WordPress is a widely-used tool for website building. WordPress is a free, open-source website creation platform. 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. WordPress is the backbone of a website, powering the front-end as well as the backend.
WordPress websites can come in many forms. One of the most common WordPress websites is:
- 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 are usually geared to showcase products and services that the website owner intends to sell. They also can collect payment for said goods and services.
- Business website
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.
This can be done by creating a WordPress membership website. Content creators can make a website where users need to log in or pay for the said content. WordPress 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 holds true for both digital and traditional artists. 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.
Nowadays, larger websites are the most popular sites for discussion. Reddit and Quora are the more popular ones. It does not mean forum websites are no longer relevant. For niche topics, forums are still crucial discussion places.
WordPress allows content creators, bloggers, and even book authors to host their own Forums. 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. Speaking of ticket prices, you can even sell tickets through these websites.
- E-Learning website
Online classes and electronic courses have become a household term after the 2019 COVID Pandemic. E-learning websites existed even before the COVID Pandemic.
Students can take an online course, track their progress, download research materials and more through e-learning websites. 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. Be it a birthday, a Christening, or even a wedding; you can make a website that fits your need. 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. To get a comprehensive overview of Elementor II, you may still want to check out our article below, which compares it to some competitors.
WordPress Plugins: Enhancing WordPress to be the Best Which Elementor Vs Open Source
WordPress’ popularity and longevity can be attributed to the community of users who support it. WordPress plugins are a part of some of that support.
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 also be used for payment modes and marketing integrations. You can even find plugins to make building websites easy.
Plugins can also come between free and premium. The main difference between them could be in the quality of their function or the extent to which they are available. This does not necessarily mean that plugins for free are inferior. Heck, there are even some free plugins which function better than their premium counterparts.
These plugins are often compatible with WordPress’ core. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. Support is the strongest reason to pay for premium plugins.
WordPress plugins are generally well-behaved. However, there are times when these plugins malfunction and do not work as intended. As such, the value of customer support service can never be replaced
Your Must-Have WordPress plugins
There are certain types of plugins that WordPress websites should prioritize over 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. As such, backup plugins can be the solution to those potential headaches.
In the event of a hack or security breach, backups are important. As it allows you to easily replace data that was deleted or at least bring your website back to a previous save state before the attack happened.
- WordPress Security Plugin
WordPress’s popularity andubiquity make it a popular 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. 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. With the number of websites that pop out day by day, the competition for Google’s front pages is brutal. If you want your website to gain traction, adding a great SEO plugin may help you with that.
SEO plugins can give you tips to improve your site content’s SEO, as well as automate the small and repetitive parts of content creation.
- WordPress Form Plugin
WordPress Form Plugins allow you to add robust forms for your websites. These forms include contact forms, survey forms, donation forms, file uploaders, and more.
Basically, forms let your site visitors enter personal information. The information is then sent to the correct place (database, 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
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.
An E-commerce plugin allows you to turn your website into a store. You can access a variety of resources and tools. Some e-commerce plugins even come with online payment capabilities integrated.
- WordPress Design Plugin
WordPress is the best platform for website design. WordPress allows you to do just about anything, provided you can code. HTML, CSS and other coding languages allow you to customize your WordPress Page to the max.
That said, not all have the knowledge to code. This may seem like a high barrier of entry for WordPress users. But, WordPress wouldn’t be as popular if it had a high barrier to entry.
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. Through their drag-and-drop interface, almost everyone and their mum can build a website over at WordPress, with little to no coding knowledge. (although knowledge of coding still offers a lot of advantages).
These plugins also sped up the process of making websites, and thus, WordPress users (or at least sites that use WordPress as a platform) quickly grow in number day by day.
These are just a few of the plugins we recommend you add to your website. Of course, there are many more types of plugins, but their use can be situational and optional.
WordPress is currently home to over 60,000 plugins or more to choose from, and it is up to you to find what works best for you.
Installing WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins are very easy to install. It is quick and easy to do.
