why-webflows-clean-code-architecture-yields-better-lighthouse-scores-than-most-hand-coded-sites
Web performance is a critical factor for user experience and SEO, and Google’s Lighthouse (PageSpeed Insights) scores have become a go-to benchmark for measuring that performance. In this in-depth analysis, we’ll explore why Webflow’s clean code architecture results in better Lighthouse scores than most hand-coded sites. We’ll delve into how Webflow’s approach to DOM structure, CSS, JavaScript, images, and hosting optimizations leads to fast, efficient websites. We’ll also compare real Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals metrics for Webflow vs. popular alternatives like WordPress and custom-coded pages. By the end, you’ll see how Webflow’s performance-focused Figma UI/UX design coupled with best practices can give you a serious edge in site speed.
Let’s dive in and see why Webflow performance is often a step ahead and how Webflow Core Web Vitals routinely end up in the green. Fasten your seatbelt, we're going under the hood of Webflow’s engine!
One of Webflow’s biggest advantages is its clean code output. When you design visually in Webflow, the platform generates HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that is efficient and free of unnecessary bloat very much like what a good developer would hand-code, but with automation ensuring consistency. In fact, Webflow’s Designer is known to output “no-bloat HTML and CSS a developer would create, all without code.” This clean code foundation is the bedrock of Webflow’s performance benefits. Key characteristics of Webflow’s code architecture that improve performance:
• Semantic, streamlined HTML structure: Webflow encourages use of proper tags (you can set elements as <header>, <section>, <article>, etc.) and generates a concise DOM. There’s no wrapping your content in dozens of <div> s unless you choose to have no bulky theme framework or unnecessary markup added behind the scenes.
• No unnecessary plugins or theme baggage: Unlike some platforms (where a simple page might pull in code from numerous plugins or a bloated theme), Webflow’s pages include only what you build. The platform doesn’t force extra libraries for basic functionality. This “no excess plugin” approach means far fewer lines of code and scripts to load.
• Minified assets by default: Out of the box, Webflow automatically minifies your site’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for you. This compression removes whitespace and unnecessary characters, reducing file sizes without changing functionality, yielding faster downloads.
• Global CSS and consolidated scripts: Webflow compiles styles into a single CSS file and, as of recent updates, uses per-page JavaScript bundles. We’ll discuss this in detail later, but essentially Webflow avoids loading a long list of separate CSS/JS files that many hand-coded sites might include (e.g., multiple plugins each adding their own file). Fewer requests and smaller files mean quicker load times.
All of these factors contribute to Webflow sites often being “blazing fast out of the box”. In a 2025 comparison, a blank Webflow site scored a perfect 100 on Google Lighthouse, whereas “most other websites get an 85% out of the box”. In other words, Webflow gives you a head start: you begin with very clean, lightweight pages, whereas many custom-coded or CMS-based sites start off heavier even before custom optimizations.
It’s important to note that “clean code” doesn’t mean Webflow is doing magic that a developer couldn't, rather, it means the platform handles a lot of best practices automatically. A diligent developer can hand-code an equally fast site, but the reality is most sites on the web aren’t fully optimized. Webflow’s strength is making the optimized approach the default. As one source puts it: “Custom-coded sites can be faster if built with performance in mind. Webflow’s speed depends on how you configure and maintain your site.” In practice, however, many hand-built sites include inefficiencies and that’s where Webflow often wins on Lighthouse scores.
Next, let’s break down the specific technical reasons behind those better scores, starting with the very structure of the page: the DOM.
DOM (Document Object Model) structure refers to the way HTML elements are nested and organized on the page. A leaner, more efficient DOM helps browsers render content faster. Unnecessary wrapper elements, deep nesting, or extraneous markup can slow down parsing and increase memory usage. Webflow’s design philosophy and tools encourage a clean, semantic DOM structure that benefits performance.
In Webflow, you have fine control over your HTML elements, enabling you to keep the DOM as shallow and semantic as needed. Best practices like using proper tags (e.g., <nav> for navigation, headings in order, etc.) and avoiding overly complex nesting are well-supported. In fact, Webflow developers often emphasize using “clean, semantic HTML” and avoiding excessive nesting of elements. This reduces code complexity and helps the browser render content faster. By contrast, many hand coded sites especially those using frameworks or off-the-shelf themes might introduce multiple nested <div> s or wrappers that aren’t strictly necessary (for layout grids, containers, etc.). Each extra node can add overhead.
