Spent hours scouring website builders, but that internal critic keeps asking "Is there something better out there?" Fret no more, today's website duel is Webflow vs Elementor. Having wrangled both beasts, we'll dissect their ease of use, design muscle, and pricing (without the fluff, of course).
1.Why People Are Deciding Between Webflow and Elementor?
Webflow and Elementor are both leading tools in the website building industry, known for their innovative features and user-centric design. They might cater to different crowds (Webflow for the design nerds who crave customization, Elementor for the efficiency lovers), but they share some core features that make them both top contenders.
Let’s take a look at their key similarities, the features that make them both worthy contenders in your website-building quest:
2. Webflow vs Elementor - Key Features🗝️
Before we deep dive, let's get a quick lay of the land and compare Webflow vs Elementor’s key features:
Webflow might be the sleek, modern hero with complex customization options, but does it come with a hidden villain – a steep learning curve?
Elementor, on the other hand, might be the user-friendly sidekick, but does its ease of use come at the expense of design limitations?
With the feature face-off complete, here’s the pros and cons of each platform:
Keep scrolling to delve into the good, the bad, and the beautiful of both platforms to help you choose the one that best suits your project and skillset.
3. Webflow vs Elementor - Ease of use comparison👍
🏆WINNER: Elementor (For Beginners, at Least)
Webflow and Elementor are two easy-to-use website builders that don't require writing code. However, they differ structurally, with Webflow being an in-browser website builder and Elementor being a plugin for WordPress. If you consider moving to Webflow, you can check our WordPress to Webflow migration, which explains everything about the process.
3.1. Webflow Ease of Use
Webflow is a tool for designers and developers founded in 2012. It’s coded and developed in Webflow, which makes it the first platform built on itself. Offering auto-generated code in HTML and Javascript as you design and develop it, makes it also the best version of the website SaaS platform.
You can get started right away from the dashboard once you register. Pre-existing templates can be customized to suit your linking, and this is the recommended method at the beginning as it provides a solid foundation and efficiency boost to the website-building process.
3.2. Elementor Ease of Use
Elementor is created not only for developers but it's also tailored for entrepreneurs and marketing specialists. As a plugin Elementor could be used after initial registration in Wordpress.
Installation goes through several steps:
1. Purchasing a hosting plan
2. Installing a self-hosted version of WordPress
3. Adding the Elementor plugin
3.3. Ease of Use Comparison
For beginners, Elementor is a more suitable tool due to its simpler interface and workflow. Advanced users may prefer Webflow for its more comprehensive features and greater customization options.
Despite its sophisticated workflow, Webflow remains a popular choice for advanced users. As a plugin for WordPress, Elementor has some similarities to Webflow, but it is generally considered to be a beginner-friendly option. it's important to compare all of the different website building platforms before making a final choice.
4. Webflow vs Elementor - Design & Flexibility Comparison🖌️
🏆WINNER: Webflow
4.1. Webflow Design & Flexibility
Webflow is flexible and adaptive, but it's not for beginners. If you change your mind about a template, you'll have to start over. And the CMS editor is pretty limited.
On the other hand, we think that Webflow's e-commerce features are truly outstanding. You can collect custom data, set shopping parameters, and create product galleries that integrate with Facebook and Instagram. Plus, it's easy to integrate with popular tools like MailChimp, QuickBooks, ShipStation, and Zapier.
4.2. Elementor Design & Flexibility
Elementor offers effortless revision history access and on-the-fly design switching, but it can be slower than Webflow due to loading all WordPress widgets and the lack of page restrictions.
4.3. Design & Flexibility Comparison
Despite their similarities, Webflow and Elementor have different strengths and weaknesses. For example, Webflow is better suited for creating blogs, with features like social networking buttons and content categories that make it easy for readers to navigate.
