Best Webflow Alternative: 11 Website Builders Reviewed

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Site builders like Webflow help to quickly create a website, even if you're not familiar with CSS or HTML. This is because users can edit templates and modules in user-friendly, foolproof browser-based platforms. Webflow is only one option among many, and considerably more complicated than some of the other solutions available.

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For that reason, we closely tested 11 website builders according to categories like their "Configuration and Usability", "Features", and "Templates & Design". We'll save you the anticipation: Webflow staked out a very respectable fourth place in our comparison. The website builder/CMS hybrid offers nearly endless customization options, however, it dropped down our ranking since it's somewhat inaccessible to beginners.

Webflow is less beginner-friendly than most of the other website builders from our sample.

This complexity can be traced to Webflow visualizing coding logic, albeit not as others, like Wix, do. You'll still build your website by dragging and dropping ready-made content blocks, however, it's necessary to pay attention to some programming basics, like the box model.

All of this makes Webflow's editor more flexible than most of the other platforms we took a look at, however, also much more demanding.

Webflow's Disadvantages

  • Flexible, but overwhelming editor for those unfamiliar with coding or programming.

  • Relatively few extensions and integrations (compared to full CMS like WordPress).

  • Somewhat more expensive than most of the other services from our sample.

The 5 Best Alternatives to Webflow

Webflow was not designed for newcomers to the world of website building. However, there are plenty of alternatives that specialize in catering to precisely this target group. Below, we've compiled a list of five great alternatives:

1.

Easier To Use: Wix

Best Overall 2024
Wix Website Builder
Wix Website Builder
(106,026 )
Wix offers the best balance of user-friendliness, flexibility, and features in the website builder market: If you want to create a dynamic, personalized website without any coding skills, Wix is a great choice.
800+ versatile templates
intuitive drag-and-drop editor
huge range of features
more flexible than other website builders
includes free plan
9.9
excellent
Space
0.5 - ∞
Domains
0 - 1
Pages
unlimited
Contract Period
0 - 36 months
Wix Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Try for Free

Wix took first place in our ranking since it provides the most well-rounded site-building package. Its editor is versatile, user-friendly, and loaded with features, while its app marketplace is teeming with extensions and add-ons. The service also offers a nice blend of marketing options and ecommerce features, making it a great choice for anyone interested in opening up an online store.

Set alongside Webflow, Wix is definitely targeted toward a wider audience. The editor's drag and drop capabilities make designing a website extremely intuitive, especially for those lacking experience with coding and/or who work better visually.

Wix's editor is more beginner-friendly than Webflow's.

Thanks to all of the above, Wix doesn't have as much of a learning curve as Webflow. Its ADI editor offers an even more accessible option, practically automating the entire process of creating a website. With the ADI editor, you won't have as many customization options as with Webflow. This is because Webflow's editor offers more choices in its visual interface; supposing that you can code, the sky is the limit.

However, for less-experienced site builders and anyone who doesn't want to spend time learning some coding basics, Wix is clearly a better option.

  • Easy-to-use drag and drop interface

  • Includes plenty of features and an app marketplace

  • Numerous design templates available

  • Less customization possible than with Webflow

  • ADI editor somewhat lacking in features

  • No CMS as with Webflow

Review
9.9
excellent
Check Review
Templates & Design (30%)
10 / 10
Advanced features (25%)
10 / 10
Support (10%)
10 / 10
Ease of use (25%)
9.3 / 10
Pricing (10%)
7.6 / 10
2.

Better Templates: Squarespace

Squarespace Website Builder
Squarespace Website Builder
(28,352 )
Squarespace scores with high-quality templates that serve as a foundation for elegant and modern websites. Additionally, there is a wide variety of pre-designed sections for different content, purposes, and industries.
150+ stylish templates
numerous pre-designed sections
flexible design tools
solid ecommerce platform
no free plan
9.4
excellent
Space
unlimited
Domains
1 domain
Pages
unlimited
Contract Period
1 - 12 months
Squarespace Personal
 $16.00
monthly price
14 Days Trial Period

If Squarespace is known for one thing, it's iconic templates. The New York-based website builder's design options are seen as some of the most aesthetically appealing on the market, and in our book, a step above what Webflow offers.

Apart from sleek designs, Squarespace provides access to a range of versatile features, is easy to use, and grants users access to comprehensive ecommerce options in a very solid, but somewhat pricey overall package.

Squarespace is mostly known for its high-quality templates.

Another drawback is that in comparison to Webflow, you'll have considerably less design freedom with Squarespace. If the quality of design templates on your website is important to you, and you're ready to work within the platform's editor's limitations, Squarespace is definitely a good choice.

  • Eye-catching, high-quality templates

  • Easy to use

  • Good support center and live chat

  • Relatively pricey

  • Lacks a dedicated app marketplace, providing instead only a few extensions

  • Unlike Webflow, no CMS

Review
9.4
excellent
Check Review
Templates & Design (30%)
10 / 10
Ease of use (25%)
9.9 / 10
Advanced features (25%)
9.8 / 10
Pricing (10%)
7.6 / 10
Support (10%)
7.2 / 10
3.

