How to Host a Framer Export (Save $15+/Month on Hosting)
Framer is a popular visual website builder, but their hosting plans start at $5/month for a single site and go up to $15/month or more for custom domains. If your site does not need Framer's CMS or dynamic features, you can export the HTML and host it for a fraction of the cost.
Step 1: Export from Framer
1. Open your Framer project 2. Go to the project settings 3. Look for the "Export" or "Download" option 4. Download the HTML files
Framer exports a folder containing:
- index.html (the main page)
- CSS files
- JavaScript files
- Image assets
- Font files
Step 2: Prepare the ZIP
1. Make sure index.html is at the root of the folder
2. ZIP the entire folder
3. Check the file size:
- Free plan: up to 3 MB
- Starter ($3/mo): up to 25 MB
- Solo ($9/mo): up to 75 MB
- Pro ($22/mo): up to 10 GB
If the export is too large, check for: - Unoptimized images (resize or compress them) - Unused fonts (remove weights you are not using) - Duplicate assets
Step 3: Upload to Hostupa
1. Log in to your Hostupa dashboard
2. Click "Upload file"
3. Drag in the ZIP file
4. Hostupa detects it as a ZIP website, extracts the files, and serves them on a CDN
5. Your Framer site is live at hostupa.com/p/your-slug
Framer hosting vs Hostupa
| Feature | Framer Hosting | Hostupa |
|---|---|---|
| Starting cost | $5/mo (Mini) | $0 (Free) |
| Custom domain | $15/mo (Basic) | $9/mo (Solo) |
| CDN | Yes | Yes |
| SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Limited | Built-in |
| Password protection | No | Yes (Solo+) |
| QR codes | No | Yes (Starter+) |
| Code editor | No | Yes (Solo+) |
| CMS | Yes | No |
| Visual editor | Yes | No (use code editor) |
| Form processing | Yes | No (use Formspree) |
When to keep Framer hosting
Keep paying Framer if your site uses: - CMS collections — Blog posts, dynamic content, database-driven pages - Framer forms — Native form processing - Interactions — Complex scroll animations tied to Framer's runtime - E-commerce — Framer's built-in store features
When to switch to Hostupa
Switch to Hostupa if your site is: - A landing page — Static marketing page with no dynamic content - A portfolio — Show your work with a static design - A coming soon page — Simple email capture page - A client proof — Share a design mockup with a client - A marketing campaign page — Temporary page for a campaign
Combining Framer with Hostupa
Some teams use Framer for their main site (which needs the CMS) and Hostupa for: - Campaign landing pages (faster to publish, cheaper to host) - Client proofs (password-protected, trackable) - Event pages (QR codes, analytics) - A/B test variants (quickly publish multiple versions)