Webflow vs Headless CMS - which one to use
10 Feb 2023
With Webflow, you can build your website without coding skills. Unfortunately, it has a steep learning curve and high pricing, so even as an innovative platform, it's not really suitable for everyone. Depending on your situation, Webflow alternatives may be a better option.
Before I present you with the top WebFlow alternatives, let's look at some of the most common reasons why people even consider migrating from WebFlow.
As a drag-and-drop website builder, Webflow claimed its popularity by allowing people to build and design responsive websites with no coding skills. Although popular and influential, WebFlow has limitations that can make people consider other options.
People seek out the best Webflow alternative for the following reasons:
Lack of mobile apps for site editing
High costs
Lack code control
Poor UI
Here are some examples of Webflow's inability to maintain high-level flexibility and customization.
Blog websites
Multiple websites use Webflow for blogging. And yes, it is effective until one point- there are too many blog posts. I guess you are wondering, is "too many blog posts" even a thing?
Using Webflow leads to this problem since organizing files into folders and subfolders in the URL slug is impossible.
This may sound unimportant until you encounter an overloaded media manager that is difficult to navigate.
In addition, if you publish new articles daily on your website, they will be stored in the same folder. Each post requires a 301 redirect. If you keep using Webflow, it can be unorganized, unnecessary, and harm your SEO, so you should find a more organized alternative.
Large and complex website
Have you heard that Webflow has a page limit?
The page limit is set at 100 pages, and it exists to ensure optimal performance. So what do you have to do if you want to have a website with 100+ pages and keep using WebFlow?
I will quote WebFlow: "If you need more pages than the 100-page limit, you can use CMS Collections and CMS items for pages that use the same template and structure."
After reading this, I hope you will quote me: "It would be better to look for Webflow alternatives."
E-commerce
Although Webflow allows you to create a stunning and unique E-commerce website without diving deeply into the code: animations, effects, and fully responsive layout, can it build large e-commerce websites that require a range of characteristics and features?
Webflow offers an E-commerce solution, which is helpful for small retailers' websites rather than large e-commerce platforms with drop shipping capabilities.
Once again, if you want to use Webflow for this kind of website, you may need to integrate your Webflow-built website with an advanced e-commerce platform such as Shopify.
To avoid this complicated process, the best thing to do is to consider Webflow alternatives.
Pricing
Pricing and the recent pricing hike may not be directly related to flexibility and customization but can still be appealing factors to seek alternatives.
Using a Webflow comes with a price. And not at any price, but at a high price, with uncontrolled variable costs.
Those costs depend on various factors, such as:
Choosing Webflow's pricing plan
Website size
Website traffic
Because Webflow charges are based on site traffic, operating costs can be unpredictable and high, forcing you to migrate to more cost-effective, flexible, and scalable solutions.
When choosing Webflow alternatives, the first step is setting some ground rules. To find an adequate replacement, you need a tool that:
Comes with a more user-friendly interface
Has greater flexibility for customizing designs
Able to make more integrations
Has custom integrations with other services
The following list shows all the solutions and platforms that offer the same customization freedom, stunning visuals, and competitive functionality as Webflow. Still, with a big difference: they are more cost-effective and simpler to use. You can choose your Webflow alternatives based on facts and your individual needs by analyzing all their pros and cons.
As an open-source CMS, WordPress allows users to create and manage websites easily.
Being mostly used CMS on the internet makes WordPress a powerful alternative to Webflow.
With its constantly evolving plugins and themes, WordPress can overcome almost every obstacle which slows down Webflow's ease of use and flexibility. Also, with WordPress, you can build any kind/size of the website you need.
WordPress benefits:
Full control of your website
Expansive theme and plugin marketplaces
Active community
High-level customization
WordPress drawbacks:
Downloading and installing the platform is mandatory
The massive library of plugins and themes leads to
Hidden costs
Security issues
Frequent plugin/themes updates and crash
A Squarespace website is entirely code-free, so no coding skills are needed, and you can still make professional and customizable websites.