Cheaper: MyWebsite by IONOS

IONOS Website Builder
IONOS Website Builder
(45,449 )
IONOS makes website design foolproof – but that's mostly because there aren't many design options. The templates offer little room for personalization, which makes their small number even more problematic.
AI website builder
lots of ecommerce features
limited design freedom
few templates
missing SEO options
7.1
good
Space
10 - ∞
Domains
1 domain
Pages
10 - ∞
Contract Period
1 - 12 months
IONOS Starter
 $10.50
monthly price
30 days risk-free

With its drag and drop editor, MyWebsite by IONOS offers users a considerable degree of design freedom when building their website. Ready-made content elements can be freely arranged, and most are customizable. However, the service's biggest selling point is its price for new users: "Essential" subscribers pay just $4 a month for the first year, while "Business" subscribers are charged even less ($0.50 per month for the first 12 months).

MyWebsite by IONOS has one of the most powerful site-building editors available.

At the same time, MyWebsite by IONOS is more complicated to use than Wix, but not to the same extent as Webflow. All things being equal, Webflow offers more flexibility and creative freedom than MyWebsite.

Still, MyWebsite by IONOS is a great choice at an unbeatable price.

  • Powerful editor offering plenty of customization options

  • More than 400 design templates

  • Attractively priced

  • Somewhat complicated and overloaded editor

  • Less flexible than Webflow

  • Unlike Webflow, lacks CMS capabilities

Review
7.1
good
Check Review
Support (10%)
9.5 / 10
Ease of use (25%)
8.8 / 10
Pricing (10%)
7.6 / 10
Advanced features (25%)
6.1 / 10
Templates & Design (30%)
5.4 / 10
4.

Better for Ecommerce: Shopify

Shopify
Shopify
(72,513 )
Shopify is a great all-rounder for small, medium, or larger shops. If you're looking for a platform that's more powerful than a regular website builder, but not as complicated as other ecommerce platforms, Shopify might offer the right mix.
more than 7,000 plugins
great help center
scales with your shop
suitable for beginners
many features require plugins
8.6
good
Number of Products
unlimited
Transaction Fee
0.5 - 2 %
Sales Channels
7+
Payment Options
7+
Shopify Basic
 $29.00
monthly price
14 day free trial

Should you want to open an online store, ecommerce platforms like Shopify can't be beaten. While Webflow does possess similar capabilities, Shopify is built for setting up digital businesses. As such, it includes comprehensive dashboards for managing your store and can offer your customers a wider range of payment options to choose from.

Ecommerce platforms like Shopify are ideal for setting up a new business online.

Shopify combines ecommerce features with the classic advantages of a site builder: Easy editing of templates and intuitive design tools. Of course, Shopify can't match Webflow's flexibility and freedom of design.

  • User-friendly and easy-to-navigate dashboard

  • Straightforward site builder for personalizing your store

  • More developed ecommerce features than Webflow

  • Transaction fees, if using external payment gateways

  • Slow support

  • Less flexible than Webflow

Review
8.6
good
Check Review
Configuration & Usage
9.4 / 10
Marketing & Analytics
9.4 / 10
Generating Sales
8.6 / 10
Product Management
8.6 / 10
Personalizing Your Store
8.6 / 10
Support
6.6 / 10
5.

CMS Alternative: WordPress

Because Webflow is a site builder/CMS hybrid, we just couldn't resist including the king of CMS. WordPress is free, open-source, and can be enhanced through a seemingly endless number of add-ons and integrations (far more than Webflow). Among these are visual drag and drop plugins, which help transform WordPress into an intuitive site builder.

WordPress is the most used CMS worldwide.

However, with WordPress, you will have to pay attention to some aspects that Webflow takes care of, such as hosting and security (although WordPress does offer paid packages that include these). Similarly, you shouldn't expect anywhere near the same level of support from WordPress as you'll get with Webflow.

  • Basically free and open source

  • Most-used CMS worldwide

  • Numerous plugins and extensions

  • Necessary to take care of key aspects, such as hosting

  • No direct customer support

Other Alternatives

Weebly

Designed especially for beginners, Weebly impressed us with its clever mobile app, which makes it easy to build or manage your site on the go. Unfortunately, Weebly's editor has limited drag and drop capabilities, restricting your creative freedom more than its competitors, like Webflow.

Weebly Website Builder
Weebly Website Builder
(150,623 )
Weebly is unfortunately outdated: The interface is clunky, the templates are uninspired, and there are hardly any personalization options. The parent company, Square, also neglects the website builder, so it doesn't look like a promising option for the future.
strong ecommerce features
handy smartphone app
bulky, old-fashioned interface
limited customization
few templates and layouts
7.6
good
Space
0.5 - ∞
Domains
0 - 1
Pages
unlimited
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Weebly Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Try for Free

SITE123

SITE123 also sacrifices flexibility for ease of use, as each template is tied to specific layouts, which you can only somewhat edit. Accordingly, drag and drop design, as with Wix and others, is not possible. All the same, SITE123 is highly beginner-friendly.

