Now booking enterprise content platform builds for 2026. Contact us

Join us
Contact us

What we build

Who it's for

How we engage

Case studies

Industries

Partnerships

About

Writing

Tools

For startups Join us
Contact us
CMS comparison Webflow vs WordPress

Webflow vs WordPress

Webflow is a closed-source site builder that runs on the vendor's cloud. WordPress is an open-source traditional CMS that you host yourself. The table below sets them side by side on 28 features. They get a different status on 17.

Book a call
  • Webflow Site builder · Closed source · 15 of 28 built in
  • WordPress Traditional · Open source · 13 of 28 built in

Sources checked: Webflow on 29 Sept 2026, WordPress 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
Webflow vs WordPress feature comparison. Columns are the two platforms. Rows are features, grouped by area.
Platform
Webflow Site builder
WordPress Traditional
Overview
What it is Hosted visual site builder with a built-in CMS, hosting and a Data API. Designers build pages on a canvas. Run by Webflow, Inc.Open-source PHP CMS that renders sites through themes and extends through plugins. Teams self-host it or buy managed WordPress hosting.
Edition compared The product and release each column describes. Webflow Site plans, Starter to Enterprise SaaS, continuously updated WordPress 7.1 core, self-hosted from WordPress.org Version 7.1.2, released 22 Sept 2026
Vendor Webflow, Inc. webflow.com WordPress.org community project (Automattic is the largest contributor) wordpress.org
Licence Closed source Proprietary Open source GPL-2.0-or-later
Hosting No self-hosting Vendor cloud Publishing to a custom domain requires a paid Site plan. Self-hosting No vendor cloud Automattic's WordPress.com and many third-party hosts sell managed WordPress.
Built with Hosted SaaS, Webflow Cloud for app hostingPHP, JavaScript, React block editor
Database Managed by WebflowMySQL, MariaDB
Pricing Public list prices only. Hosting and implementation are extra everywhere. Free to start Free Starter site. Basic $15, Premium $25 per site per month billed yearly. Team $2,500 per month. Free to start Free to download and self-host. Hosting and premium plugins cost extra.
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. Not available The Data API can create collections and fields. No schema files. 3 Built in Post types, taxonomies and meta registered in PHP.
Content model in the UI Admins can create and change content types and fields in the admin interface without writing code. Built in Plugin or add-on ACF or Custom Post Type UI plugins. Core has no content type builder. 12
Reusable blocks Editors compose pages from reusable, typed components or blocks, and can reorder them. Built in Components with properties. Limited seats build pages from designer-approved blocks. 1 Built in Block editor with patterns and synced patterns.
Localization Editors translate content per locale inside the CMS, by field or by entry, without a separate site for each language. Plugin or add-on Webflow Localize add-on from $9 per month. The Team plan includes it. 1 Plugin or add-on WPML or Polylang plugins. Core translates the interface only. 13
Image transformations The CMS resizes, crops or converts images on request, through URL parameters or generated sizes, with no external service. Built in Generates responsive image sizes automatically. 10 Built in WordPress generates registered image sizes on upload.
APIs and delivery
REST API A documented REST or JSON HTTP API returns content. Built in Data API. 60 requests per minute on Starter, 120 on Premium. 111 Built in 5
GraphQL API The vendor or an official module provides a GraphQL API for content. Not available Plugin or add-on WPGraphQL, a canonical plugin on WordPress.org. 6
Webhooks The CMS can call an external URL when content is created, changed or published. Built in Data API webhooks for CMS items, forms and site publishes. 4 Plugin or add-on WP Webhooks plugin. Core sends no outgoing webhooks. 16
Renders the website The CMS itself renders and serves the public pages through themes or templates. Headless-only products answer no. Built in Built in Block themes and classic PHP themes.
Editorial workflow
Drafts Editors save changes as a draft and publish them later. The live version stays untouched until then. Built in Limited Edits to a published post go live on update. PublishPress Revisions adds pending drafts. 11
Scheduled publishing An editor can set a future date and time for content to publish or unpublish. Paid tier Scheduled CMS item publishing on the Premium Site plan. 1 Built in Scheduled publishing only. Scheduled unpublishing needs a plugin.
Version history The CMS keeps earlier versions of an entry, and editors can compare or restore them. Limited Whole-site backups. Free Starter sites restore only the two most recent. 5 Built in Revisions with a visual scrubber since 7.0. 2
Preview Editors can see unpublished content rendered as it will appear on the site before publishing. Built in Built in
Visual editing Editors can click on the rendered page and edit content in place or in a side panel next to it. Built in Built in Block Editor and Site Editor edit content inside the theme's styles.
Approval workflows Content moves through review stages you configure, such as draft, review and approved, with permissions per stage. Paid tier Design approvals with designated reviewers on Enterprise. 1 Plugin or add-on PublishPress plugins. Core has only the Pending Review status. 711
Content releases Editors group changes across several entries and publish them together as one release. Limited A site publish ships all staged changes together. No named release bundles. 1 Not available
Real-time co-editing Two or more editors can work on the same entry at once and see each other's changes live. Built in Available on every Workspace and Site plan. 6 Not available Pulled from 7.0. Still experimental in the Gutenberg plugin. 3418
Access and governance
Custom roles Admins define their own roles with granular permissions instead of picking from a fixed set. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Plugin or add-on Plugins such as Members or User Role Editor. Core roles are fixed. 7
Field-level permissions Admins can restrict access to single fields, on top of content types and entries. Not available Enterprise access controls stop at pages and Collections. 1 Not available
Single sign-on Editors can sign in through SAML or OpenID Connect against a company identity provider. Paid tier Enterprise. 1 Plugin or add-on SAML or OIDC plugins, e.g. miniOrange SAML Single Sign On. 15
Audit log The CMS logs who changed what and when across the whole installation, and admins can review the log. Paid tier Site activity log on Team, audit logs API on Enterprise. 1 Plugin or add-on Simple History or WP Activity Log plugins. 14
Platform and extensibility
Multiple sites One installation or account can manage several separate websites or brands with shared users. Built in A Workspace holds many sites with shared seats. Each site needs its own Site plan. 1 Built in Multisite network in core, with shared users. 8
Extensible admin UI Developers can add their own components, views or fields to the editing interface. Built in Apps can add Designer Extensions to the editor. 12 Built in Custom blocks, admin pages and meta boxes.
Plugin marketplace The vendor runs an official directory or marketplace of installable extensions. Built in Webflow Apps marketplace. 9 Built in WordPress.org plugin directory.
Form builder Editors can build and publish forms and collect submissions without code. Built in 50 submissions on Starter, unlimited on paid Site plans. 1 Plugin or add-on Form plugins such as WPForms or Contact Form 7. 17
Site member accounts The platform handles sign-up and login for public site users or members, separate from editors. Not available Webflow retired User Accounts on 29 January 2026. 8 Built in Open registration with the Subscriber role. 7
AI writing assistant A first-party AI feature in the editing interface generates, rewrites or translates content. Paid tier Copy generation needs a paid Site or Workspace plan and uses AI credits. 1 Plugin or add-on Official AI plugin plus a connected provider. Core ships the AI Client only. 29
Official MCP server The vendor publishes a Model Context Protocol server so AI agents can read or write content. Built in Available on all Site plans, including free Starter. 7 Plugin or add-on MCP Adapter plugin from the WordPress AI team. 10

