Webflow is a SaaS platform that lets you design websites visually while it writes HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in the background. You pay monthly hosting fees (starting around $14 USD for basic sites, $23–$39 for CMS sites), and everything runs on Webflow's servers. It's popular with designers and agencies because you get pixel-perfect control without touching code, built-in hosting, and automatic SSL. The CMS is cleaner than WordPress but less extensible—you can't just install a plugin for every feature. WordPress is open-source software you install on your own hosting (typically $5–30 CAD/month). It started as a blogging platform in 2003 and now runs nearly half the web, from small business sites to enterprise publishers. You get access to 60,000+ plugins and thousands of themes, so you can build practically anything—ecommerce, membership sites, forums, booking systems. The tradeoff is complexity: more plugins mean more updates, potential conflicts, and security maintenance. Webflow makes sense when you want a modern design system, faster page speeds out of the box, and minimal maintenance. We use it at Ottawa SEO for landing pages and client sites that don't need complex integrations. You're locked into Webflow's ecosystem, though—migrating off is painful because the CMS structure doesn't export cleanly. WordPress makes sense when you need flexibility, third-party integrations, or plan to hand off the site to a client who'll update content regularly. The editing experience is less visual than Webflow, but tools like Elementor or Gutenberg blocks close that gap. WordPress also wins for SEO plugins—Rank Math and Yoast are more mature than Webflow's native SEO tools. Cost-wise, Webflow gets expensive fast if you need multiple CMS sites or high traffic. WordPress hosting is cheaper upfront, but factor in premium themes ($60–200), essential plugins, and developer time for updates. For most Canadian small businesses, WordPress still offers better long-term value and easier staff training, but Webflow delivers cleaner code and fewer headaches if you're okay with the platform lock-in.