Whenever we talk about website building, one of the easily available tools that we can use is WordPress. 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 websites are based on the author’s interests and likes. These websites can feature thoughts, photos and reviews as well as tutorials, recipes, and even videos. Oftentimes, a blog is structured in a way that the most recently-published content is shown first.
- E-Commerce website
These websites are primarily focused on online business. These websites are often used to display products or services the owner wants to sell. These sites can also be used to collect payments for the goods and services.
- 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. Think of them as a business profile except online.
- Membership Websites
Content creators (i.e., Youtubers, Online Artists, etc.) They might offer something more for their most loyal followers or supporters. They might want to offer “exclusive” and extra content that they want to put behind a paywall.
A WordPress membership website is a good way to go about this. 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 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
Forum websites are an online community where the number of topics for discussion is unlimited. Back before social media was a thing, forums used to rule the Internet. Nowadays, specialized forums are few and far between.
In current times, bigger websites have become the go-to websites for discussion. Reddit and Quora are the more popular ones. It does not mean forum websites are no longer relevant. 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. These forums offer a more personal feel than the vast reach of most 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
After the 2019 COVID Pandemic, online classes and electronic courses became a common term. Even then, E-learning websites have already existed during the BC (Before COVID) era.
E-learning websites allow students to take an online course, track how they are doing, download their research materials, and much more. Though putting up an e-learning website through WordPress takes a little more work, it is still rewarding for those with the drive to share their knowledge with the world.
- Invitational websites
Even invitations have gone online now. Thanks to the power of the internet, you can create websites for that personal event of yours. You can create a website for any occasion, including a birthday or christening. WordPress offers many resources to do it fast and do it well.
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 Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Among the reasons for WordPress’ longevity and relevance is because of the support it gets from its community of users. 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. They can be in the form that focuses on a website’s SEO or for use in 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. Their main difference could be the quality or the scope of their function. This does not necessarily mean that plugins for free are inferior. Heck, there are even some free plugins which function better than their premium counterparts.
These plugins often play nicely with the heart of WordPress, more or less. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. Support is the strongest reason to pay for premium plugins.
As stated above, WordPress plugins tend to be well-behaved with each other. There are occasions when plugins do not function as they should. Customer support is invaluable and cannot be replaced.
Your List of Must-Have WordPress Plugins
For most WordPress Websites, there are certain types of Plugins that must be prioritized compared to others. These WordPress plugins are recommended for all WordPress websites:
- WordPress Backup Plugin
By its nature, WordPress does not have a built-in backup function. Having no backup is a potential headache waiting to happen, and a huge one at that. As such, backup plugins can be the solution to those potential headaches.
In the event of a hack or security breach, backups are important. It allows you to quickly replace deleted data or bring your website back into a save state prior to the attack.
- WordPress Security Plugin
The ubiquity and popularity of WordPress make it a lucrative target for hackers. Hackers use malicious programs to hack WordPress sites and gain access to all their data.
This is where WordPress Security plugins come in. They offer multiple solutions to prevent these attacks. Some limit login attempts to a website to stop brute force attacks. Some offer more sophisticated and comprehensive protection against these attacks.
Whatever your preference, the key to finding the best WordPress security plugin is security and convenience.
- WordPress SEO Plugin
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process by which your website becomes more visible to many audiences. Proper SEO settings will make it easier for your website to be found in search engines like Google and Bing.
SEO is a business in and of itself. 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 are able to give you tips and automate repetitive tasks such as content creation.
- WordPress Form Plugin
WordPress Form Plugins enable you to create robust forms for your website. These forms can come in the shape of contact forms, surveys, donation forms, and file uploaders.
Forms allow site visitors to enter their personal information. This information is then received and sent to the appropriate place (database or mailing list).
Since forms handle sensitive data and personal information, it is important that they be secure and should discourage spam. These forms should be able to fit the needs of the customer. Most e-commerce websites use forms.
