Kirby vs Webflow
Kirby is a closed-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 18.
- Kirby Traditional · Closed source · 11 of 28 built in
- Webflow Site builder · Closed source · 15 of 28 built in
Sources checked: Kirby 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
| Platform |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| What it is | File-based PHP CMS with a configurable editing Panel. Content lives in text files on your own server, under a paid per-site licence. | 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. | Kirby 5. Kirby 6 is in alpha. Version 5.6.0, released 16 Sept 2026 | Webflow Site plans, Starter to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated |
| Vendor | Content Folder GmbH & Co. KG getkirby.com | Webflow, Inc. webflow.com |
| Licence | Closed source Proprietary, source available | Closed source Proprietary |
| Hosting | Self-hosting No vendor cloud | No self-hosting Vendor cloud Publishing to a custom domain requires a paid Site plan. |
| Built with | PHP, Vue for the Panel | Hosted SaaS, Webflow Cloud for app hosting |
| Database | Flat files, no database required | Managed by Webflow |
| Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. | No free option Basic €99 per site if revenue is under €1M. Enterprise €349 per site. Both include 3 years of updates. | 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 Blueprints are YAML files in site/blueprints. 5 | 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. | Not available You edit blueprints as files. The Panel has no schema editor. 5 | Built in |
| Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. | Built in Blocks and Layout fields. 6 | 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 Multi-language content is built in. 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 Thumbs with resize, crop and format conversion. 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 Authenticated REST API. The official KQL plugin serves headless queries. 910 | 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. | Not available | Not available |
| Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. | Not available PHP hooks only. No webhook settings. | 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 PHP templates and snippets. | Built in |
| Editorial workflow | ||
| Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. | Built in Page drafts. Kirby 5 stores unsaved changes apart from the live version. 4 | Built in |
| Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. | Not available | 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. | Not available Kirby 5 keeps the live version and one set of changes. No revision history. 4 | 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 view renders unsaved changes, with shareable links. 4 | Built in |
| Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. | Not available Preview view compares versions. No click-to-edit. 4 | Built in |
| Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. | Not available Fixed page statuses: draft, unlisted, listed. 11 | 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. | Not available | 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 Content locking stops two editors changing one page at once. 320 | 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 Roles are user blueprints with permissions. 12 | Paid tier Enterprise. 1 |
| Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. | Not available Only by loading different blueprints per role in custom code. 13 | 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. | Not available No first-party SSO. Community OAuth plugins exist. | Paid tier Enterprise. 1 |
| Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. | Not available | 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. | Not available One site per installation. | 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 Panel plugins add fields, sections, views and areas. 15 | 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 Official plugin directory at plugins.getkirby.com. 16 | Built in Webflow Apps marketplace. 9 |
| Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. | Plugin or add-on Paid DreamForm plugin by tobimori. 17 | 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. | Limited Frontend login is built in. Sign-up needs custom code. 14 | 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. | Not available No first-party AI. Kirby Copilot is a paid third-party plugin. 18 | 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 Third-party Kirby MCP plugin by Bruno Meilick. 19 | Built in Available on all Site plans, including free Starter. 7 |
Kirby sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Kirby 5. Kirby 6 is in alpha..
- Kirby pricing
- Kirby releases
- Kirby 5 release overview
- Kirby 5: Preview your changes
- Kirby docs: Blueprints
- Kirby docs: Blocks field
- Kirby docs: Languages
- Kirby docs: $file->thumb()
- Kirby docs: REST API
- Kirby Query Language (KQL) plugin
- Kirby docs: Publishing workflow
- Kirby docs: Permissions
- Kirby cookbook: Extending permissions
- Kirby docs: Frontend login
- Kirby docs: Plugin extensions
- Kirby plugin directory
- DreamForm plugin
- Kirby Copilot plugin
- Kirby MCP plugin by Bruno Meilick
- Kirby docs: Content options (locking)
Webflow sources
Checked 29 Sept 2026. Webflow Site plans, Starter to Enterprise.
