How To Make Money With Framer Templates

The Framer template space has exploded lately, and I've been seeing tons of conversations happening online about the best strategies for making good money with Framer templates.

Some creators go all in on selling free templates and earn through affiliate commissions, and others seem to stick with paid templates.

I don’t think it’s an either/or situation, though. From my experience, the most reliable path as a creator combines both strategies.

In this post, I'll break down how Framer monetization works, share the pros and cons of each approach, and give you my proven strategy for building a sustainable template business.

How Framer Templates Make Money

There are two main ways to earn money with Framer templates.

Direct Template Sales

This is the most straightforward revenue stream. You create a template and sell it as a product for a set price.

You’ll get to keep 100% of what you earn when someone buys your template directly. Framer doesn’t take any cut from your sale, and you get immediate income and complete control over your pricing strategy.

The key advantage here is predictable revenue. When someone buys your $49 template, you earn $49. It’s that simple.

Affiliate Commissions

With the Framer Partner Program, you can earn a 50% cut of subscription fees when users upgrade to paid Framer plans through your templates, and that commission continues for a year.

So, even if you give away templates for free, you can make some pretty decent money.

Here’s how it works.

When a user remixes a template, it uses the creator's unique referral link.

If that user later upgrades to a paid Framer plan, the template creator earns 50% of the subscription fee for a year.

It’s possible to get affiliate earnings on both paid and free template offerings, which means you get a boost on your income regardless.

Earning Money With Free Framer Templates

Let's talk about why free templates are actually a pretty smart business move:

They Get You Noticed

Free templates can put your work in front of way more people. When you're just starting out and nobody knows your name yet, a wider reach is super valuable. People who might never take a chance on a paid template from an unknown creator will happily download your free one.

They Build Trust

Free templates are a bit like samples. They let potential customers try your work risk-free. Users get to experience your design style, see how you structure things, and check your attention to detail before they (directly) spend any money with you.

They Open Doors

A well-made template is a great portfolio piece. I've had people download my free stuff, love it, and check out my premium templates. It's marketing that keeps working while you sleep.

They Still Make Money

Free templates can still generate a pretty solid income through Framer's affiliate program.

Why Premium Templates Are Worth Charging For

Free templates are great, but there are some solid reasons why many successful creators (myself included) put price tags on their best work, too:

You Control Your Worth

When you give everything away for free, you're basically saying your work has zero monetary value. Free templates lock you into a fixed price point of nothing – and you can't adjust a price of nothing if you regret it later on, based on how much demand grows or how your skills improve over time.

You Attract Better Clients

People who pay for templates tend to be more serious about their projects, so serious that they’re willing to invest in them. They respect your time more, they finish building their sites, and they keep them running longer. Which means more stable affiliate rewards flowing your way over time.

Your Work Stays Special

Free templates get used a lot. Premium customers tend to go premium because they don't want their brand looking like all the others. They'll happily pay for something that helps them stand out.

Your Business Can Actually Grow

Charging for your premium work allows for a sustainable business model where you can actually afford to keep improving, creating better products, and supporting your customers properly. It's hard to justify putting 40+ hours into your work if you're giving it away for free.

Free vs Paid Templates: What’s Best?

I don't see this as an either/or choice – I’d recommend you use both free and paid templates strategically.

Free templates work best for:

• Showcasing your design capabilities

• Building initial trust and audience

• Testing new design concepts

• Getting discovered in a crowded marketplace

Premium templates work best for:

• Generating immediate revenue

• Attracting serious, committed clients

• Building a sustainable business model

• Establishing your professional worth

My Recommended Strategy:

You’re best off starting with 2-3 high-quality free templates that showcase your skills. They’ll be your lead magnets, bringing in traffic and building trust.

Then you can work on building premium templates that solve specific problems for defined audiences. Focus on quality over quantity - better to have a handful of really killer templates than loads of average ones.

Time Allocation: Spend about 20% of your development time on free templates and 80% on premium work. It’ll give you enough free content to get seen, but keep your business profitable.

Key Takeaways

Here's what to remember:

• Free and paid templates work together: They complement rather than compete with each other in a strategic portfolio approach

• Free templates build visibility: They showcase your skills and attract potential customers who might never take a chance on an unknown creator

• Premium templates sustain your business: They establish your worth, attract clients, and provide the revenue foundation needed for growth

• Strategic allocation matters: Spend 20% of your development time on free templates and 80% on premium work for optimal results

• Quality trumps quantity: A few strategic free templates (2-3) paired with focused premium offerings (5-7) creates a more effective business model than endless free content

Within months of using this balanced template strategy, I built my sustainable, successful Framer template business. I can't promise the same for you, but this approach gives you a pretty good shot at monetizing your Framer skills effectively.

Ready to Build Your Framer Template Business?

I've shared my strategy for creating a sustainable income with Framer templates — now it's time to put it into action. And whether you're just starting out or looking to optimize your existing template business, I've got a bunch resources to help you succeed faster.

In my template store, you'll find:

• Free templates that showcase professional techniques you can learn from

• Premium templates designed to solve specific problems for defined audiences

• Behind-the-scenes notes explaining how each component works

Browse My Template Collection →

For more daily insights about the Framer templates I’ve got cooking, and building profitable online businesses, follow me on X (Formerly Twitter) too.