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Framer has become the go‑to for lean teams that need to launch fast without giving up design quality. In 2025, it bundles a visual canvas, built‑in CMS, analytics, and managed hosting—plus On‑Page Editing, so non‑designers can fix copy on the live page.
Introduction to Framer
This guide distils the parts that matter for startups and NPOs: real‑world pricing, integrations, hosting & SEO, what Framer can’t do (yet), and when Webflow or WordPress is a better fit. You’ll also get a blueprint to go live in a week, a comparison table, and answers to the questions teams ask most—Can we export? How do we do donations and multilingual? Along the way we link to the primary docs you’ll rely on in production.
Ready to build on Framer? Let’s chat →
Quick takeaways
Framer is fastest to ship: design → publish in hours; On‑Page Editing lets anyone update content on the live site.
Pricing is per‑site with plan‑based limits; editors and locales are billed separately on upper tiers. Scale unlocks add‑ons like A/B testing and reverse proxy.
Hosting is handled: global CDN, automatic SSL, DDoS/WAF on higher tiers, and optional reverse proxy if you need to sit behind your infra.
No static export: Framer doesn’t export HTML/CSS/JS; proxy/self‑host patterns exist for advanced control.
E‑commerce/memberships: not native; pair Framer with Shopify plugins (Framer Commerce/Frameship) or third‑party auth. Webflow has native e‑comm (memberships sunset in 2026). WordPress + WooCommerce remains the most flexible.
Framer vs Webflow vs Wordpress: Comparison at a glance (2025)
Area | Framer | Webflow | WordPress |
|---|---|---|---|
Design model | Visual canvas with components, variants, motion; On‑Page Editing for live updates. | Visual designer with rich interactions & timelines. | Site Editor (block/FSE) with |
Hosting / export | Managed hosting (SSL/CDN/WAF); no HTML export; reverse‑proxy supported. | Managed hosting; code export for static HTML/CSS/JS (CMS/e‑comm don’t export). | You choose host/CDN; full control & exportability; you own security/updates. |
CMS / content scale | Plan‑based limits (collections, items, bandwidth). | Mature CMS; plan limits; Enterprise scales large. | Virtually unlimited; depends on hosting/architecture; 60k+ plugin ecosystem. |
E‑commerce & memberships | No native store/memberships; use Shopify via plugins (Framer Commerce/Frameship). | Native e‑commerce; User Accounts/Memberships sunset 29 Jan 2026—use app partners. | WooCommerce for e‑commerce; numerous membership plugins; highest flexibility (with maintenance). |
Localization | Built‑in Locales + AI translation; APIs for programmatic workflows. | Webflow Localization with visual + API workflows. | Wide plugin/theme choices (WPML, Polylang, etc.). |
Integrations | Marketplace: templates, components, plugins; GA4/GTM/Meta/HubSpot snippets. | Large integrations ecosystem & apps. | 60k+ plugins; vet for security/quality. |
Note: Framer’s advanced analytics (click tracking, funnels and A/B tests) are built‑in and available via add‑ons on higher tiers.
Why build on Framer for lean teams
Design → publish is Framer’s core strength. Designers build pages with components and motion, then marketing edits copy on the live site—no canvas or CMS UI required. That reduces queue time and keeps launches moving. On‑Page Editing supports rich text, images and even creating CMS pages where allowed, so comms teams can run updates themselves.
Teams coming from Figma/Webflow usually remark on the speed of first ship and the quality of default typography/spacing. If you sell templates, On‑Page Editing also lets customers change content without breaking the design system you shipped. For nonprofits with volunteers, this is gold—less training, fewer blockers. For startups, it’s faster iteration on landing pages and campaigns.
Framer Pricing in plain English
Per‑site monthly pricing
Basic: ZAR 88 / month
Pro: ZAR 263 / month
Scale: ZAR 876 / month (usage‑based overages available)
Tip: If you expect multilingual or multiple collaborators, budget for locales and editor seats up front.