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

Where they differ

Webflow and WordPress get a different status on 17 of the 28 features and the same status on 11. Webflow has 15 built in on its baseline edition, WordPress has 13. 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
Webflow is closed source (Proprietary). WordPress is open source (GPL-2.0-or-later).
Self-hosting
Webflow cannot be self-hosted. WordPress can be self-hosted.
Vendor cloud
Webflow has a vendor-run cloud. WordPress has no vendor-run cloud.

Built in on Webflow, a different answer on WordPress 6

  • Content model in the UI Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Webhooks Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Drafts Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Limited.
  • Real-time co-editing Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Not available.
  • Form builder Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Official MCP server Webflow: Built in. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.

Built in on WordPress, a different answer on Webflow 4

  • Content model in code Webflow: Not available. WordPress: Built in.
  • Scheduled publishing Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Built in.
  • Version history Webflow: Limited. WordPress: Built in.
  • Site member accounts Webflow: Not available. WordPress: Built in.

Built in on neither, with different answers 7

  • GraphQL API Webflow: Not available. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Approval workflows Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Content releases Webflow: Limited. WordPress: Not available.
  • Custom roles Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Single sign-on Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • Audit log Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.
  • AI writing assistant Webflow: Paid tier. WordPress: Plugin or add-on.

More comparisons

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

Webflow against other platforms

WordPress against other platforms

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

We're booking content platform
engagements for 2026.

Twenty-five minutes to walk through the work and decide if we're the right team for it. Scoping and a fixed price come after.

Book a 25-min call Or email us instead