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 are websites that depend on the author’s likes and interests. 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 websites are primarily focused on online business. These websites are often used to display products or services the owner wants to sell. These sites can also be used to collect payments for the goods and services.
- Website for businesses
At first glance, these might look and feel like E-Commerce websites. They are quite different in function. While E-commerce websites can sell, Business websites are geared toward introducing users to a company and what 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.
A WordPress membership website is a good way to go about this. Content creators can make a website where users need to log in or pay for the said content. WordPress has enough tools to handle the things needed to set this up.
- Portfolio Website
For many, websites are a good avenue to show off their work to prospective employers. This is especially true for artists, both traditional and digital. Having a website to present their work is akin to having their own museum.
- Forum website
Forums websites are online communities wherein the range of conversation topics is limitless. 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, Quora and other forums are the most popular. It does not mean forum websites are no longer relevant. Forums are crucial for niche topics.
WordPress allows content creators, bloggers, and even book authors to host their own Forums. These forums offer a more personal feel than the vast reach of most websites.
- Websites for events
An event website is a simple website that advertises events. An event website allows the public to view and verify details about events such as seating and dates. They can also check ticket prices. These websites can also be used to sell tickets.
- E-Learning website
After the 2019 COVID Pandemic, online classes and electronic courses became a common term. 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. Although it takes more effort to set up an elearning website using WordPress, it is rewarding for those who are eager to share their knowledge.
- Invitational websites
Even invitations have gone online now. You can now create websites for any personal event thanks to the internet. 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 Better Than Elementor
WordPress’ popularity and longevity can be attributed to the community of users who support it. 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 come in many 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.
You can choose between premium and free plugins. The main difference between them could be in the quality of their function or the extent to which they are available. Of course, this does not mean that free plugins are always inferior. Some plugins even function better than premium ones.
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. As such, the value of customer support service can never be replaced
Your Must-Have WordPress plugins
For most WordPress Websites, there are certain types of Plugins that must be prioritized compared to others. These WordPress plugins are recommended for all WordPress websites:
- WordPress Backup Plugin
By its nature, WordPress does not have a built-in backup function. A lack of backup can lead to major headaches. As such, backup plugins can be the solution to those potential headaches.
In the event of a hack or security breach, backups are important. It allows you to quickly replace deleted data or bring your website back into a save state prior to the attack.
- WordPress Security Plugin
The ubiquity and popularity of WordPress make it a lucrative target for hackers. Hackers create malicious programs to attack WordPress sites, access all their data, and do something nefarious.
This is where WordPress Security plugins come in. They offer multiple solutions to prevent these attacks. Some limit login attempts to a website to stop brute force attacks. Some offer more sophisticated and comprehensive protection against these attacks.
No matter what, looking for the best WordPress security plugin will come down to preference, 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. Proper SEO settings will make it easier for your website to be found in search engines like Google and Bing.
SEO is a business. With the number of websites that pop out day by day, the competition for Google’s front pages is brutal. A great SEO plugin can help your website gain more traffic.
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.
Forms allow site visitors to enter their 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 also fit depending on the customer (most websites that use forms are e-commerce websites).
It is important to choose a WordPress form plugin that is secure, yet easy to set up 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. It can provide you with a lot of tools and resources. Some e-commerce plugins even come with online payment capabilities integrated.
- WordPress Design Plugin
WordPress is the best platform for website design. It lets you do almost anything that is possible, granted you know how to 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 may seem like a high barrier of entry for WordPress users. However, If WordPress had a high barrier of entry, it wouldn’t be as popular now.
This so-called barrier to entry was removed by WordPress, which helped it regain and grow its user base. WordPress Site Design Plugins like page builders allowed website building, in general, to become an easier and faster process.
A lot of these plugins removed the coding requirement for building websites. With their drag-and drop interface, anyone can create a WordPress website with minimal to no programming knowledge. Although coding knowledge is not required, there are many benefits to using WordPress.
These plugins have also helped speed up the process of creating websites. WordPress users, or at least sites using WordPress, are growing in number every 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 does not involve much and can be done almost instantly.
Once you have logged in to your WordPress site, look for the Plugins menu in your site’s WordPress Dashboard. Click on it to Expand this Menu.
There will be 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.
To upload a new plugin, simply click on the “Add New” link. 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.
The Editor menu item is located under Plugins in WordPress Dashboard. This is a built-in WordPress Plugin editor used to make changes to your installed plugins’ individual PHP files.
