Whenever we talk about website building, one of the easily available tools that we can use is WordPress. WordPress is an open-source platform for creating websites. It is known for its features and flexibility, making it perfect for both beginners and old-school users.
A WordPress website is any website that utilizes the WordPress ecosystems for managing its content. As such, WordPress becomes the backbone of the website by powering both the backend and the front-end of the said website.
WordPress websites can come in many forms. Some of the more common examples of a WordPress website include:
- Blogs
These websites are based on the author’s interests and likes. These can showcase thoughts, photos, reviews, tutorials, and recipes. A blog structure is often designed so that the most recent content is displayed first.
- E-Commerce website
These are websites that mainly focus on doing online business. These are usually geared to showcase products and services that the website owner intends to sell. These sites can also be used to collect payments for the goods and services.
- Website for businesses
These might appear to be E-Commerce websites at first glance. They are quite different in function. E-commerce websites may sell products, but business websites are designed to introduce users to companies and the services they offer. Think of them as a business profile except online.
- Membership Websites
Content creators (i.e., Youtubers, Online Artists, etc.) They might offer something more for their most loyal followers or supporters. They may want to offer extra, exclusive content they are willing to pay a fee for.
This can be done by creating a WordPress membership website. Content creators can make a website where users need to log in or pay for the said content. WordPress provides enough tools to manage all the necessary steps to create this website.
- Portfolio Website
Many people find websites a great way to showcase their work to potential employers. This holds true for both digital and traditional artists. Having a website to present their work is akin to having their own museum.
- Forum website
Forum websites are an online community where the number of topics for discussion is unlimited. Back before social media was a thing, forums used to rule the Internet. Today, forums for specialized topics are rare.
In current times, bigger websites have become the go-to websites for discussion. Reddit and Quora are the more popular ones. It does not mean forum websites are no longer relevant. For niche topics, forums are still crucial discussion places.
WordPress allows content creators, bloggers, and even book authors to host their own Forums. Forums like these give a more intimate feel compared to the wide reach of the usual websites.
- Websites for events
Event websites are simple websites used to advertise events. Through an event website, the audience can look at and check event details such as dates and times, seating, and even ticket prices. These websites can also be used to sell tickets.
- E-Learning website
Online classes and electronic courses have become a household term after the 2019 COVID Pandemic. E-learning websites existed even before the COVID Pandemic.
Students can take an online course, track their progress, download research materials and more through e-learning websites. Though putting up an e-learning website through WordPress takes a little more work, it is still rewarding for those with the drive to share their knowledge with the world.
- Invitational websites
Even invitations have gone online now. Thanks to the power of the internet, you can create websites for that personal event of yours. You can create a website for any occasion, including a birthday or christening. WordPress offers many resources to do it fast and do it well.
Daniel has posted a video review on Design Break that will give you a more visual experience. You can still check out the article below to get an overview of Elementor II. It also compares it with some other products.
WordPress plugins: Enhancing WordPress to Be the Best Back To Top Elementor
Among the reasons for WordPress’ longevity and relevance is because of the support it gets from its community of users. Some of this support comes in the form of WordPress Plugins.
WordPress plugins are an additional code package that can be uploaded to a website to improve its functionality and integrate with other sites.
WordPress Plugins can take on multiple forms. They can be in the form that focuses on a website’s SEO or for use in analytics. WordPress plugins can be used to integrate marketing and payment methods. You can even find plugins to make building websites easy.
Plugins can also come between free and premium. Their main difference could be the quality or the scope of their function. This does not necessarily mean that plugins for free are inferior. Heck, there are even some free plugins which function better than their premium counterparts.
These plugins are often compatible with WordPress’ core. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. The strongest argument for paying for a premium plugin is the support.
WordPress plugins are generally well-behaved. There are occasions when plugins do not function as they should. Customer support is invaluable and cannot be replaced.
Your Must-Have WordPress plugins
There are certain types of plugins that WordPress websites should prioritize over others. It is recommended that all WordPress websites have these WordPress plugins:
- WordPress Backup Plugin
By its nature, WordPress does not have a built-in backup function. Having no backup is a potential headache waiting to happen, and a huge one at that. As such, backup plugins can be the solution to those potential headaches.
Backups are also important in case of a security breach or hack. It allows you to quickly replace deleted data or bring your website back into a save state prior to the attack.
- WordPress Security Plugin
WordPress’s popularity andubiquity make it a popular target for hackers. Hackers use malicious programs to hack WordPress sites and gain access to all their data.
These are where WordPress Security plugins can help. These plugins offer many ways to stop these attacks. Some limit login attempts to a website to stop brute force attacks. Others offer a more comprehensive and sophisticated way to ward off these attacks.
Whatever your preference, the key to finding the best WordPress security plugin is security and convenience.