SITE123 Website Builder
SITE123 Website Builder
(9,085 )
SITE123 intentionally limits design freedom to make website creation particularly easy: users can hardly go wrong with the design, but they also can't create truly unique websites.
great 24/7 customer support with chat
many pre-designed sections
clean editor, easy to use
limited customization
opaque pricing plan
8.3
good
Space
0.25 - 100 GB
Domains
0 - 1
Pages
unlimited
Contract Period
0 - 24 months
SITE123 Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Try for Free

Jimdo

In balancing between user-friendliness and flexibility, Jimdo favors simplicity. Like Wix, Jimdo includes a second, beginner-friendly editor which is AI-assisted (Dophin). Of course, creative freedom is extremely limited, and compounding this, Jimdo's ecommerce capabilities are fairly weak compared to the rest of our sample.

Jimdo Website Builder
Jimdo Website Builder
(45,519 )
With Jimdo's AI Website Builder, creating a website almost runs itself. However, the design options are nearly nonexistent, and basic features like blogging are missing.
easy to use
practical AI assistant
free plan
no blogging
limited design freedom
7.2
good
Space
0.5 - ∞
Domains
0 - 1
Pages
5 - ∞
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Jimdo Play
 $0.00
monthly price
Try for Free

Overall Result

In reviewing all 11 site-building platforms from our sample, we scored each according to five categories, namely, "Configuration and Usability", "Features", "Templates & Design", "E-Commerce, Marketing & SEO", and "Customer Support", with "Pricing", a sixth factor, being discussed but not scored. As we noted above, Webflow took fourth place, leaving it just out of the Top 3 (Wix, Squarespace, and MyWebsite by IONOS, respectively).

Below, you can see how each of the 11 platforms from our sample did:

1.
Wix
9.9
Review
excellent
2.
Squarespace
9.4
Review
excellent
3.
Webflow
8.8
Review
good
4.
Duda.co
8.6
Review
good
5.
Strikingly
8.3
Review
good
6.
SITE123
8.3
Review
good
7.
Webador
8.2
Review
good
8.
Framer
8.0
Review
good
9.
Hostinger
8.0
Review
good
10.
Webnode
7.9
Review
good
11.
Weebly
7.6
Review
good
12.
Jimdo
7.2
Review
good
13.
IONOS
7.1
Review
good
14.
GoDaddy
6.9
Review
satisfactory

Conclusion

When it comes to site-building solutions, Webflow is in a league of its own. Thanks to its unique approach to design (visualization of complicated coding logic), the site builder/CMS hybrid is a great tool for veteran web designers more interested in flexibility and versatility than hand-holding.

The most apparent alternatives are those that cater to newcomers. Wix, our EXPERTE.com best-in-show, serves up what might be the best overall package on the market. Squarespace is another good alternative owing to its beautiful design templates, while MyWebsite by IONOS offers something for those on a budget. For an online store, Shopify is worth a look, and finally, if you'd prefer a full-fledged CMS, WordPress is a great choice.

Determining which provider is best suited to your needs depends on quite a few factors, most of which we cannot address. To help in your search, be sure to consult our comprehensive reviews of 11 site builders and 9 ecommerce systems.

Webflow Website Builder
Webflow Website Builder
(844 )
Webflow offers significantly more design freedom than traditional builders. You can create dynamic, complex websites with many features and custom designs – but you should have an understanding of coding logic and web design concepts.
Mix of CMS & Website Builder
much more flexible than traditional website builders
great in-house learning platform
extensive collaboration tools
steep learning curve
8.8
good
Space
unlimited
Domains
0 domains
Pages
2 - 150 Seiten
Contract Period
0 - 12 months
Webflow Free
 $0.00
monthly price
Start for Free
Top Website Builder 2024
Sponsored
from  $0.00
per month
Wix
from  $16.00
per month
Squarespace
from  $0.00
per month
Webflow
from  $19.00
per month
Duda.co
show all
Author (German Version): Martin Gschwentner
Martin has been a freelance writer in the B2B sector for more than eight years, specializing in technical case studies for tech companies like Google Cloud. He lives in London, where he runs his own company, GSCRIBE, focusing on customer success stories and employer branding. At EXPERTE, he shares his knowledge about software and strategies that help freelancers and self-employed professionals optimize their business processes and work more efficiently.
Translation: D Bare
* Ad disclaimer: For links marked with an asterisk, EXPERTE.com may earn a commission from the provider. The commission has no influence on our editorial rating.
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Best Overall 2024
Sponsored
Wix Website Builder
800+ versatile templates
intuitive drag-and-drop editor
huge range of features
more flexible than other website builders
includes free plan
9.9
Review
excellent
Try Wix now
Try for Free