Once you have logged in to your WordPress site, look for the Plugins menu in your site’s WordPress Dashboard. Expand This Menu by clicking on it
You will find a page called Installed plugins. This is where you can find the currently installed plugins on this particular WordPress Site. 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.
To upload a new plugin, simply click on the “Add New” link. 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 even mark your favorites here.
Once you have located your preferred plugin, click 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.
Lastly, there is a menu item beneath Plugins in the WordPress Dashboard called the Editor. This editor is built into WordPress plugins and can be used to modify individual PHP files.
ONLY TWEAK OR MAKE CHANGES TO THIS SECTION IF YOU UNDERSTAND PHP. You can make your customizations unaffected by changing any of these things. 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. 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 released in mid-16, and it has been available in the WordPress Plugin Library since then. It might be a more recent addition to the WordPress ecosystem, but that is still a pretty significant period of time by the Internet’s standards.
Still, “age” does not matter to Elementor. At the time of its release, it quickly rose to one of the most popular visual page builders on the platform. 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 operates in a “what you see is what you get” approach. 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. All that being said, code is still allowed. People who want to use their own HTML, CSS and PHP along with other current coding languages are welcome to do so.
Elementor is also known for its flexibility as a plugin. You can use it with any current WordPress theme. You can even create your own themes using the theme builder.
And speaking of themes, it does work with other themes that are available in the WordPress library, and as such, there is little worry about themes bugging out. If they bug out, however, Elementor’s customer service is always open to help you fix the issues.
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 blocks, or elements, can be organized according to the user’s wishes to create a website layout.
To explain the blocks a bit more, they are the elements that make up the web design. Every element can contain a widget or a written content. Or any other thing that fits in the space.
These elements are what make Elementor today.
- Responsive Design
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.
Simply by touching a different button, you are allowed to view how your page will look through different gadgets and platforms. You can then make further edits to your page, including adding or deleting elements.
- Available templates
Templates are a must-have for any page builder. Templates are the best inspiration for building any type of thing (webpages included).
Templates also serve as good starting points for beginner page developers, especially if these templates are properly and professionally made. With templates, work and development on newer websites can come faster for the price of sites having a samey look.
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. Elementor makes these styling options available to everyone. What’s more, there is no need to have coding knowledge to do this.
- Convenience
Elementor’s many tools make web page building easy. Even better, support is available in just one click. Then there is also a quick find tool that can help in finding a specific topic of help.
- Dynamic Content
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. This ability will keep your website current and fresh.
- WooCommerce Builder
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin mainly used in 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. Some functions even allow you to show your product and prices and integrate said products into the design of your store.
- Popup Builder
Popups are one of the most disliked forms of advertising. In fact, it is so hated that even its original creator had to apologize to the whole internet for the countless troubles it has caused.
Popups can be a great lead conversion tool if used correctly. Elementor Pro users have access to a popup creator that can be used as a lead conversion tool.
Elementor’s popup creator allows you to create your popup with the same tools as the webpage builder. You can also set triggers to control when and how popups are displayed.
Elementor Price
If you are already impressed by Elementor’s features, you will be even more impressed by its price. Elementor lets users enjoy at least 80% the plugin’s capabilities for a low price of only $0.99!
That’s right! Most of Elementor’s functions and features are free to use if you install them on your WordPress site.
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 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
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
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
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
1000 Pro Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
Elementor Pros & Cons
Pros
- Elementor’s core product does not cost a single dime. To fully utilize Elementor’s potential, you don’t need the Pro plan.
- Elementor 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. If you want, you can even fine-tune the design for each device.
- Speaking of fine-tuning, Elementor provides the ability to modify alignments, margins, and padding values
Cons
- There are times when the custom styling (especially for links) gets buggy
- Sometimes Elementor’s default typography or color settings cannot be changed.
- The different margin values can make it difficult to fix misaligned elements.
