Why i don't use Webflow
Webflow has quickly become a popular tool for creating visually engaging websites, with a powerful page builder that has earned it a strong following. And while Webflow’s approach certainly has it's benefits, relying on proprietery tools for your business has it's dangers.
In recent years, Webflow has significantly grown its market share, quickly evolving to meet the needs of users and pushing the boundaries of pagebuilders. What I especially like is how Webflow caters to design-savvy professionals who already know the basics of layout and UX but want to build quickly and intuitively. They’re aiming to be the "Photoshop" of page builders—a powerful tool that empowers experienced creators to build modern websites, with the flexibility to add custom code where needed.
For years, entry-level website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Jimdo have dominated the closed-source space. Yet for developers who seek control and customization, WordPress has remained the top choice. So while I welcome Webflow’s competition and the innovation it brings, I still choose to stick with an open-source platform for my clients.
Closed vs. Open-Source: Why It Matters
One of the biggest concerns I have with Webflow—or any closed-source platform—is vendor lock-in. This means that the website you build ultimately depends on Webflow’s policies and pricing. If, for instance, a drastic change in leadership decides to raise prices or restrict certain content, you’re left without recourse. You don’t truly own the site—you’re at the mercy of their platform and decisions.
Open-source projects have their own challenges, as Wordpress for example is maintained by a non-profit organisation called wordpress.org which is very closely intertwined with automattic, the commercial ventures of Wordpress "founder" Matt Mullenweg, who also from time to time makes controversial decisions. However, with an open-source platform, you retain the flexibility to access and modify the core code or migrate your website to a different platform entirely if needed. This ability to “own” your code is key to maintaining independence.
Ownership and Customization
Webflow’s proprietary framework also limits customization. Because you don’t have full ownership of the code, there’s a ceiling to how far you can customize. Say, for instance, you build a website for a restaurant and later want to add custom features for online orders or reservations. You may quickly find yourself hitting the limits of Webflow, with few options beyond integrating costly external tools or dealing with complex workarounds.
Without the freedom to access and modify code, a Webflow site might struggle to grow alongside a business and its evolving needs. In contrast, WordPress provides the flexibility to scale and evolve without constraint, supporting long-term business growth.
Cost and Scalability
On its basic tier ($14/month as of 2024), Webflow is comparable to a standard WordPress hosting plan. However, this entry-level plan lacks essential features like CMS Collections. For full CMS capabilities, or to unlock e-commerce functionality, the price jumps to $23/month or more. And since Webflow doesn't include email hosting, users often incur additional costs, unlike WordPress hosting, which often includes email.
With WordPress, the hosting costs remain flexible and scalable as your site grows. If you need to scale, you can migrate to different hosting providers or even host on your own server, bypassing any price limitations imposed by a platform. So in regards of fixed cost, Wordpress also wins most of the time.
SEO and Performance Limitations
When it comes to SEO and performance, a beginner-built Webflow site will likely outperform a beginner-built WordPress site. However, when both platforms are used to their full potential, a well-optimized WordPress site can easily match or even exceed Webflow’s performance.
A well-optimized Wordpress site can reach top performance results on Google Lighthouse
WordPress’s reputation for poor performance is often due to inexperienced users installing numerous plugins, leading to bloated, inefficient sites. As an open-source platform, WordPress gives users freedom to build however they choose—even if that sometimes results in suboptimal sites. But with mindful setup and optimization, a WordPress site can deliver excellent performance.
Community and Ecosystem
When it comes to community and ecosystem, WordPress stands unrivaled. With an astounding 78% market share in the CMS space, it boasts a massive user community dedicated to building tools and solutions. While Webflow and other alternatives are growing, none have come close to the depth and breadth of WordPress’s offerings. For nearly any functionality you can imagine, WordPress likely has a plugin or solution ready to go.
Statistics on CMS Marketshare (wappalyzer.com)
But it has to be mentioned that Webflow currently shows the fastest yearly growth of any CMS, so even though it’s nowhere near WordPress’s market share, it has significant momentum.
CMS technologies that have increased their market share the most over the last 12 months (joost.blog)
Now that momentum is a great outlook for the Webflow community but i think closed-source platforms like Webflow will always xstruggle to build vibrant communities like WordPress’s because they restrict access to their code. With WordPress, developers can freely create and share plugins, themes, and custom solutions, fostering collaboration and a vast ecosystem. Closed-source software, by limiting these contributions, often has a smaller, less diverse community and fewer third-party options.
Choosing Freedom and Flexibility
Ultimately, while Webflow could simplify certain aspects of my workflow, I prioritize the sustainability of my solutions for clients. WordPress, with its open-source flexibility, may not always be the most elegant or straightforward option, but it ensures my clients maintain true ownership of their sites and has the ability to adapt and grow with their business requirements.
Bonus: Webflow Opensource competitors are coming!
While researching for this article, I came across Webstudio, an open-source project developed by Oleg Isonen, a former Webflow employee and the creator of CSS in JS. Webstudio aims to be an open-source Webflow alternative with exciting potential, even allowing integration with third-party CMS platforms like WordPress or Sanity.