As such, for your WordPress form plugin, it would be wise to look for something secure that remains easy to configure and customize.
- WordPress E-commerce Plugin
For WordPress E-commerce, an ecommerce plugin is a must. E-commerce websites are built to sell products; however, your website will have no such ability if you do not have the appropriate plugin.
E-commerce plugins allow you to transform your website into an online store. It can provide you with a lot of tools and resources. Some e-commerce plugins even come with online payment capabilities integrated.
- WordPress Design Plugin
WordPress is the best platform for website design. It lets you do almost anything that is possible, granted you know how to code. HTML, CSS, and other coding languages can allow you to tweak your WordPress Page to the limit.
That said, not all have the knowledge to code. This might seem like a high barrier to entry for WordPress users. But, WordPress wouldn’t be as popular if it had a high barrier to entry.
This so-called barrier to entry was removed by WordPress, which helped it regain and grow its user base. WordPress Site Design Plugins like page builders allowed website building, in general, to become an easier and faster process.
A lot of these plugins removed the coding requirement for building websites. With their drag-and drop interface, anyone can create a WordPress website with minimal to no programming knowledge. Although coding knowledge is not required, there are many benefits to using WordPress.
These plugins 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. Here you will find all the plugins currently installed on this WordPress Site. You might see plugins installed even if you don’t have any plugins or you are new to this page.
Because some plugins are included with WordPress Installations, this is possible.
Click on the “Add New” link to upload a plugin. This will allow you to look for plugins to install from the WordPress.org Plugin Directory. You can also click links to view the most popular and recent plugins. YOu can even mark your favorites here.
After you’ve found your plugin of choice, click on the “Choose File” button. Next, locate the zip file of your plugin and click on “Install Now”.
Once the plugin has finished installing, click Activate to turn the plugin on.
The Editor menu item is located under Plugins in WordPress Dashboard. This is a built-in WordPress Plugin editor used to make changes to your installed plugins’ individual PHP files.
PHP is a language that you should know. You can make your customizations unaffected by changing any of these things. Of course, you probably don’t need to edit any of your plugin’s PHP code.
Elementor: 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. 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 did not let this success get on their head, and until this day, they continued to grow and develop new ways to keep Elementor relevant to the newest trends.
Elementor’s core functionality is still drag and drop builder. 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. With all that said, coding is still welcome, and people who prefer using their own custom HTML, CSS, and PHP, along with other current coding languages, are free to do so.
Elementor is also known for its flexibility as a plugin. You can use it with any current WordPress theme. It even comes with its own theme builder that allows you to make your own WordPress themes that suits your taste and needs.
It works with all themes in the WordPress library so there’s no worry about them getting out of sync. 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.
Besides, Elementor wouldn’t be one of WordPress’s top webpage builders as it is now if that’s all it can do.
As such, here are some of Elemetor’s best features:
- Content Elements Galore
Elementor uses building blocks to create a webpage. These blocks, or elements, can be organized according to the user’s wishes to create a website layout.
Now, to explain the block a little deeper, these blocks are the so-called elements that build the webpage design. Every element can contain a widget or a written content. Or any other thing that fits in the space.
These elements are what make Elementor today.
- Responsive Design
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.
However, responsive design does not only mean directly translating your website and how it looks through a smartphone. Elementor also has the capability to allow users to fully customize how they look.
You can view the page through various platforms and gadgets by simply touching another button. From there, you can do further edits, such as deleting and adding certain elements to take the page to the look that you want.
- Available templates
No page builder would be complete without templates. 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. Templates make it easier to develop new websites faster than sites with the same look.
Luckily templates available in Elementor can all be edited. This includes their styling options. So you do not have to worry about websites looking the same when utilizing templates in your work.
Elementor 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. This is possible without any coding knowledge.
- Convenience
Elementor’s many tools make web page building easy. Even better, support is available in just one click. Then there is also a quick find tool that can help in finding a specific topic of help.