- WordPress SEO Plugin
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process by which your website becomes more visible to many audiences. With proper SEO settings, your website can be found easier in searches through search engines such as Google and Bing!
SEO is a business in and of itself. With the number of websites that pop out day by day, the competition for Google’s front pages is brutal. If you want your website to gain traction, adding a great SEO plugin may help you with that.
SEO plugins can give you tips to improve your site content’s SEO, as well as automate the small and repetitive parts of content creation.
- WordPress Form Plugin
WordPress Form Plugins enable you to create robust forms for your website. These forms include contact forms, survey forms, donation forms, file uploaders, and more.
Basically, forms let your site visitors enter personal information. This information is then received and sent to the appropriate place (database or mailing list).
Forms can be used to collect sensitive information and should not be spammed. These forms should be able to fit the needs of the customer. Most e-commerce websites use forms.
As such, for your WordPress form plugin, it would be wise to look for something secure that remains easy to configure and customize.
- WordPress E-commerce Plugin
Speaking of business, for WordPress E-commerce, it would be a no-brainer to an e-commerce plugin. E-commerce websites are designed to sell products. However, your website won’t be able to do this if it doesn’t have the right plugin.
E-commerce plugins allow you to transform your website into an online store. You can access a variety of resources and tools. Some e-commerce plugins even come with online payment capabilities integrated.
- WordPress Design Plugin
In terms of website building, WordPress is a beast. WordPress allows you to do just about anything, provided you can code. HTML, CSS and other coding languages allow you to customize your WordPress Page to the max.
Nevertheless, not everyone has the necessary knowledge to code. This might seem like a high barrier to entry for WordPress users. But, WordPress wouldn’t be as popular if it had a high barrier to entry.
This so-called barrier to entry was removed by WordPress, which helped it regain and grow its user base. WordPress Site Design plugins such as page builders made website building easier and more efficient.
A lot of these plugins removed the coding requirement for building websites. Through their drag-and-drop interface, almost everyone and their mum can build a website over at WordPress, with little to no coding knowledge. (although knowledge of coding still offers a lot of advantages).
These plugins also sped up the process of making websites, and thus, WordPress users (or at least sites that use WordPress as a platform) quickly grow in number day by day.
Now those are only a few types of plugins that we recommend adding to your website. There are many other types of plugins available, but they can be used in a situational or optional manner.
WordPress is currently home to over 60,000 plugins or more to choose from, and it is up to you to find what works best for you.
Installing WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins are very easy to install. It is quick and easy to do.
After logging in to your WordPress website, you can find the Plugins menu on your WordPress Dashboard. Expand This Menu by clicking on it
You will find a page called Installed plugins. This is where you can find the currently installed plugins on this particular WordPress Site. You might see plugins installed even if you don’t have any plugins or you are new to this page.
Because some plugins are included with WordPress Installations, this is possible.
Click on the “Add New” link to upload a plugin. This will allow you to look for plugins to install from the WordPress.org Plugin Directory. There are also links you can click to look at featured, popular, and latest plugins available. YOu can even mark your favorites here.
After you’ve found your plugin of choice, click on the “Choose File” button. Next, locate the zip file of your plugin and click on “Install Now”.
After the plugin is installed, click on Activate to activate the plugin.
Lastly, there is a menu item beneath Plugins in the WordPress Dashboard called the Editor. This is a built-in WordPress Plugin editor used to make changes to your installed plugins’ individual PHP files.
PHP is a language that you should know. You can make your customizations unaffected by changing any of these things. Of course, you probably don’t need to edit any of your plugin’s PHP code.
Elementor: Among the Best Page Builder Plugins WordPress can Offer
Elementor is a WordPress Site Design Plugin that is among the best. It is a drag and drop page builder that allows users to quickly create their website. Even characters with no tech skills can still make a mark on the internet.
Elementor was launched in mid-16 and has been in the WordPress Plugin Library ever since. Although it is a recent addition to WordPress’ ecosystem, this is still quite a significant time period by Internet standards.
Elementor doesn’t care about your age. It quickly became one of the most widely used visual page builders on the platform at the time. Elementor did not let this success get on their head, and until this day, they continued to grow and develop new ways to keep Elementor relevant to the newest trends.
Elementor’s core functionality is still drag and drop builder. And it does that function very well. It operates in a “what you see is what you get” approach. This makes it easy to see the final website design while you’re still editing.
With Elementors features, you might not need to open any of WordPress’s standard editors at all. All that being said, code is still allowed. People who want to use their own HTML, CSS and PHP along with other current coding languages are welcome to do so.
Elementor is also known for its flexibility as a plugin. You can use it with any current WordPress theme. It even comes with its own theme builder that allows you to make your own WordPress themes that suits your taste and needs.