A practical illustration: in an independent performance test of various site builders, the Webflow-built page had an initial HTML payload of just ~2 KB. That means the basic HTML file was extremely small, allowing the browser to download and begin parsing it almost instantly. The report noted: “With a size of just 2KB, the initial page HTML loads very quickly.” This ultra-lean HTML is a testament to Webflow not injecting unnecessary markup. Many hand-built pages (especially those using large frameworks) would have significantly larger HTML files just to lay out a similar page.
Benefits of Webflow’s efficient DOM and HTML approach include:
• Faster First Contentful Paint (FCP): With a smaller HTML file and fewer nodes to process, browsers can reach the first renderable content sooner. ( One test showed Webflow’s test page started rendering very quickly, though subsequent resources affected other metrics.)
• Better Accessibility and SEO: Semantic HTML not only aids performance but also helps search engines and assistive technologies parse the content. Webflow makes it straightforward to assign semantic tags, whereas inconsistent hand coding might lead to missing <alt> attributes or incorrect heading hierarchy which Lighthouse can flag under Best Practices/Accessibility.
• Easier maintenance and lower risk of “DOM bloat”: Webflow includes a Style Manager to clean up unused classes, ensuring you don’t carry dead weight in your code. Similarly, because you visually manage the structure, you’re less likely to leave orphaned elements or redundant code in the DOM. (Even so, Webflow experts do recommend periodically reviewing your structure to remove any elements that aren’t needed, just as you would prune code in a custom project.)
In summary, Webflow’s DOM structure tends to be minimalist and purposeful, compared to many hand-coded sites that inadvertently accumulate extra layers. When every element on the page serves a purpose, the browser’s job gets easier and Lighthouse metrics like DOM Size, FCP, and Layout Shift tend to look better.
(Pro tip: Whether you use Webflow or hand-code, aim for a clean DOM. Avoid deep nesting and use semantic tags. This is one of the simplest yet most impactful performance optimization. CSS Bloat Prevention and Minimal Stylesheets
Another area where Webflow’s architecture shines is in preventing CSS bloat. CSS bloat refers to when a site loads large stylesheets containing lots of unused or redundant rules. This often happens on hand-coded or CMS management service and sites that use frameworks or themes for example, a site might load the entirety of Bootstrap or a WordPress theme’s CSS, even if only a fraction of those styles are actually used on the page. All that extra CSS has to be downloaded and parsed, hurting performance (Lighthouse will even flag “Remove unused CSS” if it’s significant).
Webflow mitigates CSS bloat in several ways:
• Only the styles you create are included: Webflow doesn’t include a massive pre-made CSS framework by default. The CSS it generates is primarily the classes and styles you’ve defined in the Designer. This means you’re not dragging along an entire library of styles you don’t use. Essentially, if you don’t design a component, its CSS isn’t there.
• Global class reuse and combo classes: Webflow encourages a style structure where you can reuse classes and create combo classes (modifiers) rather than writing new separate CSS for every element. This approach (when used well) results in a more compact stylesheet. A developer hand-coding might also do this via utility classes or BEM notation; the point is, Webflow facilitates it visually.
• Automatic minification: As mentioned earlier, Webflow auto-minifies the CSS on publish. This strips out whitespace/comments and even shortens hex codes, etc. The result is a single compressed CSS file that is as small as possible.
• Purging unused classes: While developing in Webflow, you might create some classes and later decide not to use them. Webflow provides a “Clean Up” function in the Style Manager to remove these unused definitions. By cleaning up, you ensure those styles won’t be published. Many custom sites lack such a quick way to purge unused CSSdevelopers have to use build tools or manually clean their code. Webflow makes it part of the workflow to avoid carrying unused style baggage.
The result of these practices is that Webflow sites often have much leaner CSS than typical sites. For instance, a fresh Webflow site might have only a few kilobytes of CSS. In contrast, it’s not uncommon for a WordPress site with multiple plugins or a heavy theme to load 200+ KB of CSS (much of it unused). Lighthouse’s “Coverage” tab often shows a lot of unused CSS on such sites. That’s lost performance potential.
Consider that in one Webflow vs. WordPress case study, it was noted that Webflow’s designer “outputs efficient, no-bloat HTML and CSS,” while WordPress sites can get “bloated with plugins and overly complex code.” Excess plugins or poorly maintained custom code can inject extra CSS files or inline styles everywhere, whereas Webflow’s all-in-one system avoids that scenario by design.
Practical example: Many WordPress themes include styles for every possible element, such as numerous page layouts, widget styles, etc., even if your site doesn’t use them all. If a developer hand codes a site but uses a UI kit or copies CSS from other projects without trimming it, they might also inadvertently include unused rules. Webflow’s visual approach means you style what you need; there’s no large preset CSS file unless you add one.
