Wix, Tilda, Webflow: Advantages and Disadvantages
Comparison of popular website builders: advantages and limitations, usage cost.
General Capabilities
Wix, Tilda, Webflow, and other SaaS website builders SaaS website builders are online services that allow users to create and manage websites directly in a browser without needing programming skills. Users pay a subscription fee and receive a full set of tools to launch their site. offer comprehensive solutions for creating and maintaining websites. Their functionality includes:
- A simple and intuitive interface that allows users to work without specialized skills.
- Tools for creating online stores and integrating payment systems.
- SEO, marketing modules, and CRM for site promotion and client engagement.
With these platforms, you can create a website in half a day or even faster, making them appealing for newcomers to online business.
Limitations
The capabilities of these services are limited to a standard set of popular features. If your requirements go beyond this, you’ll need to find workarounds or alternative solutions.
Example:
- Task: create a website to sell online courses in Kazakhstan using Wix.
- Result: Wix only supports payments through PayPal (which has higher fees compared to banks).
- Solution: use WordPress with plugins for local bank support.
The Secret Ingredient
The platform developers have made website building easier by providing drag-and-drop editors, step-by-step instructions, and support. However, as with any field, knowledge and experience are essential to create a quality product.
While it’s possible to quickly learn how to use website builders through YouTube or articles, good design requires UX/UI knowledge. Therefore, to achieve a professional result, we recommend involving a designer — this will save you time and allow you to focus on content and technical requirements.
Cost of Building a Website on a SaaS Builder
The costs of using Wix, Tilda, and Webflow vary. In addition to the initial development, it’s important to consider maintenance costs. Here’s a sample of typical rates for a landing page:
$29/month
$348/year
$10/month
$120/year
$14/month
$168/year
$60/year
Cost Comparison for 3 and 5 Years
Websites are usually developed for the long term. Here are the approximate costs for 3 and 5 years:
Calculation formula: annual cost * number of years + development cost.
Ownership Rights
A key difference between SaaS and a self-hosted site is ownership rights. Projects can be exported, but they will only work within the service as long as the subscription is active.
Conclusions
Website builders are convenient for quick setups and simple solutions, but they are limited in terms of capabilities and flexibility. For unique, long-term projects, it’s better to consider options with full control over the site.
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