Squarespace Forma vs Webflow (2026): Prompts vs Pro-Level Control

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Webflow is a professional visual development platform: you get fine control over layout, interactions and a powerful CMS, and in return you need to understand how websites are built. Squarespace Forma is Squarespace's new prompt-based builder for websites and apps, in early alpha with access by waitlist only. Webflow is for people who want to build precisely. Forma is aimed at people who want to describe what they need and let Squarespace do the building and the hosting.

I run Altitude, a Squarespace Platinum Partner agency with more than 400 client builds. We also build in Webflow, mainly interactive web tools for public-sector clients, so this comparison comes from working with both. I have early access to Forma through an invitation from Squarespace's CEO. While Forma is in alpha I will stick to what Squarespace has made public, and add hands-on findings as access widens.

Forma vs Webflow at a glance

	Squarespace Forma	Webflow
What it is	Prompt-based AI builder for websites and apps	Visual development platform with CMS, hosting and AI tools
Status	Early alpha, waitlist only	Generally available
Skill needed	Describe what you want in plain language	Working knowledge of layout, classes and the box model
How you start	A written prompt, no templates	Blank canvas, template or AI-generated site
CMS	Not yet documented	Premium plan: 20,000 items, 40 collections
Apps	Positioned for apps as well as sites	Sites first; Webflow Cloud for app hosting
Pricing	Not announced	Free Starter; Basic $15 and Premium $25 a month per site, billed yearly, plus workspace seats
Ecommerce	Squarespace says payments will be provided	Separate Ecommerce site plans
Login	tryforma.com with a Squarespace account	webflow.com account

Webflow figures reflect the plan changes Webflow introduced on 13 May 2026, as listed on Webflow's pricing page.

The core difference: precision vs description

Webflow gives you something close to writing HTML and CSS by hand, through a visual interface. Every element has classes, every breakpoint can be tuned, and interactions can be choreographed in detail. That is why designers and developers love it, and why most small business owners find it daunting.

Forma flips the model. Squarespace describes it as a builder that turns written prompts into custom websites and apps without code, starting from a description rather than a template. At Circle Day the demos included a stock tracker with low-inventory alerts, a cycling club site with a timetable and a portal for sharing study notes.

In our own work, Webflow earns its place on projects that need custom interactive logic and exact control, such as calculators and assessment tools for public-sector clients. Those builds take real development time. If Forma can produce similar tools from a well written brief, that changes the economics of small custom projects, which is exactly the opportunity Will Myers and Nick Ippolito pointed to at Circle Day.

AI features

Webflow includes AI site generation, an AI assistant inside the Designer and an MCP server that lets AI tools work with your site. Since May 2026, AI usage is metered through AI credits included with Workspace plans. The AI speeds up the work, but the output is still a Webflow project that you refine by hand.

Forma is described by Squarespace as AI native from the ground up. How AI usage will be priced, and how much direct editing you get alongside prompts, has not been published.

Pricing

Webflow overhauled its pricing on 13 May 2026. The CMS and Business site plans were merged into a new Premium plan at $25 a month billed yearly ($39 monthly), which includes 20,000 CMS items, 40 collections, 300 static pages and 50GB of bandwidth. Basic is now $15 a month billed yearly ($25 monthly) with 300 static pages and 10GB of bandwidth. Ecommerce plans were not changed. On top of site plans, teams pay for Workspace plans and seats, so a Webflow bill usually has two parts.

Forma pricing has not been announced, including whether it will sit inside existing Squarespace plans. I will update this the day it is published, and our Forma explainer tracks everything confirmed so far.

CMS and content

Webflow's CMS is one of its biggest strengths, and the 2026 Premium plan makes it more generous. For a large blog, directory or resource library with structured fields and filtered lists, it is hard to beat at this price.

Forma's approach to content has not been documented. If its apps include real databases, it may handle structured data in a more flexible way, but that is unconfirmed.

Hosting, payments and handover

Squarespace's pitch for Forma is that it keeps the hard parts. In the Circle Day keynote it said customers should not have to build things like email systems, domains or payment rails, which carry security, compliance and risk. Forma uses your Squarespace login, which points to it drawing on Squarespace's domains, payments and accounts.

Webflow hosting is fast and reliable, and Webflow Cloud now hosts app-style projects. But commerce runs on separate Ecommerce plans, and bandwidth has become the cost to watch since Premium includes 50GB by default.

Handover is where Webflow and Squarespace have always differed. Webflow's Editor lets clients change content, but structural changes need someone who knows the platform. Squarespace 7.1 sites are easier for clients to run alone. Whether Forma output will be easy for clients to edit is the question I am testing first.

Which should you choose?

Choose Webflow if

• You are a designer or developer who wants exact control over layout and interactions.
• You need a large, structured CMS today.
• You have the skills (or the budget for someone who does) to maintain it.

Watch Forma if

• You want small custom tools or apps without hiring a developer.
• You would rather Squarespace handled domains, payments and security.
• You already use Squarespace and want to stay in one ecosystem.

Choose Squarespace 7.1 if

• You need a business site live now that you can run yourself. Our Squarespace vs Webflow comparison goes deeper on that choice, and the plugin directory covers most features the native editor lacks.

Our verdict so far

Webflow is the professional's tool and it is not going anywhere. If you can use it, it gives you control Forma is unlikely to match. Forma is chasing a different customer: the business owner who wants a custom site or tool without learning a development platform, with Squarespace looking after the infrastructure. Use Webflow or Squarespace 7.1 for anything you need to ship now, join the Forma waitlist if the app side interests you, and check back here as we test it.

More on Forma

• What Is Squarespace Forma? Everything We Know So Far
• Squarespace Forma vs Framer
• Squarespace Forma vs Lovable
• Squarespace Forma vs Blueprint AI
• Is Squarespace 7.1 Going Away?

Frequently asked questions

Is Squarespace Forma a Webflow competitor?

Partly. Both build custom websites, but Webflow is a visual development platform for people who want precise control, while Forma builds sites and apps from written prompts. They are likely to appeal to different users.

How much does Webflow cost in 2026?

Since 13 May 2026, Webflow's Basic site plan is $15 a month and Premium $25 a month, both billed yearly, with a free Starter plan. Workspace plans and seats are billed separately, and Ecommerce has its own plans.

How much does Squarespace Forma cost?

Squarespace has not announced Forma pricing, including whether it will be included in existing Squarespace plans or billed separately.

Is Forma easier than Webflow?

It is designed to be. Forma starts from a plain-language prompt, while Webflow expects you to understand layout and styling. How easy Forma is to refine and hand over has not been shown publicly yet.

Can Forma replace a Webflow CMS site?

Not today. Forma is in early alpha and its content and database features are not documented. Webflow's Premium plan supports 20,000 CMS items and 40 collections now.

Should agencies switch from Webflow to Forma?

No, not while Forma is an alpha. Keep shipping client work on proven platforms, learn Forma on side projects, and decide once pricing, editing and handover are clear.

Disclosure: SquareLocator earns a commission from some of the products linked in this article, at no extra cost to you.