What is the difference between the account plan and the site plan in Webflow? Which plan would you recommend for creating a simple website with multiple sections, like a portfolio site, that is not business-oriented? Please help!
TL;DR
- Use a free Account Plan to design your site in Webflow.
- Add a Site Plan (Basic for static or CMS for dynamic content) to publish on your custom domain.
Webflow offers two distinct types of plans: the Account Plan and the Site Plan, each serving a different purpose. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right setup for your project.
1. Account Plan Overview
- Account Plans (also called Workspace Plans) manage your design and collaboration tools in the Webflow Designer.
- Useful if you’re:
- Working on multiple sites for clients or teams.
- Wanting to use code export (Pro plan and up).
- Collaborating with team members.
- Account Plans do not publish sites to custom domains—they only let you build in the Designer and host on the free webflow.io subdomain.
2. Site Plan Overview
- Site Plans allow you to publish and host individual sites on a custom domain (e.g., myportfolio.com).
- Each specific site (project) needs its own Site Plan to be publicly hosted with full features.
- Site Plans control:
- Hosting bandwidth and traffic.
- CMS access (for dynamic content).
- Form submissions, SSL, custom domains.
- Example: You can have a free account plan, but you must add a Site Plan to publish your portfolio site at your own domain.
3. Recommended Plan for Your Use Case
You're building a simple portfolio site with multiple sections (non-business) and likely minimal dynamic content. Here’s what’s recommended:
- Site Plan (Basic or CMS):
- If your site is static (images, text, no dynamic blog or CMS), choose the Basic Site Plan.
- If you want a CMS-managed portfolio (e.g., editable projects or blog posts), choose the CMS Site Plan.
- Account Plan:
- Likely not needed unless you want to export code or handle multiple freelance projects or clients.
Summary
An Account Plan gives you Webflow editor access and design management tools. A Site Plan is required to publish a custom domain website. For a personal portfolio site, a Site Plan (Basic or CMS) is all you need. You can start with a free Account Plan, build your site, and only add a Site Plan to publish it live.