Why do I need to purchase a Webflow plan for building my website? Can't I develop a full multipage site without having to pay for a plan?

You can start designing and building a multipage site in Webflow for free, but to fully launch and use many essential features, a paid plan becomes necessary.

1. Webflow’s Free Plan Limitations

• You can design up to 2 static pages on a free Workspace account (previously called an "Account").
• You are allowed to build full designs using all design tools, but publishing options are limited.
• Free hosted sites are only deployable under the webflow.io subdomain—custom domains require a Site plan.
• CMS functionality is disabled unless you upgrade to a CMS or higher plan.

2. When You Need to Pay

You’ll need a paid Site Plan if:

• You want to publish your site to a custom domain (e.g., yourdomain.com).
• Your project includes more than 2 static pages.
• You want to use CMS Collections for dynamic content like blogs or portfolios.
• You’re collaborating with teammates on the same project (Workspace plans may be needed).
• You want form submissions, site search, or password protection on your live site.

3. Development Without Paying (with Limitations)

You can:

• Create and design multiple full pages using the Webflow Designer.
• Preview your full site using the Webflow staging domain (e.g., yoursite.webflow.io).
• Test site structure, interactions, and responsive layouts before committing to a plan.

But you can’t:

• Add a custom domain.
• Use CMS features or dynamic content.
• Export your code unless you’re on a paid Workspace plan (and even then, CMS features don’t export).

Summary

You can build and preview a basic multipage site on Webflow for free, but publishing to a custom domain, adding CMS content, or using forms requires a paid Site Plan. Webflow’s free tier is ideal for experimenting or prototyping, but serious use demands upgrading.