The Squarespace editor is very intuitive and provides all you need to create and launch a website, including hosting, domain registration, email marketing, and even logo customization.
Squarespace benefits:
WYSIWYG editor
Responsive web design structure
Built-in website integrations
Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
SSL security
Squarespace drawbacks:
Limited customization
Limited scalability for complex websites
No autosaves
No free plan
With its intuitive and easy-to-navigate platform, Wix could be the best for beginners.
There are many similarities between Webflow and Wix, but they also differ in several important aspects. Unlike Webflow, Wix lets users choose from a huge selection of more than 800 template designs for every type of website. Users can also design websites more quickly with Wix's Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI). Users can customize a website using Wix ADI by providing information about their preferences and needs.
Wix benefits:
Artificial Design Intelligence system
800+ templates
High level of personalization and customization
Provides numerous integrations with other apps
Advanced SEO tools (bulk 301 redirects, custom meta tags, etc.)
Wix drawback:
Proprietary website builder
Expensive for advanced features and third-party apps
free plan force watermark
difficult to migrate your website to a new platform
Shopify is the best Webflow alternative for e-commerce. Shopify provides services to over 1,700,000 businesses worldwide, focusing on online businesses and e-stores.
Shopify is a popular e-commerce platform that offers a wide range of features for building online stores, including inventory management, payment processing, and shipping integration.
Shopify benefits
Designed specifically for e-commerce website
Multi-channel integrations
Excellent for dropshipping businesses.
Multilingual, with up to 20 available languages
10k+ themes and templates available for customization
Shopify drawbacks:
Can be pretty expensive, depending on your needs
High transaction fees if you don't use Shopify Payments
It may be necessary to use a third-party app for localized payments
Like Webflow, Bubble uses powerful workflow tools that you can customize to suit your needs. It offers the same no-code functionality as Webflow.
Bubble is mainly a web application development tool, whereas Webflow is primarily a website development tool. Developers are free to arrange elements in any way they see fit, which will not be done automatically like in Webflow. Therefore, the developer is responsible for arranging elements and designing a better website.
Bubble benefits:
Changes can be made quickly
Apps can be built faster
Possible to build complex apps effortlessly
Bubble drawbacks:
Lack of customization
Need to pay for advanced usage of plugins
Elementor is a WordPress plugin, while Webflow is a standalone website builder. Besides that, Elementor is used by over four million WordPress websites, which makes it the most popular WordPress page builder.
Elementor allows you to create aesthetically pleasing, customizable, and high-quality WordPress templates. Even though the system is free, it does require some initial download and installation.
It provides a unique combination of features and tools for launching a practical WordPress project.
Elementor benefits:
more user-friendly
robust visual editing
No page limit
Numerous pre-made blocks and layouts are available
Strong user interface
third-party support
Elementor drawbacks:
Free version only offers a limited number of pre-made designs
Download and installation required
Defined by WordPress, so it has its advantages but disadvantages too
Editor X is a website design and development platform that actually represents Wix upgraded and more user-friendly version.
Wix and Editor X were built by the same company, so they share many similarities. Additionally, Editor X and Wix share the same app marketplace and support staff, along with similar drag-and-drop site editors.
Wix (or Webflow) does not offer as many tools as Editor X, which allows you to modify breakpoints on your mobile site, support team collaboration simultaneously, and include integrated development tools.
Editor X benefits:
Flexible site editor
Simultaneous editing supported
Supports databases and APIs
Very customizable
Feature-heavy
Drag-and-drop functionality
Mobile-friendly
SEO-friendly
Editor X drawbacks:
Not beginner friendly
Not yet compatible with all Wix apps
Small variety of templates
Weebly is a platform that takes the strengths of all its competitors and puts everything in one place. Although slightly cheaper, it's an easy-to-use site builder similar to Wix and Squarespace.
Weebly offers modern and visually stunning themes with a range of e-commerce integrations. With its combined features, you can easily and quickly create a customized and unique website.
