.jpeg)
In the thriving ecosystem of visual development, Webflow is one of the undisputed market leaders. However, a new platform is emerging, ready to take on the challenge and become a serious competitor to Webflow. This promising platform is called Webstudio.
In this article, we will explore the distinctive features of Webstudio that position it as a potential contender against Webflow. So, does Webstudio have what it takes to compete with the established giant of visual development? Let's delve into the key differences between the two tools.
Webstudio vs. Webflow: The Visual Development Tools Showdown
A Community-Focused Approach from Webstudio and Webflow
Webstudio adopts a community-driven approach in developing its platform. By encouraging feedback and discussions within their community, they aim to actively involve users in the development process.
Like Webflow, this new entrant seeks to engage the community while providing robust documentation and technical support for its users.
Free Collaboration in Webstudio
Webstudio emphasizes free collaboration, allowing all users, whether they have a free or paid account, to create and collaborate in real-time with other developers.
In contrast, Webflow also offers real-time collaboration features, but these are only available in its paid plans concerning the editor mode and its enterprise plan for simultaneous development on the same project.
Native Extensions for Your Development Needs
Webstudio will stand out with its concept of "native extensions". Each community member has the ability to add features to the platform through components and plugins. The components allow integration with third-party libraries such as Tailwind, Material UI, Shopify, or WordPress, while the plugins provide a user interface for integrating more complex third-party systems. This allows users to customize and enhance their projects with "minimal" additional effort.
Webflow, on the other hand, offers apps that can be directly connected to your project. Additionally, experienced developers from the community also create solutions, Chrome extensions for Webflow, etc., to add features within the Designer or to your website.
Webstudio's Backend Versatility vs. Webflow's CMS Comfort
Unlike other platforms that build their own content management systems (CMS) or databases, Webstudio takes a "backend-free" approach. They offer integrations with various CMS and databases, allowing users to utilize these systems as if they were directly integrated into the platform. This approach provides greater flexibility and a wider range of choices for designers and developers.
Conversely, Webflow provides an integrated CMS solution, offering a more centralized experience for content management. A one-stop solution that's useful for managing content and a website in one place.
Design Tokens vs. Classes in Web Design
Webstudio offers "Design Tokens" for efficient style management. "Design Tokens" are reusable styles that can be combined, synchronized with design programs, and easily managed. Unlike traditional class-based approaches, Webstudio provides full access to CSS pseudo-classes and custom attribute selectors, allowing creators to style each element with precision.
Webstudio's "Design Tokens" offer a more modular and reusable approach, while Webflow's classes allow for more precise control over the styles applied to elements.
Website Performance
Webstudio focuses on creating high-performing websites. The platform integrates advanced open-source technologies such as optimized WebP images, a worker-based cloud, and efficient rendering with the Remix framework. These features aim to ensure high performance for sites built on Webstudio.
In comparison, Webflow also offers multiple solutions to deliver the best web performance to its users, which is one of the key factors contributing to its reputation.
Ownership and Privacy
User ownership and privacy are a priority for Webstudio. The platform offers GDPR-compliant hosting (General Data Protection Regulation) and guarantees that user data is handled with care and respect.
In contrast to Webflow, Webstudio does not offer default tracking via Google Analytics. In fact, the platform does not track any activity unless users choose to include tracking scripts in their sites. This approach allows users to maintain full control over their data and avoid any lock-in on the platform. Moreover, Webstudio distinguishes itself with its commitment to open source, meaning that the platform's source code is available online. This allows for greater transparency and provides users with more freedom to explore and customize their development experience.
By emphasizing data ownership and providing an open-source environment, Webstudio positions itself as an attractive alternative for users concerned about their privacy and freedom in visual development.
Webflow also offers a high level of control, but some features, such as tracking via Google Analytics, are included by default, and hosting must necessarily be on AWS servers.
Pricing Model Between the Two Software
Webstudio offers a flexible pricing model that allows users to choose the plan that best fits their needs, whether for non-commercial sites, advanced teams, or large teams with specific requirements.
For non-commercial sites, the "Hobby" plan is available for free. This plan includes 5 custom domains, 10,000 page views per month, 2 GB of asset storage, an unlimited number of sites, pages, and collaborators, as well as community support.
For advanced users and teams, the "Pro" plan is available for $20 per account per month, billed annually. This plan offers additional benefits such as unlimited custom domains, 500,000 page views per month, 20 GB of asset storage, a 10-version history, custom integrations, advanced sharing, and priority issue tracking.
Large teams with specific needs can opt for the customized "Enterprise" plan. This plan offers limitless features, the option to self-host, enterprise single sign-on (SSO), granular permissions, and a customer success manager. For more information about this plan, users can contact the Webstudio team.
In addition to Cloud plans, Webstudio also offers a free, open-source option called "Open Source Builder". This plan is designed for those who wish to self-host or integrate Webstudio into their projects. It offers basic features such as permission management, link sharing, and the ability to deploy Docker containers. However, Webstudio’s cloud-specific features are not included in this plan.
Webflow offers different plans, a bit more expensive, but with more features. Understand the Webflow pricing.
Webstudio presents itself as a serious competitor to Webflow in the visual development arena. With its community-focused approach, free collaboration, native extensibility, backend versatility, style management using "Design Tokens", optimized performance, priority on data ownership, and unique pricing model, Webstudio aims to stand out and attract web designers.
While Webflow remains a pillar for now, it will be interesting to see how Webstudio evolves and establishes itself in this ever-changing ecosystem.
