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. WordPress is a popular platform for creating websites. It has many features and is flexible, so it’s great for both newbies and veterans.
Any website that uses the WordPress ecosystems to manage its content is a WordPress website. WordPress is the backbone of a website, powering the front-end as well as the backend.
WordPress websites come in many different forms. 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. A blog structure is often designed so that the most recent content is displayed first.
- E-Commerce website
These are websites that mainly focus on doing 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.
- Sites for members
Content creators (i.e., Youtubers, Online Artists, etc.) They might offer something more for their most loyal followers or supporters. They might want to offer “exclusive” and extra content that they want to put behind a paywall.
A WordPress membership website is a good way to go about this. A website can be created by content creators. Users will need to log in to access the site or pay for it. WordPress 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
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 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. Forums like these give a more intimate feel compared to the wide reach of the usual websites.
- Websites for events
Event websites are simple websites used to advertise events. An event website allows the public to view and verify details about events such as seating and dates. They can also check ticket prices. These websites can also be used to sell tickets.
- E-Learning website
Online classes and electronic courses have become a household term after the 2019 COVID Pandemic. E-learning websites existed even before the COVID Pandemic.
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. Be it a birthday, a Christening, or even a wedding; you can make a website that fits your need. WordPress has many resources that make it easy and fast to create a website.
Daniel has posted a video review on Design Break that will give you a more visual experience. 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 How To Use Templates
WordPress’ popularity and longevity can be attributed to the community of users who support it. Some of this support comes in the form of WordPress Plugins.
WordPress plugins are an additional code package that can be uploaded to a website to improve its functionality and integrate with other sites.
WordPress plugins come in many forms. They can be in the form that focuses on a website’s SEO or for use in analytics. WordPress Plugins can also be used for payment modes and marketing integrations. There are even plugins that can help to build websites a cinch.
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. Some plugins even function better than premium ones.
These plugins are often compatible with WordPress’ core. There will be occasions when a premium plugin is worth the cost. The strongest argument for paying for a premium plugin is the support.
WordPress plugins are generally well-behaved. 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
WordPress doesn’t have a backup function by its very nature. 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. These plugins offer many ways to stop these attacks. To stop brute force attacks, some limit the number of login attempts on a website. 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. SEO is the process of making your website more visible to many people. Proper SEO settings will make it easier for your website to be found in search engines like Google and Bing.
SEO is a business. With the number of websites that pop out day by day, the competition for Google’s front pages is brutal. A great SEO plugin can help your website gain more traffic.
SEO plugins can give you tips to improve your site content’s SEO, as well as automate the small and repetitive parts of content creation.
- WordPress Form Plugin
WordPress Form Plugins allow you to add robust forms for your websites. These forms can come in the shape of contact forms, surveys, donation forms, and file uploaders.
Basically, forms let your site visitors enter 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 built to sell products; however, your website will have no such ability if you do not have the appropriate plugin.
An E-commerce plugin allows you to turn your website into a store. You can access a variety of resources and tools. Some e-commerce plugins even come with online payment capabilities integrated.
- WordPress Design Plugin
WordPress is the best platform for website design. It lets you do almost anything that is possible, granted you know how to code. HTML, CSS and other coding languages allow you to customize your WordPress Page to the max.
Nevertheless, not everyone has the necessary knowledge to code. This may seem like a high barrier of entry for WordPress users. However, If WordPress had a high barrier of entry, it wouldn’t be as popular now.
WordPress regained and even grew its user base by removing this so-called barrier of entry. WordPress Site Design Plugins like page builders allowed website building, in general, to become an easier and faster process.
Many of these plugins remove the need to code in order to build websites. With their drag-and drop interface, anyone can create a WordPress website with minimal to no programming knowledge. (although knowledge of coding still offers a lot of advantages).
These plugins have also helped speed up the process of creating websites. WordPress users, or at least sites using WordPress, are growing in number every day.
Now those are only a few types of plugins that we recommend adding to your website. Of course, there are many more types of plugins, but their use can be situational and optional.
WordPress currently has over 60,000 plugins, but you can choose from many more.
Installing WordPress Plugins
WordPress plugins can be installed very easily. It does not involve much and can be done almost instantly.
After logging in to your WordPress website, you can find the Plugins menu on your WordPress Dashboard. Expand This Menu by clicking on it
There will be 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.