To keep CSS minimal, Webflow experts advise using global classes wisely (e.g., one class for common button styles, rather than styling each button separately) and periodically removing unused styles. When done right, the CSS payload stays very small, which boosts metrics like First CSS/JS render time and Speed Index. The browser can apply styles faster, and there’s less CSS to block rendering.
In summary, Webflow prevents CSS bloat by design, helping your site avoid the “cruft” that drags down many hand-coded sites. A lean stylesheet means faster load times and higher Lighthouse scores. And if you ever need to add custom CSS, you can but the base you start from is already optimized.
Modern websites often rely on JavaScript for interactivity, but JavaScript can be a double-edged sword for performance. Large JS bundles or poorly loaded scripts can delay interactivity and hurt Lighthouse scores (metrics like Time to Interactive (TTI) and Total Blocking Time (TBT)). Webflow’s approach to JavaScript is optimized in several respects, giving it an edge over many hand-coded implementations:
• Minimal native JS and efficient interactions: Webflow automatically includes a small JavaScript file (often called Webflow.js) that powers interactions and components like sliders, tabs, etc. This file is well-optimized and is only as large as needed. In fact, Webflow sites generally make do with this single core JS file plus any added third-party scripts. By contrast, many hand-coded sites might pull in multiple libraries (jQuery, plugins, etc.), which can add up. If a developer isn’t careful, you could see sites loading several hundred kilobytes of JS libraries for basic functionality. Webflow avoids that by handling common needs in one place.
• Automatic JS minification and bundling: As with CSS, Webflow minifies the JavaScript it generates. It also historically used one site-wide JS bundle. However, a major improvement came with Webflow’s introduction of “per page JavaScript.” Now, Webflow generates separate, smaller JS files for each page rather than one giant file for the whole site. Reusable code is split into chunks that browsers cache, and page-specific code is kept lightweight. The Webflow Help Center notes this “ensures that only the JavaScript required for an 11” specific page is loaded,” which reduces JS load and improves performance. This is a big win because on many custom sites, you’ll see every page loading the same large app.js or multiple script files even if that page doesn’t use all of them.
• Asynchronous script loading: Webflow also introduced an option to load its JS asynchronously (with a simple toggle in site settings). When enabled, the Webflow scripts don’t block the initial rendering of page content; they load in parallel, allowing the page to become visible and even interactive faster (assuming the scripts aren’t needed immediately). This is similar to a developer manually adding the defer or async attributes to scripts but Webflow provides it as an easy setting. Many hand-coded sites fail to implement this, leaving render-blocking <script> tags in or not deferring analytics and other third-party scripts.
• Fewer third-party scripts needed: Because Webflow has a lot of functionality built-in (animations, forms, etc.), you often don’t need to add extra JS libraries. A typical hand-coded site might use a lightbox script, a slider plugin, a form validation library, etc. each adding network requests and execution time. Webflow’s native components cover many of those out of the box with its single script. Avoiding third-party script bloat is huge for performance. As a general rule, each third-party script can slow your site (“each tracking pixel, chat widget, and analytics tag adds latency and blocking time” as one expert put it ). Webflow’s visual tools let you achieve many effects without piling on external scripts, which keeps the JS overhead low.
All these factors mean that Webflow sites can achieve quicker time to interactive and lower blocking time than many custom sites. In fact, in a performance analysis, a Webflow site had a Time to Interactive of just 4.8s in a test, whereas a comparable WordPress.com site took nearly 16 seconds to become interactive (it was bogged down by 9.46s of scripting tasks). Those differences are reflected in their Lighthouse scores; too heavy JavaScript can create performance scores.
To put it concretely: in one set of tests, Webflow achieved a Lighthouse Performance Score of 77 (mobile) with about 1.35s of main-thread JS work, whereas WordPress.com scored 34 and had to execute 3.26s of JS on load. The leaner, non-blocking approach of Webflow clearly paid off there.
Webflow’s recent improvements (per-page and async JS) especially narrow the gap between no-code and hand-optimized code. A savvy developer might code-split and defer scripts manually in a custom project, but many projects don’t take the time to do that. Webflow gives you those optimizations automatically or with a simple switch. The result is less JavaScript loading on each page and often better Total Blocking Time and Time to Interactive metrics in Lighthouse.