ONLY TWEAK OR MAKE CHANGES TO THIS SECTION IF YOU UNDERSTAND PHP. Tweaking any of the things found here can overwrite your customizations. You don’t likely need to modify any plugin’s PHP code.
Elementor: One of the best page builders plugins WordPress has to offer
Elementor is a WordPress Site Design Plugin that is among the best. To begin with, it is a drag-and-drop page builder which allows users to make their webpage in a fast and easy way. As such, even characters who are not tech savvy enough can carve themselves a place 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 didn’t let this success stop them. They continued to grow and create new ways to keep Elementor current with the latest trends.
That said, the heart of Elementor is still in its functionality as drag and drop builder. And it does that function very well. It works in an “what you see, is what you get” manner. This approach makes it easier to see how the website will look while you are still editing.
Elementors allows you to bypass the need to open WordPress’s standard editors. With all that said, coding is still welcome, and people who prefer using their own custom HTML, CSS, and PHP, along with other current coding languages, are free to do so.
Elementor is known for being a flexible 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.
It works with all themes in the WordPress library so there’s no worry about them getting out of sync. 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. Each element might contain a widget, a written content, or anything that can fit in each element.
These elements are what make Elementor today.
- Responsive Design
By default, all web pages created using Elementor’s page builder are responsive by nature. 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.
However, responsive design does not only mean directly translating your website and how it looks through 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. From there, you can do further edits, such as deleting and adding certain elements to take the page to the look that you want.
- Available templates
No page builder would be complete without templates. After all, templates are the best examples to inspire when building anything from scratch (web pages 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.
All templates in Elementor are editable. You can also edit their styling options. So you do not have to worry about websites looking the same when utilizing templates in your work.
Elementor offers many professionally designed templates. Both novice and experienced users can use these templates. 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
Of course, if you want a sleek and cool website, you would be remiss if there weren’t any styling options available. Good thing that Elementor lets these styling options accessible to many people. This is possible without any coding knowledge.
- Convenience
The multitude of tools, Elementor makes web page building accessible to many. Support even comes only with 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. Dynamic content allows you to keep your pages updated consistently and continuously. 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. Most of its customer base includes merchants that use WordPress as their main site. Of course, this includes both small and large online merchants.
WooCommerce and WordPress have an almost symbiotic relationship, so it is very simple to integrate WooCommerce into 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 the most hated type of advertising on the web. 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 even set the triggers on when and how these popups appear.
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.
Elementor offers Pro plans that include 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 are 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
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
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
Elementor Pros and Cons
Pros
- Elementor’s core product does not cost a single dime. There is no need to get the Pro plan to use Elementor’s full potential.
- Elementor provides plenty of features to create the best WordPress web page. These tools are simple and very easy to use.
- Elementor’s page builder is an upgrade to the basic WordPress Builder both in terms of function and accessibility
- Elementor allows you to build pages without the need to learn HTML, CSS, or PHP coding skills.
- 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. If you want, you can even fine-tune the design for each device.
- Elementor allows you to adjust alignments, margins and padding values.
Cons
- There are times when the custom styling (especially for links) gets buggy
- Sometimes Elementor’s default typography or color settings cannot be changed.
- It can be difficult to correct misaligned elements due to the different margin values.
- Elementor could slow down different websites’ loading times.
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.
Divi Theme is their flagship product. Divi’s functionality in the drag-and-drop website creator is key to Elegant Theme’s success.
It was only a matter time that Elegant Themes provided the builder as an additional plugin.
They did. With the release of the Divi Builder plugin, people can now access the very same builder that made Divi Theme among the strongest players in the WordPress Ecosystem. Divi even made sure that the plugin is available no matter the theme you use.
Divi Features
Divi Builder has “gained independence” and is now a standalone plugin. It can be used with any WordPress theme, even if it’s 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. However, since being turned into a plugin, it is now a legitimate front-end visual full-site 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. This latest version gives you a better view of your visitor’s point-of-view when viewing your content.
Website developers will be able work more efficiently as they no longer have to switch to previews. This eliminates the frustration associated with incorrect layouts.
Some users might not be familiar with the site’s backend and may feel lost or miss some features. 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 added Divi’s Theme builder feature, which ultimately turned it into a full on-site editor rather than 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. These templates can be applied automatically to all blog posts, or a select few. You can also use the Display rules feature to automatically format and create templates for posts based on their category.
This functionality allows for dynamic content to be added to existing static content. It can also enhance interaction with WooCommerce content.
The Divi Theme Builder feature, which allows users to create custom 404 error pages or search results pages, is most surprising.
