When it comes to choosing a web building solution (either offline or online), both seasoned developers and beginners have a variety of tools at their disposal, each offering unique features and workflows.
Among the array of options, Adobe Dreamweaver and Webflow stand out as prominent web design options, but for quite different reasons, implications and use cases. This is because the platforms feature diverse nature and make it possible to set up websites with quite different integrated features.
On one side, Webflow is a modern visual tool used for creating responsive sites without applying any coding. Its visual interface allows users to design and customize sites through a drag-and-drop editor and pre-built components.
Currently, Webflow is catered to designers searching for an appropriate tool for setting up visually astounding websites without coding knowledge or experience. The solution includes an array of design and interaction options while the clean code is automatically generated in the background.
As opposed to it, Dreamweaver is a powerful desktop app with years of experience in the field, mainly used by professional web developers. The company offers a code-centric environment with essential features like code suggestion, syntax highlighting, and split-screen view for code editing and website previewing (see my collection of Dreamweaver examples).
Dreamweaver is recommended for developers who would rather have direct control over the site code and practice in CSS, HTML and JavaScript than rely on the website builder to set up a site for them.
To understand the key differences between Dreamweaver and Webflow, I suggest delving into the in-depth comparison between the two site-building platforms.
Overview of Dreamweaver and Webflow
The basic similarity between Webflow and Dreamweaver is the same high-quality level of websites you can build with each. In both cases, you can start from scratch and customize to your liking (though coding knowledge is necessary for Adobe Dreamweaver users).
Adobe Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver has been a staple in web development for decades, offering a powerful environment that blends visual design tools with robust code editing capabilities. It supports a wide range of coding languages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript and server-side scripting languages, making it highly versatile for professional developers.
The software provides a flexible workspace that allows users to design and edit their site’s front-end and manage back-end functionalities directly within the platform. Its key features include real-time browser preview, multi-monitor support for Windows and Git support which facilitates version control.
Dreamweaver is particularly beneficial for those who prefer a hands-on approach to coding while still appreciating the option to make quick visual edits.
Webflow
Webflow offers a more contemporary approach to the process of website creation, focusing on a visual design-first experience that requires no coding skills. Its drag-and-drop interface has become one of the major reasons of its popularity due to its intuitive nature that allows designers to construct responsive websites in the visual mode.
The system automates the generation of HTML, CSS and JavaScript, offering designers the power to create professional, highly customized sites without writing a line of code. It also provides CMS capabilities, SEO tools and eCommerce integration, making it a comprehensive platform for launching and running fully functional websites.
Webflow’s structure is especially appealing to graphic designers, marketing teams, and content managers who wish to bring their designs to life without the complexity of traditional coding.
While Dreamweaver is ideal for those who have a good grasp of coding and prefer a more hands-on, detailed control over their website’s functionality, Webflow shines for users who prioritize design and ease of use, offering powerful automation tools to streamline web development.
Ease of Use
When assessing Adobe Dreamweaver and Webflow from the point of view of simplicity, it becomes clear that each platform targets different user skills and preferences. As a result, their complexity differs as well. Dreamweaver caters to those with a solid understanding of web development principles, while Webflow is designed to streamline the web design process through its intuitive visual editor, which is much appreciated by beginners (find simple website builders here).
Dreamweaver: Professional Website Creation
Dreamweaver by Adobe is geared towards professional designers searching for a GUI tool equipped well enough to allow detailed and speedy wireframing of their site or mobile application.
Although Adobe claims its Dreamweaver product can be used by beginners equally effectively, the solution is, without any doubt, better fitted for professional use. It features a complex interface, perfect wireframing, and prototyping features that confuse any novice.
On the other hand, the interface of this website-building tool is pretty well-organized despite being highly advanced. All tools and widgets can be easily found if you devote some time to studying them.
Webflow: Website Builder for Experts
As for Webflow, this is the direct opposite of Dreamweaver in terms of ease of use. It performs an excellent job of onboarding a new user. If you have experience working with a drag-and-drop editor, you can get into the design process while first-time users find Webflow tutorial useful.
