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.
A WordPress website is any website that utilizes the WordPress ecosystems for managing its content. As such, WordPress becomes the backbone of the website by powering both the backend and the front-end of the said website.
WordPress websites come in many different forms. One of the most common WordPress websites is:
- 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 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.
- Website for businesses
At first glance, these might look and feel like E-Commerce websites. However, they are very different in terms of function. While E-commerce websites can sell, Business websites are geared toward introducing users to a company and what they offer. Think of them as a business profile except online.
- Sites for members
Content creators (i.e., Youtubers, Online Artists, etc.) They might offer something more for their most loyal followers or supporters. They may want to offer extra, exclusive content they are willing to pay a fee for.
A WordPress membership website is a good way to go about this. Content creators can make a website where users need to log in or pay for the said content. WordPress has enough tools to handle the things needed to set this up.
- Portfolio Website
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. Back before social media was a thing, forums used to rule the Internet. Today, forums for specialized topics are rare.
Nowadays, larger websites are the most popular sites for discussion. Reddit, Quora and other forums are the most popular. 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. Through an event website, the audience can look at and check event details such as dates and times, seating, and even ticket prices. These websites can also be used to sell tickets.
- E-Learning website
Online classes and electronic courses have become a household term after the 2019 COVID Pandemic. Even then, E-learning websites have already existed during the BC (Before COVID) era.
E-learning websites allow students to take an online course, track how they are doing, download their research materials, and much more. 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. Thanks to the power of the internet, you can create websites for that personal event of yours. You can create a website for any occasion, including a birthday or christening. WordPress has many resources that make it easy and fast to create a website.
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 Astra Theme Elementor
WordPress’ popularity and longevity can be attributed to the community of users who support it. Some of this support comes in the form of WordPress Plugins.
WordPress plugins are an additional code package that can be uploaded to a website to improve its functionality and integrate with other sites.
WordPress Plugins can take on multiple forms. They can be in the form that focuses on a website’s SEO or for use in analytics. WordPress plugins can be used to integrate marketing and payment methods. There are even plugins that can help to build websites a cinch.
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. Some plugins even function better than premium ones.
These plugins are often compatible with WordPress’ core. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. The strongest argument for paying for a premium plugin is the support.
As stated above, WordPress plugins tend to be well-behaved with each other. However, there are times when these plugins malfunction and do not work as intended. Customer support is invaluable and cannot be replaced.
Your Must-Have WordPress plugins
There are certain types of plugins that WordPress websites should prioritize over others. 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.
Backups are also important in case of a security breach or hack. 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
The ubiquity and popularity of WordPress make it a lucrative target for hackers. Hackers create malicious programs to attack WordPress sites, access all their data, and do something nefarious.
This is where WordPress Security plugins come in. These plugins offer many ways to stop these attacks. Some limit login attempts to a website to stop brute force attacks. Others offer a more comprehensive and sophisticated way to ward off these attacks.
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. A great SEO plugin can help your website gain more traffic.
SEO plugins can give you tips to improve your site content’s SEO, as well as automate the small and repetitive parts of content creation.
- WordPress Form Plugin
WordPress Form Plugins allow you to add robust forms for your websites. These forms include contact forms, survey forms, donation forms, file uploaders, and more.
Forms allow site visitors to enter their personal information. The information is then sent to the correct place (database, mailing list).
Forms can be used to collect sensitive information and should not be spammed. These forms should also fit depending on the customer (most websites that use forms are e-commerce websites).
It is important to choose a WordPress form plugin that is secure, yet easy to set up and customize.
- WordPress E-commerce Plugin
For WordPress E-commerce, an ecommerce plugin is a must. 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 plugins for e-commerce even have online payment capabilities.
- WordPress Design Plugin
In terms of website building, WordPress is a beast. WordPress allows you to do just about anything, provided you can code. HTML, CSS, and other coding languages can allow you to tweak your WordPress Page to the limit.
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 such as page builders made website building easier and more efficient.
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. 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 can be installed very easily. 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.
Because some plugins are included with WordPress Installations, this is possible.
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 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.
The Editor menu item is located under Plugins in WordPress Dashboard. 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 is among the best. It is a drag and drop page builder that allows users to quickly create their website. Even characters with no tech skills can still make a mark on the internet.
