Does your business need a website that's easy to scale, manage, and update – even for a non-technical marketing team? Webflow and WordPress are both professional website builders that can help you launch your site even with zero coding knowledge. In this article we will compare these two most popular website builders in terms of building experience, web design features, managing content, hosting, and pricing to help you decide.
WordPress is a website builder that has grown from a blogging-only platform launched in 2003 to the world's most popular Content Management System (CMS), powering over 43% of all websites. It's built on PHP, a coding language that assembles various files to create a unified website view. WordPress is renowned for its flexibility, allowing you to build virtually any type of website imaginable, thanks to its vast library of plugins that extend functionality and thousands of design themes and templates. Think of WordPress as the Android of website builders: open-source, highly customizable, and with a massive community of users.
Webflow is a no-code website builder that offers a streamlined, user-friendly experience with a focus on intuitive design and seamless content management. Founded in 2013, it's a closed ecosystem where all the components, from the visual editor to the CMS and hosting infrastructure, are built-in and managed by Webflow itself. This ensures a smoother, more integrated experience compared to WordPress, where you often rely on third-party plugins for added functionality. Think of Webflow as the Apple of website builders: a closed ecosystem with a focus on design, performance, and user experience.
WordPress heavily relies on its open-source nature and complex plugin ecosystem, offering great flexibility for site design, although the building process is less user friendly than using Webflow. To add any features, or components to your site, you have to use plugins. Wordpress sites are often built with the Elementor, a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that allows you to visually design and build pages with drag-and-drop ease. Elementor simplifies content management, making it easier to update and modify your website's content. However, even with tools like Elementor, WordPress still requires a level of familiarity with its interface and plugin ecosystem. Luckily, the Wordpress community offers lots of free resources and massive support to help you build your site well.
Webflow is designed for building custom, responsive websites without code. Created to bridge the gap between web design and development, Webflow’s native, visual builder translates every element you see on the canvas into code. This tight integration within a closed ecosystem means there's no need to juggle third-party plugins or worry about compatibility issues. Its built-in visual editor allows you to drag and drop elements, style them with precision, create complex animations and interactions – all without coding. While it may not have the same breadth of plugins as WordPress, Webflow offers a vast library native features and a growing library of integrations that cover the complex needs of most businesses. Webflow offers dedicated customer support as part of its subscription model, which can be helpful for users who need assistance.
WordPress provides a robust CMS with granular control over every aspect of your content. You can create custom post types, manage taxonomies, and organize your content with precision. However, the interface can feel a bit dated, and you might need plugins like Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) to achieve more complex content structures. Webflow's native CMS is praised for its simplicity and efficiency. You can easily create templates, structure your content, and manage it all within a user-friendly interface. This makes it ideal for startups and SMEs with non-technical marketing teams who need to update the website regularly. To add CMS collection to your Webflow site you’ll need to subscribe to its CMS site plan starting from $23 monthly.
With WordPress, you're responsible for managing your website's security manually. This includes choosing a hosting provider, installing and renewing an SSL certificate, and regularly updating the WordPress core, themes, and plugins to prevent vulnerabilities. Since WordPress is built on PHP, a language known for being more susceptible to hacking, you'll need to be aware of security measures. This can be a significant undertaking for those without technical expertise. Webflow, on the other hand, provides a more hands-off experience. It takes care of security and maintenance for you, with secure hosting on AWS, automatic backups, and automatic updates for all components. This allows you to focus on your business, knowing your website is protected and maintained without much effort on your part.
WordPress website performance can vary significantly depending on your hosting provider, theme, and plugins. Poorly optimized plugins and themes can slow down your website, negatively impacting user experience and SEO. Webflow is built for speed and performance. It utilizes AWS (Amazon Web Services) for reliable hosting and content delivery, ensuring your website loads quickly for visitors around the world. Webflow also automatically optimizes your website's code and images, further enhancing performance.
While WordPress itself is technically free, users must consider additional costs for hosting, domain registration, themes, and plugins, which can lead to annual expenses ranging from $50 to $350 depending on the site's complexity. In comparison, Webflow's free version is designed primarily for users to familiarize themselves with the platform's design capabilities; however, it does not include hosting and is limited to one site. To actually launch your site, you’ll need a subscription plan. For very simple landing pages, Webflow’s Basic plan is available for $14 per month. If you need a Content Management System (CMS), the plan costs $23 per month, while more complex sites require the Business plan at $39 per month. There are also enterprise solutions for highly customized projects.
A website builder for your business, should meet your specific needs, team’s technical expertise, expansion and marketing plans. When it comes to budget both website builders are reasonably priced, ultimately, the choice depends on your unique case. Consider WordPress if you need maximum flexibility and customization options, if you have in-house technical expertise or are comfortable managing plugins, and if you require specific functionalities that are only available through WordPress plugins. Consider Webflow if you prioritize ease of use and a visual building experience, if you value a secure and low-maintenance platform, and if you want a website that's scalable and performs well.
At Level, we've been building websites since the early days of the internet, and while we started with WordPress, nowadays, we mainly build with Webflow. While both platforms have their strengths and there truly is no right or wrong builder, Webflow won us over with its streamlined workflow, integrated ecosystem, design flexibility, and focus on performance. If you'd like insights and professional guidance in choosing the right platform for your specific needs, let’s get in touch.