The company’s editor looks pretty much like Photoshop’s, frustrating novice users. After all, it’s Dreamweaver, an Adobe product, not Webflow. It offers several design possibilities and plenty of functions not immediately apparent.
The website builder implements the already popular “Box Model” for constructing a box for every site element to superimpose them on top of each other later. As a result, the new website’s layout compromises text, image, and button boxes. This makes it much more straightforward and clearer to realize what you want to achieve regarding your site design.
So, although Webflow requires a few hours of familiarizing yourself with its possibilities and functionality before you start creating your site, it’s still way easier to use than Dreamweaver. The latter has been created with professional developers in mind only.
Read also: The Easiest and Fastest Way to Create a WebsiteDesign and Templates
When the review refers to comparing the design features of these two site-building platforms, we have a draw since both are powerful and ensure stunning results.
Dreamweaver: Powerful Design Focus
In all cases, it’s worth remembering that Dreamweaver is not for the casual crowd. If you have experience with Photoshop use, you must have a solid idea of the general user interface of Dreamweaver since they both share a typical design. Yet, the latter rolls up more challenges at your feet.
Mind that Dreamweaver provides a flexible environment that doesn’t rely heavily on templates. Instead, it focuses on offering powerful tools for creating websites from scratch, although it does include some basic starter templates.
The platform supports users who prefer to develop custom designs without constraints, allowing for the integration of templates purchased or acquired from third-party sources. This flexibility is particularly appealing to experienced web developers who have precise design specifications or who need to integrate complex backend functionalities that go beyond standard template capabilities.
You must write the code directly to build a website from scratch at Dreamweaver. Even for creating the simplest website, you must open four tabs – CSS files, the current pages, an informational panel, and JavaScript files. The informational panel has a further selection of tabs, highlighting drag-and-drop HTML tags, Creative Cloud libraries, available files to be downloaded, Document Object Model, assets, CSS controls and prebuilt snippets. The custom toolbar on the left adds the controls you need the most for your website.
Dreamweaver has two editing views: the Design View, which shows every single design element of the webpage, even those that are not visible to the front-end site visitor, and the Live View mode, which showcases how a typical visitor sees your web page in the browser.
And finally, Dreamweaver is a standout platform in the industry because it allows mixing the two site editing options. You can split the screen with one window showing your code and the other presenting the WYSIWYG editor.
Webflow: Rich Template Choice
As opposed to Dreamweaver that does not place much emphasis on template design and customization, Webflow considers a rich selection of themes a priority.
As for the selection and look of Webflow templates, you will get multiple variations of your choice, all having the brand’s unique look and feel. All templates, free and paid, look modern and crisp and have a bold presentation that stands out in the market. All options are sorted by free/premium status, industry, and eCommerce functionality.
Each template in Webflow is fully customizable within its visual editor, which is a standout feature that allows users, particularly designers and those without deep coding knowledge, to start with a strong foundation and tweak designs to their liking without ever touching code.
Webflow’s main perk is its Designer interface, where you build your website from the ground up. Whatever you do to your site, from adding and customizing elements to publishing it, is done from here.
The selection of elements you can add from the left-hand menu by simply dragging one and dropping where you want includes but is not limited to buttons, forms, images & videos, CAPTCHAs, carousels, search bars, text boxes etc.
The available pre-built page layouts, which will speed up the site-building process even more, involve galleries, columns, feature lists, nav bars, etc. Once all the necessary elements are on the page, the Designer’s tools become available. They’ll let you tweak the look and feel of any element you have on your page with a few clicks only, like changing the background color, borders, fonts, etc.
The website builder offers two options for editing a site. The first is complete coding, where you must do all the work yourself. And the second option is the WYSIWYG visual editor. The latter features plenty of tools that will clutter the screen if it’s small.
To make the most of the builder’s options, use a computer with a larger screen or hide some to maximize the screen space if you are an expert coder and want to do the heavy lifting on your own. With the WYSIWYG tools, building a website becomes intuitive and comes with many expert tools.
