Webflow is impressive. It generates clean code, offers real CSS control, and produces sites that perform better than most builders. If you'd asked us five years ago, we might have recommended it for many projects.
Today, we build exclusively with Next.js. Here's why — and when Webflow might still be right for you.
Where Webflow Excels
Visual Development Done Right
Unlike Wix or Squarespace, Webflow generates semantic HTML and clean CSS. It's not dumbing down web development — it's visualizing it. Designers who understand layout, spacing, and responsive behavior can build sophisticated sites without writing code.
Better Performance Than Other Builders
Webflow sites typically score 60-80 on PageSpeed — significantly better than Wix (35-55) or Squarespace (40-65). The code is cleaner, the hosting is solid, and you can do basic performance optimization within the platform.
CMS Capabilities
Webflow's CMS is genuinely useful. Custom content types, dynamic filtering, conditional visibility — you can build real dynamic sites, not just static pages. For portfolios, blogs, and content-driven marketing sites, it works.
Designer-Friendly Workflow
Design in Webflow, not Figma. This eliminates the designer-to-developer handoff problem. What you design is what gets built, because they're the same thing.
Where Webflow Falls Short
Performance Ceiling
60-80 PageSpeed is good. It's not great. Our Next.js sites consistently score 90-100. That 20-30 point gap matters for:
- Competitive SEO where Core Web Vitals are a tiebreaker
- E-commerce where every 100ms affects conversion
- Brand perception where snappy = premium
Webflow is fast for a builder. It's not fast compared to optimized custom code.
Logic and Interactivity Limits
Webflow animations are powerful. Webflow logic is not. Need:
- Complex form handling with conditional logic?
- Real-time data from external APIs?
- User authentication beyond basic membership?
- Custom calculators or interactive tools?
- Integration with your internal systems?
You'll hit walls quickly. Webflow is for websites, not web applications.
CMS Limitations at Scale
Webflow CMS has hard limits:
- 10,000 CMS items maximum
- 20 collection lists per page
- Limited API functionality
- No custom fields beyond their types
For a blog or portfolio, this is fine. For a large e-commerce catalog or complex content structure, you'll outgrow it.
Cost at Scale
Webflow pricing adds up:
- Site plan: $14-39/month
- Workspace: $19-49/month per seat
- E-commerce: $29-212/month
- Agency building multiple sites: Costs multiply
A Webflow site for a serious business might cost $50-150/month in platform fees alone. A Next.js site on Vercel costs $0-20/month.
You're Still Renting
Webflow's code export is technically possible but practically useless — it's static HTML that disconnects from the CMS and requires rebuilding the entire workflow.
If Webflow raises prices, changes features, or goes away, you're rebuilding from scratch. With Next.js, you own the code outright.
When Webflow Makes Sense
- You're a designer without coding skills
- Your budget is $5,000-15,000 for an agency build
- You need more flexibility than Squarespace but don't want full custom
- Your site is content-driven with moderate complexity
- Performance needs to be "good" but not "maximum"
- You want to make design changes without developers
Webflow occupies a legitimate middle ground. It's more capable than simple builders, less expensive than full custom. For the right project, it's a smart choice.
When to Skip Webflow and Go Custom
- Performance is a competitive differentiator
- You need custom functionality beyond basic interactions
- You're building something complex (e-commerce with custom logic, dashboards, web apps)
- Long-term cost of ownership matters more than initial investment
- You want to own your platform, not rent it
- SEO competition requires every Core Web Vital point
Why We Chose Next.js
We evaluated Webflow seriously. For certain projects, it would have been faster and cheaper to build in Webflow than custom code.
We chose to specialize in Next.js because:
No Ceilings
Next.js has no limits. Any feature, any integration, any level of complexity — it's buildable. We never have to tell clients "the platform can't do that."
Maximum Performance
PageSpeed scores of 95-100 aren't exceptional for us — they're baseline. We're not fighting a platform for performance; we're optimizing freely.
True Ownership
Clients own their code. No monthly platform fees beyond basic hosting. No dependency on a single vendor. The site exists independently of any platform's business decisions.
Future-Proof Foundation
Next.js is backed by Vercel and used by companies like Nike, Netflix, and OpenAI. The framework improves constantly. Building on it means building on a rising tide.
The Honest Answer
Webflow is the best no-code builder. If you're determined to avoid custom development, it's probably your best option.
But "best no-code" isn't the same as "best." Custom Next.js development delivers results that Webflow can't match — at a higher upfront cost that pays off over time.
The choice depends on your situation: where you are now, where you're headed, and what your website needs to do to get you there.