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CMS comparison Framer vs Liferay DXP

Framer vs Liferay DXP

Framer is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. Liferay DXP is a closed-source enterprise DXP that you can host yourself or run on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 14.

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  • Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in
  • Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 26 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Framer on 29 Sept 2026, Liferay DXP 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
Framer vs Liferay DXP feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Framer Site builder
Liferay DXP Enterprise DXP
Overview
What it is Hosted visual site builder with a CMS, hosting and AI agents. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Framer.Java platform for websites, portals and commerce, with a new object-based CMS. Self-hosted or run by Liferay as PaaS or SaaS.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1. Version 2026.q3.5, released 25 Sept 2026
Vendor Framer B.V. framer.com Liferay, Inc. liferay.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source Proprietary, under the Liferay EULA. Free Tier activation key at no cost
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain. Self-hosting Vendor cloud Free Tier suits smaller-scale use and gets no security patches, SAML or AI Hub.
Built with Hosted SaaS with React code componentsJava, OSGi, React
Database Managed by FramerMySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, IBM Db2
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free plan. Basic $10, Pro $30 per site per month billed yearly. Extra editors $20 per month. Free to start Free Tier at no cost for smaller-scale use. Enterprise Subscription per server instance, price on request.
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. Not available You build collections in the editor or sync them through the Plugin and Server APIs. 313 Built in Definitions export to JSON and deploy from the repo as batch client extensions. 7
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in 13 Built in Objects and web content structures. 6
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Components with properties that content editors can change on-page. 14 Built in Fragments on content pages. 11
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Plugin or add-on Translation locales add-on, $20 per locale per month. One free locale to try. 117 Built in
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Generates 512 to 4096 px variants served through srcset. 8 Built in Adaptive Media generates set image resolutions. 8
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Limited Server API in open beta, through the framer-api package over WebSocket. No plain REST. 23 Built in Headless REST APIs. 9
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in 9
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Not available Webhooks cover form submissions only. 10 Built in Object actions call a webhook on add, update or delete. 10
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in CMS items can stay in draft. 13 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Not available No native scheduling. Third-party Marketplace plugins add it. 18 Built in Display and expiration dates.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Version history and rollback of published versions. 67 Built in
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in 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 Canvas editing and on-page editing of the live site. 14 Built in Inline editing in the content page editor. 11
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Limited Editors review and merge Pro branches. Only Deploy permission publishes. No stages. 45 Built in Kaleo workflow, also included in the Free Tier. 3
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Paid tier Branching on Pro groups changes and ships them in one merge. 15 Built in Publications group changes and publish them together. 12
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Built in Free workspaces allow up to three editors. 1 Not available A page locks while one editor has it open. 13
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Limited Fixed roles plus Design, Content and Deploy permissions per project. No role builder. 4 Built in
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Not available Permissions apply per object, entry or asset. 14
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise. 116 Built in SAML and OpenID Connect. The Free Tier lacks SAML. 315
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Not available Not documented publicly. Built in Audit framework with search and export of events. 16
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in A workspace holds many site projects, each on its own plan. 4 Built in
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Plugins add custom panels and tools to the editor. 11 Built in Client extensions. 7
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Framer Marketplace. 12 Built in Liferay Marketplace. 17
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Built in Native forms. Submissions can also go to a webhook. 10 Built in Liferay Forms.
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Built in
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Built in Agents write, rewrite and translate content. AI credits meter usage. 115 Built in AI Hub writing tools in the new CMS. Not in the Free Tier. 418
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available No MCP server. External Agents, in preview, link AI tools through a CLI and skills. 9 Built in Built-in MCP server released in 2026.Q3, switched on by feature flag. 19

Framer sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise.

  1. Framer pricing
  2. Framer update: Server API (February 2026)
  3. Framer Developers: Server API introduction
  4. Framer Help: members, roles and permissions
  5. Framer: collaboration with branches, reviews and staging
  6. Framer: publish with staging, hosting and rollback
  7. Framer Help: staging and versions
  8. Framer Help: how Framer optimizes images
  9. Framer External Agents
  10. Framer Help: connect Framer forms to a webhook
  11. Framer Developers: plugins introduction
  12. Framer Marketplace plugins
  13. Framer CMS
  14. Framer Help: on-page editing
  15. Framer blog: Framer 3.0 with Agents and Branching
  16. Framer Enterprise
  17. Framer Help: localization
  18. Framer CMS Scheduler plugin (third party)

Liferay DXP sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. Liferay DXP 2026.Q3, Enterprise Subscription. The Free Tier replaced Liferay Portal CE from 2026.Q1..

  1. Liferay DXP 2026.q3.5 release files
  2. Now available: Liferay DXP Quarterly Release 2026.Q3
  3. Liferay DXP Free Tier (Liferay Learn)
  4. Liferay DXP Free Tier: what it is, how to get it, and when to upgrade
  5. CE is sunsetted. What's your next move?
  6. Liferay Learn: Content Management System
  7. Liferay Learn: Client Extensions
  8. Liferay Learn: Using Adaptive Media
  9. Liferay Learn: Consuming GraphQL APIs
  10. Liferay Learn: Object actions
  11. Liferay Learn: Using Content Pages
  12. Liferay Learn: Publications
  13. Liferay Learn: Configuring Locked Pages
  14. Liferay Learn: Objects permissions framework integration
  15. Liferay Learn: Using OpenID Connect
  16. Liferay Learn: Audit Framework
  17. Liferay Marketplace
  18. Liferay AI Hub
  19. Liferay Learn: Using Liferay as an MCP Server
  20. Liferay Learn: Cloud

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

Where they differ

Framer and Liferay DXP get a different status on 14 of the 28 features and the same status on 14. Framer has 14 built in on its baseline edition, Liferay DXP has 26. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Self-hosting
Framer cannot be self-hosted. Liferay DXP can be self-hosted.

Built in on Framer, a different answer on Liferay DXP 1

  • Real-time co-editing Framer: Built in. Liferay DXP: Not available.

Built in on Liferay DXP, a different answer on Framer 13

  • Content model in code Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Localization Framer: Plugin or add-on. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • REST API Framer: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • GraphQL API Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Webhooks Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Approval workflows Framer: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Content releases Framer: Paid tier. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Custom roles Framer: Limited. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Framer: Paid tier. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Audit log Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Framer: Not available. Liferay DXP: Built in.

More comparisons

Framer against other platforms

Liferay DXP against other platforms

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

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