We study the Willmore problem with free boundary by means of a new { \L}ojasiewicz-Simon gradient inequality for functionals on infinite dimensional manifolds. In contrast to previous works, we do not rely on a gradient-like representation of the Fr\'echet derivative, but merely on an inequality. For the free boundary Willmore flow, we prove that solutions starting sufficiently close to a local minimizer exist for all times and converge. In the static setting, we prove quantitative stability of free boundary Willmore immersions and a local rigidity result in a neighborhood of free boundary minimal surfaces.
Categories: math.AP math.DG