- Webflow plans and pricing
- Updated pricing and simplified plans for May 2026
- Webflow Data API: Create Collection
- Webflow Data API: working with webhooks
- Webflow Help: save and restore backups
- Webflow Help: real-time collaboration
- Webflow Help: MCP server overview
- Webflow Help: User Accounts sunset
- Webflow Apps
- Webflow Help: responsive images
- Webflow Data API reference
- Webflow Help: Webflow Apps overview
Considering more platforms? Compare Kirby and Webflow with the rest of your shortlist in the CMS comparison tool.
Where they differ
Kirby and Webflow get a different status on 18 of the 28 features and the same status on 10. Kirby has 11 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.
- Self-hosting
- Kirby can be self-hosted. Webflow cannot be self-hosted.
- Vendor cloud
- Kirby has no vendor-run cloud. Webflow has a vendor-run cloud.
- Free option
- Kirby has no free option. Webflow has a free option.
Built in on Kirby, a different answer on Webflow 3
- Content model in code Kirby: Built in. Webflow: Not available.
- Localization Kirby: Built in. Webflow: Plugin or add-on.
- Custom roles Kirby: Built in. Webflow: Paid tier.
Built in on Webflow, a different answer on Kirby 7
- Content model in the UI Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
- Webhooks Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
- Visual editing Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
- Real-time co-editing Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
- Multiple sites Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
- Form builder Kirby: Plugin or add-on. Webflow: Built in.
- Official MCP server Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Built in.
Built in on neither, with different answers 8
- Scheduled publishing Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Paid tier.
- Version history Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Limited.
- Approval workflows Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Paid tier.
- Content releases Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Limited.
- Single sign-on Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Paid tier.
- Audit log Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Paid tier.
- Site member accounts Kirby: Limited. Webflow: Not available.
- AI writing assistant Kirby: Not available. Webflow: Paid tier.
More comparisons
Full write-ups with worked examples and costs: Webflow vs Payload.
Kirby against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Kirby
- Contentful vs Kirby
- Contentstack vs Kirby
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Kirby
- Craft CMS vs Kirby
- DatoCMS vs Kirby
- Decap CMS vs Kirby
- Directus vs Kirby
- Drupal vs Kirby
- EmDash vs Kirby
- FirstSpirit vs Kirby
- Framer vs Kirby
- Ghost vs Kirby
- HubSpot CMS vs Kirby
- Hygraph vs Kirby
- Instatic vs Kirby
- Joomla vs Kirby
- Keystone vs Kirby
- Kirby vs Liferay DXP
- Kirby vs Optimizely CMS
- Kirby vs Payload
- Kirby vs Prismic
- Kirby vs Progress Sitefinity
- Kirby vs Sanity
- Kirby vs Sitecore
- Kirby vs Squarespace
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- Kirby vs Storyblok
- Kirby vs Strapi
- Kirby vs TYPO3
- Kirby vs Umbraco
- Kirby vs Wagtail
- Kirby vs Wix
- Kirby vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs Kirby
Webflow against other platforms
- Adobe Experience Manager vs Webflow
- Contentful vs Webflow
- Contentstack vs Webflow
- CoreMedia Content Cloud vs Webflow
- Craft CMS vs Webflow
- DatoCMS vs Webflow
- Decap CMS vs Webflow
- Directus vs Webflow
- Drupal vs Webflow
- EmDash vs Webflow
- FirstSpirit vs Webflow
- Framer vs Webflow
- Ghost vs Webflow
- HubSpot CMS vs Webflow
- Hygraph vs Webflow
- Instatic vs Webflow
- Joomla vs Webflow
- Keystone vs Webflow
- Liferay DXP vs Webflow
- Optimizely CMS vs Webflow
- Webflow vs Payload
- Prismic vs Webflow
- Progress Sitefinity vs Webflow
- Sanity vs Webflow
- Sitecore vs Webflow
- Squarespace vs Webflow
- Statamic vs Webflow
- Storyblok vs Webflow
- Strapi vs Webflow
- TYPO3 vs Webflow
- Umbraco vs Webflow
- Wagtail vs Webflow
- Webflow vs Wix
- Webflow vs WordPress
- Xperience by Kentico vs Webflow
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