HubSpot vs. Webflow: The Differences That Matter

Webflow vs. HubSpot CMS (in Detail)

Which CMS is better for us, Webflow or HubSpot? -- This question comes up a lot when we talk to companies ready to take their websites to the next level.

TL;DR: HubSpot CMS is the best CMS if you plan to scale your company.
For smaller, more price-sensitive organizations, Webflow may be a good starter CMS. 

Let's dive in and compare what Webflow does best, where it can improve, and how it compares to HubSpot CMS.

Where Webflow Wins

Webflow is a robust platform accessible to all skill levels. It has several strengths, including:

1. Autonomy:
   With robust designer and editor tools, website owners can independently manage website design and content.
2. Engaging pages:
   With Webflow CMS, website owners can create dynamic content (such as interactions and scroll-based parallax animations), as well as data-driven pages.
3. World-class support:
   Whether a user needs help with the CMS or e-commerce, the Webflow team provides top-notch support.
4. Affordable pricing:
   Webflow offers four different plans, starting at $15/month (or $12/month if paid annually). HubSpot has three plans, starting at $50/month (or $45/month if paid annually). Note that if your company qualifies for the HubSpot startup package, you can get up to 90% off.
5. Template marketplace:
   Prebuilt templates make it easy for users to get up and running with their websites. And because these templates don't require coding, creators can customize them according to their preferences.
6. Staging environment:
   Staging environments are important for a seamless, functional website. Webflow offers a staging feature where you can make changes to your website in a separate "staging" environment before publishing them to the live website. 
7. A true codeless platform:
   Webflow is a great example of a no-code platform, as it allows users to design, build, and launch responsive websites without writing any code. 

Where HubSpot Wins

As strong as Webflow is, there are a few key areas where the platform underperforms, especially when compared to HubSpot. Here is where HubSpot delivers:

1. Analytics:
   Webflow has no out-of-the-box analytics, unlike HubSpot CMS, which gives marketers a comprehensive view of how users interact with their website. HubSpot provides visibility into website traffic by topic cluster, country, acquisition source, and much more.
2. CRM and marketing:
   Webflow doesn’t have built-in CRM (customer relationship management) or marketing tools. HubSpot, on the other hand, offers a full suite of products to accommodate marketers' needs.
3. Native membership feature:
   With HubSpot, you can create gated content for members, allowing you to offer incentives for customers who sign up or pay for a subscription. Webflow doesn’t have a native membership feature. It is, however, going to offer one soon.

4. Greater control:
   While Webflow’s low-code/no-code platform provides the ability to build a website without any web development knowledge, it is also one of its weaknesses. It means you can’t create custom complex features, control your code to make it more responsive and accessible, or make it more SEO-friendly. You create modular programming, use modern development tools and processes, and stack modern technologies and frameworks at the top of Webflow. You also can’t control global style setting features, which may result in inconsistent styles on a website. All of these elements are readily available in HubSpot CMS.
5. Relational Database:
   This is a big win for HubSpot. HubDB is a database feature of the HubSpot CMS. Webflow CMS doesn’t have relational database features offered in HubSpot's HubDB. Represented much like a spreadsheet, HubSpot's HubDB uses rows, columns, and table cells in a number of ways, including pulling data into CMS. You can create 10,000 rows per table and have as many as 1,000 tables per account, given plenty of room to scale. It allows users to create dynamic pages and templates on their websites using data stored in HubDB. As a result, a website has more flexibility and dynamic content, and it can easily be updated in the database rather than being hard-coded into the website pages.
6. SEO optimization:
   It is worth noting that because HubSpot was built around the notion of Inbound (which has SEO at its heart), the platform offers a wide range of built-in SEO and web analytics tools. Things like automating 301 redirects, automatic sitemap updates, SEO optimization analytics for every page you build, and simple implementation of structured data for better searchability are just a few examples. Webflow offers basic SEO features. You are able to add meta and alt tags, but things like adding schema markup need to be done manually. This can be time-consuming, especially for creators who are not familiar with coding. Additionally, structured data must be added to each page individually, and any changes made to the website's design or code can potentially break the structured data implementation. If you are serious about your SEO efforts, HubSpot completely shines here.
7. Long-term possibilities:
   Overall, Webflow isn’t as flexible as HubSpot CMS. That means that as your website grows, it may not be able to keep up with your needs. HubSpot, on the other hand, is designed to scale with you as your business grows and you require more dynamic and custom functionality as well as a holistic view of your website visitors. Connect with us, and we will help you migrate to HubSpot CMS.

Bottom Line

Webflow is a robust platform that offers a lot of essential features. However, if you want complete control and flexibility over your website, HubSpot is a much more powerful platform.

HubSpot allows you to house all your data under one roof and have a comprehensive view of your website, site visitors, and insights on how your prospects engage with every piece of your web content.

HubSpot CMS is, first and foremost, designed with marketers in mind, rather than developers. This provides you with a significant advantage in SEO, even if you're not well-versed in it. HubSpot can integrated with other platforms or tools, allowing you to develop custom CRM objects or apps. With its key features being responsiveness and security, HubSpot has you covered from all angles, enabling you to concentrate on growing your company.

Please note that if your heart is set on Webflow,  HubSpot and Webflow can be integrated.