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CMS comparison Drupal vs Webflow

Drupal vs Webflow

Drupal is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. Webflow is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 19.

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  • Drupal Traditional · Open source · 16 of 28 built in
  • Webflow Site builder · Closed source · 15 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Drupal on 29 Sept 2026, Webflow on 29 Sept 2026. Plans and releases can change after those dates.

WAYF is an official Payload partner and top contributor. Every platform in the table is classified by the same published definitions, and each answer lists the vendor page it came from.

Feature comparison

Built inPaid tierPlugin or add-onLimitedNot available
Drupal vs Webflow feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Drupal Traditional
Webflow Site builder
Overview
What it is Open-source PHP CMS with fieldable content types, core JSON:API and multilingual modules. Teams self-host it or use Drupal hosting platforms.Hosted visual site builder with a built-in CMS, hosting and a Data API. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Webflow, Inc.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Drupal 11 core. Drupal CMS 2 bundles core with selected contrib modules. Version 11.4.8, released 26 Sept 2026 Webflow Site plans, Starter to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated
Vendor Drupal community, supported by the Drupal Association drupal.org Webflow, Inc. webflow.com
Licence Open source GPL-2.0-or-later Closed source Proprietary
Hosting Self-hosting No vendor cloud Acquia, Pantheon and other companies sell managed Drupal hosting. No self-hosting Vendor cloud Publishing to a custom domain requires a paid Site plan.
Built with PHP, Symfony, TwigHosted SaaS, Webflow Cloud for app hosting
Database MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLiteManaged by Webflow
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free and open source. Hosting, support and contrib services cost extra. Free to start Free Starter site. Basic $15, Premium $25 per site per month billed yearly. Team $2,500 per month.
Content modelling
Content model in code You define content types in files in your repository, review them like any other code and apply them from there. Imperative migration scripts alone count as limited. Built in Content types and fields export to YAML config files. Not available The Data API can create collections and fields. No schema files. 3
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Field UI in core. Built in
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Layout Builder in core. Paragraphs and Drupal Canvas are contrib. 910 Built in Components with properties. Limited seats build pages from designer-approved blocks. 1
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Built in Field-level content translation in core. 7 Plugin or add-on Webflow Localize add-on from $9 per month. The Team plan includes it. 1
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Image styles scale, crop and convert images. 8 Built in Generates responsive image sizes automatically. 10
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in JSON:API and REST modules in core. 3 Built in Data API. 60 requests per minute on Starter, 120 on Premium. 111
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Plugin or add-on GraphQL contrib module. Developers build the schema. 4 Not available
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Plugin or add-on Webhooks contrib module. Core has no outgoing webhooks. 18 Built in Data API webhooks for CMS items, forms and site publishes. 4
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Twig themes. Built in
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Drafts of published content need the core Content Moderation module. 5 Built in
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Plugin or add-on Scheduler contrib module. 11 Paid tier Scheduled CMS item publishing on the Premium Site plan. 1
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Built in Revert in core. Side-by-side compare needs the Diff contrib module. Limited Whole-site backups. Free Starter sites restore only the two most recent. 5
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Preview button on the edit form. Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Limited Layout Builder edits blocks on a rendered preview. Drupal Canvas is contrib. 910 Built in
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Built in Workflows and Content Moderation modules in core. 5 Paid tier Design approvals with designated reviewers on Enterprise. 1
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Built in Workspaces module, stable in core since 10.3. 6 Limited A site publish ships all staged changes together. No named release bundles. 1
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Not available Built in Available on every Workspace and Site plan. 6
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Built in Paid tier Enterprise. 1
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Plugin or add-on Field Permissions contrib module. 12 Not available Enterprise access controls stop at pages and Collections. 1
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Plugin or add-on OpenID Connect or SAML Authentication contrib modules. 13 Paid tier Enterprise. 1
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Limited Database Logging records content events by user. It caps and prunes entries. 20 Paid tier Site activity log on Team, audit logs API on Enterprise. 1
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Plugin or add-on Domain contrib module. Core multisite shares only the codebase. 14 Built in A Workspace holds many sites with shared seats. Each site needs its own Site plan. 1
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Custom field widgets, forms and admin routes. Built in Apps can add Designer Extensions to the editor. 12
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in drupal.org module directory. Built in Webflow Apps marketplace. 9
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Plugin or add-on Webform contrib module. Core Contact is deprecated in 11.4. 152 Built in 50 submissions on Starter, unlimited on paid Site plans. 1
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Built in Not available Webflow retired User Accounts on 29 January 2026. 8
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Plugin or add-on AI module from the Drupal AI Initiative, bundled with Drupal CMS. 1619 Paid tier Copy generation needs a paid Site or Workspace plan and uses AI credits. 1
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Not available Community contrib only, e.g. the MCP Server module by Lullabot and Omedia. 17 Built in Available on all Site plans, including free Starter. 7

Considering more platforms? Compare Drupal and Webflow with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.

Where they differ

Drupal and Webflow get a different status on 19 of the 28 features and the same status on 9. Drupal has 16 built in on its baseline edition, Webflow has 15. Two matching statuses can still name different paid tiers or limits, so read the notes in the table before treating a row as equal.

Licence
Drupal is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later). Webflow is closed source (Proprietary).
Self-hosting
Drupal can be self-hosted. Webflow cannot be self-hosted.
Vendor cloud
Drupal has no vendor-run cloud. Webflow has a vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Drupal, a different answer on Webflow 7

  • Content model in code Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Not available.
  • Localization Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Plugin or add-on.
  • Version history Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Limited.
  • Approval workflows Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Paid tier.
  • Content releases Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Limited.
  • Custom roles Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Paid tier.
  • Site member accounts Drupal: Built in. Webflow: Not available.

Built in on Webflow, a different answer on Drupal 6

  • Webhooks Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Built in.
  • Visual editing Drupal: Limited. Webflow: Built in.
  • Real-time co-editing Drupal: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
  • Multiple sites Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Built in.
  • Form builder Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Built in.
  • Official MCP server Drupal: Not available. Webflow: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 6

  • GraphQL API Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Not available.
  • Scheduled publishing Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Paid tier.
  • Field-level permissions Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Not available.
  • Single sign-on Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Paid tier.
  • Audit log Drupal: Limited. Webflow: Paid tier.
  • AI writing assistant Drupal: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Paid tier.

More comparisons

Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Drupal vs Payload and Webflow vs Payload.

Drupal against other platforms

Webflow against other platforms

Open the CMS comparison tool to put up to six platforms in one table.

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