- Dynamic Content
You can use elementor to add dynamic content using custom fields and plugins like ACF, Pods and Toolset. Dynamic content allows you to keep your pages updated consistently and continuously. Such an ability can keep your website up-to-date and fresh.
- WooCommerce Builder
WooCommerce, an open-source plugin for e-commerce, is mainly used with WordPress. Its main customer base consists of merchants who use WordPress as their main website. This includes online merchants of all sizes.
WooCommerce and WordPress have an almost symbiotic relationship, so it is very simple to integrate WooCommerce into WordPress.
With Elementor, you could enhance your WooCommerce store through its customizability options. You can even show prices and incorporate products into your WooCommerce store design.
- Popup Builder
Popups are the most hated type of advertising on the web. Popups are so disliked that their creator had to apologize for all the problems it caused.
However, when used properly, popups are among your website’s best lead conversion tools. To make use of that lead conversion tool, Elementor provides a popup builder to its Pro users.
Elementor’s popup creator allows you to create your popup with the same tools as the webpage builder. You can even set the triggers on when and how these popups appear.
Elementor Price
If you are already impressed by Elementor’s features, you will be even more impressed by its price. Elementor lets users enjoy at least 80% the plugin’s capabilities for a low price of only $0.99!
That’s right! You can use most of Elementor’s functions & features for free if you put them on your WordPress website.
Elementor offers Pro plans that include some features such as the Popup Builder behind a paywall. If you are interested, the Elementor Pro consists of three types of plans. Each plan has its advantages. These plans are as follows:
Essential Plan | Expert Plan | Studio Plan | Agency Plan |
$49 per Year | $199 per Year | $299 per year (1st year only).
$499 |
$999 per Year |
1 Pro Website Activation
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support |
25 Pro-Website Activations
100+ Basic and Pro Widgets
More than 300+ Pro and Basic Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
Premium Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
100 Pro Website Activations
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 and Cons
Pros
- Elementor’s core product does not cost a single dime. To fully utilize Elementor’s potential, you don’t need the Pro plan.
- Elementor offers many features that will help you create the best WordPress website. These tools are very simple to use.
- Elementor’s page builder is an upgrade to the basic WordPress Builder both in terms of function and accessibility
- Elementor allows you to build pages without the need to learn HTML, CSS, or PHP coding skills.
- Elementor’s “what you see is what you get” approach makes building websites faster by removing the need to preview your work.
- The Elementors pages can be redesigned automatically to be responsive. 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
- 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
- It can be difficult to correct misaligned elements due to the different margin values.
- There is a possibility of Elementor slowing down the loading times of different websites.
Elementor Versus Divi
Divi Builder: The Crowning Jewel of Elegant themes
Elegant themes is one of many WordPress themes available in the shop. It has grown to be one of the most prominent players in the WordPress World.
Divi Theme is their flagship product. Divi’s functionality in the drag-and-drop website creator is key to Elegant Theme’s success.
Making sense of this, it was only a matter of time where Elegant Themes offered the builder as a separate plugin.
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 made sure the plugin was available regardless of which theme you used.
Divi Features
Divi Builder has “gained independence” and is now a standalone plugin. It can be used with any WordPress theme, even if it’s not from Elegant Themes. It also has multiple features that make it more attractive to users.
- Drag and drop visual content editor
The Divi builder started as a back-end page builder tool from the Divi Theme. It has been made a plugin and is now a front-end visual editor.
Divi’s interface now works in a “what do you see is what you get” mode. This eliminates the problem of back-end developers who don’t know how Divi will look until you make a switch to preview.
Divi’s Visual Content Editor continues to be upgraded. This latest version gives you a better view of your visitor’s point-of-view when viewing your content.
This implies that website developers will be able to work faster as it removes the need for switching to previews. This eliminates the frustration associated with incorrect layouts.
Some users might not be familiar with the site’s backend and may feel lost or miss some features. 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.
