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CodeIgniter VS Webflow

Compare CodeIgniter VS Webflow and see what are their differences

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CodeIgniter logo CodeIgniter

A Fully Baked PHP Framework

Webflow logo Webflow

Build dynamic, responsive websites in your browser. Launch with a click. Or export your squeaky-clean code to host wherever you'd like. Discover the professional website builder made for designers.
  • CodeIgniter Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21
  • Webflow Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-09

CodeIgniter features and specs

  • Performance
    CodeIgniter is known for its exceptional performance and fast execution, which is beneficial for applications requiring quick load times.
  • Documentation
    CodeIgniter offers comprehensive and clear documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and use the framework effectively.
  • Easy to Learn
    CodeIgniter's simple and straightforward syntax makes it relatively easy for beginners to learn and start developing applications quickly.
  • Lightweight
    The framework is lightweight and does not impose many dependencies or require a specific server environment, providing flexibility to developers.
  • Community Support
    CodeIgniter has a strong and active community, which means plenty of resources, forums, and add-ons are available for developers.
  • Built-in Security Features
    CodeIgniter comes with built-in security features like XSS filtering and CSRF protection, helping developers to secure their applications with minimal effort.
  • MVC Architecture
    The framework follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, promoting clean code separation and better organization of the project.

Possible disadvantages of CodeIgniter

  • Lack of Modern Features
    CodeIgniter does not include many modern features found in other frameworks, such as built-in ORM or out-of-the-box RESTful API support.
  • Limited Modular Extensions
    It has fewer modular extensions compared to other frameworks like Laravel or Symfony, which can limit code reusability and scalability.
  • Manual Routing
    Routing in CodeIgniter is somewhat manual and less intuitive compared to other frameworks that offer more automatic and flexible routing mechanisms.
  • Outdated PHP Practices
    Some of the practices and conventions in CodeIgniter are considered outdated with respect to modern PHP development trends.
  • No Built-in Authentication
    CodeIgniter does not come with a built-in authentication system, requiring developers to implement their own or use third-party libraries.
  • Less Emphasis on Testing
    CodeIgniter has less built-in support and emphasis on unit testing compared to other frameworks like Laravel, making it harder to implement TDD or BDD.
  • Lack of Native Composer Support
    The framework's native support for Composer, PHP's dependency manager, is not as robust as other modern frameworks, which can complicate dependency management.

Webflow features and specs

  • Design Flexibility
    Webflow provides an intuitive visual interface that allows designers to create highly customized and responsive websites without writing code.
  • Integrated CMS
    Webflow includes a built-in CMS that allows users to easily manage dynamic content, making it ideal for blogs, portfolios, and other content-rich sites.
  • SEO Capabilities
    Webflow offers robust SEO tools, including custom meta tags, alt text for images, and clean code output, which can help improve search engine rankings.
  • E-commerce Support
    Webflow provides comprehensive e-commerce features, including product management, checkout processes, and payment gateways, suitable for small to medium-sized online stores.
  • Hosting and Performance
    Webflow offers high-performance hosting with fast loading times, SSL, and global CDN, ensuring websites are secure and perform well.
  • No-Code Platform
    It empowers non-developers to build and maintain websites, breaking down barriers between design and development through its visual development platform.
  • Custom Interactions and Animations
    Webflow allows the creation of sophisticated animations and interactions directly in the designer, enhancing user experience and engagement.

Possible disadvantages of Webflow

  • Learning Curve
    Although it's a no-code platform, Webflow's extensive feature set can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a significant amount of time to become proficient.
  • Cost
    Webflow's pricing can be relatively high compared to other website builders, especially for e-commerce plans and sites with large amounts of CMS items.
  • Limited Plugins
    Webflow has fewer third-party plugins and integrations compared to platforms like WordPress, which may be limiting for some users needing specific functionalities.
  • Custom Code Limitation
    While Webflow supports custom code, there are limitations on what can be achieved without full access to backend code, which may hinder more complex customizations.
  • E-commerce Scale
    While suitable for small to medium businesses, Webflow's e-commerce capabilities may not be sufficient for large-scale online stores with extensive requirements.
  • Export Restrictions
    Exported code from Webflow can be difficult to maintain if you choose to leave the platform, as the exported files may not easily integrate with other CMSs or platforms.