And speaking of themes, it does work with other themes that are available in the WordPress library, and as such, there is little worry about themes bugging out. Elementor’s support team is available to assist you if they do not work as expected.
Elementor Features
Elementor may be described as a drag-and drop page builder but the sheer number of features it offers is a mischaracterization.
Elementor would not be a top-ranked website builder for WordPress if it could only do so much.
As such, here are some of Elemetor’s best features:
- Content Elements Galore
Elementor uses building blocks to create a webpage. These blocks, or elements, can be organized according to the user’s wishes to create a website layout.
Now, to explain the block a little deeper, these blocks are the so-called elements that build the webpage design. Every element can contain a widget or a written content. Or any other thing that fits in the space.
These elements are what make Elementor today.
- Responsive Design
All web pages created with Elementor’s page builders are responsive by default. They look beautiful and elegant when viewed from a laptop or personal computer.
The responsive design allows you to view the design from your smartphone and it will still look amazing, complete, and functional.
Responsive design doesn’t just mean translating your website to look better on a smartphone. Elementor also has the capability to allow users to fully customize how they look.
You can view the page through various platforms and gadgets by simply touching another button. You can then make further edits to your page, including adding or deleting elements.
- Available Templates
No page builder would be complete without templates. Templates are the best inspiration for building any type of thing (webpages included).
Templates also serve as good starting points for beginner page developers, especially if these templates are properly and professionally made. With templates, work and development on newer websites can come faster for the price of sites having a samey look.
Luckily templates available in Elementor can all be edited. This includes their styling options. So you do not have to worry about websites looking the same when utilizing templates in your work.
Elementor itself offers a lot of professionally made templates. For both beginner and veteran users to use. As stated above, beginners can use these templates as their starting point when making websites. For veterans (i.e. page developers), you can use these templates to speed up your work.
- Style Options
You would be remiss if you didn’t have any styling options if you wanted a cool and sleek website. Elementor makes these styling options available to everyone. This is possible without any coding knowledge.
- Convenience
Elementor’s many tools make web page building easy. Even better, support is available in just one click. Then there is also a quick find tool that can help in finding a specific topic of help.
- Dynamic Content
You can use elementor to add dynamic content using custom fields and plugins like ACF, Pods and Toolset. Through dynamic content, you can have your pages up to date consistently and constantly. Such an ability can keep your website up-to-date and fresh.
- WooCommerce Builder
WooCommerce, an open-source plugin for e-commerce, is mainly used with WordPress. Its main customer base consists of merchants who use WordPress as their main website. This includes online merchants of all sizes.
WooCommerce is almost in symbiotic relationships with WordPress. It’s easy to integrate WooCommerce within WordPress.
With Elementor, you could enhance your WooCommerce store through its customizability options. You can even show prices and incorporate products into your WooCommerce store design.
- Popup Builder
Popups are one of the most disliked forms of advertising. In fact, it is so hated that even its original creator had to apologize to the whole internet for the countless troubles it has caused.
Popups can be a great lead conversion tool if used correctly. Elementor Pro users have access to a popup creator that can be used as a lead conversion tool.
Elementor’s popup creator allows you to create your popup with the same tools as the webpage builder. You can also set triggers to control when and how popups are displayed.
Elementor Price
If you are already impressed by Elementor’s features, you will be even more impressed by its price. Elementor lets users enjoy at least 80% the plugin’s capabilities for a low price of only $0.99!
That’s right! You can use most of Elementor’s functions & features for free if you put them on your WordPress website.
That said, Elementor also offers Pro plans with some features, such as the Popup builder behind a paywall. If you are interested, the Elementor Pro consists of three types of plans. Each has its own advantages. These plans can be viewed as follows:
Essential Plan | Expert Plan | Studio Plan | Agency Plan |
$49 per Year | $199 per Year | $299 per year (1st year only).
$499 |
$999 per Year |
1 Pro Website Activation
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support |
25 Pro Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
1000 Pro Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
Elementor Pros & Cons
Pros
- Elementor’s core product does not cost a single dime. To fully utilize Elementor’s potential, you don’t need the Pro plan.
- Elementor offers many features that will help you create the best WordPress website. These tools are very simple to use.
- Elementor’s page builder is an upgrade to the basic WordPress Builder both in terms of function and accessibility
- Elementor lets you create pages without needing to know HTML, CSS, and PHP coding.
- Elementor’s “what do you see is what you get” approach to building websites speeds up the process by eliminating the need for previews.
- The Elementors pages can be redesigned automatically to be responsive. They work with all devices. You can also fine-tune each device’s design if you wish.