- 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 be used to replace functionality on WordPress pages that use other plugins. 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.
It also means a cost reduction, especially if you are using commercial plugins.
These modules include countdown timers and maps, countdown timesrs and pricing tables. They also allow for email opt-in forms and videos with their sliders.
These modules also come in different variations. 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.
Templates are great for web designers who don’t have the design skills to create them. These high-quality templates can be used to begin their design process or, if satisfied, can be used as-is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. However, this is in terms of website layouts. This means that each layout can contain more than one page.
They can be targeted at specific websites such as those for freelancers, contractors, eCommerce stores and websites for construction companies. That said, these layouts are entirely customizable.
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
Divi builder offers the unique ability to conduct A/B testing of your page layout. A/B testing allows you to compare two design iterations on your page layout and see which one is more effective than the other.
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.
At the end of the day, a properly A/B tested website will lead it to be optimized for its purpose.
- Divi Role Editor
Different people may manage different websites. While this makes for efficient job division, it also multiplies the risk of accidentally changing the website’s main setting. It is said that too many cooks can spoil the broth.
Divi offers a role editor that allows you to restrict access to your website’s backend. 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 as editor is also granular. 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. Role editor reduces the chance of custom design breaking.
- 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. Videos, text, headers and menus can all be included.
Divi Price
Since Divi Builder was originally part of the Divi Theme, and you cannot get this plugin separately. Access to Elegant themes will require a yearly payment. One plan is a yearly access, and the other is a lifetime access.
Yearly Access | Access for Life |
$89/Year | $249 1 Time |
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Divi Pros and Cons
Pros
- Divi’s interface is intuitive and clean.
- Divi is a great value for money. They even offer a lifetime deal.
- Divi can be used on an unlimited number of websites and without limitations
- 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 comes with an Extra WordPress theme
- Divi provides more than a hundred stunning templates to choose from. Better Than Elementor
Cons
- Working with longer pages tend to be slow
- Divi’s online editing options are better
- Divi has a few bugs. This usually manifests when making more complex layouts
Elementor Versus WPBakery
WP Bakery: Formerly known as Visual Composer, the Builder
What we now know as WPBakery was once called Visual Composer. It gets even more confusing, because there is another WordPress plugin called Visual Composer. Let’s move on to WPBakery now that we have that out of the way.
Like all the other page builders, this plugin allows you to design unique pages unlike any other. In this case, the building blocks are called “Content Elements.” Though they have different names, they still serve the same function as widgets and modules.
WPBakery has around 40 content elements that can be used to design your page layout. These include text blocks, social buttons, video players and other blocks that are common to page builders. Better Than Elementor
WPBakery offers a drag-and drop page builder that allows you to design your pages. This builder allows you to style both the front and back ends of your website. You can choose to style both, or you can design them one by one, depending on your preference.
WPBakery Features
Unlike most of their WordPress Page Builders, WPBakery does not offer much. They offer the following:
- Light and easy to use interface
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can later be saved
- Responsive Websites that look good on PC and mobile
- Very own set of “content elements”
- Object-oriented Code
- Huge addon support
WPBakery is more difficult to use than you might think. 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.
Although it has helper text to help with the basics, most of these are poorly executed to the point of inaccuracy. Better Than Elementor
It’s also just plain unreliable. It is plagued by inaccurate previews, randomly missing features, and buggy. It is a nightmare to use, especially when you are working on a website.
WPBakery Price
WPBakery offers 2 price plans if you still want to avail of its services. These are:
Regular | Extended |
$56 | $299 |
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WPBakery Pros and Cons
Pros
- WPBakery allows you to save your templates for later use
- It works with most 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 Better Than 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. Even experienced website designers know this.
- It is not compatible with all plugins and sometimes has conflicts with them
- Deactivating this builder leaves shortcodes on pages that use this plugin.
- This plugin can impact age speed and might slow download times.
Elementor Versus Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder: The Most Efficient Beaver-Themed Builder
One of the more famous names in the WordPress page builder space is Beaver Builder. 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. It eliminates the need to code your website. Beaver Builder doesn’t require users to know HTML in order to create a functional website.
Beaver Builder (the plugin), even though it has its own theme, is compatible with all WordPress themes. As such, you can keep using your current WordPress theme and carry on developing and designing your site. Better Than 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:
- The main page builder features a full drag-and-drop interface. This builder allows you to place content elements, such as text and images, wherever you want.
- Beaver Builder offers full front-end editing. Which effectively allows you to see your work as 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. HTML or CSS, you don’t need it with Beaver Builder. Better Than 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. This includes templates for pages that have a specific purpose. Beaver Builder can create landing pages, welcome pages, and comment sections.
