I can’t count the number of times someone asks me about website development and which platform they should use. Beyond hard-coding from scratch, there are so many platforms and tools out there today that it can be daunting. Over the time I’ve either worked with web designers, or developers I’ve realized there’s no right answer, as it’s as much a personal choice as it is both time and budget. But for now let’s look at two of the better platforms to help you decide which is the right option for you.
Both WordPress and Webflow website builders are used to create sites with ease. Both have their own set of features, benefits and differences that cater to different user needs. In preparing to compare the two of them, I found that HubSpot provided a really good comparison, so if you want to get more depth, check out their blog post.
WordPress is an extensible open-source content management system (CMS) that appeals to users at most skill levels. It offers a wide range of customizable templates and can be coded from scratch. However, the code quality can become cluttered due to the extensive need for plugins and editing requires using the dashboard and page editors, a point that David Borgogni highlighted in his Digital Merchant post.
Webflow, on the other hand, is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) no-code website builder that appeals to web designers who want to create and customize websites. It provides complete design freedom and delivers clean, high-quality code. Webflow also lets you make edits on-page, and is super Figma and FigJam friendly to boot. For yet another comparison look at what web hosting company Hostinger had to say.
Whether to use WordPress or Webflow really comes down on the user’s skill level, needs, and design preferences. If a user wants an open-source platform with a wide range of customizable templates, then WordPress is the way to go. However, if a user wants complete design freedom, clean code, and an on-page editing experience, then Webflow might be the better option.
Right now this blog is on WordPress, and my host Skystra is awesome, but having been involved in some site development the past few years, and having gone through the gyrations with Wix, WordPress and Webflow, I’d likely move into the direction of Webflow next time around. It just feels to me as more complete, less hassle and likely more secure.