CodeIgniter videos

+ Add

PHP CodeIgniter tutorial: What is CodeIgniter and why should I use it? | lynda.com

More videos:

  • Review - Laravel vs Codeigniter - A quick comparison for you to decide
  • Review - Review Codeigniter 4

Webflow videos

+ Add

Webflow Review: Excellent Custom Design Tool

More videos:

  • Review - Building a site in Webflow - First impressions review!
  • Review - Squarespace VS Webflow: Website Building Platform Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CodeIgniter and Webflow)

CodeIgniter

Webflow

Web Frameworks
100 100%
Web Frameworks
0% 0
Website Builder
0 0%
Website Builder
100% 100
Developer Tools
100 100%
Developer Tools
0% 0
CMS
0 0%
CMS
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare CodeIgniter and Webflow

CodeIgniter Reviews

  1. Careem
    A PSR-compliant framework with diverse set of facilities and capabilities

    You can build any kinds of web apps and sites with this framework without consuming substantial server resources.

    🏁 Competitors: Lumen Framework
CakePHP vs CodeIgniter: Which PHP Framework is Best for Development?
CodeIgniter: CodeIgniter was developed by EllisLab and released in February 2006. It is known for its simplicity and speed, designed to help developers create full-featured web applications quickly. CodeIgniter emphasizes a lean and minimalistic approach, providing just enough to get the job done without imposing too many restrictions.
Source: blog.radwebhosting.com
Top 5 Laravel Alternatives
CodeIgniter is simpler to use for the majority of developers. Laravel’s convenience is matched only by its adherence to a small set of standards and guidelines. CodeIgniter also offers improved error handling and more leeway in terms of customization. Overall, in comparison of Laravel and CodeIgniter, CodeIgniter might be the simpler choice for most web programmers.
Source: www.etatvasoft.com
Framework review: Laravel vs CodeIgniter
Let's start with CodeIgniter first. It focuses on performance and speed. It offers a simple, easy-to-learn syntax, making it ideal for beginners. CodeIgniter uses its own proprietary Active Record implementation for database operations, which provides a simple and intuitive way to interact with data. Unlike Laravel, CodeIgniter does not enforce a specific architectural...
Source: infinyhost.com
10 Ruby on Rails Alternatives For Web Development in 2022
Laravel is a PHP web framework that was built by Taylor Otwell in 2011 as an attempt to replace the older framework CodeIgniter that lacked some important features, like built-in customer authentication and user authorization. The current version of the framework, Laravel 8.16 has a great infrastructure of web development tools that facilitate queue monitoring, server...
Source: www.ideamotive.co
The Most Popular PHP Frameworks to Use in 2021
Laravel is billed as “The PHP Framework for Web Artisans.” It was developed by Taylor Otwell, who wanted a framework with elements that CodeIgniter didn’t have, such as user authentication.
Source: kinsta.com

Webflow Reviews

  1. Margaret
    Amazing

    Designing websites with Webflow has been an absolute delight. Its visual interface makes the design process intuitive and efficient. The drag-and-drop functionality for elements is a real time-saver, and the real-time preview allows for instant feedback. Customizing designs to be responsive for different devices is a breeze. Webflow's ability to handle complex animations without code is impressive. All in all, Webflow has made website creation a smooth and enjoyable process. Definitely a game-changer for web design!

