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. WordPress is a popular platform for creating websites. It has many features and is flexible, so it’s great for both newbies and veterans.
Any website that uses the WordPress ecosystems to manage its content is a WordPress website. WordPress is the backbone of a website, powering the front-end as well as the backend.
WordPress websites come in many different 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 websites are primarily focused on online business. These websites are often used to display products or services the owner wants to sell. They also can collect payment for said goods and services.
- Website for businesses
These might appear to be E-Commerce websites at first glance. 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. They can be thought of as a business profile, but not online.
- Membership Websites
Content creators (i.e., Youtubers, Online Artists, etc.) They might offer something more for their most loyal followers or supporters. They might want to offer “exclusive” and extra content that they want to put behind a paywall.
A WordPress membership website is a good way to go about this. A website can be created by content creators. Users will need to log in to access the site or pay for it. 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 is especially true for artists, both traditional and digital. A website allows artists to showcase their work. It is similar to owning a museum.
- Forum website
Forums websites are online communities wherein the range of conversation topics is limitless. Forums were the king of the Internet before social media. Nowadays, specialized forums are few and far between.
In current times, bigger websites have become the go-to websites for discussion. Reddit and Quora are the more popular ones. However, it does not mean that forum websites have stopped existing altogether. For niche topics, forums are still crucial discussion places.
A content creator, a blogger, or even a book author, can host their own Forums through WordPress. 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. 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. Even then, E-learning websites have already existed during the BC (Before COVID) era.
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 can now be sent online. 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.
For those of you who prefer a more visual experience, here is a video review from Daniel on his YouTube channel Design Break. 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 Learndash Astra 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 a package of additional code that users can upload to their website to enhance its features, functionality, and integrations with other websites.
WordPress Plugins can take on multiple forms. You can use them to improve a website’s SEO, or for analytics. WordPress plugins can be used to integrate marketing and payment methods. There are even plugins that can help to build websites a cinch.
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. Heck, there are even some free plugins which function better than their premium counterparts.
These plugins often play nicely with the heart of WordPress, more or less. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. Support is the strongest reason to pay for premium plugins.
As stated above, WordPress plugins tend to be well-behaved with each other. There are occasions when plugins do not function as they should. Customer support is invaluable and cannot 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. Having no backup is a potential headache waiting to happen, and a huge one at that. Backup plugins are a great solution to these 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.
This is where WordPress Security plugins come in. These plugins offer many ways to stop 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. With proper SEO settings, your website can be found easier in searches through search engines such as Google and Bing!
SEO is a business. The competition for Google’s top pages is fierce with the sheer number of websites popping up every day. If you want your website to gain traction, adding a great SEO plugin may help you with that.
SEO plugins are able to give you tips and automate repetitive tasks such as 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).
Since forms handle sensitive data and personal information, it is important that they be secure and should discourage spam. These forms should also fit depending on the customer (most websites that use forms are e-commerce websites).
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
For WordPress E-commerce, an ecommerce plugin is a must. E-commerce websites are built to sell products; however, your website will have no such ability if you do not have the appropriate plugin.
An E-commerce plugin allows you to turn your website into a store. You can access a variety of resources and tools. Some plugins for e-commerce even have online payment capabilities.
- WordPress Design Plugin
In terms of website building, WordPress is a beast. 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.
That said, not all have the knowledge to code. This might seem like a high barrier to entry for WordPress users. However, If WordPress had a high barrier of entry, it wouldn’t be as popular now.
WordPress regained and even grew its user base by removing this so-called barrier of entry. WordPress Site Design Plugins like page builders allowed website building, in general, to become an easier and faster process.
Many of these plugins remove the need to code in order to build websites. With their drag-and drop interface, anyone can create a WordPress website with minimal to no programming knowledge. (although knowledge of coding still offers a lot of advantages).
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.
These are just a few of the plugins we recommend you add to your website. There are many other types of plugins available, but they can be used in a situational or optional manner.
WordPress currently has over 60,000 plugins, but you can choose from many more.
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.
You will find a page called Installed plugins. Here you will find all the plugins currently installed on this WordPress Site. Even if you haven’t added some plugins, or if this is your first time looking at this page, you might notice plugins already installed.
