Framer vs Figma Sites vs Readymag
Three design first builders, three very different trade offs. Here is how they compare for production marketing sites.
By FrameCraft · Checked October 2026 · 3 options compared
Short answer
Framer is the most complete of the three for a business website: CMS, SEO controls and hosting are mature. Figma Sites is the quickest way to publish straight from a Figma design, but it's newer and lighter on site features. Readymag suits editorial, portfolio and campaign pages where layout is the point.
At a glance
| Criteria | Framer | Figma Sites | Readymag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design fidelity | Excellent | Excellent (early) | Excellent (editorial) |
| Production CMS | Strong | Limited | Limited |
| SEO control | Strong | Basic | Basic |
| Performance | Excellent | Good | Variable |
| Best for | Marketing + SaaS | Prototypes, micro sites | Editorial, lookbooks |
Framer
A dedicated website builder that grew out of a prototyping tool. It has the most complete feature set of the three for sites that need to rank and grow.
Strengths
- Mature CMS, localisation and SEO settings
- Fast, reliable hosting
- Large template and component ecosystem
Watch out for
- Designs need rebuilding from Figma rather than copying over directly
- Plan costs rise with CMS and locale needs
- Hosted only
Figma Sites
Figma's publishing feature turns designs into live, responsive sites without leaving Figma. It launched in 2025 and is still maturing.
Strengths
- No hand-off: the design file becomes the site
- Familiar to every designer already using Figma
- Good for quick launches, events and prototypes
Watch out for
- Newer, with fewer CMS and SEO features than Framer
- Fewer published case studies of it at scale
- Check accessibility and semantic output carefully
Readymag
A browser-based design tool for layout-led websites, from magazines and lookbooks to portfolios and annual reports. Positioning is free and typographic control is excellent.
Strengths
- Exceptional typographic and layout freedom
- Well suited to storytelling and editorial pages
- Simple to publish and host
Watch out for
- Less suited to content-heavy sites that need to rank
- Free positioning can make responsive behaviour harder
- Smaller ecosystem than Framer
What usually decides it
Long-term site or one-off piece?
For a site you'll grow and optimise for years, Framer's CMS and SEO tooling make it the safer pick. For a launch page, a portfolio or an editorial piece, Figma Sites and Readymag can get you live faster with less setup.
Search visibility
Framer gives you the most control over metadata, structure and indexing. Figma Sites and Readymag cover the basics, but check how headings, alt text and page titles come out before relying on either for organic traffic.
Team workflow
Figma Sites removes the design-to-build handover entirely. Framer feels familiar to Figma users but is a separate tool. Readymag is its own environment with its own way of working.
Which should you choose?
Choose Framer if
- the site is a long-term business asset
- you need a CMS and real SEO controls
- you want a large community and plenty of hiring options
Choose Figma Sites if
- speed from design to live matters most
- the site is small or short-lived
- your team lives in Figma and wants to stay there
Choose Readymag if
- the project is editorial, a portfolio or a campaign
- visual storytelling matters more than search traffic
- you want print-like design control on the web
Questions people ask
Not for most business sites yet. Figma Sites is excellent for quick publishing, but Framer's CMS, localisation and SEO features are more mature. It's worth re-checking as Figma ships updates.
It supports the basics, but it's built for visual storytelling, not content-led SEO. Use it where the design is the point, and a builder like Framer where search traffic matters.
Framer can import from Figma, but most teams rebuild layouts properly in Framer so they're responsive and maintainable.
How we compared
We compare tools on the criteria that decide real projects: what you can build, who can maintain it, search visibility, ownership and cost over time. Each option was checked against its official documentation in October 2026. Features and pricing change often, so confirm the details on the sources below before you commit.
Sources
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