Elementor was released in mid-16, and it has been available in the WordPress Plugin Library since then. 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. 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. It does this function well. It operates in a “what you see is what you get” approach. This makes it easy to see the final website design while you’re still editing.
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. It can be used anytime with whatever current WordPress theme you are using. 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. 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 creates a website using building blocks. These so-called blocks or elements can be arranged depending on the user’s whims to form a compelling website layout and design.
To explain the blocks a bit more, they are the elements that make up the web 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
All web pages created with Elementor’s page builders are responsive by default. 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 allows users to customize the look of their website.
Simply by touching a different button, you are allowed to view how your page will look through different gadgets and platforms. 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. You can also edit 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
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
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
You can use elementor to add dynamic content using custom fields and plugins like ACF, Pods and Toolset. Through dynamic content, you can have your pages up to date consistently and constantly. Such an ability can keep your website up-to-date and fresh.
- WooCommerce Builder
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce plugin mainly used in WordPress. Its main customer base consists of merchants who use WordPress as their main website. This includes online merchants of all sizes.
WooCommerce is almost in symbiotic relationships with WordPress. It’s easy to integrate WooCommerce within WordPress.
Elementor allows you to enhance your WooCommerce store with its customization 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 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.
Popups can be a great lead conversion tool if used correctly. Elementor Pro users have access to a popup creator that can be used as a lead conversion tool.
Elementor’s popup creator allows you to create your popup with the same tools as the webpage builder. You can even set the triggers on when and how these popups appear.
Elementor Price
If you are already impressed by Elementor’s features, you will be even more impressed by its price. Elementor lets users enjoy at least 80% the plugin’s capabilities for a low price of only $0.99!
That’s right! You can use most of Elementor’s functions & features for free if you put them on your WordPress website.
That said, Elementor also offers Pro plans with some features, such as the Popup builder behind a paywall. If you are interested, the Elementor Pro consists of three types of plans. Each 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
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
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
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
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 |
Elementor Pros & Cons
Pros
- Elementor’s core product does not cost a single dime. There is no need to get the Pro plan to use Elementor’s full potential.
- Elementor provides plenty of features to create the best WordPress web page. These tools are very simple to use.
- Elementor’s page builder is an upgrade to the basic WordPress Builder both in terms of function and accessibility
- Elementor allows you to build pages without the need to learn HTML, CSS, or PHP coding skills.
- Elementor’s “what do you see is what you get” approach to building websites speeds up the process by eliminating the need for previews.
- The Elementors pages can be redesigned automatically to be responsive. They work with all devices. If you want, you can even fine-tune the design for each device.
- Elementor allows you to adjust alignments, margins and padding values.
Cons
- Sometimes custom styling, especially for links, can get a bit buggy.
- There are times when Elementor’s default typography and color settings remain persistent and cannot be staged
- The different margin values can make it difficult to fix misaligned elements.
- Elementor could slow down different websites’ loading times.
Elementor Versus Divi
Divi Builder: The Crowning Jewel of Elegant themes
Elegant themes is one of many WordPress themes available in the shop. It has grown to be one of the most prominent players in the WordPress World.
Divi Theme is their flagship product. Divi is crucial to Elegant Theme’s success due to its functionality in its drag-and-drop website builder.
It was only a matter time that Elegant Themes provided the builder as an additional 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 even made sure that the plugin is available no matter the theme you use.
Divi Features
Since “gaining independence” and becoming a standalone plugin, Divi Builder now works with any WordPress themes (even if they are not from Elegant Themes). As such, it also gained multiple features to give people more incentive to use it.
- Drag and drop visual content editor
The Divi Builder was originally a back-end page building tool for 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.
Website developers will be able work more efficiently as they no longer have to switch to previews. It also removes the frustration of discovering inaccurate layouts.
Some users might not be familiar with the site’s backend and may feel lost or miss some features. All is not lost, however, as Divi Builder allows you to switch into Wireframe mode.
The wireframe mode hides each module’s content and focuses on the structure of the page. This provides a good overview of what the page looks like and which modules are 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 included Divi’s theme builder feature. This made it a complete on-site editor and not just a page builder.
This effectively gave Divi Builder the ability to customize your entire 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.
Most surprisingly, the Divi Theme Builder feature allows users to make custom 404 error pages and search results pages.
- Helpful Content Modules
Divi builder comes with 40 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. Using these modules, you turn almost all of your website’s services into pure 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.