- 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’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. The Divi Builder plugin was released. This means that anyone can access the exact same builder that helped Divi Theme become one of the most popular WordPress themes. Divi even made sure that the plugin is available no matter the theme you use.
Divi Features
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. As such, it also gained multiple features to give people more incentive to use it.
- Drag and Drop Visual Content Editor
The Divi builder started as a back-end page builder tool from the Divi Theme. It has been made a plugin and is now a front-end visual editor.
With this upgrade, Divi now operates in a “what you see is what you get interface.” Essentially, this removes the downside of back-end builders who do not know how the design will turn up until you switch preview moves.
Divi’s Visual Content Editor continues to be upgraded. The latest version provides a more accurate picture of the visitor’s point of view when viewing your content.
This implies that website developers will be able to work faster as it removes the need for switching to previews. This eliminates the frustration associated with incorrect layouts.
Those used to playing with the site’s backend might find themselves lost or missing some of the features available when using that mode. 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.
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.
Even blog posts could be customized through templates. They can be automatically applied to all blog posts or just a selection. If you want, you can even use the Display rules feature to automate templates and formatting of posts depending on their category.
This functionality also brings about dynamic content, which can be combined with existing static content and enhanced 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 comes with 40 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.
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.
This also results in a reduction of costs, especially if you use commercial plugins.
A few examples of these modules include “call to action” buttons, countdown timers, maps, pricing tables, email opt-in forms, videos and their sliders, social media, and even a search module.
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. This high-quality pre-made can be used to start their design process, or if they’re satisfied, it can be used as is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. This is not true for website layouts. That means each layout contains more than one page.
These can also target specific types of websites, such as websites for agencies, freelancers, eCommerce stores, and construction companies. These layouts can be customized, however.
If you are looking for a layout that is law-aware, you may find some photos that don’t fit or it doesn’t work. 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.
Although freedom of design is always a positive, too much freedom can be dangerous, especially if it is not properly managed. 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 is also granular as an editor. It is not a “black and white” or a “yes and no” choice. By choosing a role, you can define which parts of the plugin they can access and make use of.
This is especially important for web designers with clients that could break custom designs. Through the role editor, the chances of custom design breaking are reduced to a minimum.
- Full-Width Content
Images can make your web pages stand out. They can even complement the look of your website. Sometimes you simply want to add an image to one part of your website.
Divi offers a feature that lets you do exactly that. Divi allows you to add a full width and a module to your builder. You can then add any content that breaks the post container.
What’s more is that this full-width is not only limited 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. You will have to pay yearly for access to Elegant themes. One plan is a yearly access, and the other is a lifetime access.
Yearly Access | Access for Life |
$89/Year | $249 for 1 |
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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 provides veteran web designers who have the appropriate coding skills a chance to do amazing stuff.
- Divi is available with an additional WordPress theme
- Divi offers more than 100 stunning templates. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
Cons
- Longer pages are more difficult to work with.
- 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
WPBakery, which we now call Visual Composer, was once known as 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. The building blocks in this example are called “Content Elements” and have the same function as modules and widgets.
WPBakery offers about 40 content elements, each of which can be used for designing your page layout. Samples of these include text blocks, social media buttons, video players, and other blocks that are standard fare for page builders. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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 have the option to design both front and back ends, or choose to style them separately, depending on what you prefer.
WPBakery Features
Unlike most of their WordPress Page Builders, WPBakery does not offer much. They offer the following:
- Interface is simple and lightweight
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can later be saved
- Responsive Websites that look good on PC and mobile
- Your own “content elements”
- Object-oriented code
- Huge addon support
The thing with WPBakery though is that it is more of a hassle to use. Even if you are a technical person, it is not very user-friendly. It is built on a shortcode architecture that can be a massive liability.
Although it has helper text to help with the basics, most of these are poorly executed to the point of inaccuracy. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
It’s also just plain unreliable. It has erratic previews and is riddled with bugs. It is a nightmare to use, especially when you are working on a website.