(Of course, if you embed lots of custom code or third-party embeds in Webflow, you can still slow it downWebflow isn’t magic. But the key is that Webflow makes a high-performance JS setup the default. It’s up to you not to add bloat. For example, if you do need custom analytics or widgets, use GTM to load them after interaction, or the defer attribute, etc., just as you would in custom code. Webflow provides the foundation; you have to build smart.)
Images are often the single largest asset type on a web page and a major factor in performance. Poor image optimization can tank your Lighthouse scores (affecting metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Total Bytes Loaded). Webflow has a number of built-in features that help keep image handling efficient, often outperforming the average hand-coded approach:
• Automatic responsive images (srcset): When you upload an image to Webflow and use it in an image element, Webflow automatically generates resized versions of that image for different device widths and implements responsive <img srcset> attributes. This means visitors on mobile devices get a smaller, optimized image file delivered, while Retina/desktop might get a larger one, all done behind the scenes. It’s a huge saver of bandwidth and loading time. Many hand-coded sites don’t take advantage of srcset simply because it takes extra effort to produce multiple image versions. Webflow does it for you. In fact, by default Webflow’s images are lazy-load and come with responsive srcset attributes built in. Google’s Lighthouse specifically recommends serving images with appropriate sizes and next-gen formatsWebflow meets this by default.
• Built-in lazy loading: Webflow enables native lazy loading on images automatically. As of this writing, images added in Webflow have the loading="lazy" attribute by default (except perhaps images at the very top of the page). This means images below the fold won’t load until the user is about to scroll them into view, greatly improving initial load and LCP times for long pages. For hand-coded sites, a developer would need to manually add this attribute or use JavaScript intersection observers. Webflow did the heavy lifting already.
• Image compression and format conversion: Webflow will automatically compress images you upload (within reason) and even serve images in next-gen formats like WebP when possible. According to one analysis, Webflow handles “automatic compression [and] WebP formats” for images by default. That means if a browser supports WebP (which ~97% of browsers do), Webflow might serve a WebP image, which is significantly smaller than a JPEG of equivalent quality. In contrast, on a custom site, using WebP might require the developer to generate and serve those separately or rely on a third-party CDN. Webflow’s CDN handles it (more on CDN soon). The result: images on Webflow sites are typically lighter weight for the same visual quality.
• Responsive background images via CSS media queries: While Webflow’s automatic responsive image generation doesn’t apply to CSS background images; you can still set different images per breakpoint in Webflow’s Designer. This means mobile users could get a different (smaller) background image than desktop. It’s a manual step, but it’s facilitated in the UI.
• No hassle retina support: Because Webflow’s image engine generates multiple sizes, high DPI screens automatically get a 2x (or appropriate) image from the srcset. Hand-coding that would involve specifying srcset or using <picture> media queries combined, these features often lead to dramatically better image performance. A common Lighthouse issue for unoptimized sites is “Properly sized images” or “Defer offscreen images.” Webflow addresses
Both: it sizes images for you via srcset and defers offscreen images via lazy loading.
Real-world impact: In a controlled test, a Webflow site achieved an LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) of just 1.2 seconds (excellent) compared to 3.2 seconds on a “standard” WordPress implementation. A big reason for that difference is how images and assets were handled. Webflow’s optimized images helped the content load quickly, whereas the WordPress page likely wasn’t as optimized (maybe loading full-size images or lacking lazy loading). Indeed, the same test noted Webflow had automatic image compression and next-gen formats, versus WordPress needing plugins for those optimizations. Additionally, Webflow’s CDN (content delivery network) serves images quickly from global servers, which reduces download time we'll talk more about CDN next, but it’s worth noting here as part of image delivery.
It’s worth mentioning that while Webflow does a lot automatically, best practices still apply. If you upload a gigantic 5000px image when a 1200px width is enough, you’re still sending a large file (even if Webflow compresses it). It’s recommended to resize and compress images before uploading (tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh can cut file size by 70-90% without quality loss. Webflow’s platform will then take that optimized image and create variations. Many Webflow developers follow an image optimization workflow: compress offline, upload, let Webflow generate responsive sizes, and use images only at necessary dimensions. This combination yields excellent results.
Summary: Webflow’s image handling gives you a built-in advantagefewer oversized images, less manual coding for responsive behavior, and faster load times. Where a hand-coded site might forget to add loading="lazy" or serve a huge PNG where a WebP would do, Webflow has your back. This translates directly into better Lighthouse scores, especially for Largest Contentful Paint (which is often an image) and Speed Index. It’s one more reason Webflow sites tend to hit those green Core Web Vitals scores with less effort.
