webflow vs wix
Webflow vs Wix — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
Webflow and Wix represent two fundamentally different approaches to website building. Webflow positions itself as a visual development platform that generates clean, semantic code — appealing to designers who want control without hand-coding. Wix takes the opposite approach: maximum ease of use through drag-and-drop simplicity, with SEO improvements added over time to address its historically poor technical foundation.
The choice between them often comes down to whether you prioritize technical control and clean output (Webflow) or absolute simplicity and speed to launch (Wix). While both can create functional websites, they produce vastly different results under the hood.
Feature Comparison
Webflow generates semantic HTML5 and clean CSS that you'd be proud to show a developer. Its visual editor gives you granular control over every element while maintaining code quality. You get built-in responsive breakpoints, advanced interactions without JavaScript knowledge, and proper heading hierarchies that search engines love. The CMS functionality lets you create custom content types with proper schema markup. Wix has dramatically improved from its Flash-based origins but still generates bloated code with unnecessary div wrappers and inline styles. However, it's added legitimate SEO tools: an SEO assistant that guides optimization, built-in schema markup for common content types, and improved mobile rendering. The ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) can build a complete site in minutes, and recent updates have made the code more crawlable than before. Webflow's 301 redirect management is straightforward and reliable. Wix offers redirects but with more limitations and occasional glitches. For site migrations or URL restructuring, Webflow is significantly more dependable.
Pricing Comparison
Webflow starts at $14/month for basic sites, with CMS functionality at $23/month and e-commerce at $29/month. The free tier allows two published projects but includes Webflow branding. Higher tiers unlock more CMS items, form submissions, and collaboration features. Wix pricing begins at $17/month for basic plans, rising to $32/month for unlimited features and $159/month for e-commerce. Their free plan has aggressive Wix advertising and limited functionality. While Wix appears more expensive initially, their plans often include more storage and bandwidth than comparable Webflow tiers.
Best For
Webflow is better for agencies, freelancers, and businesses that need technical flexibility without coding from scratch. If you're building multiple client sites, need custom CMS structures, or want code you can export and host elsewhere, Webflow delivers professional results. It's also superior for complex interactions, custom animations, and sites requiring precise control over technical SEO elements. Wix suits small business owners, bloggers, and anyone who needs a website yesterday without technical learning curves. If you're a restaurant owner, local service provider, or creative professional who wants to focus on content rather than technical details, Wix's simplicity and built-in features (booking systems, e-commerce, marketing tools) provide faster time-to-market.
The Verdict
Choose Webflow if you care about clean code, technical SEO control, or plan to scale your web development skills. Despite the steeper learning curve, it produces professional-grade websites that perform better long-term. Choose Wix only if absolute simplicity trumps everything else and you're building a straightforward business website that doesn't require technical customization.