Divi Builder now has the ability to customize any part of your website. Headers, footers, category pages, product templates, and other parts of the site can now be customized depending on the user’s whims.
Templates can be used to customize blog posts. They can be automatically applied to all blog posts or just a selection. You can also use the Display rules feature to automatically format and create templates for posts based on their category.
This functionality also brings about dynamic content, which can be combined with existing static content and enhanced interaction with WooCommerce content.
Most surprisingly, the Divi Theme Builder feature allows users to make custom 404 error pages and search results pages.
- Helpful Content Modules
Divi builder comes with 40 content modules. These modules can be inserted into columns and row layouts, each with its own function.
These modules can be used to replace functionality on WordPress pages that use other plugins. These modules can transform almost all of your website’s functions into Divi or Elegant Themes.
It doesn’t matter if one developer has this idea for all your plugins or “apps”, it still has its benefits. It reduces the load time for your WordPress site.
This also results in a reduction of costs, especially if you use commercial plugins.
These modules include countdown timers and maps, countdown timesrs and pricing tables. They also allow for email opt-in forms and videos with their sliders.
You can also find different versions of these modules. This 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
Of course, Divi would be remiss if they did not offer pre-made and ready-to-use websites and page layouts. These layouts can be thought of as their own version of templates.
As templates usually go, they are extremely useful for non-web designers or web designers whose design sense leaves to be desired. These high-quality templates can be used to begin their design process or, if satisfied, can be used as-is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. This is not true for website layouts. That means each layout contains more than one page.
They can be targeted at specific websites such as those for freelancers, contractors, eCommerce stores and websites for construction companies. These layouts can be customized, however.
So if you find a law-affirm website layout, some pictures may look out of place, or the layout just doesn’t do it for you. Get your tools out and start editing until you get the website that you desire.
- Divi Builder A/B Testing tool
One unique feature of Divi builder is the ability to hold A/B testing on your page layout. 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
Some websites are run by different people. While this makes for efficient job division, it also multiplies the risk of accidentally changing the website’s main setting. As the saying goes, “Too many cooks may spoil the broth.”
Divi offers a role editor that allows you to restrict access to your website’s backend. Through this role editor, you can still let your co-authors do their thing, such as writing for your blogs, while preventing them from doing unnecessary stuff.
Divi’s role as editor is also granular. It is not a “black and white” or a “yes and no” choice. By choosing a role, you can define which parts of the plugin they can access and make use of.
This is particularly important for web designers who have clients who could break custom designs. Role editor reduces the chance of custom design breaking.
- Full-Width Content
Images can make your web pages stand out. They can even complement the look of your website. Sometimes you simply want to add an image to one part of your website.
Luckily Divi has a feature that allows you to do just that. Divi allows you to add a full width and a module to your builder. Then you are free to add the appropriate content that can break the post container.
This full-width does not just apply to images. You can include videos, texts, headers, menus, and more.
Divi Price
Divi Builder was an original part of Divi Theme. You cannot purchase this plugin separately. Access to Elegant themes will require a yearly payment. The one plan provides a yearly access and the other grants lifetime access.
Yearly Access | Lifetime Access |
$89/Year | $249 1 Time |
|
|
Divi Pros and Con
Pros
- Divi’s interface is intuitive and clean.
- Divi offers tremendous value for the 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 comes with an Extra WordPress theme
- Divi provides more than a hundred stunning templates to choose from. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Cons
- Longer pages are more difficult to work with.
- Divi’s inline editing options can be better
- Divi has a few bugs. This usually manifests when making more complex layouts
Elementor Versus WPBakery
WP Bakery: The Builder Formerly Known as Visual Composer
What we now know as WPBakery was once called Visual Composer. But hold on, it gets more confusing because right now, there is another WordPress plugin also called Visual Composer. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed to WPBakery
This plugin, like all other page builders allows you to create unique pages. The building blocks in this example are called “Content Elements” and have the same function as modules and widgets.