To upload a new plugin, simply click on the “Add New” link. This will let you search for plugins in the WordPress.org Plugin directory. There are also links you can click to look at featured, popular, and latest plugins available. You can also mark your favorite plugins here.
After you’ve found your plugin of choice, click on the “Choose File” button. After this, you must locate your plugin zip file and click on Install Now
After the plugin is installed, click on Activate to activate the plugin.
Lastly, there is a menu item beneath Plugins in the WordPress Dashboard called the Editor. 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. Tweaking any of the things found here can overwrite your customizations. You don’t likely need to modify any plugin’s PHP code.
Elementor: One of the best page builders plugins WordPress has to offer
Elementor is a WordPress Site Design plugin that ranks among the top. It is a drag and drop page builder that allows users to quickly create their website. Even characters with no tech skills can still make a mark on the internet.
Elementor was 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.
Elementor doesn’t care about your age. At the time of its release, it quickly rose to one of the most popular visual page builders on the platform. Elementor didn’t let this success stop them. They continued to grow and create new ways to keep Elementor current with the latest trends.
That said, the heart of Elementor is still in its functionality as drag and drop builder. And it does that function very well. It operates in a “what you see is what you get” approach. This approach makes it easier to see how the website will look while you are still editing.
With Elementors features, you might not need to open any of WordPress’s standard editors at all. 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 known for being a flexible plugin. You can use it with any current WordPress theme. You can even create your own themes using the theme builder.
And speaking of themes, it does work with other themes that are available in the WordPress library, and as such, there is little worry about themes bugging out. Elementor’s support team is available to assist you if they do not work as expected.
Elementor Features
While Elementor might bill itself as just a drag-and-drop page builder, the number of features that come with it makes that an understatement.
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.
Because of these elements, Elementor is called what it is today.
- Responsive Design
All web pages created with Elementor’s page builders are responsive by default. They look beautiful and elegant when viewed from a laptop or personal computer.
The responsive design allows you to view the design from your smartphone and it will still look amazing, complete, and functional.
However, responsive design does not only mean directly translating your website and how it looks through a smartphone. Elementor allows users to customize the look of their website.
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
Templates are a must-have for any page builder. 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. With templates, work and development on newer websites can come faster for the price of sites having a samey look.
Luckily templates available in Elementor can all be edited. This includes their styling options. Templates are a great way to ensure that your websites look consistent.
Elementor offers many professionally designed templates. Both novice and experienced users can use these templates. As stated above, beginners can use these templates as their starting point when making websites. For veterans (i.e. page developers), you can use these templates to speed up your work.
- Style options
You would be remiss if you didn’t have any styling options if you wanted a cool and sleek website. Elementor makes these styling options available to everyone. What’s more, there is no need to have coding knowledge to do this.
- Convenience
The multitude of tools, Elementor makes web page building accessible to many. Even better, support is available in just one click. Then there is also a quick find tool that can help in finding a specific topic of help.
- Dynamic Content
Through elementor, you can add dynamic content from custom fields and plugins such as ACF, Pods, and Toolset. 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, an open-source plugin for e-commerce, is mainly used with WordPress. Most of its customer base includes merchants that use WordPress as their main site. Of course, this includes both small and large online merchants.
WooCommerce and WordPress have an almost symbiotic relationship, so it is very simple to integrate WooCommerce into WordPress.
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 also set triggers to control when and how popups are displayed.
Elementor Price
If Elementor’s features have already impressed you, then you will be more impressed with its price. Elementor allows users to enjoy at least 80% of the plugin’s capabilities at the low price of FREE!
That’s right! Most of Elementor’s functions and features are free to use if you install them on your WordPress site.
Elementor offers Pro plans that include some features such as the Popup Builder behind a paywall. If you are interested, the Elementor Pro consists of three types of plans. Each has its own advantages. These plans are as follows:
| Essential Plan | Expert Plan | Studio Plan | Agency Plan |
| $49 per Year | $199 per Year | $299 per Year (1st year only)
$499 |
$999 per Year |
| 1 Pro Website Activation
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro 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
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
More than 100+ basic and pro widgets
300+ Basic and Pro Templates
60+ Pro Website Kits
Theme Builder
WooCommerce Store Builder
Landing Page Builder
VIP Support
Elementor Expert Profile |
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 simple and very easy to use.