WPBakery Price
WPBakery has 2 pricing plans available if you still wish to use its services. These are:
Regular | Extended |
$56 | $299 |
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WPBakery Pros and Cons
Pros
- WPBakery allows you to save your templates for later use
- It can be used with almost all themes
- It features a multilingual interface
- You will find many content blocks that can be used to build your website.
- It can be integrated with many add-ons to enhance its functions Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- It allows users to access the control panel via their role.
Cons
- It is difficult to use the page builder and takes some time to learn. 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 may slow down download speeds and impact your age speed.
Elementor Versus Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder: The 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.
Since it is a page builder, it allows you to build custom posts and pages through 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. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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. You can place text and images wherever you like with this builder.
- Beaver Builder allows for full front-end editing. This allows you to view your work while you are working on it. This is akin to the “what you see is what you get” approach of other page builders.
- Beaver Builder also removes the need for coding when building your websites. HTML or CSS, you don’t need it with Beaver Builder. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- Beaver Builder can be used with all WordPress themes. Thus, you can combine Beaver Builder with any theme, and it would be like nothing significant happened.
- Beaver Builder can be used for any type of page, post, or custom type of post.
- Beaver Builder plans include more than 50 pre-made templates. Of course, this includes templates for pages with a specific purpose. Beaver Builder can create landing pages, welcome pages, and comment sections.
- For working with your pages, Beaver Builder provides 30 content elements and modules. These will be your key to building your pages, and each will have its function to play. These modules include headings, buttons and galleries.
- Beaver Builder ensures that all your resulting websites will be compatible with any screen. Your website will therefore 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. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- 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 & Cons
Pros
- Beaver Builder allows users to create their own webpages.
- Beaver Builder is easy to use.
- Beaver Builder offers full drag-and drop builder support.
- Beaver Builder is flexible and lenient. You can even use default WordPress widgets inside Beaver Builder’s Content blocks Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- 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 $99. They do offer a Lite version which costs 0$.
- 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
Despite WordPress having the lion’s share of Internet blogs, not everyone likes using it. As such, there are alternatives for people who are uncomfortable using WordPress. Webflow is one of these alternatives.
Webflow’s primary focus is on design. Webflow’s primary goal is to make it easy for web designers to create websites. Webflows allow web designers to create responsive websites using browser-based visual editing software. Webflow allows you to write the code as you work on your website. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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. Webflow’s features allow it to focus on becoming a service that caters first to designers.
- 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.
These templates can also be accessed via Webflow. 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.
- 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. Although it may take some time to get used to Webflow, you will find that it is a wonderful user interface once you are comfortable with it. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- Webflow also has a well-laid-out interface. The main builder of Webflow is broken into three sections to make it easier for you to access. The more you get used to Webflows workflow, the better and faster you can produce web pages
- Webflow has great Search Engine Optimization Capabilities. This is made even easier by the fact that you don’t need to install another plugin to make sure your website is 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. Both of these are free and paid.
Webflow also provides detailed instructions on how to build the site from its initial setup until its launch.
- Webflow also provides a proper Content Management System to help users group content that they are presenting to their audience. This CMS organizes resources, particularly when creating blog posts. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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. They even provide you with a free one-year SSl certificate for encrypting 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.
Webflow has a variety of plans that can be used to reduce the price. These paid plans are divided into two types.
There’s the Site Plan and then there’s the Account Plan. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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. To find out the exact cost of each plan, you will need to contact Webflow Customer Service.
Basic | CMS | Business | Enterprise |
Best for simple sites which do not need CMS | Blogs and other content-driven websites are best | Best for Higher traffic marketing sites | 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 | Important additional resources are required for higher volumes of business. | 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. The first includes the free plan mentioned above, and the second two are paid plans. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
Starter Plan (Forever FREE) | Lite ($16). | Pro ($35) |
This package includes everything you need in order to get started with Webflow. | Export your code and unlock more pages for unhosted projects | Ideal for designers, freelancers and anyone who needs more projects and premium features |
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There are two types of Team plans available. They offer the same features but one has more customization options. These are the details:
Team ($35 per person) | Enterprise (situational) |
Work on projects with a team through a collaborative, shared dashboard | Contact customer support to inquire about the plan packages |
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Webflow Cons and Pros
Pros
- It includes everything you need to build a website. It even includes eCommerce websites and simple blogs.