So, as you can see yourself, Dreamweaver is an ultra-complex platform with a maze-like interface. Yet, it’s also considered the most powerful in the market. On the other hand, Webflow is drastically easier to use yet appears pretty effective.
Features and Functionality
Just like Dreamweaver and Webflow differ in terms of design, they also differ in terms of functionality. This means that the platforms grant access to multiple options and tools to boost your website performance from various parameters. Let’s review the main ones now.
eCommerce
You can actually set up web stores with both systems. It’s just that your approaches and tools will differ with regard to your project specialization, complexity, budget and other parameters.
Dreamweaver: Complex eCommerce Creation
Dreamweaver does not ensure a completely automated web store creation process as it does not have built-in eCommerce tools. Manual set up is required in most cases, requiring a developer to integrate eCommerce functionality either through coding or by embedding third-party eCommerce solutions.
This approach suits developers who have specific needs that are not met by standard eCommerce platforms, letting them construct a highly tailored shopping experience from the ground up.
However, this option is more time-consuming and requires substantial web development expertise, as it involves manually setting up product databases, payment gateways, and security features to ensure a fully functional online store.
Webflow: Custom eCommerce Set Up
Webflow has eCommerce functionality provided by default. Webflow’s eCommerce platform is built into its system, offering native tools to design and launch an online store directly within its interface. This includes everything from product customization and cart management to checkout pages and automatic tax calculations.
The system’s visual editor allows for deep customization of the shopping experience, while still maintaining ease of use. Additionally, it supports seamless integration with other marketing tools and analytics, providing users with a comprehensive suite of features to manage their store effectively.
Webflow’s eCommerce feature, however, is more decent than superior. Without add-ons and plug-ins, it can be sufficient only for a small online store. The website builder also suffers from payment gateway inflexibility, lack of integration and a somewhat clumsy user interface for viewing customers and orders. All this makes Webflow a poor choice for larger eCommerce projects but applicable to smaller ones.
Summing it up, Dreamweaver offers greater web store creation control and customization potential, placing the burden of setup and management on the developer rather than on individuals with no technical skills. Webflow’s eCommerce functionality strikes a balance between customization capabilities and simplicity, making it a better pick for designers, marketers, and entrepreneurs looking for custom web store creation.
Integrations and Special Features
To get the most out of your website functionality, you won’t go without external integrations. They make it possible to set up projects for various niches. The approach to system integrations, however, differ in both platforms, which triggers the need to find out more about them.
Dreamweaver: Powerful Product for Streamline Website Creation
Adobe’s Dreamweaver product, it is definitely impressive. The solution is now integrated with the latest version of the Chromium Embedded Framework to let you establish modern HTML5 sites and showcase CSS grids, elements, etc.
The newly redesigned UI is streamlined, where clients can customize the workspace to show only the tools they need to code.
Git support is another feature that Adobe’s Dreamweaver stands for. It means you can manage all your source code in the software and perform all ordinary operations in the Git panel.
As for the integration, Dreamweaver primarily functions as a standalone web development environment that requires manual integration of external services and APIs. Being Adobe’s product, the system easily integrates with all other brand products, like Illustrator and Photoshop. Also, it’s integrated with third-party library upgrades and bug fixes, including OpenSSH, OpenSSL, LibCurl, Ruby and RubyGes, Xalan as well as Node.
Actually, the extent of Dreamweaver’s integration capabilities heavily depends on the developer’s ability to manually code and implement APIs or rely on pre-built plugins. This provides a high degree of customization but requires a strong understanding of coding and web development principles.
Webflow: Multiple Integrations for Quality Website Creation
Unlike many other website builders, Webflow offers CMS. With its content management system, you can create and manage content without applying any coding. This is especially great for content-heavy sites and blogs. To use this feature, populate “Collections” with categories via “Items,” which can be blog posts, an e-commerce store, products, or anything else suitable for inclusion in your website.
