We’ve been hearing this question more and more: “Should we design and build our new site on WordPress or Webflow?”
It’s a common point of debate for companies planning a website redesign or launching something new, especially in the B2B space. So we thought it’d be helpful to break down how we think you should approach this decision, and what factors to consider. I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all, and without the proper due diligence, you may end up finding yourself backed into a corner later on. This post focuses on those two CMS options in particular, since they come up most often with B2B organizations. In future posts, we’ll take a closer look at other platforms as well and different applications.
At Collective42, we design and build websites across a range of platforms and technologies. Sometimes our builds are fully custom, sometimes we leverage popular CMS platforms, the direction we go depends on what best supports a client’s business needs. While we also work with platforms like Shopify, Big Commerce, Craft CMS, HubSpot CMS, and custom headless builds, two of the most frequently requested options for content-driven, non-eCommerce websites are WordPress and Webflow.
Whether you’re planning a redesign project for your company’s website, launching a new product microsite, or building out a content-rich resource center, choosing the right CMS early in the process will help set your project up for success.
Integration & Functionality Needs
If your site requires integrations with tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Greenhouse, or Zendesk, WordPress typically offers broader support through its massive ecosystem of plugins and developer resources. It’s been around longer, and its open-source nature allows for a high degree of customization and compatibility.
Webflow, while improving steadily in the integration space, often requires third-party tools like Zapier, Make, or custom webhook configurations to replicate what can be done more directly in WordPress. For more complex workflows or large enterprise CRM connections, WordPress may offer a smoother path.
Design Control and Editorial Experience
- Webflow gives in-house marketers and designers more control over the visual layout and content management experience. The CMS and design interface are unified, which can be empowering for teams that want to launch or test content without developer involvement. Having said that, keep in mind there’s still training needed for someone to be proficient at getting the most out of Webflow, it’s not as plug-and-play as some folks think. You will need to put in the time and effort to learn the platform.
- WordPress, particularly when paired with tools like Elementor, Advanced Custom Fields, or Gutenberg, also allows for modular design and editorial flexibility, but may require more training or admin oversight. Outside of that it’s comparable to Webflow, and follows the same note I made above regarding becoming proficient with it.
SEO Capabilities
Both platforms can support a strong SEO foundation, but there are key differences in how they approach it.
- WordPress gives you full control over everything from meta titles to structured data to custom sitemaps. With plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, you can implement advanced SEO tactics without writing code. It’s especially helpful if you’re managing a large content library or working closely with an SEO team. Keep in mind that these plugins help, but simply installing a plugin doesn’t mean your site is optimized, it needs to be configured by someone who knows what they’re doing, based on research and recommendations.
- Webflow also allows granular control over key SEO elements like metadata, alt text, and canonical tags, and it auto-generates clean HTML and responsive designs. All of this helps with page speed and indexability. While it doesn’t rely on plugins, there are also some limitations if you’re really pushing the site’s optimization.
All of that said, for more complex SEO implementations (like dynamic schema, hreflang tags for multilingual sites, or deep programmatic SEO builds), WordPress typically provides more flexibility and resources.
Building Landing Pages Quickly
Whether you’re running an email marketing campaign, testing messaging, or launching a new paid media advertising campaign in Google or Meta, speed matters.
- Webflow makes it easy for marketers and designers to spin up new pages without engineering support – provided the template is already in place. With reusable components and global styles, it’s quick to build on-brand, high-converting layouts without touching code.
- WordPress can support this too, especially with Elementor Pro, but it can require a bit more oversight, especially if you’re managing a larger site or multiple stakeholders. If you’ve invested in a flexible page builder setup, though, you can move fast.
We often help clients set up landing page frameworks for both platforms, so their internal teams can publish quickly while still staying on-brand and in compliance.
ADA Compliance and Accessibility
We design and build all websites with accessibility in mind from the start. We follow WCAG 2.1 AA standards during the UX, UI, and development phases. From there, we offer ongoing compliance monitoring through tools like accessiBe for example. This tool provides an AI-powered accessibility platform that overlays with your site and scans for issues. There are other widgets and tools in the market too, and there’s also using best practices when designing and building the site in the first place.
Both platforms allow for user-controlled UI adjustments and help ensure your site remains accessible and compliant post-launch.
Hosting, Maintenance, and Ongoing Support
- Webflow handles hosting, updates, and performance monitoring out of the box, which can simplify long-term site management and reduce technical overhead for your team.
- WordPress requires plugin updates, hosting configuration, security patches, and more ongoing maintenance. That said, it’s highly scalable and gives you greater control over infrastructure if your organization prefers it.
At Collective42, we offer webmaster support packages for both platforms. Webflow clients tend to have lighter support needs. WordPress clients often need a more hands-on partnership to keep things running smoothly.
Cost Considerations
Base project costs for design and development are usually comparable. The real differences emerge in how you approach integrations, licensing (e.g., for plugins or Webflow hosting tiers), and how much internal or external support you anticipate needing post-launch.
When to Use Something Else
If you’re building an eCommerce site, we typically recommend exploring platforms like Shopify or custom headless commerce setups, depending on complexity. WordPress and Webflow can support light commerce, but they’re not the best fit for growing product catalogs or multi-channel selling.
Still Deciding?
If you’re evaluating platforms for your next website project, we’re here for you. We often walk clients through both options (and others that may be relevant to their specific needs) before making a final recommendation. Our team members at Collective42 are experts at working across both Webflow and WordPress, and many others platforms. Every build starts with your goals, understanding how your team will work with the website, and your content and functionality needs.
Let’s talk if you’re planning a website project and trying to decide which CMS is the right fit. We’ll help you find the path that works best for your organization, your team, your content, and let’s not forget, your customers.