Even the cleanest code and optimized assets can be hampered by a slow server or poor delivery network. Here, too, Webflow gives users a leg up by providing enterprise-grade hosting, CDN and branding service by default. Webflow’s hosting stack is specifically tuned for fast content delivery worldwide, often outpacing the typical hosting used for custom-coded sites or WordPress sites (especially those on budget shared plans).
Key aspects of Webflow’s hosting and CDN setup:
• Amazon Webflow + Fastly CDN: Webflow sites are hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers and distributed through the Fastly (and AWS Cloudfront) content delivery network. This means when a user visits a Webflow site, the content is likely served from a server node geographically close to them, reducing latency. Webflow’s CDN caches not just images but also pages and assets globally. According to Webflow’s own documentation, sites are “hosted on Amazon CloudFront and Fastly CDN networks, which are incredibly fast.” And it’s all handled for you no need to configure Cloudflare or a caching plugin as you might with other setups.
• Excellent Time to First Byte (TTFB): Thanks to the global CDN and efficient hosting, Webflow often achieves very low server response times. TTFB is the time it takes for the server to respond to a request. In performance circles, a TTFB under 200 ms is considered great. Webflow’s infrastructure is built to deliver just that. The platform is serverless and highly scalable, so even under traffic spikes it remains speedy. Many hand-coded sites are hosted on slow shared servers where TTFB can be 500 ms, 800 ms, or more, even before any content starts streaming. Lighthouse directly measures TTFB as part of the “Initial server response” in diagnostics, and a slow TTFB will drag down your overall score. Webflow’s strong hosting helps avoid that.
• Automatic asset caching and HTTP/2: Webflow’s servers send assets with caching headers so that repeat visits are faster. They also utilize HTTP/2 for multiplexing requests and likely newer protocols (possibly HTTP/3) as they become available, ensuring efficient network use. A hand-coded site would need a savvy dev or good host to ensure all these are configured.
• No maintenance or plugin needed for performance features: With WordPress, achieving comparable performance often means installing caching plugins and CDNs and doing a lot of tuning. With Webflow, it’s largely out of the box. One article summarized it: “Webflow creates blazing fast websites out of the box with its efficient code, no-plugin approach, and Amazon CloudFront CDN, while WordPress sites can get bloated… (and need configuration).” The out-of-box part is crucial: a Webflow site for a small business will automatically leverage a setup that might otherwise cost extra or require technical setup elsewhere.
• Stable, monitored infrastructure: Webflow is a managed platform, so their team is constantly monitoring uptime and performance. The chance of your site slowing due to server issues is minimal. If something does occur, Webflow addresses it globally. In contrast, with your own hosting, if the server is under heavy load or misconfigured, your site suffers until you intervene. The consistency of Webflow’s hosting means your Lighthouse scores remain reliably high over time (not spiking down due to occasional server slowness).
To quantify the difference hosting makes, the Ultraperfekt study in 2025 compared identical sites on Webflow vs. WordPress. Webflow scored 92/100 on PSI mobile (excellent), whereas WordPress on a “standard” setup scored 65/100.When WordPress was highly optimized and on better hosting, it scored 85closer, but still a bit behind Webflow. The same study’s notes highlight that Webflow has “integrated global CDN” and “automatic minification,” whereas WordPress often needs manual optimization and good hosting to catch up. They also provided data on WordPress hosting tiers: a cheap shared host might yield PageSpeed scores of 40-60 and 4-8s load times, whereas a premium host could get 85-95 scores. Webflow essentially gives you the performance of a premium hosting environment without you having to pay hundreds per month for a dedicated setup it's included in the cost of the site hosting.
Furthermore, Core Web Vitals benefit from good hosting: a faster server/CDN improves First Byte time (part of LCP), and stable infrastructure helps consistency (less layout shifts due to slow loads, etc.). Webflow’s hosting is fine-tuned to meet Google’s Core Web Vitals targets.
In summary, Webflow’s CDN and hosting infrastructure provide an “instant boost” to Lighthouse scores. Many sites built by hand fail to implement such a robust delivery network, especially smaller sites that might be on cheap hosts. This is a case where architecture (Webflow’s managed network) beats architecture (custom stack) unless the latter is set up with equal care and resources. It’s one more reason Webflow sites often outperform the competition in speed tests.
(As an aside: Webflow’s hosting being so solid also reduces the need for constant technical maintenance. No worrying about configuring CDNs, updating server software, or caching rules it's handled. This means you can focus on design/content while Webflow handles the nerdy performance tweaks behind the scenes.