A few examples of these modules include “call to action” buttons, countdown timers, maps, pricing tables, email opt-in forms, videos and their sliders, social media, and even a search module.
You can also find different versions of these modules. This adds spice to your website design. This will ensure that the same module is not duplicated from other parts of the internet.
- A growing library of pre-made websites and page layouts
Divi would be remiss to not offer ready-made, ready-to-use web pages and layouts. These layouts are their version of templates.
As templates usually go, they are extremely useful for non-web designers or web designers whose design sense leaves to be desired. This high-quality pre-made can be used to start their design process, or if they’re satisfied, it can be used as is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. This is not true for website layouts. 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. Well, prepare your tools and edit until it takes the form of the website you want.
- Divi Builder A/B Testing Tool
Divi builder offers the unique ability to conduct A/B testing of your page layout. A/B testing allows you to compare two design iterations on your page layout and see which one is more effective than the other.
While freedom in design is always a plus, too much freedom could be detrimental, especially when it is misguided. 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. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks may spoil the broth.”
Luckily, Divi has a Role Editor that you can use to limit other people’s access to the backend of your webpage. 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’s not a binary choice. By choosing a role, you can define which parts of the plugin they can access and make use of.
This is especially important for web designers with clients that 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 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. Then you are free to add the appropriate content that can break the post container.
What’s more is that this full-width is not only limited to images. You can include videos, texts, headers, menus, and more.
Divi Price
Since Divi Builder was originally part of the Divi Theme, and you cannot get 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 1 Time |
|
|
Divi Pros and Con
Pros
- Divi has a clean and slick, intuitive interface.
- Divi offers tremendous value for the money (they even offer a lifetime deal)
- Divi can be used on an unlimited number of websites and without limitations
- 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 provides more than a hundred stunning templates to choose from. Astra Theme Elementor
Cons
- Longer pages are more difficult to work with.
- Divi’s online editing options are better
- Divi is not perfect. 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. Let’s move on to WPBakery now that we have that out of the way.
This plugin, like all other page builders allows you to create unique pages. 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. Samples of these include text blocks, social media buttons, video players, and other blocks that are standard fare for page builders. Astra Theme Elementor
WPBakery also uses a drag-and-drop page builder to style 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
WPBakery doesn’t offer much, unlike many of the other WordPress Page Builders. They offer the following:
- Interface is simple and lightweight
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can be saved for later use
- Responsive Websites that look good on PC and mobile
- Your own “content elements”
- Object-oriented code
- Huge addon support
WPBakery is more difficult to use than you might think. It’s not that user-friendly, even if you have a tech background. It’s built on a shortcode architecture, which can prove to be a huge liability.
It has some help text, but they are not well executed. Astra Theme Elementor
Lastly, it’s 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 |
|
|
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
- Includes various content blocks to help you build your website
- You can integrate it with various add-ons that will enhance its functionality Astra Theme Elementor
- It allows users to access the control panel via their role.
Cons
- The page builder is not easy to use and requires a learning curve. Even experienced website designers know this.
- It is not compatible with all plugins and sometimes has conflicts with them
- Deactivating this builder leaves shortcodes on pages that use this plugin.
- This plugin can impact age speed and might slow download times.
Elementor Versus Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder: The Most Efficient Beaver-Themed Builder
One of the more famous names in the WordPress page builder space is Beaver Builder. Why wouldn’t it be with its feature-rich drag-and-drop page builder and easy-to-use interface?
Beaver Builders offers a lot to its users.
Since it is a page builder, it allows you to build custom posts and pages through a drag-and-drop user interface. This removes the need for coding to create your website. Beaver Builder doesn’t require users to know HTML in order to create a functional website.
Despite having a theme of its own, Beaver Builder (the plugin) is compatible with any WordPress theme. As such, you can keep using your current WordPress theme and carry on developing and designing your site. Astra Theme Elementor
However, Beaver’s strongest point is its ease of use and efficiency. Beaver Builder boasts that it makes working with existing website content and creating websites from scratch much faster and more efficient.
Beaver Builder Features
BeaverBuilder is a powerful page builder with many features that can be called the best. Let’s not list everything, but let’s just focus on the highlights. Efficiency is the key to Beaver Builder.
Beaver Builder’s essential features include:
- You can drag and drop the main page builder. This builder allows you to place content elements, such as text and images, wherever you want.