5. Webflow vs Elementor - Which One IS better for SEO🔧
🏆WINNER: Webflow
5.1. SEO- Webflow
Basically, Webflow equips you with the tools to optimize your website and potentially climb those search engine rankings:
Some of these functionalities are :
5.2. Elementor SEO
Elementor doesn't have integrated SEO functionalities, but it can be used with popular WordPress SEO plugins like RankMath and Yoast SEO. This allows you to customize your meta titles, descriptions, and vice versa, which can lead to better website ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
6. Webflow vs Elementor Pricing💸
It's important to compare the pricing of Webflow and Elementor before choosing one platform because they have different pricing models and features, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
6.1. Webflow pricing
Webflow offers individual (site plan), eCommerce, and workspace plans. Let's consider in detail their varieties:
6.1.1. The individual (site plan) has several subscriptions:
- General (free)- New users start with the free plan, which has limited features. You can create up to 2 websites, but your site will have an advertising banner and you won't be able to export the code.
- Basics ($ 14 per month). This amount includes 500 from submissions, CDN, custom domain connection, 50 GB bandwidth, and free SSL certificates.
- CMS (23$ per month). This furnishes 1000 from submissions, 3 content editors, site search, 200 GB bandwidth, 200 CMS items, custom domain, and limited CMS API.
- Business ($ 39 per month). The subscription provides unlimited form submissions, 10 content editors, advanced global CDN, custom domain, 10000 CMS, 400 GB bandwidth, and full CMS API.
- Enterprise (costs are discussed with Webflow experts) with 10000 CMS items, custom bandwidth, uptime SLAs, and custom domain connection.
6.1.2. The eCommerce plan has three subscriptions
- Standard ($29 per month). This amount includes $500K annual sales volume, custom checkout and shopping cart, 2% transaction fee, integrated CMS for blogs, 500 items, and email customization
- Plus ($74 per month). It's very similar to the Business individual plan but it also has unbranded emails, $200K annual sales volume, zero transaction fee, 1000 items, and 10 staff accounts.
- Advanced ($212 per month). The subscription offers unlimited annual sales volume, 3000 items, and 15 staff accounts.
6.1.3. The third workspace or account plan has four alternative pricing plans
- Starter plan (free; used primarily by freelancers or individuals): 1 seat and 2 unhosted websites
- Core plan ($19 per month for 3 users): 10 unhosted websites billing permission, code export, and custom codes.
- Growth plan ($40 per month for up to 9 users) and
- Enterprise plan (costs are discussed with Webflow experts): unlimited non-hosted sites, advanced permission, custom code, and code export, advanced security and performance, and customer success.
6.1.4. Agencies and Freelancers use starter, freelancer, and agency types of plans.
The first one is exactly the same as the starter plan but it also has 2 agencies or freelance guests. The other two are:
- Freelance ($16 per month for 3 users): 10 non-hosted sites, free guest access in Client Workspaces, and full CMS access on non-hosted sites.
- Agency ($35 per month for up to 9 users). This plan differs from the opportunity to manage publishing permissions for your team
The workspace features collaborative tools designed to facilitate team collaboration on a website. Each Webflow website includes one workspace by default, but they could be purchased if you require additional workspace. Flexible payment options are available, including both monthly and annual subscriptions, with the latter offering a 32% discount.
6.2. Elementor pricing
Elementor has a free version and three paid plans: Essential, Expert, and Agency. The paid plans offer more features, such as additional templates and elements.
6.2.1. WordPress Hosting :
- Basic: $14.99 per year, 10GB storage, 25K monthly visits, 30 GB bandwidth, SSL and CDN from Cloudflare, premium support for 1 member and 1 WP-hosted website.
- Business: $24 per year, 20GB storage, 50K monthly visits, 50 GB bandwidth, SSL and CDN from Cloudflare, premium support for 2 members, and 1 WP-hosted website.
- Grown: $32.99 per year, 25GB storage, 75K monthly visits, 75 GB bandwidth, SSL and CDN from Cloudflare, premium support for 4 members, and up to 3WP-hosted websites.
