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In the vast and competitive digital world, choosing the right platform to build your website has a greater impact than you think. Business owners and marketing teams should carefully weigh up their options while also keeping in mind that not all web designers and developers use the same tools. Choosing the right team is important, but the platform is paramount.
What is WordPress?
WordPress is a long-standing pillar in website development history, founded in 2003 by bloggers Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg. As an open-source platform, its source code is freely accessible, allowing users to view, modify, and distribute it. This is not to say that it’s entirely cost-free, but WordPress’ open-source system does minimise upfront costs, with most expenses incurred through the add-ons needed to build your website.
In earlier years, the tool was used by many individuals and small businesses that didn’t have much technical knowledge. But nowadays, you’ll find a mixture of players using it, from bloggers to larger companies, usually because of the user-friendly reputation it has gained over the decades.
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a more modern platform in the website development scene. Unlike WordPress, it’s a closed-source system, meaning the source code isn’t publicly available. Instead, access is granted through licensing, which is offered on a tiered subscription model.
Since its establishment in 2012, the platform has earned widespread acclaim for its highly intuitive interface, creative freedom, and design-first approach. What does it all mean? Well, this innovative methodology has essentially streamlined the build and design, allowing users to craft high-performing websites quickly and without limitations. Among its diverse user base, Webflow is primarily embraced by designers, agencies, and enterprises, showcasing its universal appeal.
Let’s compare: Webflow vs WordPress
Before we get stuck into the comparisons, we want to be real with you. At N4, our team is made up of Webflow experts — but our journeys through tech have crossed many other platforms, including WordPress. We’ve spent years working across multiple tools, learning the ins and outs. So this review is an informed and honest one, from us to you.
Design & build efficiency
WordPress:
Despite being a widely used platform, WordPress has a steep learning curve and can be time-consuming for developers due to its complex customisation process and need for regular maintenance. This can pose challenges for those seeking an efficient and streamlined development workflow, especially when rapid deployment of frequent updates is required.
Webflow:
Webflow is noticeably quicker when compared to WordPress, cutting development time in half, if not more. This efficiency is primarily attributed to Webflow’s built-in features, integrated hosting, and intuitive design interface. Together, these advantages completely streamline the build and design process. So it’s not only the developers who experience quicker turnarounds — the whole team, including designers, benefits from a more efficient workflow.
A look inside the studio: At N4, we use Client-First, a class naming system recognised worldwide by professional and certified Webflow developers. Client-First helps us build more efficiently and deliver exceptional websites for our clients. It allows for our clients to have the flexibility to update and scale their website post-launch.
“As an ex-WordPress expert, using Webflow cuts build time in half. We can turn the same website around in three weeks with Webflow, as opposed to six weeks with WordPress” — Alex Rankin, Webflow Developer
Security
WordPress:
Websites built with WordPress don’t have any security to begin with — only a simple password and username login. There’s no two-factor authentication. Instead, you rely on security plugins, such as Wordfence, to stop hackers from breaking in. However, if anyone does get in, they can access your website’s back end via the front end, which can compromise the entire server (you could lose everything).
Webflow:
With Webflow, you have peace of mind that the back end can’t be accessed through the front end. You’d have to go through Webflow’s dashboard, which has an extra layer of security. Moreover, Webflow has built-in backup features that date back to when you started building your website. This essentially means that if something were to happen, you could always return to previously stored data.
Providing even further security, every Webflow site comes with free SSL certification and uses AWS hosting, which is constantly monitored to protect against security threats, cyber-attacks, and even simple traffic surges.
Webflow tip: Have a page on your website that you don’t want anyone to access? You can enable Password Protection for your pages that contain sensitive data only certain eyes can see.
A look inside the studio: Every designer and developer that has access to Webflow uses two-factor authentication so that there is an extra layer of security for our clients Webflow accounts.
Functionality
WordPress:
WordPress boasts an expansive library of plugins, themes, and extensions that enhance the platform’s functionality. However, it’s important to consider the potential difficulties of managing these add-ons. Ensuring they work together seamlessly can be challenging, and WordPress can become sluggish when overloaded with add-ons, affecting overall website performance.
Webflow:
Webflow offers a more straightforward approach to functionality. With built-in features seamlessly integrated into the platform, there’s less reliance on third-party add-ons. This not only enhances website performance but also simplifies the build process for Webflow developers — saving on time and subsequent expenses. Still, plugins are available via Webflow’s App Store, but in a smaller range than WordPress’ impressive library. These apps, such as Zapier, Mailchimp, HubSpot, Airtable, and more, extend the power of no-code and connect to your Webflow site in seconds.
Don’t want to worry about apps? Through Webflow’s API, you can get very creative and connect almost any app out there to your Webflow site.
A look inside the studio: We use Webflow apps like HubSpot, Zapier and Mailchimp to enhance our clients’ websites and improve their post-launch analytics and marketing campaigns.
Design flexibility
WordPress:
WordPress stands out as a versatile platform, striking a commendable balance between user-friendliness and adaptability, notably enhanced by features such as the Gutenberg block editor. However, the scope of design freedom hinges heavily on the selection, integration, and use of third-party add-ons. Businesses with intricate UI/UX aspirations should take note of this, as WordPress can require a significant time investment to achieve highly customised websites.