This is because some plugins come bundled with your WordPress Installation.
Click on the “Add New” link to upload a plugin. This will let you search for plugins in the WordPress.org Plugin directory. There are also links you can click to look at featured, popular, and latest plugins available. You can also mark your favorite plugins 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”.
Once the plugin has finished installing, click Activate to turn the plugin on.
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 ranks among the top. 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.
Still, “age” does not matter to Elementor. 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. It does this function well. It works in an “what you see, is what you get” manner. This makes it easy to see the final website design while you’re 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 also known for its flexibility as a plugin. You can use it with any current WordPress theme. You can even create your own themes using the theme builder.
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
While Elementor might bill itself as just a drag-and-drop page builder, the number of features that come with it makes that an understatement.
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 so-called blocks or elements can be arranged depending on the user’s whims to form a compelling website layout and design.
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. This means that they not only look elegant and pretty when viewed through a personal computer and laptop,
Because of the responsive design, you can even look at the design through your phone, and still it would look great, comprehensive, 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. 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. Templates are the best inspiration for building any type of thing (webpages included).
For beginners, templates can be a good starting point for page developers. This is especially true if the templates are professionally designed. Templates make it easier to develop new websites faster than sites with the same look.
All templates in Elementor are editable. This includes their styling options. Templates are a great way to ensure that your websites look consistent.
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
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. What’s more, there is no need to have coding knowledge to do this.
- Convenience
The multitude of tools, Elementor makes web page building accessible to many. Even better, support is available in just one click. You can also use the quick find tool to help you locate a topic of assistance.
- Dynamic Content
Through elementor, you can add dynamic content from custom fields and plugins such as 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 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 the most hated type of advertising on the web. Popups are so disliked that their creator had to apologize for all the problems it caused.
However, when used properly, popups are among your website’s best lead conversion tools. Elementor Pro users have access to a popup creator that can be used as a lead conversion tool.
Elementor’s popup builder allows you to design your popup using the same tools included in 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 allows users to enjoy at least 80% of the plugin’s capabilities at the low price of FREE!
That’s right! Most of Elementor’s functions and features are free to use if you install them on your WordPress site.
That said, Elementor also offers Pro plans with some features, such as the Popup builder behind a paywall. The Elementor Pro offers three plans. Each plan has its 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
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support |
25 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
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
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
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 provides plenty of features to create the best WordPress web page. These tools are simple and very easy to use.
- Elementor’s page builders are an upgrade to the WordPress Builder in terms of functionality 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.
- Elementors pages are automatically responsive in design. They are compatible with all devices. You can also fine-tune each device’s design if you wish.
- Elementor allows you to adjust alignments, margins and padding values.
Cons
- Sometimes custom styling, especially for links, can get a bit 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.
- 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
Among the multitude of Themes available in the WordPress theme shop is “Elegant Themes.” Throughout the years, Elegant themes have built up an active user community and a growing ecosystem, transforming it into one of the biggest players in the WordPress World.
Among their products is the Divi Theme, which is their flagship product. Divi is crucial to Elegant Theme’s success due to its functionality in its drag-and-drop website builder.
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. 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 made sure the plugin was available regardless of which theme you used.
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.
Divi’s interface now works in a “what do you see is what you get” mode. This eliminates the problem of back-end developers who don’t know how Divi will look until you make a switch to preview.
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.
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.
Some users might not be familiar with the site’s backend and may feel lost or miss some features. You can switch to Wireframe mode with Divi Builder.
This wireframe mode effectively hides the content of each module and focuses more on the page’s structure. This gives you a clear view of the layout and which modules are being used.
Effectively, Divi offers a flexible way to work on your website, depending on your comfort and preference.
- 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 inserted into columns and row layouts, each with 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.
Whether one developer runs this idea of all your plugins and “apps” is good or bad, it has its own benefits. It reduces the load time for your WordPress site.
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.
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.
- 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
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. A/B testing can help you to determine which version is best. Comparing different layouts of a webpage can help you determine if the design decision should be made.
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. This allows for more efficient job division but increases the chance of the website’s main settings being changed accidentally. 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. Through this role editor, you can still let your co-authors do their thing, such as writing for your blogs, while preventing them from doing unnecessary stuff.
