Webflow vs WordPress: Which Is Better for B2B in 2024?

Since the early 2000s, WordPress has been widely adopted as an open-source Content Management System (CMS), with over 810 million websites being powered by the tool as of 2023. That’s around 43% of all websites! Its user-friendly interface and extensive community support have contributed to its sustained popularity in the realm of website management.

Despite being the top choice for many B2B companies for a long, long time, a new competitor has emerged in recent years. Enter: Webflow

Launched in 2013, this web tool has gained recognition for its intuitive visual interface, allowing users to design, build, and launch responsive websites without the need for extensive coding knowledge.  

With more web development options than ever before, it’s not exactly easy to choose the right one for your business in 2024. Luckily for you, as designers and developers, we have experience with several website design and development platforms. We know where some fall short and others rise above the competition. In this blog, we’re going to take a closer look at both WordPress and Webflow and how they compare when it comes to:

• Design 
• Development/Functionality
• Maintenance 
• SEO
• Community

*Disclaimer: Our preferred platform of choice is Webflow (and for good reason). But please - have a read through this blog and make your mind up for yourself. And if you have any questions about anything, you can reach out to us at any time. We’d be thrilled to offer our guidance on what platform would work best for your business.

Webflow vs WordPress: Design Comparison Overview

WordPress Design

• Loads of themes and plugins for a huge design library. It makes it easy for inexperienced people to build a site.
• Flexibility for customizing layouts and styles. However, it can also severely limit capabilities as you’re locked into your template and its features.
• Coding knowledge might be needed for design changes.
• User experience can vary based on themes and plugins.
• Dependency on plugins to add functionality for intermediate users.

Webflow Design

• There are pre-made components users can use if desired, but users can also start with a blank canvas any time and build the page structure we need from scratch.
• Visual interface for designing without getting tangled in code.
• Comprehensive design tools for animations, interactions, and responsive layouts.
• Real-time design capabilities for a hands-on, visual approach.
• Allows you to create hundreds of pages in a controlled, systematic way in hours, not days. 
• Membership, Form Logic, and Optimization features are built-in

Considerations for your B2B Brand

WordPress

• Appeals to users comfortable with coding for advanced customization.
• Versatile for various design needs with a plethora of themes.
• Suitable for those who don't mind a potentially steeper learning curve.

Webflow

• Ideal for users valuing a visual, intuitive design process.
• Appeals to those prioritizing modern and visually appealing designs.
• Suitable for beginners and those looking for a streamlined design experience.

Webflow vs WordPress: Design Comparison Summary

WordPress and Webflow are both powerful platforms with distinct approaches to web design, catering to different user preferences and skill sets. WordPress, with its extensive range of themes and plugins, offers a deep well of design options for affordable prices. Its strength lies in its flexibility, allowing users to customize layouts and styles. However, design changes often require some coding knowledge, and the user experience can vary depending on the themes and plugins used.

On the other hand, Webflow distinguishes itself with an intuitive visual interface, empowering users to design websites visually without delving into code. The platform provides a comprehensive design toolset, enabling users to seamlessly create intricate animations, interactions, and responsive layouts. Webflow's emphasis on a clean, modern aesthetic and its real-time design capabilities make it an attractive choice for designers who prioritize a more hands-on and visually-driven front-end development environment. 

While both platforms offer robust design capabilities, the choice between WordPress and Webflow often boils down to the user's comfort with coding and the level of control and precision they desire in their design process.

Webflow vs WordPress: Development & Functionality Comparison Overview

WordPress Development

• Extensive community forums for troubleshooting and assistance.
• Large repository of themes and plugins for various functionalities. The downside to plugins is that they malfunction and cause cataclysmic site failure.
• Requires hosting setup and domain registration.
• Development often involves working with themes and coding.

WordPress Functionality

• Scalability for various website types.
• Rich ecosystem for e-commerce, blogging, and more.
• Customizable with plugins for added features.
• User experience can depend on the quality of themes and plugins.

Webflow Development

• Hosted solution, eliminating the need for a separate hosting setup.
• Real-time design capabilities for a smoother development process.
• The learning curve might be quicker for those not familiar with coding.
• WordPress’s Gutenberg blocks system can be modified using tools like Elementor or Divi to give users a visual interface for design and development.

Webflow Functionality

• Comprehensive design tools for animations and interactions.
• They have custom apps and browser extensions, none of which have the ability to bring a site down.
• Those tools are tied to the Webflow Account ID, not to the Website Server - which is how WordPress does it.
• Well-suited for visually-driven websites and creative projects.

Considerations for your B2B Brand

• Evaluate agency expertise with each platform.
• Consider the specific functionality needs of the website.
• Weigh the importance of coding skills in development.
• Align the decision with business objectives and agency capabilities.
• Consider how fast you need your B2B site to live

Webflow vs WordPress: Development & Functionality Comparison Summary

WordPress theme marketplaces boast a repository of themes and plugins allowing for a wide range of functionalities, making it adaptable for various projects. However, it involves setting up and hosting a domain. Development often requires familiarity with themes and coding. Functionality-wise, WordPress is scalable and has a rich ecosystem suitable for e-commerce, blogging, and more. While customizable with plugins, user experience can vary based on the quality of themes and plugins chosen. Plug-in updates can cause site issues and downtime.