Let’s bring all these points together with some real-world performance comparisons. How do Lighthouse scores (and underlying metrics) for Webflow sites stack up against those for WordPress or typical custom-coded sites? Below we’ll look at data from various sources and even a summarized table to illustrate the differences.
Multiple independent tests have shown Webflow often scoring higher on performance out of the box:
• 97 Switch Agency Benchmark: They noted “a blank Webflow site gets a Google Lighthouse score of 100%, while most other websites get 85% out of the box.” This highlights that starting advantagezero bloat in Webflow vs. some default bloat elsewhere.
• DebugBear Site Builder Review (2025): In a test of 14 site builders, Webflow’s sample site achieved a Lighthouse Performance score of 77 on mobile, higher than many competitors.
Notably, the WordPress.com sample scored only 34 on the same scale! Webflow’s site had a faster First Contentful Paint and far fewer blocking issues than WordPress.com’s, which was weighed down by 878 KB of resources and even third-party ads. While 77 vs 34 is one comparison, it shows how a poorly optimized WordPress environment can falter where Webflow sails ahead.
• Ultraperfekt Webflow vs WP Test (2025): This test is excellent because it keeps the site content the same across platforms. The results:
• Webflow: Lighthouse/PSI Mobile Score 92/100 (rated “excellent”).
• WordPress (optimized): Score 85/100 (“good”). This was WordPress tuned with performance plugins/caching.
• WordPress (standard): Score 65/100 (“needs improvement”). This likely represents a typical WordPress setup with a generic theme and minimal optimization. They also measured Core Web Vitals: Webflow’s Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) was 1.2 s, versus 1.8 s 22 (WP optimized) and 3.2 s (WP standard). First Input Delay (responsiveness) was 8 ms on Webflow vs 33
25 ms and 120 ms on the WordPress versions. These are big differences that would be felt by users. The analysis attributed Webflow’s win to “clean and automatically optimized HTML/CSS, automatic minification, integrated CDN, and automatic image compression” all the things we’ve discussed in this article.
• Community Data: A Webflow enthusiast on Reddit compared top WordPress vs. Webflow marketing sites and found the Webflow ones generally had better PageSpeed scores, presumably due to less plugin bloat. (Anecdotal, but consistently reported by those who switch platforms.)
As for truly hand-coded custom sites (not using WordPress or a builder): A highly skilled developer can certainly make a static site or custom web app that scores 100 on Lighthouse. However, statistically, most custom sites on the web are not at that level of optimization. In fact, research shows the average website’s Lighthouse performance score on mobile is in the 50s with many popular sites scoring even lower. For example, a 2018 analysis of 70 leading retailer sites found an average Lighthouse score of 22.1 (out of 100), with many large brands scoring in the red. Things have improved since, but as of 2023, “good sites score over 75; average sites run 45-74; poor sites below 45.”. In that context, a well-built Webflow site scoring in the 90s is far above the typical site.
What about other site builders like Wix, Squarespace, etc.? The DebugBear data showed Webflow near the top of the pack (only a platform called Versoly slightly beat its score). Platforms like Wix and Squarespace scored lower, often because they include heavier client-side frameworks. For instance, the Wix demo had 66 requests and a lot of JS, resulting in a performance score of ~72, and Squarespace was down at 31 with heavy client-side loading. Webflow’s more lightweight approach clearly gave it an advantage.
Bottom line: In head-to-head comparisons, Webflow frequently achieves higher Lighthouse scores than most WordPress sites and many custom-coded sites unless those sites have been deliberately optimized to the same degree. The differences come down to everything we’ve discussed: leaner code, better resource loading, and superior hosting.
For an organization or individual who isn’t a performance engineer, using Webflow is like having a built-in performance coach ensuring your site doesn’t make the common mistakes that others do. The scores reflect that. And better Lighthouse scores aren’t just vanity numbers, they correlate with better Core Web Vitals and thus better SEO performance optimization and user experience, which have tangible benefits (higher conversion rates, lower bounce rates). One study even notes that faster sites see significantly better business outcomes, like higher conversions and less abandonment e.g., a 1 second delay can reduce conversions by 7%, and 3 seconds delay causes one-third of users to abandon a site. Next, we’ll discuss Core Web Vitals more explicitly and how Webflow helps meet those targets.
Core Web Vitals (CWV) are Google’s key user-centric performance metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID) (now being replaced by Interaction to Next Paint, but FID was the classic metric), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). A site needs to score “Good” on these to pass Google’s page experience signals. Webflow’s clean code architecture is well-suited to achieving good CWV scores, complementing its Lighthouse success.