Webflow:
Webflow takes the lead in design freedom. With the software’s intuitive on-page editing, Webflow designers are essentially given a blank canvas. In contrast to WordPress, you get complete control over every element because you make every element. If you want to take things further, Webflow allows you to implement custom code to your project to enhance the site’s animations, create custom filters, add crazy interactions, and more. There are no limitations or add-ons required — anything is possible — which allows businesses to take control of their digital presence and achieve the extraordinary.
“The world’s our oyster with Webflow; we can seamlessly transfer designs from Figma over to the platform and bring them to life, without any constraints” — Sophie Hills, UX/UI Designer
SEO
WordPress:
Over the years, WordPress has been praised for its SEO capabilities, with numerous plugins dedicated to optimising content for search engines. Popular plugins like Yoast empower users to easily manage meta tags, sitemaps, and other crucial elements. However, the reliance on third-party add-ons can lead to a cluttered backend, which is often counteractive to SEO efforts.
Webflow:
Webflow prioritises SEO with a range of built-in tools and a comprehensive localisation plan, offering all the power users need without the plugins. This unified approach helps with maintaining a clean backend, resulting in faster-loading websites that contribute to higher search rankings. Unlike WordPress, Webflow also has integrated hosting, built specifically for speed, scalability, and security — essentials in successful SEO.
Collaboration
WordPress:
Collaborating on WordPress projects can often feel like a juggling act — sharing access credentials or resorting to third-party project management tools. Sure, there are great collaboration plugins out there, but they may not match the seamless convenience offered by native collaboration features. It’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole; there’s always a workaround, but it’s never as smooth as having the perfect fit.
Webflow:
In contrast, Webflow streamlines collaboration with its cloud-based infrastructure. Designers, developers, and website managers can comfortably work together in real time, making simultaneous edits without conflicts. And with intuitive on-page editing, collaboration is easy, allowing teams to make adjustments on the fly. Furthermore, designers, developers, and editors can add comments directly on the site, improving team communication when making edits.
Webflow tip: For our enterprise clients, multiple developers can work on the same website by page branching. This is when one designer creates a ‘branch’ from a page, makes adjustments, and then merges it back to the main site when they want to publish. This means our developers can work faster and choose which pages they want to update or keep as drafts until they’re ready to merge.
Localisation
WordPress:
Localisation can be done in WordPress, but it’s a bit of a Frankenstein process to put it all together, and you’ll need a plugin to help you achieve it. The plugin (take TranslatePress, for example) allows you to easily translate an entire page, including forms. There is a free option, but you’ll need the paid version to access more features.
Webflow:
Localisation within Webflow is a very powerful tool. Not only does it allow you to change the language on a page depending on the country, but it also allows you to change images, styles, visibility, and more. The only downside is that it’s not free and you’ll need to purchase a plan to use it on your site.
Pricing
WordPress:
WordPress is renowned for its open-source architecture, making the core platform practically free to use. However, costs accumulate with premium themes, plugins, hosting, and ongoing maintenance — not to mention the need for both front-end and back-end developers (Webflow only requires front-end). And while there are budget-friendly options, businesses almost always need to make a significant financial investment to access key functionalities and advanced features.
Webflow:
Webflow operates on a subscription-based pricing model, offering various plans catering to different user requirements, from startups to enterprise-grade businesses. Although this may seem less cost-effective initially, the inclusive nature of Webflow’s features reduces the need for additional expenses on third-party add-ons and back-end developers.
“With WordPress, since it’s open source, you need two types of developers: front-end and back-end. But with Webflow, you only need the front-end developer because the CMS is so brainless. You take a team of two developers and replace them with one” — Alex Rankin, Webflow Developer
Final review
In summary, WordPress and Webflow both have their respective strengths, catering to different needs. WordPress, a long-standing platform, offers a solid foundational tool, versatility, and upfront affordability. Meanwhile, Webflow provides a more modern solution, excelling in design flexibility and collaboration with a streamlined approach to functionality.
Yes, WordPress is budget-friendly at its core. However, if you’re wanting anything more complex than a basic website (most businesses will), you can expect high costs and timely challenges. Webflow, on the other hand, is designed to get things moving quickly without bloated budgets.
As you know, we use Webflow at N4 Studio. In fact, our agency belongs to the Webflow Experts network, and we proudly became a Webflow Enterprise Partner in 2023. It’s been a privilege to grow with this web platform, and we have endless good things to say about it — many of which are listed above.
But for any business owners or managers out there, here’s the bottom line: Webflow facilitates lightning-quick development, limitless customisation, and extraordinary SEO results. That’s all you need to know.
Any Questions? Ask Our Webflow Experts
N4 Studio is a global Webflow agency with expertise in developing enterprise-grade solutions. If you’re searching for an answer to your tech needs or a team who can understand your vision and bring it to life, then let’s chat. We’re always interested in exploring new possibilities with ambitious people.
Ready to take things to the next level? Get in touch today.
By
Jono Cook
Founder / Developer
,
N4®