Contrasting this, Webflow offers a more visually intuitive development process with its design-centric approach. The visual interface reduces the need for heavy coding, making it an attractive option for those less versed in programming. It's a hosted solution, eliminating the need for a separate hosting setup. 

Development benefits from real-time design capabilities, streamlining the process. When it comes to third-party plugins, WordPress has many more options (there are currently around 60,000 available on the WordPress Plugin Directory).

This isn’t to say this is a downfall for Webflow. With this WordPress competitor, the idea is to give you everything you need already in the package. So you don’t really need to integrate with add-ons. They have custom apps and browser extensions, none of which have the ability to bring a site down if they’re corrupted, or abused, or defunct (unlike WordPress). This is because those tools are tied to a Webflow Account ID, not to the Website Server - which is how WordPress does it.

Webflow vs WordPress: Maintenance Comparison Overview

Next up on our Webflow vs WordPress comparison for B2B is maintenance. So let’s get straight into how the two compare.

WordPress Updates and Maintenance

• Regular updates are needed for core software, themes, and plugins.
• Requires manual intervention for updates, potentially leading to compatibility and downtime issues, as mentioned above.
• Backup plugins are available for data protection.

WordPress Security

• Security plugins are essential for protecting against vulnerabilities.
• Regular monitoring and manual security measures are crucial.
• The large user base makes it a target, necessitating robust security practices.
• Security responsibilities often fall on the website owner or hosting provider. 

Webflow Updates and Maintenance

• Automatic updates for the platform, reducing manual intervention.
• Webflow handles backend maintenance, streamlining the process.
• No need for separate backup plugins, as data is stored securely.
• Maintenance tasks are generally more streamlined due to the hosted solution.

Webflow Security

• Webflow manages security at the platform level.
• Continuous monitoring and updates are handled by Webflow.
• Security is less of a concern for users compared to self-hosted solutions.
• Users can focus more on content and design without extensive security management.
• The Webflow platform is SOC2 certified out of the box

Considerations for your B2B Brand

WordPress

• Requires more manual intervention for updates and maintenance.
• Well-suited for users comfortable with monitoring and addressing compatibility issues.
• Suitable for those with specific hosting preferences and backup strategies.

Webflow

• Automatic updates and streamlined maintenance processes.
• Ideal for users who prioritize simplicity and reduce manual intervention.
• Suited for those who prefer a hosted solution with integrated security measures.

Webflow vs WordPress: Maintenance Comparison Summary

WordPress and Webflow present distinct approaches to website maintenance. WordPress, known for its flexibility, requires manual intervention for updates, potentially leading to compatibility issues. Security responsibilities often fall on the website owner or hosting provider.

In contrast, Webflow offers a more streamlined maintenance experience with automatic updates and backend management, reducing the need for manual tasks. Webflow's hosted solution simplifies processes, making it an attractive option for those who prioritize simplicity and reduce manual intervention. The choice between the two depends on factors such as user preferences, technical comfort, and the desired level of control in the maintenance process.

Webflow vs WordPress: SEO Comparison Overview

Navigating the intricacies of SEO is crucial for any online presence, and choosing the right platform plays a pivotal role in this process. In this section, we delve into a comprehensive Webflow vs WordPress SEO comparison, exploring how each platform approaches search engine optimization

WordPress SEO Features

SEO Plugins:

• Utilizes a wide range of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO and All in One SEO Pack.
• Offers extensive customization for meta tags, sitemaps, and other SEO elements.
• Allows for comprehensive control over on-page SEO factors.

Content Control:

• Users have full control over content creation and optimization.
• Blogging capabilities make it conducive to content-driven SEO strategies.
• Content structure and hierarchy can be easily managed.

Technical SEO:

• Requires manual optimization for technical SEO aspects.
• Users need to ensure proper handling of canonical tags, redirects, and site speed.
• SEO success often depends on plugin choices and configuration.

Webflow SEO Features

Built-in SEO Features:

• Offers built-in SEO features, reducing reliance on third-party plugins.
• Streamlined control over meta tags, alt text, and other on-page SEO elements.
• Simplified handling of SEO basics directly within the platform.

Content Control:

• An intuitive Webflow website content structure allows users to optimize intentionally for search engines before ever pushing a website live. Auditing of basic SEO is continuous and built right into our interface so Audit as we go.
• Users can manage and optimize content directly within the visual interface.
• The platform is conducive to visually appealing and SEO-friendly designs.
• A clear divide between user roles lets Editors manage content without the ability to break page layouts.

