Deploying an Exported Framer Site to Netlify

Netlify is a close sibling to Vercel for hosting an exported Framer site, with a slightly different setup flow worth knowing if you're choosing between them.

Static HTML export

This is Netlify's most natural fit — it was built around static sites long before either platform supported serverless functions well.

1. Drag-and-drop your exported project folder directly onto Netlify's dashboard, or connect it via Git for auto-deploys on every push.
2. No build command needed for pure static HTML — set "Publish directory" to the folder root (or wherever your exported index.html lives).
3. Add your custom domain under Site Settings → Domain management, update your DNS records as instructed.

Next.js export

Netlify supports Next.js via its own adapter (@netlify/plugin-nextjs), auto-detected for most standard App Router projects:

1. Connect your GitHub repo.
2. Netlify should auto-detect the framework and set the build command to next build. Verify it did — occasionally a nonstandard project structure needs the build command set manually.
3. Domain setup works the same as the static case.

Vercel vs Netlify for this specific use case

Functionally, both are excellent, free-tier-friendly choices and the difference rarely matters for a converted Framer site. A few genuinely practical distinctions:

• Next.js-specific features (image optimization, some newer App Router capabilities) are natively first-party on Vercel, since Vercel builds Next.js. Netlify's adapter covers the common cases well but occasionally lags a version behind on brand-new features.
• Static HTML deploys are arguably even more frictionless on Netlify's classic drag-and-drop flow if you're not using Git at all.
• Pricing is comparable at the free/hobby tier for a typical marketing or portfolio site — check current limits if you expect meaningful traffic.

For most people converting a single Framer site, either works with no meaningful downside — pick whichever platform you're already more comfortable with, or whichever your converter's one-click deploy already integrates with.