Webflow vs. WordPress: Differences & comparison of the two CMS
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Anyone who builds websites independently or would like to start a blog will sooner or later stumble across the worldwide The most successful CMS WordPress. The system definitely has its advantages, after all, it is completely free and easy to use. But it also has its weaknesses, which is why more and more users are looking for alternatives. A real Webflow is a hit. The WordPress alternative shines with complete design freedom and ease of use, which is why it inspires more and more users from all over the world.
In this Webflow vs. WordPress comparison, we'll take a closer look at both systems. You'll learn what features both solutions offer and what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Webflow Wordpress comparison - these are the main differences
Design freedom
With Webflow, the world of design is entirely in your hands. At any time, you decide what the fonts look like, where individual elements are placed, which buttons have which animations, and so on. With WordPress, you're a bit more limited. Here, the theme determines the design. You'll notice this at the latest when you start working with the chosen theme. However: If you don't want to worry about design and the like at all, a relatively rigid WP template is well advised.
Coding
WordPress and Webflow both have the advantage that their users don't have to be able to code to create appealing results and user-friendly websites. However, even with these two systems, there is code that is written virtually in the background. You can also view and edit this in both programs. If you have a bit more programming knowledge, you will immediately recognize that the Webflow code is significantly cleaner. The code in WordPress tends to be bloated and confusing due to many plugins available.
plugins
Which brings us to the topic of plugins — the great strength of WordPress. The small “add-on programs” are great solutions to easily add additional functions to your website. For example, an SEO program or a newsletter subscription and administration. Webflow also has plugins, which are called apps there. Even though Webflow comes out of the box without apps in return for Wordpress, they are still useful for quickly connecting external tools to Webflow or expanding the offering. In this video I'll give you an insight into Webflow apps and how to install them.
Drag & drop
The beauty of Webflow is the page builder principle. With drag and drop, you can build your website step by step and admire the results right on the screen. This is not common with WordPress. Even though it is not integrated into the core of Wordpress, there are also plugins and modular tools that enable this way of working.
rates
WordPress is basically free of charge. After all, it is open source software. However, there are certain extras that CAN cost the WP user something. In short, the software is free. Extras such as paid plugins, themes or even hosting cost something. Webflow, on the other hand, is chargeable. However, you can create two projects for free with certain restrictions. However, as soon as the page is published, a paid plan is required. Here I have them for you Webflow cost structure simply explained.
SEO
Sooner or later, every webmaster has to deal with the topic of search engine optimization. Webflow makes this theme easy and accessible. The integrated SEO settings are designed so that every user can cope with them. SEO can also be easy with WordPress. But only if you install an appropriate plugin - such as Yoast SEO.
surety
WordPress is the most successful CMS — and open source. Together, these two factors make the system very attractive for hackers. And also very vulnerable. Appropriate security settings must therefore be made urgently by you or your website programmer. Webflow, on the other hand, offers a free SSL certificate for every project. In addition, the team behind the system is constantly working on security. Find out in this post How secure Webflow is compared to WordPress.
Support
Since Webflow is chargeable, users are also offered appropriate support. For example through a ticket system, but also via the Webflow Forum. WordPress does not have official support, but there is a huge, dedicated community that is there for each other if you have any questions.
I once confronted Webflow Support with two problems to see how much technical know-how the employees there have. I've documented the whole thing as a video here: I'm testing Webflow Support — how good is it really?
Webflow from the perspective of a Wordpress expert — conversation with Nikolba Kolba
Pros and cons of WordPress
Wordpress is currently the most successful CMS in the world and was available in its first usable version from 2004. Since then, the open source project has been further developed by users from all over the world. Anyone who creates a new website usually uses this system, which lives from a gigantic community that is available to answer questions and problems. WordPress also impresses with its ease of use. But the CMS also has disadvantages. Plugins and themes allow a lot of freedom, but can also be expensive and have security gaps.
Benefits of WordPress
It's free
WordPress is free open source software. Anyone can download the system and use it to create a website. You pay separately for your domain and hosting (and possibly plugins and themes). There's nothing else.
Easy content creation
Especially for dynamic websites, on which new content is regularly published, easy usability and rapid publication of new content is a must. A real strength of WordPress. Once set up, it's easy to add new content to your WordPress website.