- Speaking of fine-tuning, Elementor provides the ability to modify alignments, margins, and padding values
Cons
- There are times when the custom styling (especially for links) gets buggy
- There are times when Elementor’s default typography and color settings remain persistent and cannot be staged
- It can be difficult to correct misaligned elements due to the different margin values.
- There is a possibility of Elementor slowing down the loading times of different websites.
Elementor Versus Divi
Divi Builder: The Crowning Jewel of Elegant themes
Elegant themes is one of many WordPress themes available in the shop. It has grown to be one of the most prominent players in the WordPress World.
Among their products is the Divi Theme, which is their flagship product. Divi’s functionality in the drag-and-drop website creator is key to Elegant Theme’s success.
Making sense of this, it was only a matter of time where Elegant Themes offered the builder as a separate plugin.
And so they did. The Divi Builder plugin was released. This means that anyone can access the exact same builder that helped Divi Theme become one of the most popular WordPress themes. Divi even made sure that the plugin is available no matter the theme you use.
Divi Features
Since “gaining independence” and becoming a standalone plugin, Divi Builder now works with any WordPress themes (even if they are not from Elegant Themes). It also has multiple features that make it more attractive to users.
- Drag and Drop Visual Content Editor
The Divi builder started as a back-end page builder tool from the Divi Theme. It has been made a plugin and is now a front-end visual editor.
With this upgrade, Divi now operates in a “what you see is what you get interface.” Essentially, this removes the downside of back-end builders who do not know how the design will turn up until you switch preview moves.
Divi’s Visual Content Editor continues to be upgraded. The latest version provides a more accurate picture of the visitor’s point of view when viewing your content.
This implies that website developers will be able to work faster as it removes the need for switching to previews. This eliminates the frustration associated with incorrect layouts.
Those used to playing with the site’s backend might find themselves lost or missing some of the features available when using that mode. All is not lost, however, as Divi Builder allows you to switch into Wireframe mode.
The wireframe mode hides each module’s content and focuses on the structure of the page. This gives you a clear view of the layout and which modules are being used.
Divi allows you to customize the way your website works, according to your preference and comfort.
- Theme Builder Functionality
Divi Builder 4.0 included Divi’s theme builder feature. This made it a complete on-site editor and not just a page builder.
Divi Builder now has the ability to customize any part of your website. You can now customize headers, footers and category pages as well as product templates and other areas of the website to suit your needs.
Templates can be used to customize blog posts. They can be automatically applied to all blog posts or just a selection. You can also use the Display rules feature to automatically format and create templates for posts based on their category.
This functionality also brings about dynamic content, which can be combined with existing static content and enhanced interaction with WooCommerce content.
Most surprisingly, the Divi Theme Builder feature allows users to make custom 404 error pages and search results pages.
- Helpful Content Modules
Divi builder includes 40 customizable content modules. These modules can be placed in columns or rows, and each one has its own function.
These modules can even be used to replace the functionality of other plugins on your WordPress page. These modules can transform almost all of your website’s functions into Divi or Elegant Themes.
It doesn’t matter if one developer has this idea for all your plugins or “apps”, it still has its benefits. Chief among them is that it reduces load times for your WordPress page.
This also results in a reduction of costs, especially if you use commercial plugins.
A few examples of these modules include “call to action” buttons, countdown timers, maps, pricing tables, email opt-in forms, videos and their sliders, social media, and even a search module.
You can also find different versions of these modules. This gives your website some extra flair. You won’t have to risk having the same module appearing from different parts of the internet.
- A growing library of pre-made websites and page layouts
Of course, Divi would be remiss if they did not offer pre-made and ready-to-use websites and page layouts. These layouts can be thought of as their own version of templates.
As templates usually go, they are extremely useful for non-web designers or web designers whose design sense leaves to be desired. This high-quality pre-made can be used to start their design process, or if they’re satisfied, it can be used as is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. This is not true for website layouts. That means each layout contains more than one page.
They can be targeted at specific websites such as those for freelancers, contractors, eCommerce stores and websites for construction companies. These layouts can be customized, however.
So if you find a law-affirm website layout, some pictures may look out of place, or the layout just doesn’t do it for you. Get your tools out and start editing until you get the website that you desire.
- Divi Builder A/B Testing tool
One unique feature of Divi builder is the ability to hold A/B testing on your page layout. You can compare two layouts on your page layout to see which is more effective.
While freedom in design is always a plus, too much freedom could be detrimental, especially when it is misguided. This is where A/B Testing can be useful. By comparing various versions of a page’s layout, one can detect if a design choice in a website should be done or undone.
An A/B-tested website will ensure that it is optimized for its intended purpose.
- Divi Role Editor
Some websites are run by different people. This allows for more efficient job division but increases the chance of the website’s main settings being changed accidentally. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks may spoil the broth.”
