Softr vs Framer 2026: Functional Portals vs Marketing Pages
Quick verdict: Framer is our overall pick for Softr vs Framer.
Framer's Basic $10/mo yearly (Mini and Scale retired in the 2026 restructure, verified) is a design-to-live-site tool; Softr's Basic $19/mo yearly view is a data-app tool — their free tiers cap on different things: bandwidth/seat counts vs app users.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Softr Best free Best for teams | 3.9/5 | Free $19/mo | Softr turns Airtable, Google Sheets and other databases into client portals and internal t… |
| Framer Best overall | 4.1/5 | Free $10/mo | Framer goes from design to live site, with AI site building and high-fidelity interaction … |
Bottom line: Framer (4.1/5) when the page must look custom and ship fast — designer-native canvas, CMS for content, sites from $10/mo annual ($15 monthly). Softr (3.9/5) when the page must do things — logins, records, forms feeding Airtable, gated member areas — with the user-count meter accepted up front. Landing pages: Framer. Portals and internal tools: Softr.
Pricing and details
Softr · 3.9/5
Free plan available · $19/mo
Default view yearly with 2 months off: Free $0 (unlimited apps/databases/workflows, 5 AI credits, 1 custom domain) / Basic $19/mo / Pro $99/mo / Business $329/mo / Enterprise custom. The meter is app users: extra user packages $5-20/mo by tier and client-user overage starts at $1/mo each; database records and workflow actions are separately capped per tier; extra custom domains $15/mo ($13 annual). Monthly-view numbers are not verifiable from the static page. NOTE: many 2026 third-party guides still quote the superseded ladder (Basic $49-59 / Pro $139-167 / Business $269-323) — the official page now shows $19/$99/$329 on the yearly default view.
Basic $19/mo · Pro $99/mo · Business $329/mo (yearly view, 2 months off)
Softr turns Airtable, Google Sheets and other databases into client portals and internal tools — an easy on-ramp whose real meter is your app's end-user count.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Ease of use scored 5/5 (research): block-based builder with 60+ components and templates; reviewers consistently rate it the fastest portal on-ramp in this set.
- Free plan is genuinely usable (verified on the live page): unlimited apps, databases, workflows and forms, 1 custom domain, 5 AI credits/mo.
- The 2026 yearly ladder is cheap at the door: Basic $19/mo, Pro $99/mo (verified — note many guides still print the superseded $49/$139 figures).
- Data-source model: your data stays in Airtable/Sheets; Softr is the front door, so non-devs ship without a schema migration.
Cons
- Value scored 3/5: the meter is app users, not pages — user packages add $5-20/mo by tier and client-user overage starts at $1/mo each (verified), so a portal's bill grows with its audience.
- No app export — your portal lives on Softr for as long as you run it (noted in 2026 comparisons).
- Record counts and workflow actions are capped separately per tier — three meters to watch, not one.
Pricing verified 2026-09-09
Framer · 4.1/5
Free plan available · $10/mo
Basic site plan $10/mo per site billed yearly ($15 monthly); Pro $30/mo yearly ($45 monthly); Mini & Scale tiers retired in 2026-06 repricing; free plan on framer subdomain
Framer goes from design to live site, with AI site building and high-fidelity interaction — great for landing pages.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Best dimension: Ease of use at 5/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Core features at 4/5.
- Pricing: free tier, paid from $10/mo — Basic site plan; per site, billed yearly ($15 monthly); Mini tier retired 2026-06
- Positioning: Framer goes from design to live site, with AI site building and high-fidelity interaction — great for landing pages.
Cons
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration at 3/5.
- Weigh the documentation quality for self-serve onboarding before committing.
Pricing verified 2026-08-31
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Softr or Framer?
Framer is our overall pick (4.1/5 vs 3.9/5). Framer's Basic $10/mo yearly (Mini and Scale retired in the 2026 restructure, verified) is a design-to-live-site tool; Softr's Basic $19/mo yearly view is a data-app tool — their free tiers cap on different things: bandwidth/seat counts vs app users.
Do Softr and Framer offer free plans?
Softr and Framer have a free tier. Softr paid plans start at $19/mo; Framer paid plans start at $10/mo.
What does Framer cost?
$10/mo — Basic site plan $10/mo per site billed yearly ($15 monthly); Pro $30/mo yearly ($45 monthly); Mini & Scale tiers retired in 2026-06 repricing; free plan on framer subdomain. Prices were last verified on 2026-09-09.