webflow vs ghost
Webflow vs Ghost — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
Webflow and Ghost represent two different philosophies for building SEO-friendly websites. Webflow is a visual website builder that generates clean code, letting you design complex layouts without touching HTML or CSS. Ghost is a purpose-built publishing platform focused on content performance, offering blazing-fast page speeds and streamlined content management.
The choice between them often comes down to your primary goal: Webflow excels when you need design flexibility and custom functionality, while Ghost dominates for content-focused sites prioritizing speed and simplicity.
Feature Comparison
Webflow's visual editor gives you complete design control with drag-and-drop functionality that outputs production-ready HTML and CSS. You get advanced SEO controls including custom meta tags, alt text management, structured data, and automatic sitemap generation. The platform includes a solid CMS for dynamic content, e-commerce capabilities, and comprehensive 301 redirect management. Webflow's interactions and animations system lets you create engaging user experiences without coding. Ghost takes a different approach, prioritizing content creation and performance over design flexibility. It generates exceptionally fast-loading pages through optimized code output and built-in performance features. Ghost includes native newsletter functionality with subscriber management, membership tiers, and payment processing. Its SEO features cover the essentials — meta tags, sitemaps, and clean URLs — but without Webflow's granular control options. Ghost's editor focuses on writing with markdown support and distraction-free content creation.
Pricing Comparison
Ghost starts at $9/month for basic sites, making it more accessible for solo creators and small publications. Higher tiers add newsletter subscribers and advanced features, with enterprise options available. Ghost's pricing scales primarily with audience size rather than features. Webflow begins at $14/month for basic sites, with significant jumps for CMS functionality ($23/month) and e-commerce ($29/month). Webflow's pricing reflects its comprehensive feature set, but costs can escalate quickly for sites requiring multiple editors or advanced functionality. Enterprise plans offer additional collaboration tools and priority support.
Best For
Webflow is the better choice when you need design flexibility, custom layouts, or plan to build more than basic content sites. It's ideal for agencies, businesses requiring unique branding, e-commerce sites, and anyone who wants pixel-perfect control over their website's appearance. Choose Webflow if you value comprehensive SEO controls and don't mind the learning curve. Ghost excels for content creators, publishers, and businesses prioritizing page speed and content performance. It's perfect for blogs, newsletters, membership sites, and publications where writing is the primary focus. Choose Ghost if you want exceptional loading speeds, built-in newsletter functionality, and prefer simplicity over design complexity.
The Verdict
Ghost wins for pure content sites where speed and publishing workflow matter most. Its focus on performance and content creation delivers better SEO results for blogs and publications through faster loading times and cleaner markup. However, Webflow takes the lead for any project requiring custom design, advanced SEO controls, or functionality beyond basic content publishing. Most businesses needing more than a blog should choose Webflow despite the higher cost.