Alternatives / Framer
Looking for an open source Framer alternative? We compared 10 open source website builders, visual editors, and CMS platforms by license, self-hosting, visual editing, and pricing. They range from visual React editors to full content management systems.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Onlook | Visual editing of React apps | Apache-2.0 |
| WordPress | Flexible CMS with a huge ecosystem | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Webstudio | Closest visual website builder | AGPL-3.0 |
| Plasmic | Visual builder that ships React code | MIT (platform AGPL-3.0) |
| Drupal | Enterprise-grade sites | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Frappe Builder | Low-code websites on Frappe | MIT |
| Silex | Static sites with a visual editor | AGPL-3.0 |
| Grida | Open design canvas and app builder | Apache-2.0 |
| Ycode | Visual builder with a built-in CMS | MIT |
| Nordcraft | Designer and developer workflows | Apache-2.0 (engine only) |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with Framer's core: designing and publishing websites visually, with components, responsive layouts, and often a CMS. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. Framer is a hosted design-to-site tool, so the list mixes visual builders, code-connected editors, and traditional content management systems, and we flag where only part of a product is open source. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Webstudio, Silex, Frappe Builder, Ycode, and Plasmic are visual website builders. Onlook edits React apps visually and writes changes back to your code. Grida is a design canvas and app builder, and Nordcraft is a visual web development engine. WordPress and Drupal are content management systems that need themes or builders for Framer-style design.
Webstudio is the closest open-source visual website builder, with responsive layouts, a component library, real-time collaboration, and full control of HTML and CSS. Plasmic is the closest for teams that want a visual editor that connects to data sources and produces production React code.
Onlook, Grida, and Nordcraft's engine packages are Apache-2.0, Plasmic is MIT outside its platform directory, which is AGPL-3.0, and Frappe Builder and Ycode are MIT. Webstudio and Silex are AGPL-3.0, WordPress and Drupal are GPL-2.0-or-later. Nordcraft's GitHub repository only holds the engine packages used by its hosted editor, so the editor itself is not fully open source.
Webstudio, Silex, Frappe Builder, Ycode, Plasmic, WordPress, and Drupal can be self-hosted. Ycode and Plasmic also offer managed cloud plans, and Nordcraft is a hosted product with enterprise support. Onlook runs as a desktop app and is free.
Onlook's last commit was in August 2026. Webstudio, Plasmic, Frappe Builder, Silex, Grida, Ycode, WordPress, and Drupal were updated within days of this update. Ycode and Nordcraft are small projects, so check their maturity.
Framer is a proprietary website builder that hosts your sites on its platform and bills per site and plan, with designs locked in its editor. Open-source alternatives let you self-host, export or own the code, connect to your own CMS and data, and avoid per-site pricing, at the cost of setup work and, for some, a less polished animation and design experience.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onlook | Visual React editor | Apache-2.0 | Desktop app | Developers and designers |
| WordPress | CMS | GPL-2.0-or-later | Yes | Flexible websites |
| Webstudio | Visual builder | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Responsive sites |
| Plasmic | Visual builder | MIT (platform AGPL) | Yes | React teams |
| Drupal | CMS | GPL-2.0-or-later | Yes | Enterprise sites |
| Frappe Builder | Low-code builder | MIT | Yes | Frappe users |
| Silex | Static site builder | AGPL-3.0 | Yes | Agencies and freelancers |
| Grida | Design canvas | Apache-2.0 | Yes | Developer-first designers |
| Ycode | Visual builder and CMS | MIT | Yes | Designers and agencies |
| Nordcraft | Visual web engine | Apache-2.0 (engine only) | Hosted | Designer and developer teams |
Want the closest open-source visual website builder
Webstudio offers a visual editor with responsive layouts, a component library, real-time collaboration, and code-level control, under AGPL-3.0.
Want to visually edit a React app
Onlook is a desktop app that edits React applications visually and writes the changes back to your code in real time.
Want a visual editor that ships production React code
Plasmic connects to data sources, imports from Figma, and generates React code, with an MIT core and an AGPL platform.
Want a builder with a built-in CMS
Ycode combines a visual builder, a CMS, multilingual support, and forms, self-hosted for free or on a managed cloud.
Want a flexible CMS with themes and plugins
WordPress offers thousands of themes and plugins, though Framer-style visual design needs a page builder.
Need enterprise-grade content management
Drupal offers a modular architecture, strong security, multilingual support, and headless capabilities.
Want static sites with a visual editor
Silex creates static sites visually with dynamic data and headless CMS integration.