Here’s how Webflow addresses each vital:
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): LCP measures how quickly the main content of the page loads (should be <2.5s for good). Webflow aids LCP by: • Serving content quickly via its CDN (faster HTML/TTFB).
• Lazy loading images below the fold and generating appropriately sized images for the main viewport, so the LCP element (often a hero image or heading) loads faster. In many cases, a Webflow site’s hero image is optimized or even using a low-res placeholder technique (Webflow doesn’t do LQIP by default, but you can implement your own).
• Minimizing render-blocking resources: Webflow’s CSS and JS are optimized, though one should still be mindful of not adding heavy fonts or giant background images that delay LCP. The platform’s defaults (e.g., font-display swap for custom fonts, as can be manually set) help avoid blocking. A Webflow case study saw LCP at ~1.2s, which is excellent.
• First Input Delay (FID) / Interaction Readiness: This metric is about how soon the page responds to user input (should be <100 ms). Webflow’s lean JS and the ability to defer scripts mean there’s rarely heavy JavaScript tying up the main thread when the page loads. As shown, Webflow can achieve extremely low FID like 8ms essentially instantaneous interactivity. Unless a Webflow site is laden with custom scripts, it will generally have no problem in this area. (The newer metric “INP” looks at overall interaction latency, but similarly, fewer heavy scripts = better INP.)
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): CLS measures visual stability (should be <0.1). Webflow sites, due to how they’re built, often have good CLS out of the gate. Webflow encourages setting explicit sizes for images (since it generates multiple sizes and knows the dimensions), which prevents layout jank when images load. Also, modals or interactions in Webflow are typically well-behaved (or at least under your control, versus third-party ads suddenly pushing content). Many hand-coded sites suffer CLS from ads or slow-loading fonts causing reflows. In Webflow, you can specify fallback fonts (and it defaults to font swapping rather than blocking if using Google Fonts). The lighthouse in the DebugBear test noted some builders had issues like web fonts.
causing delay in text (Weebly example). Webflow avoids that by allowing font swaps or custom font hosting. If you stick to best practices (e.g., not inserting new DOM elements above existing content without space), Webflow sites easily stay in the “good” CLS range. The platform doesn’t have surprise content injections (unless you add something like an embed code that does it).
Overall, Webflow’s platform makes it easier to hit all green Core Web Vitals. Many Webflow sites boast 90+ performance scores and pass CWV, whereas a significant percentage of other sites fail without additional tuning. It’s telling that Google’s own guidance on improving web vitals such as “lazy-load offscreen content,” “efficiently encode images,” “minimize main-thread work,” “reduce unused
CSS/JS” align perfectly with what Webflow automatically does. Essentially, Webflow bakes in solutions to these common problems. For example, one common recommendation is to use picture/srcset for responsive images and to defer offscreen images. Webflow does that for you. Another is to eliminate render-blocking resources Webflow’s async script option and single CSS file approach help there too. This means when you run a Webflow site through PageSpeed Insights, you often get fewer “Opportunities” suggestions than you would for an equivalent hand-coded site.
To illustrate: If you create the exact same webpage in Webflow vs. plain code, and you forget to add all the performance niceties in the plain code, the Webflow version will likely score higher because it’s already optimized. Webflow is like having a toolkit that automatically applies many “performance best practices” by default.
However, a gentle reminderWebflow isn’t foolproof. You can still slow down a Webflow site by using too many heavy third-party embeds (each one can tax FID or add blocking time). - Not using the Style Manager to remove unused classes (leading to larger CSS, though still minified). - Uploading uncompressed images or massive background videos. - Using too many Webfonts without subsetting, etc.
But the great thing is that all these issues are fixable within Webflow, and usually more easily fixable than in other platforms. For instance, if your Webflow site has 10 unused interactions causing extra JS, you can remove them quickly in the designer. If a WordPress site has 10 unused JavaScript files from plugins, you might be stuck unless you deregister them in code.
In conclusion, Webflow’s clean code architecture and performance-oriented features provide a strong foundation to achieve top Core Web Vitals scores, which in turn boost Lighthouse scores and real user experience. Google rewards these fast, stable sites with potentially better SEO rankings, and users reward them with engagement and conversions. It’s a virtuous cycle that Webflow makes attainable.
