Choosing a website platform in 2025 feels like picking a phone plan—endless options, hidden fees, and hype everywhere. Two names dominate the “build-it-yourself” conversation: WordPress and Webflow. Below, we break down real numbers, performance data, and future-proof considerations so you can decide once and move on to growing revenue.
Quick Verdict
Spoiler: If you need absolute design control, built-in hosting, and don’t care about owning your stack, Webflow shines. If you prioritise plugin flexibility, long-term cost control, and full data ownership, WordPress still wins for most small businesses.
Cost of Ownership Over 3 Years
| Cost Item | WordPress (Self-Hosted) | Webflow (Business Plan) |
| Annual platform fee | $0 (open source) | $456 |
| Managed hosting | $300 (WP Engine/Cloudways) | Included |
| Premium theme / template | $99 one-off | $0–$49 |
| Essential plugins / apps | $150–$250 yr | Limited; many features bundled |
| Dev & maintenance | $1 200 yr average | $600 yr average |
| 3-Year total | ≈ $4 500 | ≈ $4 100 |
The numbers stay close, but WordPress lets you downgrade hosting or swap vendors, while Webflow locks you into its pricing ladder.
Design Flexibility & Theme Ecosystem
WordPress offers 11 000+ free themes and countless block libraries. Need advanced motion? Install Greenshift or Frames in minutes. Webflow’s visual designer feels magical for custom interactions, yet every new animation adds code weight (and can hurt INP if you’re not careful).
Mini-case-study: A Chicago landscaping firm relaunched on WordPress using a custom FSE (Full-Site Editing) theme. They cut design hours by 30 % and doubled landing-page variants—lifting quote requests 27 % in three months.
SEO & Core Web Vitals Performance
- WordPress – Pair WP Rocket, Perfmatters, and an image CDN, and sites routinely score 90+ on Lighthouse INP tests.
- Webflow – Clean markup and automatic image optimisation out of the box, but no server-level caching control. Large CMS collections can slip below Google’s 200 ms INP threshold after ~50 k items (Source: Webflow Performance Docs, 2025).
Want hands-on tuning? Our WordPress development experts configure edge caching and AVIF images for sub-1-second Largest Contentful Paint.
Security & Compliance (HTTPS, EU AI Act)
Both platforms enforce HTTPS. WordPress security relies on plugins (Wordfence, iThemes) + hosting firewalls; Webflow’s closed SaaS model reduces attack surface but limits custom security headers. For EU AI Act transparency—disclosing when AI personalisation is active—WordPress plugins such as “AI Consent Pro” already exist, while Webflow requires custom code embeds.
Ease of Use & Learning Curve
- Webflow – Visual builder, no PHP knowledge required, perfect for solo marketers.
- WordPress – Gutenberg block editor is drag-and-drop, but theme JSON and custom blocks need mild HTML/CSS familiarity.
If you outsource updates, both level out; the WordPress admin is still friendlier for non-designers editing content daily.
When to Choose
WordPress
- You need thousands of pages or blog posts and want cheap database scaling.
- You rely on third-party marketing tools—no-code plugins exist for almost everything.
- You might re-host on cheaper infrastructure next year (true ownership).
Webflow
- You want pixel-perfect animations without touching code.
- You hate plugin updates and server maintenance.
- Your site is <100 pages and unlikely to need complex database queries.
Need speed tips for either platform? See our page-speed optimisation service for INP-first performance tuning.
FAQ
Which is better for SEO: Webflow or WordPress?
Both platforms can score 90+ on Google Lighthouse, but WordPress gives advanced SEOs more control. Features like server-level caching and schema plugins make it ideal for those who want to fine-tune every ranking factor.
Can I migrate from Webflow to WordPress later?
Yes, it’s possible. You can export pages and CMS content via CSV, then set up 301 redirects to preserve SEO. For a medium-sized site, expect around 15–20 hours of migration work.
Which platform is cheaper long-term?
While initial pricing is similar, WordPress becomes more flexible as you scale. You can switch hosts, choose free plugins, or trim back services—making it easier to control ongoing costs.
Do I need coding skills for WordPress in 2025?
No, not for most users. With Gutenberg and modern block themes, you can build and manage sites without touching code. If you want custom blocks or tweaks, light HTML/CSS knowledge helps.
Is Webflow compliant with the EU AI Act?
Yes, but you’ll need to manually disclose any AI-driven personalization, especially if using custom embeds. On WordPress, there are plugins that automate compliance notices, saving time and reducing risk.
