Sorry about my title cut. Didn’t want it to be too long.
I’m currently remaking my website from scratch slowly, but I’m thinking about a lot of ways to make it easier to manage. I started to code my website by hand for a clean code, but now I’m thinking about the future.
Webflow look like a great time saver for a website and you can do lot of things. Also code is much more cleaner than in Wordpress. Unfortunately, there are lot of things that prevent me to use Webflow. One of the reason is the price for hosting is ridiculous. I’m currently paying around $50/years for my current host and with webflow it’s reaching $250/year only for a single site and cms capabilities.
So here is the current solution I’m thinking about ; continuing coding by hands. After that I could use Pinegrow to convert my clean code into a clean Wordpress theme. After that I could just use this clean theme as I want… And the new Gutenberg editor look really nice too. I’m also thinking to integrate a blog with Exposure.co which look nice.
I’m writing here just in case that some of you have some suggestions or are thinking the same as me.
However. You can export the code you create within Webflow, so you don’t have to actually use Webflow’s hosting. You could easily drop the Webflow-created code into Pinegrow and turn it into a Wordpress theme the same way you would your hand-written code.
Single Site with CMS costs $16 per month (Yearly $192). Not 250$.
For one site if you know to code maybe your solution is great (To work with Pinegrow - Even host for free with github pages or netlify).
scenario
If in “real life” you earn $50 per hour:
By pinegrow & WP you build your site in 50 hours = $2500
By webflow 15 hours = $750
This margin/space of $1,750 is something you need to consider (Over time for site update Frequently webflow save for you hours).
VS WP
On webflow this is the “last” price. On WP you need to pay for plugins & plugin updates (Yoast, elementor, builder X and so on) - for SSL - for backups - for better speed hosting - To fix Bug or hack X on server Y and so on.
VS others
Webflow price is ± like WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and other platforms.
Summary: Is option to use webflow => export code => buy hosting (@Cricitem answer) . But again for clients over time - WP is not cheaper than Webflow (In total) - even if this is Open Source CMS.
I don’ t think the hostning is to expensive. You always have to concider what you get for the mony. Easy installation, SSL, good servers a fantastic too clean code, fast development and much more.
I think we should look at this issue with another aproch. Im not saying that you are running a small business but in our world many of us are realy bad in changing our customers, of some reason many of us think we are going to loose our custmer because we are suggesting a hostning provider that might be a little bit more expensive. But the factt is that our clients trust us, and they want a solution and tool that is stabile and works.
I have never hade a problem with any license fee or hostning fee or similair. I deliver a solution that works and that is the only thing that count according to My customers and they trust me. I might be more expensive then other companies/persons but again. The customer trust me.
I will never loose a. customers because the hostning fee is 200 USD per year as far as it just works.
I use Webflow to build sites, but not for hosting - as a small time freelancer it’s just too expensive. I use Firebase for this as it’s virtually free.
I do have to say that Webflow’s platform is an excellent tool for building sites, and as such I’m more than happy to pay them to use it in the form of my Webflow Pro subscription. But this is already quite expensive (especially when converted from USD to my local currency) and if I added hosting on top my monthly Webflow bill would be astronomical.
IMO Webflow users need to vote with their wallet to send a message. Webflow hosting is prohibitively expensive, so host elsewhere. Maybe then they would do something about their pricing.
Again - if you know to a code you even can use Github Pages for free (Custom domains + SSL and very fast + SEO site authority). In your specific case, it’s too expensive - but in general, this is the prices± for a site in 2018 (“There are no free meals :)” companies must take money to build mega-systems like invision, webflow, elementor and so on).
I agree maybe it will be great to add more pricing options - for very small sites (Like portfolio with 4-5 pages and 1CMS collection for projects). Not like WIX for example - the free plan on webflow is not so usefull.