Technical SEO:

• Webflow automates some technical SEO aspects, such as responsive design. It offers advanced adjustment options for site content and layout according to screen size. This is built into our development interface and covers up to 7 breakpoints - which are not natively supported in WordPress.
• Users benefit from an integrated approach to technical SEO.
• Users can set 301 redirects to maintain search engine rankings without leaving the default Settings tabs. At Steel Croissant, we also use Chrome extensions to do this in bulk.
• Automatic sitemap generation can assist search engine spiders with prioritizing the indexable pages on a website.
• Page by Page controls to “hide” a page from Search Results.
• A Yoast SEO style preview of your Search Engine results on every page, comes default.
• Webflow has URL structuring tools for building the blueprint of a website including its canonical tag.
• The new Apps marketplace extends user’s ability to audit SEO so remediation is comprehensive and more manageable for smaller teams.

Considerations for your B2B Brand

WordPress

• Ideal for users who prefer a wide range of SEO plugins and extensive customization.
• Suited for those comfortable with manual technical SEO optimization.
• Offers flexibility for content-driven SEO strategies.

Webflow

• Ideal for users who prefer built-in SEO features and a visual approach.
• Suited for those who want a more streamlined and automated technical SEO process.
• Attractive for those who prioritize visually appealing designs for SEO.

Webflow vs WordPress: SEO Comparison Summary

WordPress and Webflow diverge in their approaches to SEO, each offering unique advantages. WordPress relies on a variety of SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, providing extensive customization for meta tags and sitemaps. Users have full control over content and can implement comprehensive on-page SEO strategies. However, manual optimization for technical SEO aspects is required.

In contrast, Webflow integrates built-in SEO features, reducing dependence on external plugins. The platform simplifies on-page SEO within its visual interface, offering a streamlined approach to content management. Webflow automates some technical SEO aspects, appealing to users who prefer a more hands-off approach to optimization. The choice between the two ultimately depends on user preferences for customization, technical involvement, and the importance of a visual interface in SEO strategies.

Webflow vs WordPress: Community Comparison Overview

This next section aims to shed light on the communal landscapes that accompany these popular web development platforms.

WordPress Community

Community Size:

• Have countless users, but they boast about 65% market share.
• Large user base leads to extensive documentation and support forums.
• Abundance of tutorials, themes, and plugins developed by the community.

Third-Party Services:

• Numerous third-party services and agencies specialize in WordPress.
• A vast marketplace for themes and plugins created by the community.
• Frequent meetups, conferences, and events globally.

Diversity of Users:

• Used by a diverse range of users, from bloggers to large enterprises.
• Community-driven development with open-source contributions.
• A wealth of online resources for learning and troubleshooting.

Webflow Community

Community Size:

• A growing and engaged community of nearly four million active users but smaller compared to WordPress.
• Increasing popularity leads to a more dynamic community over time.
• Dedicated forums and community spaces for discussions.

Third-Party Services:

• Limited compared to WordPress but expanding over time.
• A marketplace for templates and integrations developed for Webflow.
• Emerging agencies and freelancers specializing in Webflow.

Diversity of Users:

• Attracts designers, agencies, and creative professionals.
• Community emphasis on visual design and modern web trends.
• Webflow University and community-driven content for learning.

Considerations for your B2B Brand

WordPress

• Ideal for those who value a vast and mature community.
• Suited for diverse user needs, from beginners to experienced developers.
• Abundance of third-party services and a rich ecosystem.

Webflow

• Attractive for users who appreciate a visually-oriented community.
• Ideal for designers and creative professionals seeking a modern approach.
• Growing community with increasing specialization in Webflow.

Webflow vs WordPress: Community Comparison Summary

WordPress and Webflow differ significantly in the size, nature, and focus of their communities. WordPress boasts a massive and mature global community with a diverse user base, extensive documentation, and a rich ecosystem of third-party services. It caters to a broad spectrum of users, from bloggers to large enterprises, and hosts numerous events worldwide. 

 In contrast, Webflow's community is growing, with a focus on designers, agencies, and creative professionals. While smaller than WordPress, Webflow's community is dynamic and aligns with its startup ideals and is a young company with more accessible community managers. The decision between the two platforms may depend on the user's preference for the size and nature of the community, as well as the specific expertise available within each ecosystem.

Webflow or WordPress: Final Thoughts

Deciding which web development platform is the best choice for your B2B in 2024 involves weighing up the pros and cons of both. 

At the onset, the allure of a cheaper and simpler platform draws many B2B brands towards WordPress. However, as brands mature, they often encounter the limitations and frustrations associated with this choice. 

This is where Webflow emerges as a more robust alternative, offering a spectrum of options, benefits, and robust community support. At Steel Croissant, we’re team Webflow all the way. We have experienced the advantages firsthand, utilizing Webflow for our own site and the majority of our clients' projects.

Recognizing the evolving needs of businesses, we also offer assistance for those seeking to make the switch from WordPress, ensuring a seamless transition to a platform that aligns with their growing requirements and ambitions. Reach out today for a friendly chat about which option we think would be best for your business!