- Elementor’s page builder is an upgrade to the basic WordPress Builder both in terms of function and accessibility
- Elementor lets you create pages without needing to know HTML, CSS, and PHP coding.
- Elementor’s “what do you see is what you get” approach to building websites speeds up the process by eliminating the need for previews.
- The Elementors pages can be redesigned automatically to be responsive. They are compatible with all devices. You can also fine-tune each device’s design if you wish.
- Elementor allows you to adjust alignments, margins and padding values.
Cons
- There are times when the custom styling (especially for links) gets 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.
- There is a possibility of Elementor slowing down the loading times of different websites.
Elementor Versus Divi
Divi Builder: The Crowning Jewel of Elegant Themes
Among the multitude of Themes available in the WordPress theme shop is “Elegant Themes.” Throughout the years, Elegant themes have built up an active user community and a growing ecosystem, transforming it into one of the biggest players in the WordPress World.
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). It also has multiple features that make it more attractive to users.
- 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. 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. 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. You can switch to Wireframe mode with Divi Builder.
This wireframe mode effectively hides the content of each module and focuses more on the page’s structure. This 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 added Divi’s Theme builder feature, which ultimately turned it into a full on-site editor rather than just a page builder.
This effectively gave Divi Builder the ability to customize your entire website. Headers, footers, category pages, product templates, and other parts of the site can now be customized depending on the user’s whims.
Even blog posts could be customized through templates. These templates can be applied automatically to all blog posts, or a select few. If you want, you can even use the Display rules feature to automate templates and formatting of posts depending on their category.
This functionality also brings about dynamic content, which can be combined with existing static content and enhanced interaction with WooCommerce content.
The Divi Theme Builder feature, which allows users to create custom 404 error pages or search results pages, is most surprising.
- Helpful Content Modules
Divi builder comes with 40 content modules. These modules can be inserted into columns and row layouts, each with its own function.
These modules can even be used to replace the functionality of other plugins on your WordPress page. These modules can transform almost all of your website’s functions into Divi or Elegant Themes.
It doesn’t matter if one developer has this idea for all your plugins or “apps”, it still has its benefits. Chief among them is that it reduces load times for your WordPress page.
It also means a cost reduction, especially if you are using commercial plugins.
These modules include countdown timers and maps, countdown timesrs and pricing tables. They also allow for email opt-in forms and videos with their sliders.
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.
Templates are great for web designers who don’t have the design skills to create them. This high-quality pre-made can be used to start their design process, or if they’re satisfied, it can be used as is.
In terms of variety, they have a decent number, somewhere between 200 to 400. This is not true for website layouts. This means that each layout can contain more than one page.
These can also target specific types of websites, such as websites for agencies, freelancers, eCommerce stores, and construction companies. These layouts can be customized, however.
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.
An A/B-tested website will ensure that it is optimized for its intended purpose.
- Divi Role Editor
Different people may manage different websites. While this makes for efficient job division, it also multiplies the risk of accidentally changing the website’s main setting. 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 is not a “black and white” or a “yes and no” choice. You can assign roles to define what parts of the plugin they are allowed to access and use.
This is especially important for web designers with clients that could break custom designs. Through the role editor, the chances of custom design breaking are reduced to a minimum.
- Full-Width Content
Images make your web pages pop. They can even complement the look of your website. Sometimes you simply want to add an image to one part of your website.
Divi offers a feature that lets you do exactly that. Divi lets you add a full width to your builder and a module to accompany it. 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. 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 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 any number of websites without restrictions.
- Divi is easy to use for beginners, thanks to the drag-and-drop page builder.
- Divi provides veteran web designers who have the appropriate coding skills a chance to do amazing stuff.
- Divi comes with an Extra WordPress theme
- Divi offers more than 100 stunning templates. Elementor How To Use Templates
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
WPBakery, which we now call Visual Composer, was once known as Visual Composer. It gets even more confusing, because there is another WordPress plugin called Visual Composer. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s proceed to WPBakery
Like all the other page builders, this plugin allows you to design unique pages unlike any other. 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. Elementor How To Use Templates
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 can choose to style both, or you can design them one by one, depending on your preference.
WPBakery Features
WPBakery doesn’t offer much, unlike many of the other WordPress Page Builders. The following is what they offer:
- Light and easy to use interface
- Frontend and Backend Editor
- Multilingual ready
- Templates that can later be saved
- Responsive websites that work on mobile and PC
- 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. 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.