- Beaver Builder offers full front-end editing. Which effectively allows you to see your work as you are working on it. This is akin to the “what you see is what you get” approach of other page builders.
- Beaver Builder also removes the need for coding when building your websites. HTML or CSS, you don’t need it with Beaver Builder. Astra Theme Elementor
- Beaver Builder is compatible with most themes in WordPress. 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. This includes templates for pages that have a specific purpose. Beaver Builder can create landing pages, welcome pages, and comment sections.
- Beaver Builder offers 30 content elements and modules for working with pages. These content elements and modules will be the key to your pages’ construction. Each will have its own function. Some of these modules include (headings, buttons, galleries, and much more)
- Beaver Builder ensures that all your resulting websites will be compatible with any screen. As such, you can be sure that your developed website will be responsive.
- Beaver Builder is also compatible with WooCommerce. Beaver Builder allows you to create WooCommerce content using the content elements. Astra Theme Elementor
- Beaver Builder is also not stingy. Beaver Builder allows you to export and import features. This allows you reuse and share your designs with the larger community.
Beaver Builder Price
| Agency | Pro | Standard |
| $399 | $199 | $99 |
|
|
|
Beaver Builder Pros & Cons
Pros
- Beaver Builder allows users to create their own webpages.
- There is no learning curve when using Beaver Builder
- Beaver Builder offers full drag-and drop builder support.
- Beaver Builder is also very flexible and lenient. You can even use default WordPress widgets inside Beaver Builder’s Content blocks Astra Theme 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 is only capable of working with the theme that you choose. Beaver Builder won’t be able do things the theme can’t.
- Beaver Builder 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. There are many alternatives to WordPress for those who don’t like it. 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. 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. Astra Theme Elementor
Webflow is said to offer more benefits than WordPress. Webflow offers more creativity, more security, and easier use for users.
Webflow Features
Webflow is a page builder that does everything. Webflow’s features allow it to focus on becoming a service that caters first to designers.
- Webflow offers over a thousand available templates, and 45 of them are free. These templates can be used to build websites as you would with most websites.
Webflow also makes it easy for you to access these templates. 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. 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. Astra Theme Elementor
- Webflow has an intuitive interface. The main builder of Webflow is broken into three sections to make it easier for you to access. The more you get used to Webflows workflow, the better and faster you can produce web pages
- Webflow offers 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 also guides non-SEO professionals to improve their website’s SEO ranking in order to increase traffic and convert more customers.
- Webflow offers impressive eCommerce Features that are suitable for building a good and functional 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 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. Astra Theme Elementor
Webflow makes blogging easier and more efficient by organizing it in a more structured way.
- You can be sure that your data will remain safe and secure with Webflow. 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.
Lastly, Webflow automatically updates your files and stores backups of them. So whenever something is wrong, you will be confident (at least not as worried) that you can easily get back your files.
Webflow Price
You can avail webflow with their no-cost plan. This allows you to use webflow on 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 is the Site Plan, and then there are the account plans. Astra Theme Elementor
The Site plan offers everything there is needed to build a basic website. Webflow offers 2 types of these plans. You can choose from four options in the basic plan. The cost starts at $12 per month. You will have to contact Webflow Customer service to get the exact amount for each plan.
| Basic | CMS | Business | Enterprise |
| Best for simple sites which do not need CMS | Best for blogs and other content-driven websites | Sites that have higher traffic are best | This product is ideal for businesses and includes exclusive features |
|
|
|
|
As for the Ecommerce plans, the are three types of plans
| Standard ($29 USD) | Plus ($74 USD) | Advanced ($2112( u) |
| A new business starting from scratch | For higher volume of business that needs important additional | Businesses looking to grow and breach |
|
|
|
Account plans allow for more advanced website development with additional features. These are categorized into 2 types of plans: the Individual plans and the team plans.
The individual plans have 3 types of payment methods. One includes the aforementioned free plan, while the other 2 are paid plans. Astra Theme Elementor
| Starter Plan (Forever Free) | Lite ($16) | Pro ($35) |
| Includes everything you need to start building with Webflow. | Export your code and unlock more pages for unhosted projects | Ideal for designers, freelancers and anyone who needs more projects and premium features |
|
|
|
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. Here they are:
| Team ($35 per person) | Enterprise (situational) |
| Use a shared, collaborative dashboard to collaborate on projects with your team | For more information about the plans, contact customer service |
|
|
-
Webflow Cons and Pros
Pros
- It includes everything you need to build a website. It even includes eCommerce websites and simple blogs.