Luckily, Divi has a Role Editor that you can use to limit other people’s access to the backend of your webpage. You can allow your co-authors to do what they want, like writing for your blogs. However, this role editor will prevent them from doing any unnecessary things.
Divi’s role is also granular as an editor. It’s not a binary choice. By choosing a role, you can define which parts of the plugin they can access and make use of.
This is particularly important for web designers who have clients who could break custom designs. Through the role editor, the chances of custom design breaking are reduced to a minimum.
- Full-Width Content
Images can make your web pages stand out. Images can enhance the design of your website. Sometimes, you just want to place an image and plaster its full resolution to a part of your site.
Divi offers a feature that lets you do exactly that. Divi allows you to add a full width and a module to your builder. Then you are free to add the appropriate content that can break the post container.
This full-width does not just apply to images. You can include videos, texts, headers, menus, and more.
Divi Price
Divi Builder was an original part of Divi Theme. You cannot purchase this plugin separately. You will have to pay yearly for access to Elegant themes. One plan is a yearly access, and the other is a lifetime access.
Yearly Access | Lifetime Access |
$89/Year | $249 1 Time |
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Divi Pros and Cons
Pros
- Divi has a clean and slick, intuitive interface.
- Divi is a great value for money. They even offer a lifetime deal.
- Divi can be used on any number of websites without restrictions.
- Divi is easy to use for beginners, thanks to the drag-and-drop page builder.
- Divi provides veteran web designers who have the appropriate coding skills a chance to do amazing stuff.
- Divi is available with an additional WordPress theme
- Divi offers more than 100 stunning templates. Back To Top Elementor
Cons
- Working with longer pages tend to be slow
- Divi’s online editing options are better
- Divi is not perfect. This is most common when creating more complicated layouts.
Elementor Versus WPBakery
WP Bakery: The Builder Formerly Known as Visual Composer
WPBakery, which we now call Visual Composer, was once known as Visual Composer. But hold on, it gets more confusing because right now, there is another WordPress plugin also called Visual Composer. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed to WPBakery
This plugin, like all other page builders allows you to create unique pages. The building blocks in this example are called “Content Elements” and have the same function as modules and widgets.
WPBakery has around 40 content elements that can be used to design your page layout. Samples of these include text blocks, social media buttons, video players, and other blocks that are standard fare for page builders. Back To Top Elementor
WPBakery also uses a drag-and-drop page builder to style your pages. Using this builder, you can style your website’s backend and front end. You have the option to design both front and back ends, or choose to style them separately, depending on what you prefer.
WPBakery Features
Unlike most of their WordPress Page Builders, WPBakery does not offer much. They offer the following:
- Interface is simple and lightweight
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can be saved for later use
- Responsive Websites that look good on PC and mobile
- Your own “content elements”
- Object-oriented code
- Huge addon support
The thing with WPBakery though is that it is more of a hassle to use. Even if you are a technical person, it is not very user-friendly. It’s built on a shortcode architecture, which can prove to be a huge liability.
It has some help text, but they are not well executed. Back To Top Elementor
It’s also just plain unreliable. It is plagued by inaccurate previews, randomly missing features, and buggy. Working with it is just a nightmare, especially when working on a website.
WPBakery Price
WPBakery has 2 pricing plans available if you still wish to use its services. These are:
Regular | Extended |
$56 | $299 |
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WPBakery Pros and Cons
Pros
- WPBakery lets you save your templates to be used later
- It can be used with almost all themes
- It features a multilingual interface
- Includes various content blocks to help you build your website
- It can be integrated with many add-ons to enhance its functions Back To Top Elementor
- It allows users to access the control panel via their role.
Cons
- The page builder is not easy to use and requires a learning curve. This is true even for experienced website designers.
- It may not be compatible with all plugins, and can sometimes cause conflicts with them.
- Shortcodes are lost when this plugin is deactivated.
- This plugin can impact age speed and might slow download times.
Elementor Versus Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder: The Most Efficient Beaver-Themed Builder
Beaver Builder is one of the most well-known names in the WordPress page builders space. Beaver Builder is a popular choice because of its drag-and-drop page builders and simple-to-use interface.
Beaver Builders offers a lot to its users.
It is a page builder that allows you to create custom pages and posts using a drag-and drop user interface. This removes the need for coding to create your website. Users don’t even need to have a knowledge of HTML to have a functioning website with the help of Beaver Builder.
Despite having a theme of its own, Beaver Builder (the plugin) is compatible with any WordPress theme. As such, you can keep using your current WordPress theme and carry on developing and designing your site. Back To Top Elementor
Beaver Builder’s greatest strength is its simplicity and efficiency. Beaver Builder boasts that it makes working with existing website content and creating websites from scratch much faster and more efficient.
