In this article, we explore the differences between Webflow CMS and WordPress Custom Post Types (CPTs), focusing on their use cases, toolsets, and practical applications. Both platforms offer ways to manage content effectively, but each serves distinct needs. Below, we break down how these tools compare and which one might best suit your project.
TLDR:
- Webflow CMS is well-suited for marketing websites with lightweight content needs. However, it struggles with complex relational data and multi-layered content structures.
- WordPress, using CPTs, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), and JetEngine, is better equipped to handle complex data-heavy projects, offering robust features for managing relational content efficiently.
Webflow CMS: Simplicity for Marketing Websites
Webflow CMS allows users to create custom content types, referred to as collections, for organizing structured data such as blogs or portfolios. While Webflow makes it easy to design and manage simple content visually, its limitations become apparent when handling complex data relationships Elegant Themes and Zapier.
Key Features of Webflow CMS:
- Collections: Function similarly to custom post types, managing structured data.
- Basic relationships: Supports one-to-one and one-to-many relationships, but multi-nested data is restricted.
- Static storage: Collection items are rendered as static pages, suitable for read-only websites like blogs or portfolios.
- API access: Webflow provides a simple API for content integration, but it lacks robust CRUD capabilities unless integrated within a larger tech stack Flow Ninja.
Webflow’s Limitations:
- Item limits:
- Maximum of 2,000 CMS items (on their lowest tier, and up to 20k without upgrading to enterprise).
- Only 1 nested CMS collection list per page (IE if you have multiple categories and multiple tags associated to one blog post, you cannot show both on your blog index page).
- The nested CMS collection can display up to 5 items.
- There are workarounds available, however those require js implementations and are rendered client side (meaning without javascript, the page would not make much sense)
- Front-end editing is available, but blogging functionality requires custom CMS setup, as Webflow does not have a built-in blogging system Flowout.
WordPress: Power Through Custom Post Types and Plugins
WordPress offers unparalleled customization through CPTs and advanced plugins, making it ideal for handling complex relational data. These capabilities make WordPress the go-to solution for eCommerce websites, event management systems, and custom directories Zapier and Website Planet.
Key Features of WordPress:
- Custom Post Types (CPTs): Developers or plugins can create CPTs to store and organize data. Data is stored in two main tables:
- Posts Table: Stores post metadata like titles, authors, and featured images.
- Postmeta Table: Stores custom field data for each post.
- Unlimited scalability: WordPress has no hard limits; scalability depends on server capacity.
- REST API: Allows seamless data integration, making WordPress suitable for custom applications like membership platforms or large event sites.
- CRUD functionality: Built-in tools allow for Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations, supporting membership, user logins, and complex posting systems Elegant Themes.
Key Plugins for WordPress Customization
Toolset Types + Views
Pros:
- Easy setup once familiar.
- Reliable, with conditional display options for custom outputs.
Cons:
- Lacks repeater fields and isn’t fully supported by page builders like Elementor Flow Ninja.
JetEngine
Pros:
- Supports repeater fields and a Query Builder for complex queries.
- Integrates with Twig/Timber for templating custom outputs.
Cons:
- The interface is unintuitive and requires frequent reference to tutorials.
- Caching issues: Object caching can interfere with functionality and may require frequent clearing Website Planet.
ACF Pro
Pros:
- Ideal for adding custom fields to any post type.
Cons:
- Requires some coding knowledge to display relationships on the front end Flowout.
Real-World Scenario: Building an Event Management System
Building with Webflow CMS
Suppose you need to build a conference website with multiple events, sessions, and speakers. Each speaker is tied to a company, and each session belongs to a specific event.
- Webflow Limitations:
- You are restricted to two levels of nesting, meaning you can display sessions and speakers, but not their associated companies.
- Managing sessions becomes cumbersome, as you cannot easily relate them to individual events without workarounds involving hidden content or JavaScript hacks.
Building with WordPress
Using JetEngine or Toolset Types, you can create a CPT for events with a repeater field for sessions. Each session can be linked to a speaker and company. On the event page, you can display all sessions with their speakers and company affiliations seamlessly.
- Result:
- Visitors can browse sessions and see speaker details, including bios and company information.
- This level of complex relational content is easily managed with WordPress, whereas Webflow struggles to accommodate it Zapier.
Cost Comparison
Webflow CMS
- Included with paid CMS plans, starting at $29/month
WordPress
- Toolset Types + Views: €60/year per site.
- JetEngine: $43/year per site, or $88/year for unlimited sites.
- ACF Pro: $49/year
Just a note that pricing may vary, this is just an example of the costs involved at the time of writing this article.
Conclusion
Webflow and its CMS is excels at creating simple custom data structures, such as blog posts, employee directories or portfolio items. And it comes bundled with Webflow natively so you only have one bill to worry about. Another benefit is that since Webflow generates most of its content as static pages, you're pretty much immune to security update cycles and constant compatibility issues that plague the Wordpress ecosystem. However if you need to work with some complex relational data, such as events, sessions and speakers etc, or need some custom e-commerce weaved into it, Wordpress will still take the crown, but will come with a heftier bottom-line price and the occasional crash due to a botched update or bug introduced by one of the many third parties you need to rely on to pull everything together.
Update: On Oct 15, 2024, Webflow announced some increases to its CMS limitations. I will update the article at that time to account for these changes. (you can view all of the updates here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7zm19YgQBA)
