been.designFramer or Next.js for your next website?
Choose Framer when a visual publishing workflow fits your marketing team and the required pages, CMS and integrations fit the platform. Choose Next.js when you need greater control over application behaviour, server-side work or an existing React codebase. Either can support a good marketing site; the better choice depends on the team that will maintain it.
Start with the editing and ownership model.
Framer combines a visual website-building workflow with a managed publishing platform. Next.js is a React framework: the team chooses the content system, hosting and integrations around the application. Those are different operating models, not simply two visual styles.
Our Update.ai case study describes a Framer project. This been.design website is built with Next.js. They show the different publishing approaches in real projects.
Compare the work your team needs to do.
| Question | Framer | Next.js |
|---|---|---|
| Who edits the site? | A visual publishing workflow with CMS editing for structured content. | Content editing depends on the CMS or editing interface you choose and build. |
| How is content organised? | Use the platform’s collections, templates and publishing tools. | Choose a content source and implement the model and rendering around it. |
| What about custom behaviour? | Review built-in capabilities, integrations and custom-code needs against the brief. | Server and Client Components give developers control over data, rendering and interaction. |
| What supports SEO? | Platform tools cover metadata, CMS pages and redirects; configuration and content still need review. | Implement metadata, rendering, crawl controls and redirects in the application. |
| Who maintains it? | Agree platform account ownership, publishing roles and subscription costs. | Agree responsibility for source code, dependencies, hosting, CMS and deployment. |
When we would consider Framer.
A marketing team needs to publish campaign or company pages visually, the site’s content fits a manageable set of collections and templates, and the required integrations can be delivered within the agreed platform scope. In that situation, the publishing workflow may be more valuable than a custom application stack.
Check the exact editing permissions, CMS needs, hosting features and current plan limits before committing. A design file by itself does not establish that every interaction or integration is ready to build.
When we would consider Next.js.
A team already has a React product, needs server-side work, or wants closer control over data and page behaviour. Next.js can support those requirements, provided there is an owner for development and maintenance.
A marketing team can still have a friendly editing workflow with Next.js, but the framework does not supply your business’s finished editorial interface. Include the CMS and its integration in the scope instead of assuming every change will be visual.
Neither platform is an SEO strategy.
Indexable pages, descriptive metadata, useful content, relevant links and a good visitor experience matter in either setup. A technically sound site can still have little search demand if it answers no useful questions.
For Google’s AI features, the standard search fundamentals remain relevant. There is no special platform choice or AI schema that guarantees inclusion. If a rebuild changes URLs, plan the redirects and content move independently of the design decision.
Use the brief to make the choice.
- Name the person who will update content and the changes they need to make.
- List the content types, integrations and application behaviour the site requires.
- Confirm ownership of the domain, platform, source code and publishing accounts.
- Compare build cost with ongoing subscriptions and developer maintenance.
- Agree a migration and measurement plan before replacing the existing site.
Sources and further reading.
Primary documentation referenced for this guide. Platform features and requirements can change; check the current documentation for your project.