Although it has helper text to help with the basics, most of these are poorly executed to the point of inaccuracy. Elementor How To Use Templates
It’s also just plain unreliable. It is plagued by inaccurate previews, randomly missing features, and buggy. Working with it is just a nightmare, especially when working on a website.
WPBakery Price
WPBakery offers 2 price plans if you still want to avail of its services. These are:
| Regular | Extended |
| $56 | $299 |
|
|
WPBakery Pros and Cons
Pros
- WPBakery lets you save your templates to be used later
- It works with most themes
- It has 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 How To Use Templates
- 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.
- Shortcodes are lost when this plugin is deactivated.
- 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.
Beaver Builder (the plugin), even though it has its own theme, is compatible with all WordPress themes. As such, you can keep using your current WordPress theme and carry on developing and designing your site. Elementor How To Use Templates
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. 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. Beaver Builder doesn’t require HTML or CSS. Elementor How To Use Templates
- Beaver Builder can be used with all WordPress themes. Thus, you can combine Beaver Builder with any theme, and it would be like nothing significant happened.
- Beaver Builder can be used for any type of page, post, or custom type of post.
- 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. Beaver Builder can create landing pages, welcome pages, and comment sections.
- For working with your pages, Beaver Builder provides 30 content elements and modules. These will be your key to building your pages, and each will have its function to play. These modules include headings, buttons and galleries.
- Beaver Builder ensures that all your resulting websites will be compatible with any screen. As such, you can be sure that your developed website will be responsive.
- Beaver Builder is also compatible with WooCommerce. As such, you can develop your WooCommerce content through the special content elements Beaver Builder offers. Elementor How To Use Templates
- 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 Price
| Agency | Pro | Standard |
| $399 | $199 | $99 |
|
|
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Beaver Builder Pros and Cons
Pros
- Beaver Builder allows users to create their own webpages.
- Beaver Builder is easy to use.
- Beaver Builder’s full drag-and-drop builder offer front end editing support.
- Beaver Builder is also very flexible and lenient. Beaver Builder allows you to use default WordPress widgets within its Content blocks Elementor How To Use Templates
- Beaver Builder has lots of page templates that are perfect as a starting place whenever one is making pages.
Cons
- Beaver Builder has a very high price point. The cheapest plan costs $99. They do offer a Lite version which costs 0$.
- Beaver Builder’s capability is limited to whatever theme you have. Beaver Builder won’t be able do things the theme can’t.
- Beaver Builder does not allow users to add custom CSS code to their content modules. As such, there is a bit of a limit to its customization.
Elementor Versus Webflow
Webflow: A Page Builder Beyond WordPress
WordPress is the most popular blog platform on the Internet, but not everyone loves it. As such, there are alternatives for people who are uncomfortable using WordPress. Webflow is one of these alternatives.
Webflow’s main focus is design. Its main target is to let web designers build websites as easily as possible. Webflows allow web designers to create responsive websites using browser-based visual editing software. Webflow allows you to write the code as you work on your website. Elementor How To Use Templates
When compared to WordPress, Webflow claims to have more advantages over it. Webflow offers more creativity, more security, and easier use for users.
Webflow Features
Webflow is a page builder that does everything. Webflow’s features allow it to focus on becoming a service that caters first to designers.
- Over a thousand templates are available on Webflow, with 45 of them being free. Like most websites, Webflow allows you to use these templates to help you build websites from scratch.
These templates can also be accessed via Webflow. They are grouped and categorized according to the type of website they are geared to (portfolio, blogs, SaaS, etc.). You can also search them using popular tags, languages, and other methods.
- Although Webflow is not as user-friendly for first-time users, it provides a great onboarding tutorial that allows users to familiarize themselves and explore the Webflow Environment. 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. Elementor How To Use Templates
- 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. This is made even easier by the fact that you don’t need to install another plugin to make sure your website is SEO-optimized. Webflow even guides non-SEO experts to optimize their website’s SEO ranking for more traffic and conversion.
- Webflow has impressive eCommerce features that can be used to build a functional and attractive online store. It is simple to build a page, and there are templates that can help you get started. Both of these are free and paid.
Webflow also provides detailed instructions on how to build the site from its initial setup until its launch.
- Webflow provides a Content Management System that allows users to group the content they present to their audience. This CMS organizes resources, particularly when creating blog posts. Elementor How To Use Templates
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. They have integrated hosting plans built with Amazon Web Services, which is among the most secure hosting processes on the internet. You will receive a one-year free SSl certificate to encrypt sensitive data.
