There are so many website builder platforms to pick up, which can get overwhelming for people who are getting started to build their website and aren’t sure which platforms to pick. Chances are you’ve likely came across WIX because its one of the most popular platforms out there, which became popular from its drag and drop system that lets you customize your own website. Another platform that has emerged takes the level of customizability even further, and has gained a massive recognition in the last couple of years. This platform is Webflow.
In this post we’ll breakdown two of the most popular platforms, WIX and Webflow. We’ll take a look at how those platforms compare, and what they’re best suited for, so that you can choose the right platform for your website.
What is WIX?
In case you haven’t heard of WIX, its a drag and drop website builder platform that lets you build a website by dropping elements onto a canvas, making it very easy for the average person to build a website. The company was founded in 2006 and has massively grown ever since, in fact, It is one of the three most popular platforms (WordPress, Squarespace) with a over 200 million users worldwide.
Pros of WIX:
- User-friendly interface
- Easy drag and drop system to build a website.
- Full suite of built-in tools to manage your website
- Built-in analytics to view your site’s performance
- Social media tools to advertise your business
- CRM system to manage leads/customers
- Manage your website from the WIX mobile app
- Comprehensive eCommerce features to start selling
Cons of WIX:
- Can be limiting for more complex designs
- Not built for large websites
- Runs slow when editing a heavy website
- Lots of bloatware in the site’s code.
- Not very optimized on smaller screens
- Inconvenient process of migrating to another platform
- Limited SEO controls
Who is best suited for WIX?
- All-In-Solution: WIX has a few selling points that many people would find a big deal for their business. Firstly, WIX has many built-in tools right from the start that make managing a website seamless, so you won’t need to switch between separate apps to manage your business, and this reason alone is a big selling point for many businesses who want everything in one place.
- Middle tiers: Another reason why you might choose WIX is because its easy to use but also not so advanced that makes it complicated. A lot of people just want something in the middle, which is a platform that is somewhat sophisticated but don’t want all the bells and whistles or advanced features that they don’t use, which makes WIX a great choice for those people.
What is Webflow?
Webflow is a web development platform that caught the attention of many of people who wanted to build a custom website from complete scratch but don’t have the coding knowledge to do it. Thats where Webflow comes in, it allows you to build a complete custom website through HTML, CSS, and Javascript parameters, but instead of code the parameters are presented as visual elements, so its like coding a website but without the actual coding, which is also known as “no-code”.
The company was founded in 2016 by a group of web developers, and has got the attention of millions of users to start building custom websites in a completely different way, which made it stand out against other platforms. If you like to learn more about Webflow, then check out our other blog post covering Webflow in more depth.
Pros of Webflow:
- Full design customization capabilities without coding
- Freedom to build any type of website without limitations
- Runs on clean code for a much faster & secure website
- Implement & prototype designs much quicker
- Separate user interfaces for clients & developers
- Powerful CMS for any type of dynamic content
- Integrates with any third-party application
- Integrated hosting by Webflow (no third-party hosting)
- Advanced SEO controls
Cons of Webflow:
- Steep learning curve (easier than coding)
- eCommerce features not as developed as other platforms.
- Not an All-In-One platform like WIX (requires third-party apps)
- Could cost more due to third-party subscriptions
- Limited to 100 static pages (for now
Who is best suited for Webflow?
- Web Designers: Traditionally web designers create the designs and hand them off to a developer to implement them through code, so designers had no control over the development process and how their designs will look and function on the final product. With Webflow, designers can now develop their designs without dealing with code, making the design and development process a lot more seamless than the traditional way of building custom websites.
- Web Developers: Developers can now develop websites with almost the same level of flexibility as coding through a visual tool, making their development process much faster and less headaches.
Conclusion
Hopefully by now you got a better idea on what the differences between the two platforms are in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and use cases. In a nutshell, WIX is a platform that does almost a bit of everything inside a somewhat user-friendly interface to some extent, and Webflow is specifically designed to build custom websites from complete scratch with more advanced controls that web designers and developers appreciate. Both platforms are great options, but it all comes down to your own use case and the platform that will benefit you the most.