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CMS comparison Decap CMS vs Framer

Decap CMS vs Framer

Decap CMS is an open-source headless CMS that you can host yourself or run 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 17.

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  • Decap CMS Headless · Open source · 6 of 28 built in
  • Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Decap CMS 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
Decap CMS vs Framer feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Decap CMS Headless
Framer Site builder
Overview
What it is Open-source Git-based CMS. A React admin app added to your site edits Markdown, YAML or JSON files and commits them to your repository.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. Decap CMS 3, open source. Decap Turbo hosted backend is in public preview. Version 3.16.3, released 22 Sept 2026 Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Decap CMS project (formerly Netlify CMS), maintained in Europe decapcms.org Framer B.V. framer.com
Licence Open source MIT Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting Vendor cloud Decap Turbo, a hosted backend for login and Git access, is in public preview. No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain.
Built with JavaScript, ReactHosted SaaS with React code components
Database Your Git repository on GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Gitea or AzureManaged by Framer
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. The Decap Turbo hosted backend, in public preview, has a Free plan and Pro at €19 per month. 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. Built in Collections and fields are defined in config.yml. 6 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. Not available Built in 13
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in List widget with variable types. 7 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 Side-by-side editing per locale, stored per folder, file or field. 8 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. Not available Media goes to the repo or an external media library. 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. Not available Content is files in Git. Read them through the Git host API. 2 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. Not available Not available
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Not available Use the Git host's webhooks on commit. 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 Pairs with a static site generator. 2 Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Editorial workflow keeps drafts on a branch until merged. 9 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. Not available 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. Not available History lives in Git. The CMS has no revision view. 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 Preview pane with custom templates and styles. 10 Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Limited Preview pane beside the form. No click-to-edit on the live page. 10 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. Limited Fixed Drafts, In review and Ready stages. No per-stage permissions. 9 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. Not available 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 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. Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo, in public preview, has a custom roles add-on at €19 per month on Pro. Core uses Git access. 1214 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 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Limited Sign-in runs through the Git host or Turbo. SAML only where the Git host enforces it. 413 Paid tier Enterprise. 116
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo, in public preview, has an activity log on its Free plan. Core has Git history only. 12 Not available Not documented publicly.
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Plugin or add-on Decap Turbo organizations share members across sites. Turbo is in public preview. Extra sites €10/month. 1412 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 Custom widgets, preview templates and editor components. 1110 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. Not available No official extension directory. 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. Not available 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. Not available Not available No MCP server. External Agents, in preview, link AI tools through a CLI and skills. 9

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

Where they differ

Decap CMS and Framer get a different status on 17 of the 28 features and the same status on 11. Decap CMS has 6 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.

Licence
Decap CMS is open source (MIT). Framer is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Decap CMS can be self-hosted. Framer cannot be self-hosted.

Built in on Decap CMS, a different answer on Framer 2

  • Content model in code Decap CMS: Built in. Framer: Not available.
  • Localization Decap CMS: Built in. Framer: Plugin or add-on.

Built in on Framer, a different answer on Decap CMS 10

  • Content model in the UI Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Image transformations Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Renders the website Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Version history Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Visual editing Decap CMS: Limited. Framer: Built in.
  • Real-time co-editing Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Framer: Built in.
  • Plugin marketplace Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • Form builder Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.
  • AI writing assistant Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 5

  • REST API Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Limited.
  • Content releases Decap CMS: Not available. Framer: Paid tier.
  • Custom roles Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Framer: Limited.
  • Single sign-on Decap CMS: Limited. Framer: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Decap CMS: Plugin or add-on. Framer: Not available.

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