- Beaver Builder offers 30 content elements and modules for working with pages. 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 ensures that all your resulting websites will be compatible with any screen. As such, you can be sure that your developed website will be responsive.
- Beaver Builder can also be used with WooCommerce. As such, you can develop your WooCommerce content through the special content elements Beaver Builder offers. Better Than Elementor
- Beaver Builder is not cheap. In fact, it gives you the ability to import and export 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’s full drag-and-drop builder offer front end editing support.
- Beaver Builder is flexible and lenient. You can even use default WordPress widgets inside Beaver Builder’s Content blocks Better Than Elementor
- Beaver Builder has lots of page templates that are perfect as a starting place whenever one is making pages.
Cons
- Beaver Builder has a very high price point. The cheapest plan costs $99. The cheapest plan is $99.
- Beaver Builder’s capability is limited to whatever theme you have. If there are things that the theme cannot do, then Beaver Builder will not be able to achieve them.
- Beaver Builder does not allow users to add custom CSS code 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 main focus is design. Its main target is to let web designers build websites as easily as possible. Using webflows allows web designers to build responsive websites through browser-based visual editing software. The thing about Webflow is that it writes the code while you are working on your site. Better Than Elementor
Webflow is said to offer more benefits than WordPress. Webflow offers more creativity, more security, and easier use for users.
Webflow Features
As a full-on page builder, Webflow has its own features. These features help Webflow focus on its target of becoming a service that caters to designers first.
- Over a thousand templates are available on Webflow, with 45 of them being free. Like most websites, Webflow allows you to use these templates to help you build websites from scratch.
Webflow also makes it easy for you to access these templates. They can be categorized and grouped according to which type of website they are intended for (portfolios, blogs, SaaS), etc. You can also search them using popular tags, languages, and other methods.
- Although Webflow is not as user-friendly for first-time users, it provides a great onboarding tutorial that allows users to familiarize themselves and explore the Webflow Environment. It might take getting used to, but Webflow provides a great user experience once you learn it. Better Than Elementor
- Webflow has an intuitive interface. Its main builder is divided into three sections for ease of access. You will be able to produce web pages faster and more efficiently the more you become familiar with Webflows workflow.
- 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 even guides non-SEO experts to optimize their website’s SEO ranking for more traffic and conversion.
- Webflow offers impressive eCommerce Features that are suitable for building a good and functional online store. It is simple to build a page, and there are templates that can help you get started. Both of these are free and paid.
Webflow even provides instructions for building up said site, from setting up until launching.
- Webflow provides a Content Management System that allows users to group the content they present to their audience. Basically, this CMS organizes resources, especially when making blog posts Better Than Elementor
Webflow makes blogging easier and more efficient by organizing it in a more structured way.
- With Webflow, you are sure that all your data is safe and secured. Webflow has integrated hosting plans with Amazon Web Services, one of the most secure web hosting services. 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.
Lastly, Webflow automatically updates your files and stores backups of them. So whenever something is wrong, you will be confident (at least not as worried) that you can easily get back your files.
Webflow Price
You can avail webflow with their no-cost plan. This allows you to use Webflow on up to two projects. You can also publish the projects on their Webflow.io website. Of course, their free plan is free forever.
However, if we’re talking about price, Webflow offers versatile plans. There are two types of paid plans.
There is the Site Plan, and then there are the account plans. Better Than Elementor
The Site plan includes everything you need to create a basic website. Webflow offers 2 types of these plans. There is a basic plan with four selections. The cost starts at $12 per month. You will have to contact Webflow Customer service to get the exact amount for each plan.
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 | This product is ideal for businesses and includes exclusive features |
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There are three types Ecommerce 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 | For businesses aiming to breach and grow |
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Account plans allow for more advanced website development with additional features. These are categorized into 2 types of plans: the Individual plans and the team plans.
The individual plans have 3 types of payment methods. One includes the aforementioned free plan, while the other 2 are paid plans. Better Than 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 | Best for freelancers, designers, and people who need more projects and premium features |
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When it comes to the Team plan, it has 2 types of plan available. They offer the same features but one has more customization options. These are the details:
Team ($35 per person) | Enterprise (situational) |
Use a shared, collaborative dashboard to collaborate on projects with your team | Contact customer support to inquire about the plan packages |
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Webflow Cons and Pros
Pros
- Includes everything and anything that you need for an overall website builder. 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
- Very flexible pricing plans, which are also customer friendly. Better Than Elementor
Cons
- There is limited code customization
- 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 plugin for WordPress is bundled with Thrive Themes. It is a newer page builder in their environment, which has become their flagship page builder replacing the old “Thrive Content Builder.” Better Than Elementor
As with the usual “modern” website builders, Thrive architect is also doing the drag-and-drop gimmick. It is designed for beginners, but can also be used to speed up the creation of websites by veterans.
