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CMS comparison Framer vs Sitecore

Framer vs Sitecore

Framer is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. Sitecore is a closed-source enterprise DXP that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 15.

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  • Framer Site builder · Closed source · 14 of 28 built in
  • Sitecore Enterprise DXP · Closed source · 22 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Framer on 29 Sept 2026, Sitecore 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 Sitecore feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Framer Site builder
Sitecore 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.Sitecore's SaaS digital experience platform, formerly XM Cloud. Sitecore hosts the CMS. Sites render in a separate front-end app.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Framer 3.0 site plans, Free to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Framer B.V. framer.com Sitecore sitecore.com
Licence Closed source Proprietary Closed source Proprietary
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud A paid plan is required to connect a custom domain. No self-hosting Vendor cloud SitecoreAI is SaaS only. Self-hosting needs Sitecore XP 10.5, a separate product.
Built with Hosted SaaS with React code components.NET, Next.js Content SDK
Database Managed by FramerManaged by Sitecore
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. No free option Pricing 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 Templates serialize to files in the repo with Sitecore Content Serialization. 2
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 Templates are items edited in the Content Editor.
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 Page builder with reusable components.
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 Language versions per item.
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 Experience Edge media CDN resizes images with query string parameters. 3
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 Content Items REST API since September 2026. Delivery through Experience Edge is GraphQL. 4
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Built in Experience Edge delivery API. 5
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 Authoring webhooks and Experience Edge publish webhooks. 65
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Not available Headless. Sites render in a separate app, with built-in Vercel and Netlify integrations. 7
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 Saved changes stay unpublished until pushed to Experience Edge. 11
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 Limited Publishing restrictions set availability dates. A publish must still run on the date. 89
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 Numbered item versions.
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 Page builder.
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 Item workflows with states and commands. 6
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 Not available No release bundles. Publishing jobs cover items, subitems and related items. 11
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 Limited Page builder saves concurrent edits per field. Others get a reload prompt. No live updates. 10
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 Roles with item access rights. 12
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Built in Field read and field write access rights. 12
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise. 116 Built in SAML or OIDC through the Sitecore Cloud Portal. 13
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. Limited Common Audit Log covers only the Cloud Portal and leaves out SitecoreAI content. Item actions show in CM logs. 1415
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 Site collections with shared content.
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 Marketplace apps add custom fields, panels and dashboard widgets. 17
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Framer Marketplace. 12 Built in Sitecore Marketplace. 16
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 Built-in Forms with webhook submission handling. 18
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Not available Developers have to build visitor login in the front-end app.
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 Content, variant and translation assistants. Brand kits need Stream Premium. 19
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 Sitecore Marketer MCP server. 20

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)

Sitecore sources

Checked 29 Sept 2026. SitecoreAI, formerly XM Cloud, Sitecore's current flagship SaaS platform.

  1. SitecoreAI documentation for business users
  2. Sitecore Content Serialization in SitecoreAI
  3. Sitecore Experience Edge for XM (media resizing)
  4. SitecoreAI changelog: Components, Content Types and Content Items APIs
  5. Experience Edge
  6. SitecoreAI webhooks
  7. Front-end hosting applications
  8. Schedule publishing availability of a page
  9. KB1003446: Specifics of publishing in SitecoreAI
  10. Editing in the Page builder (concurrent editing)
  11. Publish content in SitecoreAI
  12. The access rights
  13. Sitecore Cloud Portal single sign-on
  14. Sitecore Common Audit Log
  15. Logging in Sitecore XM Cloud (Fishtank)
  16. SitecoreAI Marketplace
  17. Sitecore Marketplace starter (extension points)
  18. SitecoreAI Forms
  19. Sitecore Stream tiers
  20. Sitecore Marketer MCP server

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

Where they differ

Framer and Sitecore get a different status on 15 of the 28 features and the same status on 13. Framer has 14 built in on its baseline edition, Sitecore has 22. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Free option
Framer has a free option. Sitecore has no free option.

Built in on Framer, a different answer on Sitecore 2

  • Renders the website Framer: Built in. Sitecore: Not available.
  • Real-time co-editing Framer: Built in. Sitecore: Limited.

Built in on Sitecore, a different answer on Framer 10

  • Content model in code Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Localization Framer: Plugin or add-on. Sitecore: Built in.
  • REST API Framer: Limited. Sitecore: Built in.
  • GraphQL API Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Webhooks Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Approval workflows Framer: Limited. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Custom roles Framer: Limited. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Field-level permissions Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Single sign-on Framer: Paid tier. Sitecore: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 3

  • Scheduled publishing Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Limited.
  • Content releases Framer: Paid tier. Sitecore: Not available.
  • Audit log Framer: Not available. Sitecore: Limited.

More comparisons

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

Framer against other platforms

Sitecore against other platforms

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

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