- It boasts a strong visual design tool that rivals everything you can do using code
- Flexible pricing plans that are customer-friendly. Astra Theme 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
- 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 Architect
Thrive Architect plugin for WordPress is bundled with Thrive Themes. It is a newer page builder in their environment, which has become their flagship page builder replacing the old “Thrive Content Builder.” Astra Theme Elementor
As with the usual “modern” website builders, Thrive architect is also doing the drag-and-drop gimmick. As such, it is geared toward beginners and helps veterans speed through making websites.
Thrive offers a large library of templates to users to help them get started, or to get ideas for what they want to do.
Surprisingly, Thrive Architects 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. However, for this overview, we will focus mainly on the main ones.
- Thrive Architect is a plugin that works with all WordPress themes. This is despite Thrive Architect coming with its own WordPress Theme called Thrive Suite. 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. Astra Theme Elementor
Thrive Architect and Thrive Themes focus on lead conversion and sales. These templates are almost all 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.
Besides, Thrive can’t boast about being conversion focused if they cannot provide the proper and adequate tools to do so.
- Thrive is also compatible with many third-party services. This includes the usual suspects of Mailchimp, Facebook, and even Zapier.
- Thrive offers tutorials and educational content for beginners to help them learn about content-making that is focused on selling.
- You can also create pop-up overlays through Thrive Architect’s lightbox tool. Astra Theme 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
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 |
|
|
Thrive Architect Pros and Cons
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 mainly focused on conversion and sales; as such, this is the perfect website builder for marketers and online 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 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. Astra Theme Elementor
Cons
- The whole Thrive Suite is not available separately. If you already own a WordPress Theme, this will double your cost.
- 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, another WordPress builder, allows you to create web pages with amazing design. You don’t need any coding knowledge to use it. It can be compared to the big three Elementor, Beaver Builder and Divi.
Like most of the other builders, Brizzy fairs well as a plain builder; however, there are a few areas that it could work with.
Brizzy doesn’t have a developer APIi. Third-party extensions are not possible with Brizzy. This severely cripples Brizzy’s potential. This limits Brizzy’s flexibility, and as such, this is why it cannot reach the heights of Elementor, Beaver Build, and Divi
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 annum | $199 per annum |
Perfect for Personal Work |
Perfect for working with clients |
Ideal for white-label solutions |
Oxygen Builder
The Oxygen builder has a similarity to Webflow in nature. Although it may look similar to WordPress, it is not WordPress. Non-techies should not use oxygen because it is complex.
Most website builders are more inviting to a wider audience. This applies to people who don’t know much about coding or how it works. This is the exception to the rule, Oxygen.
That said, Oxygen does allow experienced users and designers to create wonderful websites.
Basically, Oxygen should only be used by people who want to learn website development. There is a steep learning curve. This makes it a great challenge.
Oxygen is also a great tool for web developers and designers who need to fine-tune every detail. Oxygen provides the tools necessary to have full control of a website’s elements, as well as its bits and pieces.
As for beginners and those looking for an easier user experience, it’s best to stay away from this one. Astra Theme Elementor
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 once-off payment) | Agency Plan ($169 once-off payment) |
| Most flexible and powerful visual builder for WordPress | Visually build websites and WooCommerce shops | The ultimate for building websites for clients while using Oxygen |
|
|
|
Gutenberg Builder
While this is WordPress main builder, majority of online consensus is united: Astra Theme Elementor
Simply, NO.
It is very buggy.
Writing in it is a bit unwieldy as it forces you to turn each paragraph into separate blocks. It is a self-sufficient tool.
Finally, even with all the efforts made to improve its performance it still falls behind, especially when it comes to creating large posts.
There is a reason why WordPress page builder plugins were created. The default plugin is not recommended.
Verdict Astra Theme Elementor
Your choice of WordPress page builder is entirely up to you. They might be experts in one area.
It’s a smart idea to choose a WordPress theme that you like and then use the page builder that comes along with it. This is a great way for you to save money and still get high quality work.
Elementor offers the best features and is free to use.
If there’s one thing you can take away from this review, it’s this:
Save yourself the headache and avoid Gutenberg, WordPress’ default builder.