- Scale: $59.99 per year, 40GB storage, 100K monthly visits, 100 GB bandwidth, SSL and CDN from Cloudflare, premium support for 6 members, and up to 10 WP-hosted websites.
6.2.2. Strattic plugin for projects by WordPress:
- Professional: $166 per year, chat support, 10GB storage, 1 website with up to 5 seats, 50 GB bandwidth, daily backup stored for 30 days, and 20 full releases.
- Business: $416 per year, chat support, 30GB storage, 3 websites with up to 10 seats, daily backup stored for 30 days, 30 GB bandwidth, and 50 full publishes.
- Enterprise: Costs are discussed with experts, prioritized support, custom storage space, and bandwidth, custom seats and websites, unlimited publishing, single sign-on feature, and account manager.
6.2.3. Elementor Pro (Page Builder) offers three plans:
- Essential: $59 per year, access to one small Pro website.
- Expert: $199 per year, access to 25 websites, premium support, and expert website kits.
- Agency: $499 per year, access to 1000 websites, an Elementor expert profile, and premium and VIP support.
6.3. Pricing Comparison Overview
🏆WINNER: Webflow
7. Which One is Better For Small Business Websites?🌟
🏆 WINNER: Both
7.1. Webflow For Small Businesses
Webflow is a good option for small businesses. With its integrated features, tools, and templates which are in need of customization, the sites acquire a practical and professional look. The website builder also allows setting up a web store (when running an e-commerce business) and linking a custom blog.
7.2. Elementor For Small Businesses
Elementor is as good as Webflow for small business websites due to the possibility of getting Ecommerce focus and extensive integration options as well as access to a set of third-party services ( for example MailChimp, Hubspot, ConvertKit, etc).
8. Which one is better for a portfolio Website?🖼️
🏆WINNER: Webflow
8.1. Webflow for a portfolio Website
Webflow is easy to use with its drag-and-drop design, variety of templates, and flexibility- you can host your website on Webflow`s servers or your own domain, to connect a blog to your page and third-party services such as Google Analytics and Mailchimp and Zapier. The gallery integration- Lightbox lets you pick videos and images you would like to showcase to the target audience and is an additional advantage to the website builder because it's a perfect way to boost your portfolio and engagement rate.
8.2. Elementor for a portfolio Website
Elementor supports more than 20 languages and that grows your potential audience.
9. Hosting comparison📡
🏆WINNER: Webflow
9.1. Webflow hosting
When initially working with Webflow the free plan allows hosting the site on a subdomain (Webflow.io). Your own domain is acquired later by upgrading the site and the structure. Once a site is developed, Webflow hosts it through Amazon Web Services(AWS)- a fast cloud computer, ensuring speedy and reliable website loading.
9.2. Elementor Hosting
Elementor Hostings is a managed WordPress hosting service that handles all aspects of hosting your website, including server management, security, and updates. Elementor Pro is a paid plugin for WordPress that adds drag-and-drop design functionality and additional features, such as a CDN, SSL certification, SSD storage, and monthly visits and bandwidth.
9.3. Hosting Comparison Overview
Both Webflow and Elementor have good hosting systems, but their price classes and features differ, so your choice will depend on your needs.
10. Final Thoughts 💭
We've explored the strengths and weaknesses of Webflow and Elementor, and hopefully, you have a clearer picture of which platform aligns with your project and skillset.
- If you're a beginner, we recommend starting with Elementor. It's easier to learn, and you can always upgrade to Webflow later if you need more power and flexibility.
- If you're a marketer or professional with some coding experience, then Webflow is a great choice. It's more powerful and flexible than Elementor, and it gives you more control over your website's design and functionality.
Remember, the best platform is the one that empowers you to create a website you love, so choose wisely.Still feeling lost in the website wilderness? Our team is here to guide you! Reach out today for a free consultation – we'll help you choose the perfect website building companion and steer you towards website success.
