Hello and welcome! In this post, I'll introduce you to three native WordPress page builders that offer a familiar experience for Webflow users. I'm not here to reignite the WordPress vs. Webflow debate; both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice depends on your specific needs and those of your clients. My goal is to help you seamlessly transition between these platforms, maintaining a consistent workflow.
This isn't a deep dive into every feature of these page builders. Instead, we'll focus on their similarities to Webflow and highlight my personal favourites for WordPress development. Each builder delivers excellent performance out of the box and closely mirrors the Webflow experience.
Addressing WordPress's Reputation
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The Contenders: Breakdance, Oxygen, and Bricks
The three page builders we'll explore are Breakdance, Oxygen, and Bricks. All three excel in performance and are extensible via custom code, shortcodes, and plugin integrations. Their pricing is comparable, and they all offer unlimited or agency plans, allowing you to build unlimited websites for unlimited clients on your chosen server.
Webflow Familiarity: A Closer Look
Let's examine how these builders compare to Webflow.
Interface and Structure
- Add Elements: All three builders feature a similar "add elements" interface, providing a wide range of building blocks.
- Responsiveness: Responsiveness controls are consistent across all platforms.
- Class Management:
- Breakdance: Simplifies the process but allows class creation in the advanced settings. You can add and remove classes independently, unlike Webflow's combo classes.
- Oxygen: Similar class functionality, but class deletion requires a plugin.
- Bricks: Offers robust class management, including renaming, deleting, locking, and duplicating. You can also export and import classes for efficient utility framework setup.
UI and Development Focus
- Breakdance: Aims for a broader audience, simplifying some processes.
- Oxygen: Targets developers and users comfortable with technical aspects.
- Bricks: Also leans towards a development-focused approach, requiring some CSS knowledge for advanced features like grid layouts.
Animation Limitations
- None of these builders natively replicate Webflow's animation capabilities. Bricks offers a plugin for gap animations, and you can always use JavaScript and CSS animations.
Overall Experience
- All three builders offer a seamless design and user experience. Oxygen's performance has significantly improved in recent updates.
- They all have growing communities and extensive plugin support.
- All three offer sandbox environments to test the builders.
My Personal Preference
I've used Oxygen for many years and found it excellent for various projects. However, Bricks is increasingly appealing due to its Webflow-like experience. The user experience is fantastic, and I highly recommend trying it.
Ultimately, I encourage you to test all three builders and decide which one best suits your needs. Share your favourite in the comments below!
Thank you for watching, and see you in the next video!