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CMS comparison DatoCMS vs Framer

DatoCMS vs Framer

DatoCMS is a closed-source headless CMS that runs on the vendor's cloud. Framer is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 16.

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  • DatoCMS Headless · Closed source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in

Sources checked: DatoCMS on 29 Sept 2026, Framer on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
DatoCMS vs Framer feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
DatoCMS Headless
Framer Site builder
Overview
What it is Hosted headless CMS run by DatoCMS. It delivers content over a GraphQL API, with a REST API for content management.Hosted visual site builder with a CMS, hosting and AI agents. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Framer.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. DatoCMS SaaS, Free, Professional and Enterprise plans SaaS, continuously updated Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor DatoCMS datocms.com Framer B.V. framer.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source Proprietary
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain.
Built with Hosted SaaS with GraphQL delivery and REST management APIs, TypeScript clientHosted SaaS with React code components
Database Managed by DatoCMSManaged by Framer
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Professional €149 per month billed annually, or €199 monthly. Enterprise on request. Free to start Free plan. Basic $10, Pro $30 per site per month billed yearly. Extra editors $20 per month.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Limited Migration scripts run by the DatoCMS CLI, auto-generated from environment diffs. 12 Not available You build collections in the editor or sync them through the Plugin and Server APIs. 313
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 1 Built in 13
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Block library used in modular content and Structured Text fields. 1 Built in Components with properties that content editors can change on-page. 14
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level locales, 5 included and up to 10 with paid add-ons. 1 Plugin or add-on Translation locales add-on, $20 per locale per month. One free locale to try. 117
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Images API with imgix URL parameters. 3 Built in Generates 512 to 4096 px variants served through srcset. 8
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in REST Content Management API reads records. Delivery is GraphQL. 111 Limited Server API in open beta, through the framer-api package over WebSocket. No plain REST. 23
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Built in 1 Not available
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in 1 Not available Webhooks cover form submissions only. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Not available Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in 1 Built in CMS items can stay in draft. 13
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Built in 1 Not available No native scheduling. Third-party Marketplace plugins add it. 18
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited History kept 3 days on Free, 60 days on Professional. 1 Built in Version history and rollback of published versions. 67
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 17 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Click-to-edit overlays on the site in draft mode. 17 Built in Canvas editing and on-page editing of the live site. 14
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Editorial workflows with stage permissions on Enterprise. 16 Limited Editors review and merge Pro branches. Only Deploy permission publishes. No stages. 45
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited Publishing a record can also publish its linked records. No standalone releases. 1 Paid tier Branching on Pro groups changes and ships them in one merge. 15
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Presence and live updates, but a record locks while one editor edits it. 4 Built in Free workspaces allow up to three editors. 1
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Projects include Admin and Editor roles and can create additional roles. The Free plan is limited to 2 editor seats. 15 Limited Fixed roles plus Design, Content and Deploy permissions per project. No role builder. 4
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Rules apply per model, creator, locale and workflow stage. Locale rules need Enterprise. 5 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise, with SCIM provisioning. 1 Paid tier Enterprise. 116
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Not available Not documented publicly.
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in Separate projects per site. 3 on Free, extra projects €39 a month on Professional. 1 Built in A workspace holds many site projects, each on its own plan. 4
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugin SDK for field editors, sidebars and custom pages. 1 Built in Plugins add custom panels and tools to the editor. 11
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in DatoCMS Marketplace. 19 Built in Framer Marketplace. 12
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Not available Built in Native forms. Submissions can also go to a webhook. 10
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Not available
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on Official AI Translations plugin with your own OpenAI, Gemini, Claude or DeepL key. 89 Built in Agents write, rewrite and translate content. AI credits meter usage. 115
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Remote MCP server at mcp.datocms.com. 10 Not available No MCP server. External Agents, in preview, link AI tools through a CLI and skills. 9

Considering more platforms? Compare DatoCMS and Framer with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

DatoCMS and Framer get a different status on 16 of the 28 features and the same status on 12. DatoCMS has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Framer has 14. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Built in on DatoCMS, a different answer on Framer 7

  • Localization DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Plugin or add-on.
  • REST API DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Limited.
  • GraphQL API DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Not available.
  • Webhooks DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Not available.
  • Scheduled publishing DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Not available.
  • Custom roles DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Limited.
  • Official MCP server DatoCMS: Built in. Framer: Not available.

Built in on Framer, a different answer on DatoCMS 5

  • Renders the website DatoCMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Version history DatoCMS: Limited. Framer: Built in.
  • Real-time co-editing DatoCMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Form builder DatoCMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant DatoCMS: Plugin or add-on. Framer: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 4

  • Content model in code DatoCMS: Limited. Framer: Not available.
  • Approval workflows DatoCMS: Paid tier. Framer: Limited.
  • Content releases DatoCMS: Limited. Framer: Paid tier.
  • Audit log DatoCMS: Paid tier. Framer: Not available.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: DatoCMS vs Payload.

DatoCMS against other platforms

Framer against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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