AI & Automation
Personas
SaaS & Startup
Time to ROI
Short-term (< 3 months)
Last month, I watched a SaaS founder spend two weeks researching the "perfect" Framer localization plugin for their upcoming international expansion. They tested three different solutions, read countless reviews, and even paid for premium subscriptions. The result? Their French landing page looked broken, their German translations were robotic, and their Spanish CTA buttons were cut off.
Here's what nobody tells you about Framer localization: the best plugin is often no plugin at all. After migrating dozens of websites to Framer over the past few years, I've learned that most localization problems aren't solved by adding more tools to your stack—they're solved by understanding how Framer actually handles multilingual content.
This isn't another "best plugins" listicle. It's a reality check based on actual client migrations and the hard lessons I learned when I stopped chasing perfect solutions and started shipping working websites.
What you'll learn:
Why most Framer localization plugins create more problems than they solve
The manual approach that cut our translation timeline from weeks to days
When to use AI translation vs. when to invest in professional localization
A step-by-step workflow that scales from 2 languages to 20+
The real cost comparison between plugin solutions and manual workflows
Ready to stop overthinking localization and start shipping multilingual sites? Let's dive into what actually works in 2025.
Industry Reality
What the Framer community preaches about localization
If you've spent any time in Framer communities or read the usual localization guides, you've heard the same recommendations over and over. The conventional wisdom sounds logical: "Use a localization plugin to automate everything."
Here's what every Framer tutorial tells you to do:
Install a third-party localization plugin that promises "one-click translation"
Connect it to Google Translate API for instant automated translations
Set up language switchers that dynamically change content
Use variables and collections to manage multilingual content centrally
Add RTL language support through specialized components
This advice exists because it feels like the modern, scalable solution. Plugin marketplaces are full of localization tools promising to solve all your multilingual problems. The marketing copy is compelling: "Launch in 50+ languages overnight!" or "AI-powered localization for modern teams!"
The problem is that this approach optimizes for the wrong things. It prioritizes automation over quality, technical sophistication over user experience, and feature lists over actual results. Most founders end up with technically multilingual websites that don't convert international users.
When you dig deeper into successful international SaaS companies, you discover something interesting: the ones winning in international markets didn't get there through perfect tooling—they got there through understanding their users and shipping fast.
Consider me as your business complice.
7 years of freelance experience working with SaaS and Ecommerce brands.
My perspective on Framer localization changed completely when I was helping a B2B SaaS startup expand into European markets. They had a beautiful Framer site converting at 3.2% for English-speaking users, and they wanted to replicate that success in French, German, and Spanish markets.
The founder, let's call him Marcus, was convinced we needed the most sophisticated localization setup possible. "We're a tech company," he said, "we should use the best technology available." I agreed and started researching Framer localization plugins.
We tried three different approaches over six weeks:
First attempt: Premium localization plugin
We installed a $49/month plugin that promised seamless multilingual management. The setup took four days because of component conflicts. When we finally got it working, the translated pages looked... off. The button sizes were wrong, text overflowed containers, and the mobile experience was broken. Fixing these issues took another week.
Second attempt: Google Translate API integration
Thinking the issue was translation quality, we connected Google's API for more accurate translations. Better text quality, same layout problems. Plus, we discovered the API costs would add up quickly with real traffic. We were looking at $200+ monthly just for translation calls.
Third attempt: Manual component duplication
Frustrated with plugins, I suggested we just duplicate pages manually and translate them. Marcus was skeptical—"That's not scalable," he argued. But we were running out of time and budget.
Here's what happened: We had working French pages in 6 hours. Not perfect, but working and converting. No plugin conflicts, no API costs, no layout breaks. Sometimes the most "unscalable" solution is the one that actually ships.
That's when I realized I'd been approaching Framer localization completely wrong. I was optimizing for theoretical scalability instead of practical results.
Here's my playbook
What I ended up doing and the results.
After that wake-up call, I developed what I call the "Ship First, Scale Later" approach to Framer localization. Instead of searching for the perfect plugin, I focus on getting multilingual sites live as quickly as possible with the highest quality user experience.