    🏁 Competitors: Tilda
Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
Webflow’s visual, composable CMS is feature-complete right out of the box. With native integrations, optimization tools, and managed hosting, you can build, launch, and iterate your website at scale. Webflow also vets Apps built by our community, so you can trust apps that you install — with no need to update software or manage outdated plugins.
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
Webflow offers more advanced design and animation capabilities than WordPress, allowing for custom-built websites without coding. Pixpa and Squarespace offer advanced portfolio management, e-commerce, and client gallery features tailored for creatives.
Source: www.pixpa.com
The 17 Best Wix Alternatives (2024) Who Else Can You Build Your Website With?
Webflow isn’t for everyone. It’s focused on designers and developers, so the user interface can be overwhelming to beginners. However, their designs are slick and they’re not afraid to show off their website builder: NASA uses it, and Webflow built their own website with the platform.
Source: www.tooltester.com
Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
Webflow is another unique CMS option based on the fact that it does not feature a single line of code anywhere for the user to bother with. Instead, it takes it upon itself to fully cover every single modification that a user may need as part of its preconfigured content management options. The UI is also designed with utility in mind. Whereas Wix also does not feature codes...
Source: cloudzy.com
Top No Code Website Builders in 2023
Webflow is an ideal option for designers and developers wanting to create custom websites with no code. Users can build a website while maintaining complete design control, leveraging advanced customization options, such as CSS and HTML editing.
Source: nocodeuniversity.net

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Webflow seems to be a lot more popular than CodeIgniter. While we know about 136 links to Webflow, we've tracked only 10 mentions of CodeIgniter. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

CodeIgniter mentions (10)

  • 19+ Laravel Best Practices for Developers in 2024
    For history's sake, you should know that Laravel was built in place of the CodeIgniter framework as a modern replacement because the CodeIgniter framework missing important core features such as built-in support for user authentication and authorization. Since its initial launch in 2011, Laravel has implemented built-in support for localization, views, dealing with sessions, routing the request to the specific... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How to Install Codeigniter on a Local Server in 2025?
    Visit the CodeIgniter official download page and download the latest version. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Top 12 PHP Frameworks For Web Development in 2024
    CodeIgniter is an open-source PHP framework with 18k+ stars and 7.8K forks on GitHub. It follows the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture and provides a structured way to create and organize code. It provides a set of libraries and an intuitive interface to accelerate PHP web app development. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Why I selected Elixir and Phoenix as my main stack
    Over the years I have tried different frameworks, mostly in PHP, like Code Igniter (2010), ProcessWire (2014) and Laravel (2015). - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • In One Minute : CodeIgniter
    CodeIgniter is an open-source php web application framework created by EllisLab Inc and it is now a project of British Columbia Institute of Technology. The framework implements a modified version of the Model-View-Controller design pattern. It is praised for its performance and the quality of its documentation. It's currently licensed under the MIT License, although the previous version was released under the... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

Webflow mentions (136)

  • The Best 100 Free UI/UX Resources for Every Designer & Developer
    Webflow Webflow.com Design and launch responsive sites visually (free starter plan). - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • 10 No-Code Tools for Developers in 2025 (with Best Use Cases)
    Webflow is like Canva and Photoshop had a genius baby that builds websites. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • My 2025 Tech Learning Plan: Upskill, Create, and Conquer
    No-Code Development Platforms: Exploring tools like Wix Studio, Framer, Webflow, and WordPress, and building 2 to 3 solid projects in each of these. Through this, I’ll not only boost my UI/UX and Figma skills but also broaden my horizons in the design and development space. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Builder.io vs Webflow: A Beginner's Guide to Choosing the Best Website Builder
    Being new to web design, you must have felt how overpowering the game of choice is. Two constant names popping up as popular choices are Builder.io and Webflow. Which one should you choose? - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Figma to Webflow: A Complete Guide
    Webflow is a visual development platform that enables designers to create responsive websites without writing code. It provides a rich interface for building and customizing layouts, animations, and interactions, all while maintaining web standards. Webflow’s output is clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, allowing for flexibility and control over the final product. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CodeIgniter and Webflow, you can also consider the following products

Laravel - A PHP Framework For Web Artisans

WiX - Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix' website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today

Django - The Web framework for perfectionists with deadlines

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

CakePHP - The Rapid Development Framework for PHP

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

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