Dreamweaver vs WordPress: Which Is Actually Better? [2021]

I know, it’s tough deciding which website builder to go for. Dreamweaver and WordPress are both capable of making clean, professional web pages, but the process from start to finish couldn’t be more different.

With WordPress, there’s much more guidance – plus, the interface is much more intuitive. It’s a whole lot easier to start using right away for new users, but still offers a lot of flexibility for more experienced site builders when it comes to coding.

In comparison, Dreamweaver requires much more experience in coding to create websites – plus it’s a software you need to download and pay for to use.

As a blogger and photographer, I thought that it would be easier to use Dreamweaver since I’m already familiar with the Adobe Suite. In the end, this didn’t help much. WordPress’s straightforward setup and further customization options won me over!

Read on to discover why WordPress comes out on top – or skip the review and get started on WordPress for free.

1. Templates

WordPress Has Thousands of Ready-To-Use Themes; Dreamweaver Requires More Imagination

WordPress has a huge number of themes that are ready to use – both free and paid. This extensive variety is both provided by WordPress and third parties.

WordPress themes offer easy-to-use customization; while it’s not as easy as a drag-and-drop website builder, it’s straightforward to understand which elements of the page are being altered and how to do so.

In comparison, you’re offered 16 templates to start with included in Dreamweaver’s software. The templates provide a good starting point for customizing, but that’s the tricky part. Dreamweaver requires you to have a decent coding background and a strong grasp of web design to create websites.

There are websites offering downloadable Dreamweaver templates – however, these templates aren’t necessarily endorsed or fully supported by Adobe. This means that if you have any template issues, you might not be able to reach out to anyone for support.

2. Ease of Use / Features

WordPress Wins for Usability – from Newbie to Advanced

Dreamweaver is an HTML editor with a live preview, so you can see the changes as you code. It’s not a drag-and-drop system – it requires users to have a coding background. Adobe does offer tutorials and how-tos, but there’s still a steep learning curve. Even if you’re already familiar with Adobe (like me) it’s not intuitive to use.

Dreamweaver has zero built-in integrations for SEO and other features you’d normally have on a website, such as a comments section or e-commerce capabilities. You’d need to create everything from scratch.

In comparison, I found WordPress much more straightforward and easy to use. It’s much simpler and intuitive to work with – something that I think more people would appreciate. The interface is clearly labeled and obvious to figure out.

However, it’s important to note that this isn’t a drag-and-drop site creator – even though it’s easier to use than Dreamweaver, WordPress does have a small learning curve. Plus, if you’re familiar with HTML & CSS, WordPress is just as customizable as Dreamweaver.

3. Apps & Add ons

Both Have Extensions and Plugins, but WordPress Has More

Dreamweaver has two categories of add-ons – App Integrations (solely focused on other Adobe software) and Extensions. Compared to WordPress’s enormous plugin library, Dreamweaver has a much smaller range. These add-ons are also more for experienced website designers – they’re not as user-friendly as WordPress’s plugins.

WordPress has an enormous plugin library of almost everything you could want to integrate with your site; SEO tools, e-commerce tools, restaurant menu tools, just to name a few. There are plugins for websites of all niches, and this variety just isn’t something that Adobe has. Most of these are third-party plugins, which is how WordPress has such a large range.

4. Pricing and Plans

Is Dreamweaver’s Pricey Subscription Worth It?

With Dreamweaver, you get a free trial for one week. After the trial finishes, you’ll be charged a monthly subscription to keep using it. If you already use Adobe, you can add this onto your existing plan or pay for a full year – yearly is cheaper in the long run, but still pricey.

WordPress has four tiers of plans (plus a free one) to suit all users. The free plan means you have 3GB of space and includes a branded URL – but it also means you can’t use plugins or use custom WordPress themes. Each plan tier offers more flexibility (with an increase in price).

Compared to WordPress, a Dreamweaver subscription can be hard to justify, even if you’re familiar with the Adobe Suite. A full year’s subscription costs the same as WordPress’s second most expensive plan – but with none of the same functional benefits of having a live website, such as SEO tools and plugins.

5. Support

WordPress Has an Extensive Network of Community and Employee Support

Adobe has a responsive and easy to find chat support on the website. It uses a bit of AI to help figure out what your issue is before you’re put through to a customer service agent (if necessary). If you need help urgently, they do have a 24/7 phone number to call – however I find that the Adobe customer support is always very quick to reply, even if the answers aren’t the most helpful.

Like Adobe, WordPress has an AI chat for basic queries before taking you through to a customer service rep. When it comes to website support, WordPress has taken every step possible to get questions answered in the help chat, the FAQ, or in the community boards. In fact, when you hit “Contact Us,” it’s a submission to the community boards first, not to the customer care chat.

Here’s Why WordPress Wins

So when would I choose one or the other when making a website? While comparing them directly is difficult because they’re not exactly competitors, there’s still a reason you’re thinking about using them – you want to create a functioning website.

However, in the time it takes you to learn how to code a specific page or feature on Dreamweaver, you could have easily set up a fully-functioning, self-hosted website on WordPress – and on top of that, you’d be paying a lot less for it, too.

It’s also worth noting that WordPress is on our list of top web builders – and it’s there for good reason.

However, if web design (from scratch) is something that you’re passionate about, Dreamweaver might be the better choice for you.

FAQ