August 24, 2022
Webflow vs. WordPress: Which is Right for You?

When your grandparents opened a business, they had to make sure their number was in the yellow pages and take out an ad in the newspaper. Back in their day, they walked to school uphill, both ways, in the snow. They never had to think about the benefits of Webflow vs. WordPress.

Well, gone are the days of the yellow pages. Instead, finding the right website builder for your site is the next step in sharing your business with the world.

Overview of WebFlow and WordPress

WebFlow and WordPress are popular website-building platforms. But which is right for your business? At first glance, they both have a lot to offer.

WordPress

WordPress is the most popular way to create a website. It’s the platform behind more than 43% of websites. WordPress is a content management system or CMS. A CMS makes it easy for people who don’t know how to code to manage websites. You don’t have to be a programmer or web developer to use WordPress. And the best part is WordPress is free.

Many people think of blogs when they think of WordPress because it was a common tool for bloggers a decade or so ago. But now WordPress is the most popular way to build a website with themes and plugins that can do it all. Whether you want to create an ecommerce store, a freelance portfolio, a membership site, or a homepage for your business, WordPress can do it.

All in one WordPress solutions

Webflow

Webflow is a platform with a drag-and-drop website builder. It’s a no-code tool, but you still get access to all your site’s underlying code if you need it. You can add features to your site by embedding code. But basic Webflow functionality is generally all you need.

If you’d like to add a blog, ecommerce store, or a member directory, Webflow has a CMS to enable it. You can play around with Webflow as much as you’d like for free before your site goes live. So, you can check out all the features you’d like to add and what they’d look like.

Once you finish your site, you have a couple of options. If your website is a static homepage, you can export your finished site and host it anywhere you’d like. Or, you can purchase a plan and let Webflow host your site for you. If you want to use Webflow’s CMS features, you have to purchase a plan.

Webflow vs. WordPress

The Webflow vs. WordPress debate may seem like a stalemate. They both let you build websites. But when you inspect each platform's features, it’s easy to see the superior choice.

Ease of Use

Both Webflow and WordPress make it easy to build a website without coding. Webflow requires you to create an account. Then you can start building your site. Once you have an account, Webflow will ask you a few survey questions, then tailor your site-building experience based on your answers. Then, you can start building using the drag-and-drop editor. And if you want to create a blog or ecommerce store, you’ll also have to enable Webflow’s CMS.

To start with WordPress, you must purchase a hosting plan and install WordPress. That may sound like a lot, but it’s actually quite easy. Because WordPress powers so many sites, most web hosting providers have a one-click installation option. That means you simply click a button, and your site has WordPress. Once you install WordPress, you can manage your site from the dashboard and install a theme and plugins to give your site the functionality you want.

Cost

Webflow allows you to build a site for free without ever having to hand over your credit card number. But if you want that site to go live, you’ll have to pay for a plan unless you export a static site to your own hosting plan. Site plans for content-driven websites range from $15 to $45 a month. But if you’d like to set up an ecommerce website, those plans range from $42 to $235 a month.

WordPress is a cost-effective option because it’s free. Sure, you have to purchase your domain and a web hosting plan, but installing WordPress is free. The cost of web hosting varies based on factors like how much traffic your site receives and management services you purchase too. If you want to really customize your site, you'll probably find yourself paying for WordPress themes and plugins too.

Templates

Both Webflow and WordPress offer pre-made design options in the form of templates (Webflow) or themes (WordPress). So any site can have a functional design for the type of website you’re trying to create. But, Webflow doesn’t have nearly the amount of templates as WordPress has themes. And due to the popularity of WordPress, you can easily find a theme designer to create something truly unique for your website.

Ecommerce

Both Webflow and WordPress allow you to create an ecommerce store. To do so with Webflow, you must enable the Webflow CMS on your site and purchase one of the ecommerce site plans. But WordPress allows you to create an ecommerce store using a plugin. WooCommerce is a popular option and even offers a free plan.

SEO

Search engine optimization is how you get people to your site from online searches. Without SEO, your site traffic tanks. Webflow comes with features that help you optimize your site. Title tags, meta descriptions, and the URL are all editable. You can change how your content looks if people share it on social media, and you can auto-generate a sitemap. But many features are behind the site plan paywall.

WordPress, on the other hand, is SEO friendly, which is one of the reasons it’s such a popular choice. WordPress allows you to edit URLs, change your permalink settings, organize your site’s content with categories and tags, and add alt text to your images. Plus, WordPress offers tons of SEO plugins to help you see how you can optimize your content. Many of these plugins will also generate a sitemap.

Integrations

Customizing a website to work the way you need it to is important. Webflow offers integrations with third-party services, but not many. Some integrations work when installed. Others require you to watch a tutorial or two so the integration will work with your site. And because Webflow wants you to purchase one of their site plans, many integrations won’t work if you move your site to a new web host.

WordPress uses plugins. The installation is generally quick and easy from the WordPress dashboard. There are tens of thousands of plugins, and many of them are free. You can add any sort of functionality you’d like to your WordPress site. And because WordPress is so popular, all the major services, like email marketing platforms, social media, payment gateways, and live chat software work with WordPress.

Support

No matter how tech-savvy you are, you will probably run into a website issue and need some help. Webflow has a library of helpful resources like articles and tutorials in the form of Webflow University. They also offer email-based support to customers Monday through Friday. And there’s a support forum where Webflow users post questions and other users and Webflow staff answer.

With WordPress, there’s tons of free support available. It’s popular and free, so many users have experience with the issues you may encounter. Generally, it’s as easy as searching Google to find the answer to your question. Loads of sites are devoted to giving free WordPress resources and advice. Even if your problem is a bit more advanced, some developers work with WordPress, and you can hire them to help you fix the issue.

Why WordPress is the Best Choice For You

WordPress is free, easy to use, fully customizable, and extremely popular. And because you don’t have to keep it on one hosting site, you can take it wherever you want, giving you full ownership of your site.

If you’re ready to start your WordPress site, check out our fully managed WordPress hosting service. You can run your site how you’d like t, and rest easy knowing Nexcess’s team is behind you, ensuring your site’s secure.

Lindsey Miller
Lindsey Miller

Lindsey Miller is a WordPress and WooCommerce expert and Chief Executive Officer of Content Journey, a content marketing agency that focuses on increasing organic website traffic for their clients through SEO and blogging. She knows WordPress inside and out and has been working with WordPress since 2010 when she started her first WordPress blog. Since then she has attended WordCamps all over the world and had the honor of speaking at many WordCamps and other WordPress events such as WooSesh and WordFest. Lindsey has a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in human relations, clinical mental health from the University of Oklahoma.

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