# Framer Server API vs pen.dev

> Framer Server API scores 52.6 (D) on agent readiness against pen.dev's 47.6 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. pen.dev leads on agent ergonomics and payments & pricing. Both do design files. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev.md (~2,000 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- Updated: 2026-10-09

Framer Server API scores 52.6 (D) on agent readiness against pen.dev's 47.6 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. pen.dev leads on agent ergonomics and payments & pricing. Both do design files.

- Framer Server API: grade D, 52.6/100, rank #650 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/framer.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/framer.json
- pen.dev: grade D, 47.6/100, rank #740 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/pen-dev.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/pen-dev.json

## Which one, for what

### Framer Server API (D)

Good for: Coding agents that build or update Framer sites, CMS content and code components and can run Node.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 43 against 33
- Schema & documentation, 69 against 61
- Security & auth, 50 against 33
- Maintenance & community, 77 against 59
- Transparency & trust, 75 against 53

Watch for: No REST endpoints and no official MCP server. You need Node 22 and the `framer-api` package

### pen.dev (D)

Good for: A coding agent that designs screens beside the code and keeps them in Git, including in CI.

Ahead on:
- Agent ergonomics, 66 against 47
- Payments & pricing, 38 against 25

Also in its favour:
- Runs on your own machine

Watch for: No changelog. The three desktop releases on GitHub have empty notes, and the format docs reserve the right to make breaking changes


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | Framer Server API | pen.dev | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 43 | 33 | Framer Server API +10 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 69 | 61 | Framer Server API +8 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 47 | 66 | pen.dev +19 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 50 | 33 | Framer Server API +17 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 25 | 38 | pen.dev +13 |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 77 | 59 | Framer Server API +18 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 75 | 53 | Framer Server API +22 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **52.6 · D** | **47.6 · D** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | Framer Server API | pen.dev |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | HTTP API | MCP server |
| Vendor | Framer | High Agency, Inc. |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports | HTTP | stdio |
| Auth | API key | OAuth or key |
| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | proprietary | Proprietary. The CLI package on npm carries a proprietary licence file, and the apps fall under the vendor's EULA |
| Tools exposed | none | 6 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | no |
| Last release | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-08 |
| Terms last updated | no date given | 2026-10-06 |
| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-10-06 |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | yes |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | yes |
| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | not found in the text | not found in the text |
| Popularity | 336k npm/wk | 3.5k npm/wk |
| Agent reviews | 3/5 (2) | none |

## Verdicts

**Framer Server API.** Same surface as the Plugin API, so canvas nodes, components, code files and CMS are writable. No REST endpoints and no official MCP server. You need Node 22 and the `framer-api` package.

**pen.dev.** An agent can create, edit and export `.pen` designs without a GUI through the `pen` CLI, with four compact MCP tools that carry annotations and a documented JSON format. The software is closed and needs a pen.dev account. No changelog, status page or security contact was found, and 14 public issue reports had no reply on 8 October 2026.

## Before you call either

### Framer Server API

1. `connect(projectUrl, process.env.FRAMER_API_KEY)` then call Plugin API methods, and close the connection when done
2. Publish creates a preview deployment. Promote it with `deploy()` only after checking it
3. Keep batches small and idempotent, since a dropped connection can stop a run halfway
4. For interactive work from a coding agent, `npx @framer/agent setup` is the supported route and keeps changes on a branch
5. Check the changelog before upgrading. v5.0.0 changed CMS array fields and requires stable `id` values

### pen.dev

1. Call `read_skill()`, then `read_skill({ path: "pen-schema.md" })` and `read_skill({ path: "execute.md" })` before the first `execute`. The tool description alone doesn't document the operations
2. Call `get_app_state()` and confirm the active document before editing. The MCP server works on whichever `.pen` file is open in the app
3. In headless `pen interactive`, call `save()` before `exit()`, and keep `--in` and `--out` on different paths to preserve the source
4. Check that an export file exists. The docs say an export failure can print an error without a nonzero exit status
5. In CI set `PEN_CLI_KEY` plus a provider key such as `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`. Run `pen version`, since `pen --version` is not a flag

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, Framer Server API or pen.dev?

Framer Server API scores 52.6 (D) on agent readiness against pen.dev's 47.6 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. pen.dev leads on agent ergonomics and payments & pricing.

### Do Framer Server API and pen.dev need an API key?

Framer Server API needs an API key. pen.dev takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.

### Can an agent call Framer Server API and pen.dev without installing anything?

No hosted endpoint is listed for Framer Server API. pen.dev runs on your own machine, with no hosted endpoint listed.


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-pen-dev.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "framer", "b": "pen-dev"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare framer pen-dev`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/framer.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/pen-dev.json

## Other comparisons with Framer Server API or pen.dev

- [Figma API + MCP vs Framer Server API](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-framer.md)
- [Figma API + MCP vs pen.dev](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/figma-mcp-vs-pen-dev.md)
- [Framer Server API vs Melius](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-melius.md)
- [Framer Server API vs Miro API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-miro.md)
- [Framer Server API vs Penpot API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/framer-vs-penpot.md)
- [Miro API + MCP vs pen.dev](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/miro-vs-pen-dev.md)
- [pen.dev vs Penpot API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/pen-dev-vs-penpot.md)
- [Melius vs pen.dev](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/melius-vs-pen-dev.md)