High level of trustworthiness
WordPress has an excellent reputation. After all, the system has been the undisputed number 1 among CMS for years. The system has been on the market for more than 15 years - and the number of users is growing and growing. Almost a third of all websites out there are built with WordPress!
Undisputed blogger tool
WordPress has made a name for itself as a One and Only blogger tool. Really every blogger has stumbled across WordPress at least once before starting their blog. That is not surprising. WordPress got its start as a blog platform. The CMS has only been used as standard for other types of websites for a few years.
Disadvantages of WordPress
open source software
Open source software is super attractive for many users due to its low costs and easy setup. However, open source code also offers more attack surfaces that can be exploited by hackers.
Messy Code
If you work with WordPress, you don't have to be able to code. The code is created almost automatically in the backend. However, due to the numerous plugins and sometimes less well-programmed themes, there is a risk of bloated code. This in turn results in an error-prone website with slow loading time. In the worst case scenario, Google penalizes such sites with a poor ranking.
Constant updates
The use of plugins does make it easy to customize your WP website. However, every plugin must also be updated regularly. Particularly annoying: With every update, there is a risk of errors that can cause your WP website to no longer run smoothly or even be unavailable at all. So sometimes a simple update can drastically change the look or functionality of your WordPress website.
Dependency on themes
Every WordPress website is based on a theme. There is an almost endless selection of WordPress themes, some of which are also available free of charge. However, every theme also comes with restrictions. If you don't want to use a theme, you need to be able to code or work with a WordPress developer to build a theme from scratch.
Pros and cons of Webflow
Webflow is still a relatively young system. It was developed in 2013 and was intended to bridge the gap between classic CMS such as WordPress or Joomla and well-known website builders such as Jimdo or Wix. Because: Construction kits are usually too limited in their functionality. CMS can quickly become overwhelming, as almost everything takes place in the backend. Unlike WordPress, Webflow is a closed system that is being further developed by a company in the USA.
Benefits of Webflow
Easy web design
There is no longer a separation between visual design and coding. With Webflow, the entire website creation process is a visual process. Design and development thus take place in one step. Designers who come from a design program such as Sketch or Figma find many familiar elements in Webflow Designer.
Clean Code
While WordPress plugins add unnecessary code that can slow down the WP website speed, Webflow dispenses with such additions. The Webflow code is as clean as possible at all times.
Cool interactions
The web should be an interactive experience. By adding well-thought-out animations, websites stand out positively. You usually need extensive knowledge of CSS and Javascript to create new appealing website animations. With Webflow, however, anyone can create extensive interactions and scroll animations — without any coding.
Mobile optimization
With Webflow, you can optimally design your websites for a wide range of different mobile devices. Simply switch between desktop, tablet and mobile phone views and adapt your website for the corresponding device directly in the designer.
User-friendly CMS interface
Webflow offers an on-page editing interface with a clean dashboard user interface. While the WordPress dashboard offers a variety of options that are irrelevant to many users, Webflow only shows what you really need.
Easy search engine optimization (SEO)
With Webflow, you have quick and easy access to all the on-page SEO settings you need. For CMS content, meta titles and descriptions are automatically created based on your content.
Copy and paste from other Webflow websites
In the Webflow showcases You will find thousands of pages that you can simply “clone” into your Webflow dashboard. This gives you the opportunity to find out at any time how other web designers have built a specific page and you can insert elements into your project with just a few clicks. This is also a wonderful way to help each other in the Webflow community.
Disadvantages of Webflow
Some persuasion
If you're a website designer and want to use Webflow to work with your customers, that can take some convincing. WordPress is familiar to most people. Webflow not (yet). However, if you communicate the advantages of the system in an appealing way, you have a good chance of convincing your customers of Webflow.
In pure English
Webflow is an American company. Therefore, the dashboard and support are completely in English. Just like the Webflow University, in which you can learn how to use the system. You should therefore have English language skills if you want to work with Webflow.
No plugins, but apps
Many CMS systems stand out with extensions that are easy to install. Webflow offers these in the form of apps, which, however, are not yet as numerous as Wordpress.
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