Divi’s role as editor is also granular. It is not a “black and white” or a “yes and no” choice. You can assign roles to define what parts of the plugin they are allowed to access and use.
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.
Luckily Divi has a feature that allows you to do just that. Divi lets you add a full width to your builder and a module to accompany it. You can then add any content that breaks the post container.
This full-width does not just apply to images. Videos, text, headers and menus can all be included.
Divi Price
Divi Builder was an original part of Divi Theme. You cannot purchase 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 any number of websites without restrictions.
- Divi is very beginner friendly, with the drag and drop page builder which is very easy to use
- Divi gives veteran web designers with the right coding skills the chance to create amazing things.
- Divi comes with an Extra WordPress theme
- Divi offers more than 100 stunning templates. Learndash Astra Elementor
Cons
- Working with longer pages tend to be slow
- Divi’s online editing options are better
- Divi has a few bugs. This is most common when creating more complicated layouts.
Elementor Versus WPBakery
WP Bakery: The Builder Formerly Known as Visual Composer
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. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed to WPBakery
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. Learndash Astra 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. The following is what they offer:
- Interface is simple and lightweight
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can later be saved
- Responsive websites that work on mobile and PC
- 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. Learndash Astra 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 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 Learndash Astra Elementor
- It has a user role access control
Cons
- It is difficult to use the page builder and takes some time to learn. This is true even for experienced website designers.
- It may not be compatible with all plugins, and can sometimes cause conflicts with them.
- Deactivating this builder leaves shortcodes on pages that use this plugin.
- This plugin may slow down download speeds and impact your age speed.
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 has a lot of great products and services for its customers.
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. Users don’t even need to have a knowledge of HTML to have a functioning website with the help of Beaver Builder.
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. Learndash Astra 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. After all, when it comes to Beaver Builder, efficiency is the name of the game.
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 similar to other page builders’ “What you see is what your get” approach.
- Beaver Builder eliminates the need to code when building websites. Beaver Builder doesn’t require HTML or CSS. Learndash Astra Elementor
- Beaver Builder can be used with all WordPress themes. 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. Be it a landing page, a welcome page, or a normal comment section; Beaver Builder has got you covered.
- 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. Your website will therefore be responsive.
- Beaver Builder is also compatible with WooCommerce. As such, you can develop your WooCommerce content through the special content elements Beaver Builder offers. Learndash Astra Elementor
- Beaver Builder is also not stingy. 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 Prices
Agency | Pro | Standard |
$399 | $199 | $99 |
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Beaver Builder Pros and Cons
Pros
- Beaver Builder allows users to create their own webpages.
- Beaver Builder is easy to use.
- Beaver Builder’s full drag-and-drop builder offer front end editing support.
- Beaver Builder is also very flexible and lenient. You can even use default WordPress widgets inside Beaver Builder’s Content blocks Learndash Astra Elementor
- Beaver Builder offers many page templates that can be used as a starting point for pages.
Cons
- Beaver Builder is at a pretty steep price point. The cheapest plan is $99. The cheapest plan is $99.
- Beaver Builder’s capability is limited to whatever theme you have. Beaver Builder won’t be able do things the theme can’t.
- 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. Webflow is one of these alternatives.
Webflow’s main focus is design. Webflow’s primary goal is to make it easy for web designers to create websites. 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. Learndash Astra Elementor
When compared to WordPress, Webflow claims to have more advantages over it. 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. 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. Learndash Astra Elementor
- Webflow also has a well-laid-out 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 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. These templates are both 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 Learndash Astra Elementor
Webflow eases up the blogging process and puts it in a more organized manner.
- 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.
Aside from that, Webflow is also SOC-2 compliant, which means that the builder can meet high standards of security, confidentiality, and privacy.
Webflow also automatically updates and saves backups of your files. So whenever something is wrong, you will be confident (at least not as worried) that you can easily get back your files.
Webflow Price
As for price, you can choose to avail webflow with their free plan. This allows you to use webflow on two projects with full designing and can publish said projects on their website of Webflow.io. Their free plan is available for free for life.
However, if we’re talking about price, Webflow offers versatile plans. These paid plans are divided into two types.
