Webflow and no-code are in vogue. No-code tools are often seen as the ideal solution for building MVPs (or even full-fledged products), content projects, blogs, etc. Among all no-code tools, Webflow is perhaps the most widely used.
However, like any no-code tool, Webflow has its limitations that you should be aware of before you decide to use it.
As a lead developer in a no-code agency, I have developed a variety of products based on Webflow and have gained extensive expertise in its advantages, disadvantages, and limitations.
In this article, we will discuss for what type of projects Webflow is the be-all and end-all and which projects should be implemented with other tools.
Webflow is great for
✅ Marketing pages
This is where Webflow excels. With Webflow, marketing and growth departments can create pages of any complexity in a matter of days. If the initial A/B test is unsuccessful, content and layout can be changed in minutes. Tag managers, analytics apps, pixels - all can be installed directly from the settings page. Moreover, each page works as fast as if it was built with vanilla HTML+CSS+ JS.
Example: https://new.backer.com/
✅ Websites for start-ups
If you're a startup, 99% of the time you need a bling homepage and 10 more pages rambling about your mission and office location. Maybe a few blog pages on top of that. Webflow is perfect for this: The entire site can be created in a matter of days. The built-in CMS functionality helps create templates to facilitate the cloning of similar pages. Again, everything works as fast as if it was done by a dedicated front-end engineer.
Example: https://www.onefor.com/
✅ HTML creation for a front-end team
It may sound obscene, but Webflow is handy for creating HTML. This often works if you don't want to spend a front-end engineer's precious time converting a Figma design to HTML, but do it with Webflow. The result can then be exported as HTML code that can be enhanced with custom JS.
✅ Awwwards-like sites
Webflow is a Swiss Army knife for creating complex, rich animations and interactions and supports Lottie out of the box. Everything can be transformed and styled based on scroll progress. Any element can have an interaction linked to any other element. If that's not enough, you can expand the possibilities even further by adding any JS libraries.
Example: https://www.rocketair.com/
✅ Niche marketplaces
With built-in CMS features and expanded third-party integration support through Zapier and Integromat, Webflow is a powerful solution for building a niche marketplace.
Cons: The Webflow CMS only supports 10k items. This sounds like a lot, but it can drastically limit scalability. This limitation can be lifted by connecting Webflow to external databases though.
Example: https://www.unicornfactory.nz/
✅ Blogs
Similar to what was said for marketplaces, the built-in CMS + integrations would suffice any request you might have for a blog. 10k CMS items should be enough for most blogs and is hardly a limitation. The SEO friendliness of blogs built on Webflow is above average.
Example: https://www.julian.com/
✅ Mini-games and quizzes
Webflow is handy for implementing mini-games like Wordle and any quiz for which Typeform isn't enough.
Example: https://artsnob.webflow.io/
Webflow is still an option, but the alternatives are better
❌ Web and mobile apps
Even though Webflow is a good solution for the front-end of your app, it lacks basic built-in back-end features, forcing you to look for compromises. Its CMS isn't a true substitute for a full-fledged database, and even basic app features like authorization are difficult to implement. Zapier and Integromat integrations can't fully fill this gap.
❌ E-commerce
Shopify and other e-commerce-only platforms are far superior to Webflow in all areas except the ability to customize the design. If you want to sell more than 10 items, you should use Shopify.
❌ Content projects with a lot of content
Webflow limits of 10,000 CMS items and 200 pages are fatal for ambitious content projects. Even though the limit of 10,000 CMS items can be circumvented, it makes more sense to resort to solutions that don't force you to look for workarounds. Till the end of the year Webflow should release a significant improvement, but just for enterprise plans for now (which is ain't cheap).
About the Author
Polly Chekhova is a Web Developer and Designer focusing and specializing in building websites and apps with no-code tools. A firm believer in a human-centered approach, she works daily to create meaningful services in the fields of Women Tech and Health Tech, and to foster collaboration between all disciplines for the greater good.
Outside of work, she's a cat mum, a mentor to other women in tech, and has a whole lot of other cool roles. She can often be found playing tennis.
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