Webflow review: Is webflow the best No-Code website builder?

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The spike in interest in no-code tools over the past five years has been nothing short of remarkable. More and more companies, entrepreneurs, founders, and developers are turning to no-code to build their ideas and products faster.

One of the most popular no-code platforms is Webflow—a drag-and-drop website builder that happens to be a favorite of ours here at 100DaysofNoCode. But is Webflow the best option for creating your website?

In this review, we’re going to be taking an impartial look at Webflow to answer that very question.

What Is Webflow?

Webflow is a no-code website builder with a clear focus on freedom and flexibility in the design department. It’s designed to help users create, publish, and host stunning websites without coding knowledge.

While Webflow might not have the same market share as WordPress, it's the tool of choice for a ton of high-traffic companies—including Freshly HelloSign, and Mural.

How It Works

Webflow is a visual programming tool—it helps you design your website using visual elements before translating those elements into the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript needed to run the website.

You start with a blank canvas (or template) and a library of pre-built design elements. You then drag and drop these elements onto the canvas, where they can be arranged, adjusted, and altered. When everything is to your liking, just hit “publish” and Webflow will translate your work into clean, semantic code.

Oh, and if you're feeling adventurous, you can also access Webflow’s complete coding environment for the ability to add custom elements and features.

Webflow Pricing

Webflow has a Free plan that comes with 1 GB of bandwidth and 50 CMS items on a webflow.io domain—perfect for testing the tool out.

When you're ready to commit, there are four paid plans—Basic ($14/mo), CMS ($23/mo), Business ($39/mo), and Enterprise (custom). If you want access to Webflow's CMS functionality (more on that later), you'll need to opt for CMS or higher.

Webflow Features

Designer

If we just look at capabilities for a moment, Webflow's Designer is an example of visual programming done excellently.

It's a drag-and-drop interface that lets you harness the full power of HTML5 to fill your website with stunning visuals and interactive elements. You get access to a ton of pre-built components, including:

nav bars

buttons

forms

body text

images, videos & galleries

tables

accordions

It's easy to define your website's structure using flexible columns and rows, create sliders and carousels, and control fonts, colors, and background images—all without touching any code. Plus, Webflow makes it easy to preview your responsive designs on a wide range of popular devices.

The downside to all this freedom? Webflow is one of the trickier no-code website builders to get the hang of. Luckily, it's one of the main tools we teach here at 100DaysofNoCode—so if you ever get stuck, you can join one of our no-code programs!

Animations & Interactions

Animation and interactions are what make websites feel alive and modern—and Webflow is one of the best no-code tools for building these dynamic elements.

The process is pretty simple. You're essentially linking a trigger (e.g., “up scroll” or “first click”) to one (or more) effects that get applied to elements when the trigger is registered. The list of effects and controls is pretty sizable, including:

moving

scaling

skewing

looping

color changing

and more

The result is a system that feels almost endlessly customizable. It's easy to create complex animations like parallax scrolls and transitions between pages that bring your projects to life without writing a single line of code.

CMS

Webflow's CMS capabilities are good, albeit not quite as impressive as its design features.

One major selling point is the ability to edit content on-page, rather than via a disconnected dashboard. You get to see exactly how the page will look once it's published, instead of having to guess. Plus, any edits you make are automatically reflected in any other pages connected to the same content.

Webflow also lets you create custom content types and structures as needed, so you can easily organize your data. And if you want to break away from the drag-and-drop experience, Webflow also offers an editor with some basic HTML and CSS functionality too.

The only real downside is that access to these features is locked behind the CMS-enabled plans—something to keep in mind!

Templates

Like most no-code website builders, Webflow has a template library with different designs that you can customize to suit your needs.

The selection is pretty extensive—1,500+ templates at the time of writing. You’ll be able to find templates for blogs, agencies, portfolios, membership sites… the list goes on. Most of the templates are well-designed, thanks to a pretty strict set of design requirements.

One of the reasons we aren't gushing over Webflow's template library is pricing. Of the 1,500+ templates available, only 50 are free (yes, we counted). And let's just say that the free templates leave a little to be desired—especially when you compare them to the free templates offered by tools like Squarespace.

Webflow Pros & Cons

Pros

The free tier is perfect for no-code beginners

Impressive visual design capabilities

Powerful animations & interactions

On-page editing

Flexible content types & structures

Large selection of templates

Cons

Paid plans are expensive

Steep learning curve

Template selection is mostly paid

Webflow Alternatives

Squarespace

Squarespace is a much more beginner-friendly (but equally design-focused) alternative to Webflow. Its drag-and-drop editor is easier to grasp than Webflow's, and it offers a better selection of templates (which can be previewed before committing).

The downside? Squarespace isn't nearly as powerful or flexible as Webflow—especially regarding animations and interactions. So, if you're looking to create a fully interactive site, join the 100DaysOfNoCode Challenge and learn Webflow!

Framer

Framer is an alternative to Webflow that's modeled after popular design tools like Figma and Sketch. You work from a freeform canvas that you can populate with elements, animations, and CMS data. Head over to the tool's homepage for a simple demo if you’re curious!

Wix

Wix is another no-code website builder that makes up for what it lacks in design complexity with super affordable pricing. You can publish a website to a custom domain for around $4/month. Plus, its drag-and-drop editor is much easier to learn than Webflow's.

What's the Verdict?

Webflow is one of the most powerful no-code website builders available—period. That said, Webflow isn't for everyone. Its learning curve and expensive pricing are enough to turn away casual users who are just getting started with no-code.

Still, we believe that Webflow is one of the best tools for no-code hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and founders to learn.

If you're looking for guidance as you dive into Webflow, why not sign up for our free 100DaysofNoCode Challenge? We'll incrementally introduce you to dozens of no-code tools (like Webflow) and hundreds of techniques through bite-sized daily challenges that put your skills to the test.

Ready to take the plunge and become a no-code master? Commit to the challenge today!