In terms of integrations, Webflow caters more even to those users who may not have deep coding knowledge. The website builder features a set of built-in integrations that are essential for modern websites, including SEO tools, analytics, social media integration and video hosting.
What’s more, Webflow supports a range of third-party apps that can be integrated directly through its interface, enhancing functionality with minimal need for manual coding. Notable integrations include marketing tools, advanced form builders and even eCommerce enhancements.
For users requiring advanced functionality, Webflow also supports custom code, allowing for the integration of additional third-party services beyond those available in its marketplace.
Thus, Dreamweaver works best for users who require detailed control over their website integrations and are ready to work with manual coding. Webflow’s built-in and third-party apps cater to a variety of contemporary web design needs of all user categories.
SEO
Website creation is only a part of the process. Quality promotion matters a lot as well. That is why, it makes sense to dive deep in nuances that tackle SEO functionality.
Dreamweaver: Complete Control over Website Code
Dreamweaver allows full control over website code, which can be a significant advantage for SEO if used correctly. Since SEO success often hinges on the minutiae of HTML elements, metadata, schema, and overall site structure, Dreamweaver’s ability to provide direct access to the site’s code means users can implement any SEO strategy as precisely as needed.
However, this approach requires a good understanding of both SEO principles and how to effectively implement these strategies through coding. There are no built-in SEO tools in Dreamweaver; all optimizations must be coded manually or implemented via third-party plugins, which can be a barrier for users without technical expertise.
Webflow: Integrated SEO Tools
In terms of SEO functionality, Webflow introduces several useful SEO tools. Perhaps the most outstanding one is the ability to generate metadata automatically based on your CMS Collections. This feature will save users time when publishing new content on the same structure.
Webflow automatically generates SEO-friendly HTML5 code and allows users to easily edit meta titles and descriptions, customize URLs, alt text for images, and even automatically generates sitemaps — all of which are accessible via intuitive user interfaces.
Other handy SEO tools include a solid 301 redirects management system for easier migrating old URLs and web pages to new platforms and site audits for identifying and fixing SEO issues such as missing alt tags, broken links, slow loading speeds etc.
In terms of SEO, Dreamweaver offers more granular control over search engine optimization elements, catering to professionals who have sufficient coding skills to manually optimize every aspect of a website’s backend. Webflow comes with integrated SEO tools, which is more appreciated by users.
Pricing and Costs
Dreamweaver has a flexible pricing system, varying depending on the customer type, including schools and universities, students and teachers, individuals and businesses. Prices are the cheapest for schools and universities. You have to pay $14.99 per month for a single app like Dreamweaver. The plan includes 100GB of cloud storage and is appropriate for small workgroups and departments (institutional affiliation is required).
For students and teachers, the pricing of Dreamweaver, along with other products within the Creative Cloud stock like IIllustrator, Acrobat Pro, and Photoshop, starts at $19.99 per month. The offer comes with a one-month free trial period.
Individuals can use Dreamweaver at $22.99 monthly if an annual plan is purchased. Here, too, the one-month free use of Adobe Stock is valid.
And finally, business owners wishing to create an online presence through the professional site-building platform Dreamweaver will have to pay $37.99 monthly. Surely, if you own a big-scale business, choosing the Creative Cloud All Apps package, which involves over 20 apps, at $89.99 per month will be more expedient.
As for the Webflow pricing, here we get a pretty standard system with two types of plans – General and eCommerce, each encompassing more detailed subscriptions.
The introductory Starter plan provided by the General package is lifetime free. It’s designed to let new users learn how to use Webflow and includes a brand domain, 50 CMS items, 50 form submissions, and 1GB of bandwidth. As for the cheapest plan here, Basic, it’s priced at $14 per month if billed yearly. The tier provides 50 GB bandwidth yet is limited to only 500 monthly form submissions.
Webflow eCommerce plans include 3 premium subscriptions. The most affordable Standard plan here starts at $29 per month if billed annually. It includes 500 eCommerce items, 2000 CMS items, 2% transaction fee and other eCommerce-related perks.