To see how Webflow’s performance benefits are being leveraged in the real world, look no further than agencies specializing in Webflow optimization. One example is Blushush, a Webflow agency built by performance-obsessed founders Sahil Gandhi and Bhavik Sarkhedi. Blushush has made a name for itself as an industry-leading Webflow optimization agency, taking Webflow’s already solid performance framework and tuning it to its absolute best.
Blushush’s team exemplifies the ethos that fast is the new normal on the web. They employ strategies we’ve discussed (and then some) to ensure their clients’ Webflow sites rank at the top in speed. From meticulous DOM structuring to advanced image strategies and custom code tweaks, agencies like Blushush push Webflow to achieve Lighthouse scores that often outrank competitors. The founders, Sahil as Brand Professor and Bhavik, are known to be “performance-obsessed”, meaning they leave no stone unturned in a critical mindset now that even a half-second delay can impact user engagement.
By partnering with Webflow experts who know the ins and outs of Core Web Vitals, businesses can ensure their Webflow sites not only match but surpass custom-coded sites maintained by entire dev teams. It’s a testament to Webflow’s potential that agencies exist specifically to optimize it, proving that in the right hands, Webflow can deliver near-perfect scores on Lighthouse without sacrificing rich design or functionality.
(Fun fact: Blushush’s own website, built in Webflow, is a showcase of visual flair and speedy loading demonstrating that you don’t have to compromise aesthetics for performance.)
For anyone considering Webflow, the existence of such performance-focused agencies should be reassuring. It means that Webflow is taken seriously as a high-performance platform. Companies like Blushush wouldn’t stake their reputation on Webflow if it couldn’t deliver top-tier results. So whether you DIY or bring in experts, you’re building on a strong foundation with Webflow.
Get in contact with Blushush for webflow services in the battle of website performance. Know that webflow has emerged as a formidable champion. Through clean code architecture, Webflow ensures that every site starts on the right foot with lean HTML, minimal CSS, optimized JavaScript, and efficient asset delivery. We’ve seen how this translates into faster loads and higher Lighthouse scores when compared to many hand-coded sites or sites built on traditional platforms. By automatically handling things like minification, responsive images, lazy loading, and CDN distribution, Webflow frees website creators from the nitty-gritty of performance tuning while still reaping the benefits.
Why does Webflow often outrank competitors in speed? It comes down to doing the basics right consistently and at scale. Most hand-coded sites have to rely on the developer’s discipline and knowledge to match what Webflow gives you by default:
• A well-structured DOM and semantic markup (no unnecessary div soup).
• Styles that are only what you need no giant CSS frameworks unless you add them.
• One or few JavaScript files, loaded smartly, instead of a tangle of third-party scripts blocking the main thread.
• Image handling that’s modern (responsive sizes, compressed, WebP) without additional services.
• Hosting that’s globally distributed and secure, without requiring a DevOps team to configure. For businesses and developers, this means faster development cycles (no need to obsess over every performance detail from scratch) and a reliable outcome of a fast site. And if that’s not enough, experts like Blushush are available to turbocharge your Webflow site to the very top of the charts, showing that Webflow performance can scale from great to outstanding with a bit of extra care.
In 2025 and beyond, as Core Web Vitals and user experience remain paramount, choosing a platform that bakes in performance is a wise decision. Webflow’s approach aligns perfectly with the direction of the website and prioritizes speed, interactivity, and stability. This is reflected not just in anecdotal experience but in hard data: higher Lighthouse scores and happy Webflow site owners who see their pages loading in a heartbeat.
To be clear, this isn’t to say hand-coded sites are obsolete or always slower. A handcrafted site by a performance engineer can be incredibly fast. But for “most” sites where time, budget, or expertise may be limited, webflow development offers a shortcut to excellence. It dramatically lowers the barrier to achieving a fast, Lighthouse-90+ website. In the end, users don’t care how a site was built; they care that it’s fast, responsive, and delightful to use. Webflow simply makes it easier to deliver that outcome consistently.
TL;DR: Webflow’s clean code and thoughtful architecture give it a performance edge. It often outperforms the average hand-coded or WordPress site in Lighthouse scores thanks to optimized DOM minimal CSS, smart script loading, built-in image optimization, and top-tier hosting. If you want a site that loads lightning-fast and aces Core Web Vitals without needing a full dev team to engineer its Webflow is a compelling choice. And with agencies like Blushush pushing Webflow performance to new heights, even the most demanding projects can achieve both beauty and speed.
In the race for web performance, Webflow has proven it’s not just keeping up it's often leading the pack, leaving many hand-coded sites in the dust when it comes to Lighthouse scores and beyond. Your users (and Google) will thank you for it.
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