Squarespace Forma vs Framer (2026): Which AI Builder Should You Use?

Disclosure: SquareLocator earns a commission from some of the products linked in this article, at no extra cost to you.

Framer is a design-first website builder you can use today, with AI tools layered onto a Figma-style canvas. Squarespace Forma is a new prompt-based builder for websites and apps, in early alpha with access by waitlist only. If you need a site live this month, Framer (or Squarespace 7.1) is the realistic choice. Forma is the one to watch if you want Squarespace to handle hosting, domains and payments while you build something closer to an app.

I run Altitude, a Squarespace Platinum Partner agency with more than 400 client builds, and I have early access to Forma through an invitation from Squarespace's CEO. Forma is an alpha, so this comparison sticks to what Squarespace has made public and what Framer publishes on its own pricing and product pages. I will add hands-on findings as Forma opens up.

Forma vs Framer at a glance

	Squarespace Forma	Framer
What it is	Prompt-based AI builder for websites and apps	Design-first website builder with AI tools on a visual canvas
Status	Early alpha, waitlist only	Generally available
How you start	A written prompt, no templates	Blank canvas, template or AI-generated first draft
Editing	Mainly by prompt (details not yet published)	Pixel-level visual editing, plus AI
Apps	Positioned for apps as well as sites (stock tools, portals, schedules shown in demos)	Marketing sites, portfolios and landing pages
Pricing	Not announced	Free plan; Basic $10 and Pro $30 a month per site, billed yearly
AI usage	Not announced	Monthly AI credits (1,000 on Basic, 3,000 on Pro) that do not roll over
Hosting, domains, payments	Squarespace says it will provide these	Hosting and domains included; no built-in store
Login	tryforma.com with a Squarespace account	framer.com account

Framer figures are from Framer's pricing page as of October 2026 and are per published site.

The core difference: canvas vs conversation

Framer grew out of design tools, and it still feels like one. You place, size and animate elements on a canvas much as you would in Figma, then publish. Its AI features (first-draft page generation, AI agents that can create and populate CMS collections, translation) sit on top of that canvas. You can always drop down to direct manipulation when the AI gets something wrong.

Forma starts from the other end. Squarespace describes it as a builder that turns written prompts into custom websites and apps, with no template to begin from. The Circle Day demos showed a stock tracker that sends a low-inventory alert, a cycling club site with a class timetable, and a portal where students share notes. Each of those needs stored data, user accounts or automated messages, which is territory Framer does not really aim at.

So the question is less "which is better" and more "what are you building". A design-led marketing site points to Framer. A small business tool with logins and data points towards where Forma is heading.

AI features

Framer meters AI with monthly credits: 1,000 on Basic and 3,000 on Pro, and a landing page uses roughly 300. Unused credits expire at the end of the month, and when they run out the AI features stop until your next billing date. The canvas keeps working, so you are never locked out of your own site.

Forma is AI native from the ground up, according to Squarespace's Circle Day keynote. How usage will be measured, and whether there will be visual editing alongside prompts, has not been published. That second point matters more than it sounds: the reason Squarespace wins so much client work is that non-technical people can change a heading without breaking anything.

Pricing

Framer's pricing has moved twice in a year, both times downwards. As of October 2026 there is a free plan on a framer.website subdomain with a Framer banner, then Basic at $10 a month and Pro at $30 a month, each billed yearly and charged per site. Extra editors are $20 a month each, and content-only editors $10. Three client sites on Basic means three subscriptions.

Forma pricing has not been announced, including whether it will sit inside existing Squarespace plans or be billed separately, and whether AI use will be metered. I will update this section the day it is published. Our Forma explainer tracks everything confirmed so far.

CMS, content and scale

Framer's CMS is well developed: Basic includes 2 collections and 1,000 items, Pro 10 collections and 2,500 items, with paid add-ons beyond that. It is a solid choice for a blog, case studies or a resources library on a design-heavy site.

Forma's approach to content has not been documented. If its "apps" include real databases, it may handle structured data differently from a traditional CMS, but that is speculation until Squarespace publishes details.

Hosting, domains, payments and handover

This is where Squarespace is placing its bet. In the Circle Day keynote, Squarespace said customers should not have to build things like email systems, domains or payment rails themselves, because those carry security, compliance and risk. Forma uses your Squarespace login, which suggests it will tap into Squarespace domains, payments and accounts. If that holds, Forma could offer something standalone AI builders struggle with: the speed of prompting without taking on hosting and security yourself.

Framer includes fast hosting, SSL and custom domains on paid plans, but has no built-in shop or payments. Most Framer sites that sell things connect a third-party checkout.

From an agency point of view, handover is the deciding factor. On Squarespace 7.1 we can hand a hotel or charity a site their team runs themselves for years. Framer handover works well for clients comfortable with a design tool. Whether Forma output is easy for a client to edit is the single biggest open question, and the one I am testing first.

Which should you choose?

Choose Framer if

• You are a designer who wants pixel-level control and strong animation.
• You are building a marketing site, portfolio or landing page and need it live now.
• You are comfortable paying per site and managing AI credits.

Watch Forma if

• You want to build small business tools (portals, booking, stock alerts) rather than just pages.
• You would rather Squarespace handled domains, payments and security for you.
• You already run sites on Squarespace and want everything under one account.

Choose Squarespace 7.1 if

• You need a business site live today that clients can edit easily. Forma is not ready for live business sites yet, and 7.1 is still being developed. Our Squarespace vs Framer comparison covers that decision in detail, and the template directory and plugin directory fill most of the gaps.

Our verdict so far

Today this is not a close contest, because only one of them is available. Framer is a mature, design-led builder with fair pricing. Forma is a promising alpha with a different ambition: apps as well as sites, with Squarespace carrying the operational load. If you are a designer shipping marketing sites, use Framer or Squarespace 7.1 now. If you are curious about building tools for small businesses without the hosting headaches of vibe coding, join the Forma waitlist and check back here as we test it.

More on Forma

• What Is Squarespace Forma? Everything We Know So Far
• Squarespace Forma vs Webflow
• Squarespace Forma vs Lovable
• Squarespace Forma vs Blueprint AI
• How to Join the Squarespace Forma Waitlist

Frequently asked questions

Is Squarespace Forma better than Framer?

Not yet, because Forma is an early alpha with waitlist access only. Framer is available now and strong for design-led marketing sites. Forma aims at a different job, building websites and apps from prompts with Squarespace handling hosting, domains and payments.

How much does Forma cost compared with Framer?

Squarespace has not announced Forma pricing. Framer has a free plan, then Basic at $10 a month and Pro at $30 a month per site, billed yearly, with extra editors at $20 a month.

Can Forma build apps that Framer can't?

Squarespace positions Forma for apps as well as websites, and its demos included a stock alert tool and a student notes portal. Framer focuses on marketing sites. How far Forma's app features go has not been documented yet.

Does Framer or Forma have better AI?

Framer adds AI generation and agents to a visual canvas, metered by monthly credits. Forma is built around prompts from the start. A fair comparison of output quality needs hands-on testing, which we will publish as Forma access widens.

Can I move a Framer site to Forma?

There is no published migration path. Forma has no import tools documented yet, so moving a site would currently mean rebuilding it from prompts.

Should I wait for Forma before building my website?

No. Forma has no launch date or pricing, and Squarespace itself calls it an early alpha. Build on Framer or Squarespace 7.1 now and evaluate Forma when it is generally available.

Disclosure: SquareLocator earns a commission from some of the products linked in this article, at no extra cost to you.