Support and Community
Understanding the level of support offered by these two platforms is sometimes crucial when it comes to picking the best web design tools. Here is what I managed to find out.
Adobe Dreamweaver: Extensive Support Network
As part of the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Dreamweaver offers quite an extensive support network. Users can get access to the variety of professional support options including:
- direct customer service,
- detailed documentation,
- tutorials,
- user forums.
The Dreamweaver community is still supported by long-time web developers and Adobe enthusiasts who keep using the software to gain their goals. These users often share their deep knowledge of the platform through various Adobe-supported forums and third-party sites.
Webflow: Extensive and Versatile Customer Support
As a website builder, Webflow offers customer support out of the box. Its official support encompasses a range of professional learning resources. One of the highlights is Webflow University, which offers free educational videos and tutorials tailored to both new and advanced users.
The Webflow forum is an active and engaging space where users can find help, exchange ideas and share templates or custom code. Furthermore, Webflow hosts regular webinars, workshops and even global meetups, fostering a strong community spirit.
Official Webflow support is realized via responsive customer service and a helpful team that can assist with both technical and design-related queries.
When it tackles the support issue, both platforms have much to offer. Dreamweaver’s support network is ideal for those who might already be familiar with web development principles and are looking for advanced tech support within the traditional framework of a desktop application. Webflow’s community is more dynamic, providing a range of learning resources that work best for users who prefer a more visual design approach for creative and technical development.
Making Your Decision
When selecting a web design and development platform, the choice between Adobe Dreamweaver and Webflow often comes down to specific needs, skill levels and project requirements. Each tool offers unique strengths that can significantly influence the efficiency, quality and ease of your web development process.
Considerations for Choosing Dreamweaver
Dreamweaver is a traditional, powerful tool suited for users who prefer a hands-on approach to web development with direct control over the code. Its highlights are as follows:
- Code-Level Control: Dreamweaver provides a powerful code editor equipped with syntax highlighting, code completion and code collapsing that’s ideal for developers comfortable with HTML, CSS, JavaScript etc.;
- Extensive File Management Capabilities: Integrated with Adobe’s Creative Cloud, Dreamweaver allows for seamless management of files and assets, supporting multiple file types and linkage to external files;
- Integrated Development Environment: Offers a single environment where you can code, design and preview your websites in one place. This includes live previews and multi-screen testing;
- Server-Side Code Support: Unlike many other website builders, Dreamweaver supports server-side scripting languages like PHP, which can be crucial for more complex web applications.
Considerations for Choosing Webflow
Webflow is a modern, visually-driven DIY website builder that makes the process of web creation simple and streamlines. Its advantages include:
- Visual Design Interface: Allows designers to build websites with a drag-and-drop editor, automatically generating clean, semantic code that is ready for publishing.
- Integrated CMS and eCommerce: Provides integrated solutions for managing content and e-commerce without the need for external plugins or applications.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Enables team members to collaborate on projects in real time, streamlining workflows for agencies and remote teams.
- Extensive Template Library: Offers a variety of ready-to-use templates that can be customized to fit any brand or style, significantly reducing the time and effort required to launch a site.
Conclusion: Final Thoughts on Dreamweaver vs Webflow
The “battle” between Dreamweaver and Webflow is somewhat unfair. The first one is definitely a remarkable web development tool that combines visual design tools with code editing capabilities. It’s an excellent solution for experts who know a thing or two. Furthermore, the integration with other Adobe products (Dreamweaver is a part of the Creative Cloud system of Adobe) enhances its usability for web developers and designers.
Conversely, Webflow is undoubtedly one of the best no-code SaaS site builders out there. The site builder uses a drag-and-drop editor and has all features neatly organized (some learning curve is still mandatory, though).
It also has a comprehensive package of features, from hosting (find best providers here) to eCommerce. All this makes it a perfect choice for starters who aim to build a new stunning site without applying a single code and are ready to devote time to learning the insides.
Thus, the final decision should rely on your requirements, project complexity, web design background and budget you are ready to invest. The best decision is to test both systems to eventually decide which one works best for you.