Plan limits & overages
Capability | Basic | Pro | Scale |
Custom domain | Connect your own domain | Connect your own domain | Connect your own domain |
Limits model | Fixed | Fixed | Flexible — pay what you use |
Site pages | 30 | 150 | 300, then ZAR 175 per 100 |
CMS collections | 1 | 10 | 20, then ZAR 350 per 10 |
CMS items | 1,000 | 2,500 | 10,000, then ZAR 175 per 10,000 |
Bandwidth (monthly) | 10 GB | 100 GB | 200 GB, then ZAR 350 per 100 GB |
CDN footprint | 20 locations | 20 locations | 300+ locations |
Password protect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Site search | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Redirects | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Well‑known files ( | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Staging environment | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced analytics (events, funnels, UTM, extended history) | — | — | ✓ |
Editors & seats
Included editors: 1 on every plan
Additional editors: Basic ZAR 175 per editor · Pro ZAR 350 per editor · Scale ZAR 350 per editor
Seats cap (per workspace): Basic 2 · Pro 10 · Scale 10
Add‑ons
Translation locales: Basic up to 1 · Pro up to 10 · Scale up to 20 — ZAR 175 per locale
A/B testing: ZAR 438 per 500,000 events
Multi‑site proxy: ZAR 2,628
Notes: Basic/Pro have fixed limits. Scale allows overage at the rates shown above. All plans include SSL and the features listed; Scale adds a larger CDN footprint and advanced analytics.
Framer marketplace & integrations
Framer’s Marketplace spans thousands of templates and hundreds of plugins (canvas tools and turnkey integrations). It’s the fastest way to launch with solid design and sensible defaults. Popular picks for startups/NPOs include blog templates, donation UI blocks, and SEO helpers.
For e‑commerce, the usual pattern is Shopify headless through Framer Commerce or Frameship. These sync products/variants into Framer, provide ready‑made PDP components, and hand checkout back to Shopify. If you only need donations, embed Stripe/PayPal/CRM forms—tracking works via GA4/GTM.
Framer Hosting & performance (the CTO/board bits)
Framer runs on AWS with CloudFront, pre‑renders pages at publish, optimises images/fonts, and supports HTTP/2 multiplexing. SSL certificates are auto‑provisioned for custom domains. Enterprise tiers add global firewalling and DDoS protection, with premium CDN footprints for lower TTFB.
If you need Framer behind your own stack, use a reverse proxy (Cloudflare, NGINX, etc.). You can set headers, add auth, and cache pages at your edge—useful for compliance or complex routing. Docs cover setups for generic reverse proxy, Cloudflare and NGINX.
Framer SEO setup (what’s built‑in and where to configure)
Framer auto‑generates sitemap.xml and robots.txt; you manage redirects in Site Settings and can host well‑known files (e.g., security.txt, ads.txt, /.well-known/assetlinks.json and llms.txt) directly in the UI. There’s a clear GTM/GA4 path via Site Settings or snippets.
GA4/GTM: paste your GA4 Measurement ID in Site Settings or install Google Tag Manager and deploy tags there. For form conversions, track link clicks or form submits—or wire up custom events—then build Funnels in Framer’s analytics.
Limitations & when not to pick Framer
No static/HTML export: Framer relies on dynamic backend optimisations like pre‑rendering and image/font pipelines, so you can’t export and self‑host as files. Use reverse proxy if you need your own edge.
No native e‑commerce/memberships: use Shopify plugins or external auth/membership providers. If you need a native cart with deep control, consider Webflow or WordPress.
Plan limits matter: pages/collections/items/bandwidth are capped per plan; editors/locales are priced outside the base. Model this for multilingual/non‑profit governance upfront.
Framer vs Webflow vs WordPress (who should pick which in 2025)
Framer → when speed and design consistency win
You want the fastest path from design to live site, with On‑Page Editing for comms to self‑serve, managed hosting, and good enough CMS. Add Shopify via Marketplace when needed. Advanced teams add funnels/A‑B tests without extra tools.
