Both Webflow and WordPress are website-building platforms, but they differ in terms of their capabilities, and the decision between the two is largely based on users’ skills and experience with website development.
WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS) that works in conjunction with a broad range of plugins, while Webflow is a web dev platform with slightly more limited capabilities. However, having said that, there are many ways in which the latter is more user-friendly for amateurs.
If you’re looking for a simple solution to building a website, Webflow may be the most appropriate option for you. However, if you want more extensive services including e-commerce capabilities and more, WordPress would probably be better.
An Overview of WordPress
WordPress is easily one of the best and most widely used CMS. It allows users both and without web dev experience to create websites from nothing, as well as manage and modify them without needing to do any coding.
Initially, it was designed for the sole purpose of blogging, but that changed quickly as it eventually evolved into a versatile CMS that powers all types of websites, from straightforward blogs to full-on e-commerce stores.
The most important, defining features of WordPress include:
- Open Source: It’s open source, so its code is freely available for anyone to see and even redistribute and use for other purposes.
- Plugins: WordPress offers almost 60,000 different plugins to users which offers extended functionality. This includes things relating to SEO optimisation, social media integration, security, e-commerce and more.
- SEO-Friendly: The platform offers some SEO capabilities, but you can access even more SEO-related services by means of additional plugins.
- Community Support: Since WordPress is open-source, it has a massive community of users, which means that if you make use of WordPress, you’ll have access to a whole lot of support as well as plugins, themes and more.
- Hosting: WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress while WordPress.org is the unhosted version. However, with the latter, you can sort out hosting via a third party, you’ll just have to pay extra.
- Interface: The interface is fairly user-friendly ad intuitive to use, especially when you’re creating a basic website. However, it can get a bit more complex an difficult the more detailed it gets and the more customisation you opt for.
- Customisable Themes: WordPress has a whole library of themes that are free as well as additional premium options. These allow users to build websites quickly without having to code.
Ultimately, the main features of WordPress that set it apart from its competitors are first, the fact that it provides extensive features to users, especially by means of the plethora of plugin options. This means that users can do just about anything via a WordPress website.
Second, WordPress can be used by both amateurs who have no idea what they’re doing as well as experienced web developers with the ability to code. It has the potential to be used for basic websites as well as advanced, customised websites for professional businesses.
A Quick Look at Webflow
Webflow, on the other hand, isn’t a CMS like WordPress – it’s a website design and development platform that allows users without advanced coding and design capabilities to create professional-looking websites.
Essentially, users have two options when creating and designing their websites: they can either do so visually or by means of clean HTML, CSS and JavaScript, depending on their capabilities. However, this coding aspect is still fairly basic compared to sites that are built from scratch using HTML and CSS.
Webflow’s standout features include:
- Visual Design Interface: Users can build websites by visual means rather than having to code. However, while designing visually, the website will still be producing production-ready HTML, CSS and JavaScript code.
- Dynamic Content: Webflow’s CMS allows users to create custom databases and to manage all their content without having to use and completely rely on pre-built templates.
- Hosting: Webflow provides users with an integrated hosting service, so you don’t have to organise hosting externally. This service also includes SSL, automatic backups and fast content delivery.
- E-Commerce Services: Webflow has a built-in e-commerce feature which allows users to design and manage their online stores along with product pages, shopping carts and checkout flows too.
- Responsive Design Feature: Webflow is designed in such a way that its websites are completely responsive, so they adjust to different devices and screen sizes automatically.
At the end of the day, Webflow provides a quick and easy way to build a decent website without it taking forever or requiring any kind of understanding of code.
With integrated hosting, an e-commerce service and a visual design interface, it’s a great tool for amateurs to use to create professional websites.
WordPress and Webflow: A Direct Comparison
WordPress and Webflow both have their uses in the web dev community, but they cater to different needs and target markets.
WordPress is a CMS with extensive capabilities for customisation by means of plugins and themes, making it great for those who are looking for flexibility. It’s great for both amateurs and those with coding ability to code, meaning it has great scalability.
Webflow, on the other hand, is primarily a visual design tool that provides a no-coding solution for website building, producing clean, production-ready code that is great for use by designers. It’s simple and easy to use due to its built-in hosting feature.
Webflow is focused on design flexibility and website responsiveness that doesn’t require coding, so it’s a more user-friendly option with extensive customisation options for non-web developers.