Beaver Builder Features
BeaverBuilder is a powerful page builder with many features that can be called the best. Let’s not list everything, but let’s just focus on the highlights. Efficiency is the key to Beaver Builder.
Beaver Builder’s essential features include:
- You can drag and drop the main page builder. You can place text and images wherever you like with this builder.
- Beaver Builder allows for full front-end editing. This allows you to view your work while you are working on it. This is akin to the “what you see is what you get” approach of other page builders.
- Beaver Builder eliminates the need to code when building websites. Beaver Builder doesn’t require HTML or CSS. Back To Top Elementor
- Beaver Builder is compatible with most themes in WordPress. Beaver Builder can be combined with any WordPress theme and it will look like nothing happened.
- Beaver Builder can also be used to work on any type of post, pages, and custom types of posts.
- Beaver Builder plans include more than 50 pre-made templates. Of course, this includes templates for pages with a specific purpose. Beaver Builder can create landing pages, welcome pages, and comment sections.
- For working with your pages, Beaver Builder provides 30 content elements and modules. These will be your key to building your pages, and each will have its function to play. These modules include headings, buttons and galleries.
- Beaver Builder guarantees that your websites will work on any screen. As such, you can be sure that your developed website will be responsive.
- Beaver Builder is also compatible with WooCommerce. Beaver Builder allows you to create WooCommerce content using the content elements. Back To Top Elementor
- Beaver Builder is not cheap. Beaver Builder allows you to export and import features. This allows you reuse and share your designs with the larger community.
Beaver Builder Price
Agency | Pro | Standard |
$399 | $199 | $99 |
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Beaver Builder Pros and Cons
Pros
- Beaver Builder empowers users to be creative in building their webpages
- There is no learning curve when using Beaver Builder
- Beaver Builder offers full drag-and drop builder support.
- Beaver Builder is flexible and lenient. You can even use default WordPress widgets inside Beaver Builder’s Content blocks Back To Top Elementor
- Beaver Builder has lots of page templates that are perfect as a starting place whenever one is making pages.
Cons
- Beaver Builder is at a pretty steep price point. The cheapest plan costs $99. The cheapest plan is $99.
- Beaver Builder is only capable of working with the theme that you choose. Beaver Builder won’t be able do things the theme can’t.
- Beaver Builder doesn’t allow users to add custom CSS codes to their content modules. As such, there is a bit of a limit to its customization.
Elementor Versus Webflow
Webflow: A page builder beyond WordPress
WordPress is the most popular blog platform on the Internet, but not everyone loves it. As such, there are alternatives for people who are uncomfortable using WordPress. One of these services is Webflow.
Webflow’s primary focus is on design. Webflow’s primary goal is to make it easy for web designers to create websites. Webflows allow web designers to create responsive websites using browser-based visual editing software. Webflow allows you to write the code as you work on your website. Back To Top Elementor
When compared to WordPress, Webflow claims to have more advantages over it. Among these are an appeal for more creative freedom, a more secure website, and easier user usage.
Webflow Features
Webflow is a page builder that does everything. These features help Webflow focus on its target of becoming a service that caters to designers first.
- Webflow offers over a thousand available templates, and 45 of them are free. These templates can be used to build websites as you would with most websites.
These templates can also be accessed via Webflow. They are grouped and categorized according to the type of website they are geared to (portfolio, blogs, SaaS, etc.). Aside from that, you can search them through popular tags, languages, etc.
- Webflow may not be as intuitive for new users but it does provide a great tutorial to help users get familiar with the environment and navigate it. It might take getting used to, but Webflow provides a great user experience once you learn it. Back To Top Elementor
- Webflow has an intuitive interface. The main builder of Webflow is broken into three sections to make it easier for you to access. The more you get used to Webflows workflow, the better and faster you can produce web pages
- Webflow has great Search Engine Optimization Capabilities. It is even easier since you do not need to add another plugin to ensure you are SEO-optimized. Webflow also guides non-SEO professionals to improve their website’s SEO ranking in order to increase traffic and convert more customers.
- Webflow has impressive eCommerce features that can be used to build a functional and attractive online store. Just building the page alone is easy, as there are eCommerce templates to help you get started. Both of these are free and paid.
Webflow also provides detailed instructions on how to build the site from its initial setup until its launch.
- Webflow provides a Content Management System that allows users to group the content they present to their audience. This CMS organizes resources, particularly when creating blog posts. Back To Top Elementor
Webflow makes blogging easier and more efficient by organizing it in a more structured way.
- You can be sure that your data will remain safe and secure with Webflow. They have integrated hosting plans built with Amazon Web Services, which is among the most secure hosting processes on the internet. You will receive a one-year free SSl certificate to encrypt sensitive data.
Webflow is also SOC-2-compliant. This means the builder can adhere to high standards of security and confidentiality.
