Framer is an incredible design tool. But once the project ships, someone has to keep paying hosting -- and that someone is usually you. At $30/month per site (Pro plan), 10 client sites cost your agency $3,600/year in Framer fees alone.
There's a better way. Export the finished site to clean HTML/CSS/JS, hand the client their files, deploy to free hosting, and close out the project. This guide shows you how.
Looking for the quick overview instead? See our Agency Guide with pricing calculator and feature comparison.
Why Framer Hosting Hurts Agencies
They paid $5K-$25K for a product, not a rental. When they learn the site only lives inside Framer, the conversation gets awkward fast.
Every new project adds a recurring cost that never goes away. At 25 sites, you're sending Framer $9,000/year for hosting you didn't sign up to manage.
When a client relationship ends, their site still runs on your Framer account. Do you keep paying? Transfer the project? Take it down? None of these are good options. We cover this problem and others in our deep dive on Framer client handoff problems.
No export button means no migration path. If the client wants to move platforms, they rebuild from scratch -- and blame the agency that chose Framer.
Framer helps you build websites faster. The hosting model slows down everything after the build. The fix: export the finished site and hand it off properly.
The Solution: Export, Hand Off, Move On
Keep using Framer for design. But instead of leaving the site on Framer's hosting forever, export it to static HTML with FramerExport and hand the client clean code they can host anywhere.
The 6-Step Agency Handoff Workflow
Build as you normally would -- pages, animations, responsive breakpoints, the works. Nothing changes about your design process.
Publish to Framer's staging URL and let the client review every page on desktop and mobile. Once they sign off, you export.
Paste the Framer URL at letaiworkforme.com, click Export, and download clean HTML/CSS/JS in 30-60 seconds.
Open locally, check every page side-by-side with the Framer preview. Images, animations, links, mobile layout -- 15-30 minutes.
Drag-and-drop the files to Vercel, Netlify, or Cloudflare Pages. Connect the domain. Client pays $0/month.
Send the client their website files, hosting login, and a brief edit guide. Clean break, happy client.
Pro tip: Create a standard handoff template for your agency. Include hosting screenshots, basic edit instructions, and your contact info for future work. Build it once, reuse forever.
Pricing: Framer Hosting vs. Export
| Client Sites | Framer Hosting (Monthly) | Framer Hosting (Annual) | Export Cost (One-Time) | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 sites | $150/mo | $1,800/yr | $54.95 total | $1,745 |
| 10 sites | $300/mo | $3,600/yr | $149.90 total | $3,490 |
| 25 sites | $750/mo | $9,000/yr | $274.75 total | $8,725 |
| 50 sites | $1,500/mo | $18,000/yr | $549.50 total | $17,450 |
These savings compound. Framer hosting recurs every year. The export cost is one-time. In year two, you save the full hosting amount.
What Clients Love About This
Deploy to Vercel or Netlify for free. No monthly bills, no surprise price increases.
They get a ZIP with every file. Back it up, store it in Git, hand it to any developer.
Standard HTML/CSS/JS. No Framer knowledge required to make changes.
Exported sites hosted on a CDN load faster than Framer-hosted sites. Better Core Web Vitals out of the box.
If Framer changes pricing or shuts down, the client's site keeps running. Just files on a server.
After the Handoff
Handing off code doesn't mean the relationship ends. Three ways to keep earning:
- Maintenance retainer ($200-$500/mo): Handle small text/image updates. Since it's standard HTML, edits take minutes -- highly profitable.
- Self-service edit guide: Give clients a short doc explaining the file structure and how to redeploy. Empowered clients come back for bigger projects.
- Redesign upsells: When they want a refresh in 2-3 years, you're the trusted partner. Rebuild in Framer, re-export for $14.99 per site. Pure profit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes -- export each site individually at $14.99 per site (introductory offer for next 50 people only). Exporting 10 sites costs $149.90 vs. $3,600/year in Framer hosting.
Yes. It's standard HTML/CSS/JS -- any developer can edit it. For non-technical clients, add a free CMS like Decap CMS or offer maintenance as a service.
Yes. Hover effects, scroll-triggered animations, and page transitions all work identically. The exported site looks the same as the Framer preview.
Small edits (text, images) take minutes in the HTML. For redesigns, rebuild in Framer and re-export for $14.99 per site. Many agencies offer a maintenance retainer for ongoing work.
Yes. Multi-page sites with custom fonts, images, and animations export perfectly. For CMS content, add a headless CMS after export.
The Client Handoff Problem Nobody Talks About
When you hand off a Framer site, you're not handing off files. You're transferring an account. The client inherits the platform, the subscription, and a learning curve they didn't ask for.
Clients push back for three reasons:
- "Why am I paying monthly for something I already paid you to build?" They paid your agency fee and now face $30+/month in hosting on top of that.
- "I can't make text edits without breaking the layout." Framer's editor is powerful but not intuitive for non-designers. One wrong drag and the responsive layout breaks.
- "I can't move my site to another developer." This is the vendor lock-in sting. No code export means they're tied to Framer and, by extension, to you.
The real cost adds up: Framer Pro at $30/month, plus 2 editor seats at $40/month each, plus localization at $20+/month. A single client site can cost $130/month ($1,560/year). Across 10 clients, that's $13,200/year in platform fees alone, versus $0/year on Vercel's free tier with exported static files.
The better handoff: export to clean HTML/CSS/JS, commit to a Git repo, deploy to Vercel or Netlify for free, and hand the client full ownership. They own the code, the deployment, and the domain. No per-seat fees. No platform dependency. See our agency solutions page for volume pricing.
Ready to simplify your agency handoffs?
Use our Framer to HTML converter to export your next client's site in 60 seconds. Hand off clean code. Stop managing hosting.
Export Your First Client Site