Weebly benefits:
Image optimization and the ability to create a custom slideshow, backgrounds, and galleries
Free hosting
High-quality custom video backgrounds
Cost-effective
Unlimited storage-premium plans
Advanced animation effects
Custom fonts
Weebly drawbacks:
limited themes
fewer plugins
lacks advanced marketing tools
Difficult to migrate
What distinguishes this Webflow alternative from the one mentioned above is that the open-source platform is primarily designed for media content and publishing. With that POV, Ghost, everything that it offers revolves around your content.
Ghost's rich editor provides a smooth and easy writing experience. Ghost is a content-focused blogging tool that makes postings more flexible, editable, and customizable.
Ghost benefits:
Fast platform
Built-in SEO
Lightweight and minimal
Based on modern technologies
Easy to customize and create themes
Perfect for blogging
Dozen integrations available
Ghost drawbacks:
Self-hosting requires technical knowledge
Limited themes available
doesn't have any native search functionality
The Zyro platform is a great choice for beginners with a small, simple online business looking for a simple, affordable way to create a portfolio or website.
Zyro is an ideal Webflow alternative because of its unique AI tools and features that make building websites a breeze.
AI features include an AI logo maker, an AI content generator, an AI business name generator, and more.
Zyro benefits:
Simple drag & drop editor
Trustworthy web hosting
Easy to build lightweight, responsive websites
Zyro drawbacks:
No ability to switch between templates without losing your whole website
No free trial
limited image editing options
Too much reliance on AI tools may lead to non-inspiration generic content
A Headless CMS offers an easy-to-use interface that allows content editors to manage their content while developers can focus on coding without restrictions.
Costs remain the same regardless of website size, making it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes.
BCMS benefits:
intuitive, minimal editor, they can make changes quickly and easily
Extremely fast
Unlimited storage
Works with any programming language
Multiple languages support
Self-hosted
Open-source
Cost-effective
Works with any frontend framework
Learn more:
BCMS- Nextjs Headless CMS
BCMS- Nuxt Headless CMS
BCMS- Gatsby Headless CMS
BCMS drawbacks:
Because it lets you have full control over your website code - it means you need to code the website yourself. For web developers, that’s music for their ears. If you are not a developer, this might be a drawback.
As you can see, there are plenty of good Webflow alternatives, so how to choose the right one? Well, that depends on various different criteria. If you are still wondering which platform to choose for your next project, first establish your goals and needs.
If you want the best-looking websites that do not require coding knowledge, you can choose between Squarespace, Bubble, or Elementor.
If budget is a concern, almost every alternative on the list is more affordable than Webflow.
If you need to build a simple website, you can stick to Webflow or choose Ghost if you are building a simple blog-only website.
If you choose BCMS as a Webflow alternative, you will have a headless CMS solution that is flexible, scalable, and easy to use. Using BCMS features, you can build super-fast, highly customizable, stable, and secure websites. Want to try? ⬇️
Some popular alternatives to WebFlow include WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, Bubble, Elementor, Editor X, Weebly, Ghost, Zyro, and BCMS. Each of these options offer different features and capabilities, so it's important to research which one best meets your specific needs.
While both Webflow and WordPress are website-building platforms, they differ in their approaches. WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that is mainly used for creating and managing websites. Webflow, on the other hand, is a web design tool that also includes a CMS. It is geared more towards designers and developers, offering more design flexibility. However, WordPress as an alternative has a larger user base and a wider range of plugins and add-ons available.
Webflow and Squarespace are website-building platforms, with Squarespace being more suitable for small businesses and individuals looking for an easy-to-use platform, while Webflow is better suited for designers and developers who need more design control.
Webflow is a website builder that offers a lot of design flexibility and control, making it a good choice for designers and developers, though it may take some time to learn to use it effectively.
Webflow has built-in SEO features which allow for basic optimization. However, as websites become larger, it may require more work to maintain good SEO when compared to other platforms.
The Webflow pricing can vary depending on the plan and features you choose, but it is generally considered more expensive than other alternatives. It may become quite costly. To find out more about the costs associated with Webflow and if it is worth the investment for your particular needs, you can read about Webflow’s recent price hike.
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