As a Webflow developer, choosing the right hosting platform is crucial for delivering fast, reliable websites to your clients. Webflow offers three main hosting options – Webflow Hosting, 3rd Party Hosting, and Webflow Enterprise. Deciding which one is best for you depend on your specific needs and budget.
Webflow hosting
Webflow’s hosting is the default option for launching a site on their platform. Here are some of the main benefits of using Webflow Hosting:
- Fast and reliable- Webflow sites hosted on Webflow’s infrastructure load incredibly fast. Uptime is excellent and pages render quickly thanks to Webflow’s globally distributed CDN.
- Automatic HTTPS– All sites get free SSL certificates for secure HTTPS connections. It saves you the hassle of setting up HTTPS yourself.
- Built-in custom domains – You connect your domain name for a professional brand presence. No need for third-party registrars.
- Easy publishing – webflow developer sites publish to their servers with one click. Updates also deploy instantly so you push changes frequently.
- Dedicated IP addresses– Get a unique, static IP for each site to improve deliverability and avoid shared blacklisting issues.
- Backups and restores – Webflow automatically backs up your site regularly and stores 30 days of previous versions. You easily restore a previous state with one click.
- CMS and hosting together-Manage your content and hosting seamlessly in one place instead of using two separate platforms.
- Excellent performance– Webflow sites score 95+ on Google PageSpeed tests out of the box. The platform is highly optimized for speed.
For most Webflow developers, built-in hosting is a great place to start. It’s cost-effective, starting at just $12 per month, and provides a robust hosting environment optimized specifically for Webflow sites.
3rd party hosting providers
Alternatively, you can host Webflow sites through a traditional web hosting company. Some popular options include SiteGround, Bluehost, HostGator, and more. The main advantages of 3rd party hosting are:
- More flexibility. Most shared hosts offer unlimited file size and bandwidth. Thus, this removes restrictions for larger sites.
- Phone support. Many hosts provide 24/7 phone support in case you need urgent help.
- Familiar admin. The cPanel or Plesk admin areas will be familiar if you’ve used traditional hosting before.
- Integrated billing. No need to pay two separate bills each month for hosting and Webflow
Choosing the best webflow hosting for you
When deciding the best Webflow hosting for your needs, start by considering these key factors:
- Traffic volume – How many visitors do your sites receive each month? Fewer than 50k can use basic Webflow hosting for millions of visitors per month, upgrade to Enterprise.
- Site size – Will you have more than 500MB of images and files? If so, a 3rd party host may be better suited.
- Performance needs – Are page load times and uptime critical? Stick with Webflow’s fast infrastructure if speed is important.
- Budget – Webflow hosting starts at $12/month. Shared hosts are as little as $3/month. Factor in renewal price hikes for the latter.
- Domain needs – Do you manage a large portfolio of domains? Webflow Enterprise offers unlimited domains.