There’s the Site Plan and then there’s the Account Plan. Learndash Astra Elementor
The Site plan offers everything there is needed to build 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 | Blogs and other content-driven websites are best | Best for Higher traffic marketing sites | 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) |
For new business that are just starting out | 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. These are categorized into 2 types of plans: the Individual plans and the 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. Learndash Astra Elementor
Starter Plan (Forever Free) | Lite ($16) | Pro ($35) |
This package includes everything you need in order to get started with Webflow. | Export your code to unlock additional pages for unhosted project | 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 Pros and Cons
Pros
- It includes everything you need to build a website. This includes simple blogs and eCommerce websites.
- It boasts a strong visual design tool that rivals everything you can do using code
- Very flexible pricing plans, which are also customer friendly. Learndash Astra Elementor
Cons
- You can only customize the code.
- The number of plans and variations may be confusing and, if not careful, might make you choose the wrong plan
- There is a huge bit of a learning curve due to it being a new and different environment from WordPress as well as new and powerful features
- Traffic limits are included in some plans.
Elementor Versus Thrive Architects
Thrive Architect: A WordPress Page Designer
Thrive Architect is a WordPress page builder plugin 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.” Learndash Astra 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 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. The majority of the templates that were mentioned previously are designed to generate leads and convert you 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. Thrive Architect can be used in conjunction with thousands of WordPress themes.
- Thrive Architect has a large library of plugins. All of the templates are maintained by the Thrive architect team at a higher standard. These editable templates can help speed up the design process when making web pages. Learndash Astra Elementor
Thrive Architect and Thrive Themes focus on lead conversion and sales. Most of these templates are just as focused on sales. So expect a lot of sales-focused landing pages and webpage designs.
- Thrive Architect has its own intuitive drag and drop page editor. This interface gives you a real-time, accurate view of the page’s design.
With the WYSIWYG approach, builders can save a lot of time as they remove the need for previewing your website. Your workflow gets faster as you don’t have to save multiple times and ensure you are doing right or wrong.
With WYSIWYG, you always know where your bearings are.
- Since we have already talked about Thrive’s fixation on conversions, you wouldn’t be surprised that they also have a lot of 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 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. Learndash Astra 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. 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. You can even visualize your designs in real time.
- This tool will help you create unique content on the Internet
- It comes with high-quality templates for landing pages as well as webpages. Because they are organized in sets, it is easy to find the perfect template.
- It is focused primarily on conversion and sales, making it the ideal website builder for online marketers and businesses.
- Many websites are responsive to mobile devices, so you can rest assured that your website will be compatible with smartphones.
- 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 to a wide range of email service providers.
- Can work with Gutenberg (WordPress’ latest page builder) by adding Gutenberg blocks. Learndash Astra Elementor
Cons
- Not available individually, You have to buy the whole Thrive Suite to use it. 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.
For one, Brizzy does not have a developer APi. 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
Brizzy is also lacking 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.
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.
The following is Brizzy Pricing:
Personal | Freelancer | Agency |
$49 per annum | $99 per year | $199 per annum |
Perfect for Personal Work |
Ideal for working with clients |
Perfect for White-label solutions |
Oxygen Builder
The Oxygen builder has a similarity to Webflow in nature. 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.
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 gives you the tools to control all aspects of your website, including its pieces.
For beginners or those who want a simpler user experience, this is not the best option. Learndash Astra Elementor
As for the Price, Oxygen is not free. You don’t get a demo. What it has is a 60-day money-back guarantee. If you are not up to Oxygene’s challenge, you can always return it.
Basic Plan (99 USD One-time Payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 one time payment) | Agency Plan ($169 once-off payment) |
Most flexible and powerful visual builder for WordPress | Visually build websites and WooCommerce shops | Oxygen is the ultimate tool for creating websites for clients |
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Gutenberg Builder
Although this is the main WordPress builder, most online consensus is unifying. Learndash Astra Elementor
Simply, NO.
It is very buggy.
It is difficult to write in because you have to break up each paragraph into its own blocks. It has a mind of its own.
Finally, even with all the efforts made to improve its performance it still falls behind, especially when it comes to creating large posts.
WordPress page builders plugins were made. The default plugin is not recommended.
Verdict Learndash Astra Elementor
Your choice of WordPress page builder is entirely up to you. 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.