Thrive also offers an impressive library of templates for users to help them get started or get inspiration for what they’re going 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
Thrive Architect, like most modern WordPress page builders has many features. However, for this overview, we will focus mainly on the main ones.
- As a plugin, Thrive Architect works with most WordPress themes. Despite Thrive Architect having its own WordPress Theme, Thrive Suite, this is not the case. Thrive Architect can be used in conjunction with thousands of WordPress themes.
- Thrive Architect also has a massive library for plugins. The Thrive architect team ensures that all of these templates are kept at a higher quality. These templates are editable and can be used to speed up the process of creating web pages. Better Than Elementor
Thrive Architect (and Thrive Themes) focus on sales and lead conversion. Most of these templates are just as focused on sales. So expect a lot of sales-focused landing pages and webpage designs.
- Thrive Architect also 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.
Thrive cannot boast of being conversion-focused if they don’t provide the right and appropriate tools.
- Thrive is also compatible with many third-party services. This includes the usual suspects of Mailchimp, Facebook, and even Zapier.
- Thrive offers tutorials and educational content for beginners to help them learn about content-making that is focused on selling.
- You can also create pop-up overlays through Thrive Architect’s lightbox tool. Better Than Elementor
- Thrive Architect lets you create an auto-scrolling web page. Somewhat situational in use, but with enough creativity, you can make a novel website based on this feature.
- Thrive Architect supports coders by adding custom HTML to your pages.
Thrive Architect Price
Thrive Architect was once available as an individual. However, Thrive Themes recently changed this. You will need to purchase their Thrive Suite package to use Thrive Architect.
Thrive offers two payment options: Quarterly or Yearly.
Thrive Suite Quarterly | Thrive Suite Yearly |
$99 per Quarter | $299 per Year |
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Pros and cons of Thrive Architect
Pros
- It features an intuitive design that makes it easy to use. It even lets you visualize your designs in real-time
- This tool will help you create unique content 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 mainly focused on conversion and sales; as such, this is the perfect website builder for marketers and online 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 has good and attractive pricing
- It can be integrated with a large amount of email service providers.
- You can use Gutenberg (WordPress’ latest page builder) with Gutenberg blocks. Better Than 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 lacks a lifetime payment option.
Special Mentions
Brizzy
Brizzy is another WordPress builder that lets you generate web pages of amazing design. It is also another drag-and-drop builder that requires zero coding knowledge. As such, you can compare it with the big three of 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.
Brizzy doesn’t have a developer APIi. Third-party extensions are not possible with Brizzy. Brizzy’s potential is severely limited by this. 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. While this is not a huge deal breaker, it does make it inferior to the other builders, which have complete and robust documentation.
Brizy’s documentation is also not as extensive. 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 year | $199 per annum |
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. It might be like WordPress, but 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 includes people who have no idea how coding works or just how the works in general. This is the exception to the rule, Oxygen.
Despite this, Oxygen allows both designers and experienced users to create amazing websites.
People who are interested in website development should not use Oxygen. It features a huge learning curve. This is, of course, perfect for a challenge.
Oxygen is also a great tool for web developers and designers who need to fine-tune every detail. 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. Better Than Elementor
As for the Price, Oxygen is not free. 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 One time payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 one time payment) | Agency Plan ($169 one time payment) |
Most flexible and powerful visual builder for WordPress | Visually build websites and WooCommerce shops | The ultimate for building websites for clients while using Oxygen |
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Gutenberg Builder
Although this is the main WordPress builder, most online consensus is unifying. Better Than Elementor
Simply, NO.
It’s very annoying.
Writing in it is a bit unwieldy as it forces you to turn each paragraph into separate 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 Better Than Elementor
At the end of the day, your choice of WordPress page builder or page builders, in general, is up to your preference. They might be experts in one area.
It’s a smart idea to choose a WordPress theme that you like and then use the page builder that comes along with it. This is a great way for you to save money and still get high quality work.
Elementor offers the best features and is free to use.
If there’s one thing you can take away from this review, it’s this:
Avoid Gutenberg, WordPress’ default developer, and save yourself the hassle.