WPBakery offers about 40 content elements, each of which can be used for designing your page layout. These include text blocks, social buttons, video players and other blocks that are common to page builders. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
WPBakery offers a drag-and drop page builder that allows you to design your pages. Using this builder, you can style your website’s backend and front end. You have the option to design both front and back ends, or choose to style them separately, depending on what you prefer.
WPBakery Features
WPBakery doesn’t offer much, unlike many of the other WordPress Page Builders. They offer the following:
- Light and easy to use interface
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can be saved for later use
- Responsive Websites that look good on PC and mobile
- Your own “content elements”
- Object-oriented Code
- Huge addon support
The thing with WPBakery though is that it is more of a hassle to use. Even if you are a technical person, it is not very user-friendly. It’s built on a shortcode architecture, which can prove to be a huge liability.
It has some help text, but they are not well executed. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Lastly, it’s just plain unreliable. It has erratic previews and is riddled with bugs. Working with it is just a nightmare, especially when working on a website.
WPBakery Price
WPBakery has 2 pricing plans available if you still wish to use its services. These are:
Regular | Extended |
$56 | $299 |
|
|
WPBakery Pros and Cons
Pros
- WPBakery lets you save your templates to be used later
- It can be used with almost all themes
- It features a multilingual interface
- Includes various content blocks to help you build your website
- You can integrate it with various add-ons that will enhance its functionality Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- It has a user role access control
Cons
- The page builder is not easy to use and requires a learning curve. Even experienced website designers know this.
- It may not be compatible with all plugins, and can sometimes cause conflicts with them.
- Deactivating this builder leaves shortcodes on pages that use this plugin.
- This plugin may slow down download speeds and impact your age speed.
Elementor Versus Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder: The Most Efficient Beaver-Themed Builder
Beaver Builder is one of the most well-known names in the WordPress page builders space. Beaver Builder is a popular choice because of its drag-and-drop page builders and simple-to-use interface.
Beaver Builders has a lot of great products and services for its customers.
It is a page builder that allows you to create custom pages and posts using a drag-and drop user interface. It eliminates the need to code your website. Users don’t even need to have a knowledge of HTML to have a functioning website with the help of Beaver Builder.
Beaver Builder (the plugin), even though it has its own theme, is compatible with all WordPress themes. You can continue using your existing WordPress theme while you develop and design your site. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
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. As such, instead of listing every bit of them, let’s check their 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 offers full front-end editing. This allows you to view your work while you are working on it. This is similar to other page builders’ “What you see is what your get” approach.
- Beaver Builder eliminates the need to code when building websites. HTML or CSS, you don’t need it with Beaver Builder. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- Beaver Builder is compatible with most themes in WordPress. Beaver Builder can be combined with any WordPress theme and it will look like nothing happened.
- Beaver Builder can be used for any type of page, post, or custom type of post.
- A Beaver Builder plan comes with more than 50 ready-made page templates for users. Of course, this includes templates for pages with a specific purpose. Be it a landing page, a welcome page, or a normal comment section; Beaver Builder has got you covered.
- Beaver Builder offers 30 content elements and modules for working with pages. These will be your key to building your pages, and each will have its function to play. 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. Your website will therefore be responsive.
- Beaver Builder can also be used with WooCommerce. Beaver Builder allows you to create WooCommerce content using the content elements. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- Beaver Builder is not cheap. Beaver Builder allows you to export and import features. This allows you reuse and share your designs with the larger community.
Beaver Builder Prices
Agency | Pro | Standard |
$399 | $199 | $99 |
|
|
|
Beaver Builder Pros and 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 Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- 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. If there are things that the theme cannot do, then Beaver Builder will not be able to achieve them.
- Beaver Builder doesn’t allow users to add custom CSS codes to their content modules. Beaver Builder is limited in its customization.
