful limits on page count, images, and client galleries
Now owned by Zenfolio, which could eventually affect long-term product direction or brand independence
Framer
Pros
Exceptional visual design freedom and interaction design tools compared to most no-code website builders
Generous free plan supports up to 1,000 pages and a full CMS for evaluation before paying
Renders real production code, resulting in fast-loading published sites rather than a heavier abstraction layer
Rapid recent investment in AI-assisted site generation speeds up the design process
Cons
Smaller third-party plugin, integration, and template ecosystem than WordPress
E-commerce features are less mature than dedicated platforms or longer-established competitors like Webflow
Add-on costs for extra editors, advanced hosting, and A/B testing can increase total cost for larger teams
Enterprise pricing is fully custom, requiring a sales conversation rather than transparent published pricing
Use Cases
Format
Building a professional photography portfolio — Photographers use Format's templates and Lightroom integration to publish a polished, image-heavy portfolio site quickly.
Client proofing and print sales — Photographers share proofing galleries with clients for selection, then sell prints and digital downloads through Format's commission-free store.
Showcasing visual creative work beyond photography — Designers and illustrators use Format's portfolio themes to present visual work with a similarly image-focused layout.
Framer
Startup and company websites — Startups design and publish their primary marketing website without hiring a developer, a workflow used by a large share of a recent Y Combinator batch.
Designer portfolios — Individual designers build visually rich, interactive portfolio sites that showcase design work directly in the browser.
Agency client website delivery — Design agencies build and hand off client websites using Framer's CMS and staging environment for structured collaboration.