Webflow also automatically updates and saves backups of your files. Webflow automatically updates your files and stores backups of them so that you are confident, if something goes wrong, you’ll be able to quickly get your files back.
Webflow Price
As for price, you can choose to avail webflow with their free plan. This allows you to use Webflow on up to two projects. You can also publish the projects on their Webflow.io website. Their free plan is available for free for life.
However, if we’re talking about price, Webflow offers versatile plans. There are two types of paid plans.
There’s the Site Plan and then there’s the Account Plan. Back To Top Elementor
The Site plan includes everything you need to create a basic website. These plans are available in two types from Webflow. You can choose from four options in the basic plan. This starts for as low as $12 per month. To find out the exact cost of each plan, you will need to contact Webflow Customer Service.
Basic | CMS | Business | Enterprise |
Best for simple sites which do not need CMS | Best for blogs and other content-driven websites | Sites that have higher traffic are best | Best for companies and comes with exclusive features |
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As for the Ecommerce plans, the are three types of plans
Standard (29 USD) | Plus ($74 USD) | Advanced ($2112( u) |
A new business starting from scratch | For higher volume of business that needs important additional | Businesses looking to grow and breach |
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The Account plans are geared towards more advanced website building with added features. There are two types: The Individual and Team plans.
There are three payment options available for individual plans. The first includes the free plan mentioned above, and the second two are paid plans. Back To Top Elementor
Starter Plan (Forever FREE) | Lite ($16) | Pro ($35) |
Includes everything you need to start building with Webflow. | Export your code and unlock more pages for unhosted projects | Ideal for designers, freelancers and anyone who needs more projects and premium features |
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When it comes to the Team plan, it has 2 types of plan available. Mostly, they offer almost the same features, but one offers a more customizable plan. Here they are:
Team ($35 per person) | Enterprise (situational) |
Work on projects with a team through a collaborative, shared dashboard | Contact customer support to inquire about the plan packages |
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Webflow Pros and Cons
Pros
- It includes everything you need to build a website. It even includes eCommerce websites and simple blogs.
- It has a very strong visual design tool that can rival everything that you can do with code
- Flexible pricing plans that are customer-friendly. Back To Top Elementor
Cons
- You can only customize the code.
- There are many plans available and it can be confusing. If you don’t pay attention, you might end up choosing the wrong plan.
- It is quite a learning process due to the fact that WordPress is a completely new environment. There are also new, powerful features.
- Traffic limits are included in some plans.
Elementor Versus Thrive Architects
Thrive Architect: A WordPress Page Architect
Thrive Architect is a WordPress page builder plugin bundled with Thrive Themes. This is their new flagship page builder, replacing the “Thrive Content Creator”. Back To Top Elementor
As with the usual “modern” website builders, Thrive architect is also doing the drag-and-drop gimmick. As such, it is geared toward beginners and helps veterans speed through making websites.
Thrive offers a large library of templates to users to help them get started, or to get ideas for what they want to do.
Surprisingly, Thrive Architects focus on building websites that are geared toward conversions. As such, most of the templates mentioned earlier have the purpose of lead generation and conversion to your WordPress Page.
Thrive Architect Features
Like most of the latest WordPress page builders, Thrive Architect has many features to offer. However, for this overview, we will focus mainly on the main ones.
- Thrive Architect is a plugin that works with all WordPress themes. Despite Thrive Architect having its own WordPress Theme, Thrive Suite, this is not the case. Therefore, you can use Thrive Architect in combination with the thousands of themes available in WordPress.
- Thrive Architect also has a massive library for plugins. All of the templates are maintained by the Thrive architect team at a higher standard. These templates are editable and can be used to speed up the process of creating web pages. Back To Top Elementor
Thrive Architect (and Thrive Themes) focus on sales and lead conversion. Most of these templates are just as focused on sales. Expect a lot more sales-focused landing pages, and web designs.
- Thrive Architect has its own intuitive drag and drop page editor. This features a What You See is What You Get interface that gives you an accurate real-time view of how your page design looks like.
Builders can save time by using the WYSIWYG method. They no longer need to preview your website. You can speed up your workflow by not having to save multiple times. Also, you can be sure you are doing the right thing.
WYSIWYG will always show you where your bearings are.
- We have spoken about Thrive’s obsession with conversions so it is not surprising that they have a lot conversion- and sales-focused elements.
Besides, Thrive can’t boast about being conversion focused if they cannot provide the proper and adequate tools to do so.
- Thrive can also integrate with a lot of third-party services. Mailchimp, Facebook and Zapier are all examples.
- Thrive also provides beginners with educational content and tutorials to teach them about content-making focused on sales
- Thrive Architect’s lightbox feature allows you to create pop-up overlays. Back To Top Elementor
- Thrive Architect allows you to create an auto-scrolling website. Although this feature is somewhat limited in its use, it can be used to create a unique website.
