Why Webflow Isn't Enterprise Ready (And That's By Design)
Webflow markets itself as a professional web design platform, but its DNS architecture tells a different story. If you’re considering Webflow for enterprise use, the way they handle custom domains should give you pause.
The Enterprise DNS Problem
For years, Webflow required two A records for root domains - a classic DNS Round-Robin setup. They’ve recently moved to single A records for new sites, but both approaches share the same fundamental limitation: they’re not built for enterprise-grade reliability.
Here’s what enterprise infrastructure actually needs:
Global Performance: Users in Tokyo shouldn’t wait for servers in Virginia. Enterprise applications serve global teams, and latency directly impacts productivity.
Zero-Downtime Failover: When a server fails (and they always do), traffic should seamlessly route to healthy servers without user impact.
DDoS Resilience: Enterprise sites are attractive targets. Infrastructure should absorb and distribute attack traffic automatically.
SLA Guarantees: Enterprise contracts include uptime commitments with financial penalties. Your platform needs to support those promises.
Webflow’s current setup delivers none of these reliably.
What Enterprise-Ready Looks Like
Modern enterprise platforms use Anycast DNS. With Anycast, multiple servers worldwide share the same IP address, and network routing automatically directs users to the closest healthy server.
This isn’t theoretical - it’s how critical infrastructure works:
- Root DNS servers use Anycast to handle billions of queries daily
- CDNs like Cloudflare use it to serve enterprise customers globally
- Cloud providers build their entire networking stack around it
The difference in reliability and performance is dramatic. When implemented correctly, Anycast provides automatic failover in seconds, not minutes or hours.
Why Webflow Chose Differently
Building global Anycast infrastructure requires massive investment:
- Dedicated IP space costs tens of thousands upfront
- BGP expertise demands specialized network engineering teams
- Global server deployments require millions in capital
- 24/7 network operations centers aren’t cheap
For Webflow’s core market - freelancers and small agencies paying $12-36 monthly - this investment makes no sense. The infrastructure costs would exceed their entire revenue per customer.
So they chose a different path: build something good enough for small businesses at a price they can afford.
The Enterprise Disconnect
This creates a fundamental mismatch when enterprises evaluate Webflow. They see the marketing promising “enterprise features” but discover infrastructure designed for different constraints.
I’ve seen this pattern before. At a previous company, we served mostly small businesses but occasionally landed enterprise deals. The infrastructure that worked fine for our core market became a liability when enterprise customers expected 99.9% uptime guarantees and global performance standards.
The enterprise prospects would ask questions like:
- “What’s your disaster recovery plan?”
- “How do you handle traffic spikes during product launches?”
- “Where are your servers located, and how do you ensure GDPR compliance?”
Our honest answers revealed the gap between our actual capabilities and enterprise expectations.
The Hidden Costs of “Enterprise-Ready”
Webflow could build enterprise-grade infrastructure, but it would fundamentally change their business:
Pricing: True enterprise infrastructure costs get passed to customers. Instead of 500+ monthly minimums.
Complexity: Enterprise features require enterprise-level configuration. The simplicity that attracts small businesses disappears.
Support: Enterprise customers expect white-glove support with dedicated account managers and technical architects.
Compliance: Enterprise contracts include security audits, compliance certifications, and legal guarantees that small business platforms rarely provide.
What This Means for Your Architecture Decisions
If you’re building B2B software, you’ll face similar choices. You can’t serve both markets well with the same infrastructure:
Small Business Route: Focus on simplicity, low costs, and ease of use. Accept that enterprise deals will be rare and difficult.
Enterprise Route: Invest heavily in infrastructure, compliance, and support. Price accordingly and accept smaller customer volume.
Hybrid Approach: Build modular systems where enterprise customers can pay for premium infrastructure while others use standard setups.
Most successful companies pick one path and execute it well rather than trying to serve everyone.
The Bottom Line
Webflow’s DNS setup isn’t a technical oversight - it’s a strategic choice that reveals their true market focus. They’ve built an excellent platform for small businesses and agencies, but the infrastructure choices that enable their low pricing make enterprise deployment risky.
For enterprises evaluating Webflow, the question isn’t whether their current DNS setup is “good enough.” It’s whether you want to bet your global operations on infrastructure designed for a different market segment.
The answer for most enterprises should be no - and that’s perfectly fine. Not every tool needs to serve every market.