- It has a very strong visual design tool that can rival everything that you can do with code
- Flexible pricing plans that are customer-friendly. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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.
- Some plans include traffic limits.
Elementor Versus Thrive Architects
Thrive Architect: A WordPress Page Designer
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.” Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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 focuses on creating websites that convert. The majority of the templates that were mentioned previously are designed to generate leads and convert you to your WordPress Page.
Thrive Architect Features
Thrive Architect, like most modern WordPress page builders has many features. We will only focus on the most important features for this overview.
- 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 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. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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.
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 can also integrate with a lot of 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.
- Thrive Architect’s lightbox feature allows you to create pop-up overlays. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
- 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
It used to be that you could avail of Thrive Architect individually; however, Thrive Themes have recently changed that. You will need to purchase their Thrive Suite package to use Thrive Architect.
Thrive has 2 payment plans available: Quarterly and Yearly:
Thrive Suite Quarterly | Thrive Suite Yearly |
$99 per Quarter | $299 per Year |
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Thrive Architect Pros and Cons
Pros
- Features an intuitive design that is easy to use. It even lets you 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.
- Most websites are mobile responsive, so you can be sure that your website is smartphone compatible
- It is a lightweight plugin that will not noticeably slow down the pages’ loading times.
- It is affordable and well-priced
- It can be integrated with a large amount of email service providers.
- Can work with Gutenberg (WordPress’ latest page builder) by adding Gutenberg blocks. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
Cons
- Not available individually, You have to buy the whole Thrive Suite to use it. This means double the cost if you already have an existing and preferred WordPress Theme.
- Aside from that, You need to download Thrive Product Manager before you can even begin to plant a single 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.
As with most builders, Brizzy does well as a simple builder. However, there are some areas where it could be more effective.
Brizzy doesn’t have a developer APIi. As such, you cannot have third-party extensions with Brizzy. This severely cripples Brizzy’s potential. Brizzy is limited in its flexibility and cannot reach the heights at Beaver Build, Elementor, or 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.
Furthermore, the documentation that exists for Brizy also is not as comprehensive. Brizy documentation is not as comprehensive, so people who are looking for help or asking for it might be left scratching their heads.
Brizzy pricing is as follows:
Personal | Freelancer | Agency |
$49 per annum | $99 per annum | $199 per annum |
Ideal for personal work |
Perfect 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.
Website builders tend to be more appealing to a wider audience. This includes people who have no idea how coding works or just how the works in general. Oxygen seems to be the exception to that rule.
That said, Oxygen does allow experienced users and designers to create wonderful websites.
People who are interested in website development should not use Oxygen. There is a steep learning curve. This is, of course, perfect for a challenge.
Furthermore, web developers and designers who want to be able to fine-tune even the most minute of details, Oxygen is also for them. Oxygen provides the tools necessary to have full control of a website’s elements, as well as its bits and pieces.
As for beginners and those looking for an easier user experience, it’s best to stay away from this one. Which Elementor Vs Open Source
The price of Oxygen is prohibitive. It doesn’t even have 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 One time payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 one time payment) | Agency Plan ($169 once-off payment) |
WordPress’s most flexible and powerful visual builder | Visually build websites as well as WooCommerce stores | The ultimate for building websites for clients while using Oxygen |
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Gutenberg Builder
While this is WordPress main builder, majority of online consensus is united: Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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.
There is a reason why WordPress page builder plugins were created. The default plugin is not recommended.
Verdict Which Elementor Vs Open Source
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 to cut costs and save money while maintaining quality work.
That said, you should keep in mind Elementor, which offers the best features while maintaining its free status.
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.