Using Webflow to build and host your website, but starting to feel boxed in? Or maybe you love its design freedom but aren’t thrilled about the hosting limitations or the price tag that comes with it?
If you’re looking for more control, flexibility, and scalability, WordPress opens the door to all of that and more. The only catch is the complexity behind switching platforms.
That’s why this guide exists! Below, you’ll find a clear, step-by-step breakdown on how to migrate from Webflow to WordPress without the stress or the mishaps.
Why Move From Webflow to WordPress
Webflow is undeniably powerful, but even with its strengths, there are plenty of reasons you might start looking beyond it, such as:
- Needing greater functionality: Webflow gives you great visual control, but falls short when you need to extend your website’s functionality, as its app and widget selection is limited compared to WordPress’s massive plugin ecosystem.
- Avoiding platform lock-in: Webflow also makes it hard to fully “own” your website. Self-hosting isn’t straightforward, and if you rely on its built-in CMS, moving your site elsewhere means losing your dynamic features, effectively locking you into Webflow’s ecosystem or leaving you with a static website. And even after exporting, any update (no matter how small) has to be made inside Webflow first, then manually re-exported and reuploaded.
- Outgrowing Webflow’s pricing model: Webflow can start as an affordable option, but as your site grows, so does your bill. Expanding becomes less and less feasible as advanced features, CMS items, and increased traffic, among other things, are gated behind a paywall.
So, while Webflow is a strong platform, its limitations can become more noticeable as you expand. And although migrating from Webflow to WordPress may seem like extra work, making the switch when your site is still manageable can be the right call in the long run.
Pre-Migration Steps
Now that you know why you should move from Webflow to WordPress, let’s walk through the key pre-migration steps you need to take:
[Optional] Backup Your Webflow Site
Migrating from Webflow to WordPress won’t affect the version of your site inside Webflow, as you’re only exporting a copy. Still, it’s always wise to be cautious; backing up your Webflow site beforehand gives you a safety net to fall back on, just in case.
Make an Inventory
It’s also a good idea to make an inventory of your site and all the content it contains. It may feel like a hassle, but it will make things much easier when you’re double-checking that everything has been successfully migrated.
Get Hosting & Install WordPress
Next, it’s time to set up your WordPress website.
When choosing WordPress, you have two options: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
If you choose WordPress.com, hosting, domain, and site maintenance are all handled for you. However, it can be quite restrictive when it comes to custom domains, access to all themes, etc, unless you upgrade to higher-tiered paid plans, which can get quite expensive.
This can be especially limiting if your goal is to migrate a Webflow site to WordPress as seamlessly and cost-effectively as possible.
On the flip side, if you choose WordPress.org, you’ll need to set up your own domain and hosting, but you’ll also gain greater flexibility and control, which is ideal when migrating from a more restrictive platform like Webflow.
To get your hosting, there are numerous providers to choose from, such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and more. But no matter which option you choose, be sure to select it wisely, as hosting can directly impact the success and longevity of your website.
Pick the Right Website Builder as Your Webflow Alternative
As mentioned earlier, migrating from Webflow to WordPress involves creating a copy of your Webflow site and bringing it to a WordPress environment.
But what happens after you import it?
Usually, if you export a Webflow site and self-host it, every single update (even tiny text changes) has to be done inside Webflow, exported again, and reuploaded manually. That’s slow, tedious, and completely defeats the purpose of moving to WordPress.
To avoid that cycle, you need a WordPress website builder that replaces the Webflow editor entirely, so that you can run, maintain, and grow your site from one place.
So what tool can give you WordPress flexibility while still keeping the same visual design freedom you’re used to in Webglow?
The answer is Kirki.
Kirki is the ideal Webflow alternative for WordPress.
It’s a powerful drag and drop builder with an intuitive visual editor, unlimited creative freedom, granular control, and all the modern design capabilities you can expect, including:
- Instant Figma to WordPress Handoff
- Dynamic Content Management
- Real-time Collaboration & Co-editing
- Extensive Free WordPress Theme Library
- Form Builder & Form Data Manager
- Popup Builder
- Interaction and Animation Builder
- And more
With an all-in-one solution like Kirki, you get the full flexibility of WordPress and the seamless, familiar visual workflow of Webflow, but without its limitations.
And unlike many tools out there, Kirki gives you access to its full set of capabilities across every plan. There are no hidden costs or paywalls after the initial purchase. So no matter which plan you choose or how much your site grows, you always have everything you need to build, customize, and scale your website.
To get started with Kirki, check out our in-depth guide on how to build a WordPress website from scratch.
How to Migrate From Webflow to WordPress
Once your WordPress website and website builder are all set up, it’s finally time for you to migrate your site from Webflow to WordPress.
Export Your Content From Webflow
The first step in migrating from Webflow to WordPress is exporting your content:
- Step 1: Open your Webflow project and make sure you’re in Design Mode.
- Step 2: Click on the Webflow icon in the top-right corner to access the Export Code panel.
- Step 3: Hit the Download Zip button to save your exported content to your local device.
Note: This Webflow export will not include CMS or native form functionality. It only provides a fully static version of your site’s pages, styles, and assets.
Import Your Content to WordPress Using Kirki
Next, it’s time to bring your Webflow content to the WordPress environment:
Step 1: Open the Kirki editor on your WordPress website.
Step 2: From the Pages panel in the left sidebar, click “+” to create a new page. Then open the Insert panel, navigate to Base Elements, and add the Custom Code element to your canvas.
Step 3: Click the Custom Code element to open the Custom Code modal. Select the Code tab. Unzip your exported Webflow files, open the HTML file of the page you want to import, copy its content, and paste it into the code editor.
Step 4: Next, bring over your styles and scripts. From your exported files, find the relevant CSS and JS code for that page and paste them into the same code editor. Make sure to:
- Wrap your CSS code with HTML
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