Elementor Versus Webflow
Webflow: A Page Builder Beyond WordPress
WordPress is the most popular blog platform on the Internet, but not everyone loves it. As such, there are alternatives for people who are uncomfortable using WordPress. Webflow is one of these alternatives.
Webflow’s main focus is design. Webflow’s primary goal is to make it easy for web designers to create websites. Using webflows allows web designers to build responsive websites through browser-based visual editing software. The thing about Webflow is that it writes the code while you are working on your site. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
When compared to WordPress, Webflow claims to have more advantages over it. Among these are an appeal for more creative freedom, a more secure website, and easier user usage.
Webflow Features
Webflow is a page builder that does everything. These features help Webflow focus on its target of becoming a service that caters to designers first.
- Webflow offers over a thousand available templates, and 45 of them are free. 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 are grouped and categorized according to the type of website they are geared to (portfolio, blogs, SaaS, etc.). Aside from that, you can search them through popular tags, languages, etc.
- Webflow may not be as intuitive for new users but it does provide a great tutorial to help users get familiar with the environment and navigate it. It might take getting used to, but Webflow provides a great user experience once you learn it. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- Webflow has an intuitive interface. Its main builder is divided into three sections for ease of 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. It is even easier since you do not need to add another plugin to ensure you are SEO-optimized. Webflow also guides non-SEO professionals to improve their website’s SEO ranking in order to increase traffic and convert more customers.
- Webflow has impressive eCommerce features that can be used to build a functional and attractive online store. Just building the page alone is easy, as there are eCommerce templates to help you get started. These templates are both free and paid.
Webflow even provides instructions for building up said site, from setting up until launching.
- Webflow provides a Content Management System that allows users to group the content they present to their audience. Basically, this CMS organizes resources, especially when making blog posts Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Webflow eases up the blogging process and puts it in a more organized manner.
- 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.
Webflow is also SOC-2-compliant. This means the builder can adhere to high standards of security and confidentiality.
Webflow also automatically updates and saves backups of your files. 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.
Webflow has a variety of plans that can be used to reduce the price. There are two types of paid plans.
There’s the Site Plan and then there’s the Account Plan. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
The Site plan includes everything you need to create a basic website. These plans are available in two types from Webflow. You can choose from four options in the basic plan. 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 |
This is the best choice for sites that don’t require CMS | Best for blogs and other content-driven websites | Sites that have higher traffic are best | Best for companies and comes with exclusive features |
|
|
|
|
There are three types Ecommerce plans
Standard (29 USD) | Plus ($74 USD) | Advanced ($2112( u |
A new business starting from scratch | For higher volume of business that needs important additional | For businesses aiming to breach and grow |
|
|
|
The Account plans are geared towards more advanced website building with added features. These are categorized into 2 types of plans: the Individual plans and the team plans.
The individual plans have 3 types of payment methods. The first includes the free plan mentioned above, and the second two are paid plans. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
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 |
|
|
|
There are two types of Team plans available. They offer the same features but one has more customization options. Here they are:
Team ($35 per person) | Enterprise (situational) |
Work on projects with a team through a collaborative, shared dashboard | Contact customer support to inquire about the plan packages |
|
|
-
Webflow Pros and Cons
Pros
- Includes everything and anything that you need for an overall website builder. This includes simple blogs and eCommerce websites.
- It boasts a strong visual design tool that rivals everything you can do using code
- Flexible pricing plans that are customer-friendly. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Cons
- You can only customize the code.
- The number of plans and variations may be confusing and, if not careful, might make you choose the wrong plan
- There is a huge bit of a learning curve due to it being a new and different environment from WordPress as well as new and powerful features
- Traffic limits are included in some plans.
Elementor Versus Thrive Architects
Thrive Architect: A WordPress Page Architect
Thrive Architect plugin for WordPress is bundled with Thrive Themes. This is their new flagship page builder, replacing the “Thrive Content Creator”. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Thrive architect, like other “modern” website builders is now offering drag-and-drop functionality. 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. However, for this overview, we will focus mainly on the main ones.