Webflow → when you need native e‑commerce or code export
Webflow’s native e‑commerce and code export are compelling for teams that need static exports or fine‑grained interactions. User Accounts (Memberships) are sunsetting on 29 Jan 2026—plan on third‑party apps like Memberstack/Outseta.
WordPress → when you need unusual workflows or own the stack
If you need deep customisation, complex editorial workflows, or to run everything on your infra, WordPress stays the most flexible—especially paired with WooCommerce. You’ll trade speed‑to‑launch for hardening and maintenance (patch core/themes/plugins, monitor vulnerabilities). The Site Editor and theme.json bring modern design tokens and consistent styles to block themes.
Framer Implementation blueprint (one‑week plan)
Day 1: Choose plan + template
Pick Pro for most sites; Scale if you expect heavy traffic, many locales, or need funnels/A‑B. Start from a Marketplace template to save time.
Day 2: IA & content model
Create CMS collections (e.g., News, Case Studies). Agree URL structure early; note what becomes CMS vs static pages.
Day 3: Branding & components
Set typography/colour tokens; wire components for hero, features, CTAs, blog list, and footer.
Day 4: Analytics & SEO
Add GA4 or GTM in Site Settings; verify GSC; set titles/descriptions/social images; check sitemap and robots. Configure redirects if migrating.
Day 5: Locales (optional)
Enable Locales; use AI translation for first pass; QA; add locale picker.
Day 6: Donations/CRM
Embed Stripe/PayPal or CRM forms; tag events; test funnels.
Day 7: Launch
Connect custom domain; confirm SSL is active; ship. If you need to sit behind a corporate edge, configure reverse proxy (Cloudflare/NGINX).
Conclusion on building your site with Framer
If your goal is a design‑perfect marketing site you can ship this week—and keep updated by non‑developers—Framer is the sweet spot. You’ll trade away exportability and native store/memberships, but in exchange you get speed, managed hosting, On‑Page Editing, clean SEO plumbing, and optional funnels/A‑B testing. If you need code export or a native cart, Webflow is a stronger pick. If you need to own every layer and run complex programs, WordPress still rules—just budget for security and maintenance. Use the blueprint above, start on Pro, and only step up to Scale when your traffic and multilingual needs demand it.
Ready to build on Framer? Let’s chat →
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Civil Society Organisations
1. What makes philanthropy in South Africa unique?
Philanthropy in South Africa is unique due to its deep roots in the philosophy of Ubuntu, which emphasizes generosity and interconnectedness. This has created a strong culture of individual and community giving. Today, this is blended with a growing trend towards strategic philanthropy, where donations are treated as investments designed to achieve measurable, long-term social impact rather than just short-term charity.
2. What is the role of Corporate Social Investment (CSI) in South African philanthropy?
Corporate Social Investment (CSI) is a major force in the South African philanthropic landscape, with companies investing billions of rands annually (approximately R12.7 billion in 2024). It goes beyond compliance, with a significant focus on education, which receives nearly half of all CSI spend. CSI also includes non-cash donations like employee volunteering and pro bono services, playing a crucial role in funding and supporting the NPO South Africa ecosystem.
3. How is strategic philanthropy changing funding for NPOs in South Africa?
Strategic philanthropy is shifting how funding for NPOs works by moving beyond simple donations. It focuses on models like impact investing South Africa and venture philanthropy, which seek measurable social returns. This means philanthropic capital is now used more as a "catalyst" to de-risk innovative social enterprises, provide long-term mentorship, and attract larger, more conventional investments, ultimately helping NPOs achieve greater scale and financial sustainability.
4. What are the most effective ways for individuals to engage in philanthropy in South Africa?
Individuals can engage in South African philanthropy in several effective ways. Beyond direct donations, high-impact engagement includes skills-based volunteering, where professionals offer their expertise (e.g., legal, financial, marketing) to NPOs. Another powerful method is collective giving, where resources are pooled with others through informal groups like Stokvels or formal online crowdfunding platforms, amplifying the impact of smaller individual contributions.
