Webflow vs Framer vs Shopify for UAE SMEs (2025 guide)
1 - Quick-and-dirty matrix 🗂️
Need | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
Multi-language site | Webflow | CMS + RTL snippets |
Daily edits/one-pager | Framer | instant deploys |
500+ SKUs | Shopify | Payment & inventory muscle |
Core Web Vitals bragging | Framer | 1.2 s mobile LCP avg |
Blog + cart combo | Webflow | Out-of-box blog & simple cart |
2 - Hidden costs 💸
Shopify apps snowball - 7 paid apps = AED 450/mo
Webflow RTL needs custom CSS
Framer still lacks multi-author blogging (export = manual)
3 - Speed & SEO reality check 🏎️
Platform | Avg mobile LCP | CWV pass rate |
|---|---|---|
Framer | 1.2 s | 96 % |
Webflow | 2.1 s | 82 % |
Shopify | 2.8 s | 68 % |
Tests on 12 GCC sites, AWS Bahrain host, July 2025
4 - Build checklist ✅
Host in Bahrain/UAE POP
Serve Arabic fonts locally;
font-display: swapGA4, FB Pixel, GTM test
hreflangforen-AE&ar-AEHook CRM (HubSpot/Zoho) before ads