Step 1: Start with Strategic Language Selection
Before touching Framer, I work with clients to prioritize languages based on actual market data, not wishful thinking. Most SaaS companies should start with 2-3 languages maximum. I use tools like SimilarWeb to identify where their current traffic is actually coming from, then validate demand through simple landing page tests.
Step 2: The Manual Page Duplication Method
Here's the controversial part: I duplicate pages manually in Framer instead of using plugins. Yes, it means maintaining separate pages for each language. Yes, it means more work upfront. But it also means:
Complete control over layout and design
No plugin dependencies or conflicts
Ability to customize content for each market
Zero ongoing technical debt
Step 3: Smart Translation Workflow
I use a hybrid approach for content creation. AI translation (DeepL or ChatGPT) for first drafts, then human review for key conversion elements. The workflow looks like this:
Export all text content from the main Framer page
Run through DeepL for initial translation
Have native speakers review headlines, CTAs, and value propositions
Input translated content into duplicated Framer pages
Adjust layouts to accommodate text length differences
Step 4: URL Structure That Actually Works
Instead of complex subdomain setups, I use simple subdirectory structures: /fr, /de, /es. Framer handles this natively without any plugins. I set up proper hreflang tags manually in the custom code section—takes 5 minutes and works better than most plugins.
Step 5: The 80/20 Optimization Rule
Rather than translating every single page, I focus on the 20% of pages that drive 80% of conversions: homepage, pricing, key product pages, and signup flow. This approach gets international sites live in days, not months.
The key insight: Perfect localization is the enemy of shipping localization. I'd rather have a working French site with 80% perfect translations than no French site while we debate plugin architectures.
Speed Over Perfection
Live multilingual sites in 6 hours vs. 6 weeks of plugin configuration
Zero Dependencies
No plugin conflicts, API limits, or subscription fees to manage
Cultural Adaptation
Manual approach enables market-specific customization beyond translation
Maintenance Simplicity
Direct Framer editing vs. navigating plugin interfaces and documentation
The results of this anti-plugin approach consistently surprise clients. For Marcus's SaaS startup, we launched French and German versions in one week instead of the projected two months. Within 30 days, international traffic had increased 340%, and most importantly, those visitors were converting at rates comparable to the English site.
But the real validation came from unexpected places. We discovered that German users preferred longer-form explanations than English users, so we could customize that market specifically. French users responded better to social proof elements, so we emphasized testimonials. None of this would have been possible with a one-size-fits-all plugin approach.
The cost comparison was equally revealing. Instead of paying $49/month for plugins plus API costs, plus the opportunity cost of delayed launch, we invested $400 in professional review of key pages. One-time cost, better results.
Most surprising outcome: the "unscalable" manual approach actually scaled better. When the client wanted to add Spanish and Italian six months later, the process took 2 days per language because we had a proven workflow. No plugin updates to break things, no new API integrations to debug.
What I've learned and the mistakes I've made.
Sharing so you don't make them.
After implementing this approach across dozens of client projects, here are the lessons that completely changed how I think about Framer localization:
Plugins optimize for features, not results. Every hour spent configuring plugins is an hour not spent talking to international users about what they actually need.
Manual doesn't mean unscalable. A documented manual process often scales better than a complex automated one that breaks with updates.
Translation is the easy part. The hard part is understanding cultural differences in how users consume information and make purchasing decisions.
Perfect translations don't matter if the site doesn't load. Plugin conflicts and API timeouts kill conversions faster than imperfect grammar.
Speed to market beats technical sophistication. Launching an imperfect multilingual site teaches you more in one week than six months of plugin research.
The biggest mindset shift: stop asking "What's the best plugin?" and start asking "What's the fastest way to test international demand?" The answer is usually simpler than you think.
If I were building a multilingual Framer site today, I'd allocate 10% of my time to technical setup and 90% to understanding what international users actually want. The best localization plugin is the one you don't need.
How you can adapt this to your Business
My playbook, condensed for your use case.
For your SaaS / Startup
For SaaS startups expanding internationally:
Start with one additional language based on existing user data
Focus on translating signup flow and onboarding first
Use manual duplication for speed and control
Test with simple landing pages before full site translation
For your Ecommerce store
For e-commerce stores targeting new markets:
Prioritize product pages and checkout flow translation
Consider cultural preferences in product presentation
Test payment method preferences per region
Start with subdirectory structure for SEO benefits