- Thrive Architect also supports coders by adding custom HTML and CSS to your pages.
Thrive Architect Price
Thrive Architect was once available as an individual. However, Thrive Themes recently changed this. To use Thrive Architect, you will need to buy their Thrive Suite bundle.
Thrive has 2 payment plans available: Quarterly and Yearly:
Thrive Suite Quarterly | Thrive Suite Yearly |
$99 per Quarter | $299 per Year |
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Thrive Architect Pros and Cons
Pros
- It features an intuitive design that makes it easy to use. It even lets you visualize your designs in real-time
- Helps you create content that is unique on the Internet
- Not just webpages, but it comes with high-quality landing page templates. It is very easy to look for your perfect template as they are organized into sets.
- It is focused primarily on conversion and sales, making it the ideal website builder for online marketers and businesses.
- Most websites are mobile responsive, so you can be sure that your website is smartphone compatible
- It’s a light-weight plugin and cannot noticeably slow down your pages’ load times
- It is affordable and well-priced
- It can be integrated with a large amount of email service providers.
- Can work with Gutenberg (WordPress’ latest page builder) by adding Gutenberg blocks. Back To Top Elementor
Cons
- The whole Thrive Suite is not available separately. If you already own a WordPress Theme, this will double your cost.
- Apart from that, you will need to download Thrive Product Manager before even starting to plant an element on the builder.
- Thrive does not offer a lifetime payment option.
Special Mentions
Brizzy
Brizzy, another WordPress builder, allows you to create web pages with amazing design. It is also another drag-and-drop builder that requires zero coding knowledge. It can be compared to the big three Elementor, Beaver Builder and Divi.
Like most of the other builders, Brizzy fairs well as a plain builder; however, there are a few areas that it could work with.
For one, Brizzy does not have a developer APi. Third-party extensions are not possible with Brizzy. This severely cripples Brizzy’s potential. This limits Brizzy’s flexibility, and as such, this is why it cannot reach the heights of Elementor, Beaver Build, and Divi
Another thing, Brizzy also lacks in the documentation department. This isn’t a major problem, but it makes Brizzy less reliable than other builders who have robust and complete documentation.
Furthermore, the documentation that exists for Brizy also is not as comprehensive. So in most cases, people asking or needing help might find themselves scratching their heads.
Brizzy pricing is as follows:
Personal | Freelancer | Agency |
$49 per annum | $99 per annum | $199 per year |
Perfect for Personal Work |
Ideal for working with clients |
Ideal for white-label solutions |
Oxygen Builder
By nature, Oxygen builder is somewhat similar to Webflow. Although it may look similar to WordPress, it is not WordPress. Non-techies should not use oxygen because it is complex.
Most website builders are more inviting to a wider audience. This applies to people who don’t know much about coding or how it works. This is the exception to the rule, Oxygen.
Despite this, Oxygen allows both designers and experienced users to create amazing websites.
Basically, Oxygen should only be used by people who want to learn website development. There is a steep learning curve. This is, of course, perfect for a challenge.
Furthermore, web developers and designers who want to be able to fine-tune even the most minute of details, Oxygen is also for them. Oxygen provides the tools necessary to have full control of a website’s elements, as well as its bits and pieces.
As for beginners and those looking for an easier user experience, it’s best to stay away from this one. Back To Top Elementor
The price of Oxygen is prohibitive. It doesn’t even have a demo. It does have a 60-day money back guarantee. You can always return the Oxygene product if you’re not up to the challenge.
Basic Plan (99 USD One-time Payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 one time payment) | Agency Plan ($169 one time payment) |
WordPress’s most flexible and powerful visual builder | Visually build websites and WooCommerce shops | The ultimate for building websites for clients while using Oxygen |
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Gutenberg Builder
While this is WordPress main builder, majority of online consensus is united: Back To Top Elementor
Plainly NO.
It is very buggy.
It is difficult to write in because you have to break up each paragraph into its own blocks. It is a self-sufficient tool.
Finally, even with all the efforts made to improve its performance it still falls behind, especially when it comes to creating large posts.
There is a reason why WordPress page builder plugins were created. The default plugin is not recommended.
Verdict Back To Top Elementor
At the end of the day, your choice of WordPress page builder or page builders, in general, is up to your preference. Of course, they might specialize in one field or another.
It is a great idea to pick a WordPress theme that suits you first and then go with the page builder that comes with it. This is a great way to cut costs and save money while maintaining quality work.
Elementor offers the best features and is free to use.
However, if there is one thing that you can learn from this review, let it be this:
Save yourself the headache and avoid Gutenberg, WordPress’ default builder.