Webflow Review – All the Key Pros and Cons
What is Webflow? Webflow is an online platform that allows you to create your own website or online store without needing advanced coding skills. It operates as a cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) design tool, accessible through your web browser, and requires a subscription for usage. There are two ways to use Webflow: Design and host your website on Webflow’s servers, utilizing the Webflow editor for updates. Design a website with Webflow and export the code to host it on your own server. Most users prefer the first option as it offers reliability and ease of updating through Webflow’s content management system and style editor. The second option is usually chosen by professional web developers and agencies who prefer independent hosting and coding.Webflow provides customizable templates that can be tailored to your brand and services, enabling you to create visually impressive websites with unique features.Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Webflow is positioned as a “no-code” web development tool, catering to both non-programmers and programmers alike. However, advanced users can also customize CSS, HTML, and JavaScript to further customize their websites. Who is Webflow For? Webflow is designed for a wide range of users, including: Small business owners: Webflow provides an affordable and user-friendly solution for small business owners who want to create their own websites or online stores without hiring professional developers. Web designers: Webflow offers a powerful design tool for web designers who want to create visually stunning and unique websites for their clients, with the flexibility of customizing the code. Web developers: Webflow caters to web developers who prefer a visual interface for designing websites and want the option to export the code for further customization or hosting on their own servers. Agencies: Webflow is popular among web design agencies that need a versatile platform for designing and managing websites for multiple clients, with the ability to export code and host independently. As for the number of Webflow users, the company does not publicly disclose exact figures. However, Webflow has gained significant popularity since its founding in 2013 and has a large user base that includes individuals, businesses, and agencies around the world. Webflow Pricing Webflow’s pricing can be confusing due to the three sets of plans they offer: Site plans, Ecommerce plans, and Workspace plans. Site plans and Ecommerce plans are similar to plans offered by other website builders like Wix and Shopify. They include hosting, a content management system (CMS), and the option to map a custom domain. Ecommerce plans also include tools for selling products online. Site plans are priced as follows: Starter: $0 Basic: $18 CMS: $29 Business: $49 Ecommerce plans are priced as follows: Standard: $42 Plus: $84 Advanced: $235 The differences between Site plans involve access to a CMS (Basic plan does not have CMS access), the number of editable CMS items, monthly visitors, storage space, and the number of users who can edit the site. The more expensive the plan, the more features and resources you get. For Ecommerce plans, the differences involve the number of products you can sell, transaction fees, and staff accounts. Standard plan allows 500 products with a 2% transaction fee, Plus plan allows 5,000 products with 0% transaction fee, and Advanced plan allows 15,000 products with 0% transaction fee. Workspace plans, on the other hand, are geared towards professional web designers and agencies. These plans allow managing multiple sites and collaboration among multiple users. They also provide the option to export site code for self-hosting or handing over to a developer for further enhancements. There are six Workspace plans available: Starter: $0 Freelancer: $24 Core: $28 Agency: $42 Growth: $60 Enterprise: custom pricing Freelancer and Agency plans are designed for web design agencies, while Starter, Core, Growth, and Enterprise plans are intended for individuals and companies building their own sites. The differences between these plans involve the number of users who can work on a project simultaneously, the number of sites that can be managed, publishing permissions, ability to add custom code, ability to export site code, and level of security and customer support. It’s important to note that Workspace plans do not include hosting, CMS access, or domain mapping. To access these features, you need to purchase a Site or Ecommerce plan in addition to your Workspace plan.Although Webflow’s pricing structure may seem complicated, it’s worth noting that they offer many powerful features once you understand the different plans and their capabilities. Webflow Features Webflow is a powerful web design and development platform that offers a wide range of features to help you create professional, responsive websites with ease. Some of the key features of Webflow include: Visual Web Design Editor: Webflow’s visual web design editor allows you to design websites visually, without needing to write code. You can drag and drop elements onto the canvas, customize their styles, and see the changes in real-time. This makes it easy to create custom designs without coding skills. Responsive Design: Webflow allows you to create responsive websites that automatically adapt to different screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices. You can customize the layout, typography, and styles for different devices, ensuring a consistent user experience across all screen sizes. Custom Code: Webflow allows you to add custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code to your website, giving you full control over the design and functionality. This is especially useful for developers who want to create custom interactions, animations, or integrations with third-party services. CMS and E-commerce: Webflow has a built-in Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to create dynamic content-driven websites, such as blogs, news sites, and portfolios. You can also create online stores with Webflow’s E-commerce functionality, which includes features like product management, shopping cart, and payment integrations. Hosting and Publishing: Webflow provides hosting for your websites, and you can publish your websites with a custom domain or a Webflow subdomain. Webflow also offers SSL certificates for secure browsing, and you can easily update and manage your websites from