- As a plugin, Thrive Architect works with most 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. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Thrive Architect (and Thrive Themes) focus on sales and lead conversion. 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 features a What You See is What You Get interface that gives you an accurate real-time view of how your page design looks like.
With the WYSIWYG approach, builders can save a lot of time as they remove the need for previewing your website. You can speed up your workflow by not having to save multiple times. Also, you can be sure you are doing the right thing.
WYSIWYG will always show you where your bearings are.
- We have spoken about Thrive’s obsession with conversions so it is not surprising that they have a lot conversion- and sales-focused elements.
Besides, Thrive can’t boast about being conversion focused if they cannot provide the proper and adequate tools to do so.
- Thrive 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. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
- 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 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. To use Thrive Architect, you will need to buy their Thrive Suite bundle.
Thrive has 2 payment plans available: Quarterly and Yearly:
Thrive Suite Quarterly | Thrive Suite Yearly |
$99 per Quarter | $299 per Year |
|
|
Thrive Architect Pros and Cons
Pros
- It features an intuitive design that makes it easy to use. It even lets you visualize your designs in real-time
- Helps you create content that is unique on the Internet
- It comes with high-quality templates for landing pages as well as webpages. It is very easy to look for your perfect template as they are organized into sets.
- It is focused primarily on conversion and sales, making it the ideal website builder for online marketers and businesses.
- Many websites are responsive to mobile devices, so you can rest assured that your website will be compatible with smartphones.
- It’s a light-weight plugin and cannot noticeably slow down your pages’ load times
- It has good and attractive pricing
- It can be integrated with a large amount of email service providers.
- You can use Gutenberg (WordPress’ latest page builder) with Gutenberg blocks. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
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.
- Apart from that, you will need to download Thrive Product Manager before even starting to plant an element on the builder.
- Thrive lacks a lifetime payment option.
Special Mentions
Brizzy
Brizzy, another WordPress builder, allows you to create web pages with amazing design. It is also another drag-and-drop builder that requires zero coding knowledge. It can be compared to the big three Elementor, Beaver Builder and Divi.
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. Third-party extensions are not possible 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. This isn’t a major problem, but it makes Brizzy less reliable than other builders who have robust and complete documentation.
Brizy’s documentation is also not as extensive. 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 year | $99 per annum | $199 per year |
Ideal for personal work |
Ideal for working with clients |
Perfect for White-label solutions |
Oxygen Builder
By nature, Oxygen builder is somewhat similar to Webflow. Although it may look similar to WordPress, it is not WordPress. Non-techies should not use oxygen because it is complex.
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.
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 gives you the tools to control all aspects of your website, including its pieces.
As for beginners and those looking for an easier user experience, it’s best to stay away from this one. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
The price of Oxygen is prohibitive. You don’t get a demo. It does have a 60-day money back guarantee. You can always return the Oxygene product if you’re not up to the challenge.
Basic Plan (99 USD One-time Payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 once-off payment) | Agency Plan ($169 one time payment) |
Most flexible and powerful visual builder for WordPress | Visually build websites as well as WooCommerce stores | Oxygen is the ultimate tool for creating websites for clients |
|
|
|
Gutenberg Builder
Although this is the main WordPress builder, most online consensus is unifying. Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
Plainly NO.
It is very buggy.
Writing in it is a bit unwieldy as it forces you to turn each paragraph into separate blocks. It has a mind of its own.
Lastly, despite significant efforts to improve its performance, it still lags considerably, especially when creating massive posts.
WordPress page builders plugins were made. And that is to avoid using the default one.
Verdict Elementor Connecting To The Library Failed
At the end of the day, your choice of WordPress page builder or page builders, in general, is up to your preference. Of course, they might specialize in one field or another.
It is a great idea to pick a WordPress theme that suits you first and then go with the page builder that comes with it. This is a great way for you to save money and still get high 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.