Aside from that, Webflow is also SOC-2 compliant, which means that the builder can meet high standards of security, confidentiality, and privacy.
Webflow also automatically updates and saves backups of your files. So whenever something is wrong, you will be confident (at least not as worried) that you can easily get back your files.
Webflow Price
As for price, you can choose to avail webflow with their free plan. This allows you to use webflow on two projects with full designing and can publish said projects on their website of Webflow.io. Their free plan is available for free for life.
However, if we’re talking about price, Webflow offers versatile plans. These paid plans are divided into two types.
There’s the Site Plan and then there’s the Account Plan. Elementor How To Use Templates
The Site plan offers everything there is needed to build a basic website. Webflow offers 2 types of these plans. There is a basic plan with four selections. The cost starts at $12 per month. You will have to contact Webflow Customer service to get the exact amount for each plan.
| Basic | CMS | Business | Enterprise |
| This is the best choice for sites that don’t require CMS | Blogs and other content-driven websites are best | Sites that have higher traffic are best | Best for companies and comes with exclusive features |
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There are three types Ecommerce plans
| Standard ($29 USD) | Plus ($74 USD) | Advanced ($2112( u) |
| For new business that are just starting out | For higher volume of business that needs important additional | For businesses aiming to breach and grow |
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Account plans allow for more advanced website development with additional features. These are categorized into 2 types of plans: the Individual plans and the team plans.
The individual plans have 3 types of payment methods. One includes the aforementioned free plan, while the other 2 are paid plans. Elementor How To Use Templates
| 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 | Best for freelancers, designers, and people who need more projects and premium features |
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There are two types of Team plans available. They offer the same features but one has more customization options. 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 |
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Webflow Cons and Pros
Pros
- Includes everything and anything that you need for an overall website builder. It even includes eCommerce websites and simple blogs.
- It boasts a strong visual design tool that rivals everything you can do using code
- Very flexible pricing plans, which are also customer friendly. Elementor How To Use Templates
Cons
- There is limited code customization
- 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.
- Traffic limits are included in some plans.
Elementor Versus Thrive Architects
Thrive Architect: A WordPress Page Architect
Thrive Architect plugin for WordPress is bundled with Thrive Themes. It is a newer page builder in their environment, which has become their flagship page builder replacing the old “Thrive Content Builder.” Elementor How To Use Templates
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 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.
- As a plugin, Thrive Architect works with most WordPress themes. Despite Thrive Architect having its own WordPress Theme, Thrive Suite, this is not the case. Therefore, you can use Thrive Architect in combination with the thousands of themes available in WordPress.
- Thrive Architect has a large library of plugins. All of the templates are maintained by the Thrive architect team at a higher standard. These editable templates can help speed up the design process when making web pages. Elementor How To Use Templates
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 features a What You See is What You Get interface that gives you an accurate real-time view of how your page design looks like.
Builders can save time by using the WYSIWYG method. They no longer need to preview your website. You can speed up your workflow by not having to save multiple times. Also, you can be sure you are doing the right thing.
WYSIWYG will always show you where your bearings are.
- We have spoken about Thrive’s obsession with conversions so it is not surprising that they have a lot conversion- and sales-focused elements.
Thrive cannot boast of being conversion-focused if they don’t provide the right and appropriate tools.
- Thrive can also integrate with a lot of third-party services. Mailchimp, Facebook and Zapier are all examples.
- Thrive offers tutorials and educational content for beginners to help them learn about content-making that is focused on selling.
- You can also create pop-up overlays through Thrive Architect’s lightbox tool. Elementor How To Use Templates
- Thrive Architect lets you create an auto-scrolling web page. Somewhat situational in use, but with enough creativity, you can make a novel website based on this feature.
- Thrive Architect supports coders by adding custom HTML to your pages.
Thrive Architect Price
It used to be that you could avail of Thrive Architect individually; however, Thrive Themes have recently changed that. You will need to purchase their Thrive Suite package to use Thrive Architect.
Thrive has 2 payment plans available: Quarterly and Yearly:
| Thrive Suite Quarterly | Thrive Suite Yearly |
| $99 per Quarter | $299 per Year |
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Thrive Architect Pros and Cons
Pros
- Features an intuitive design that is easy to use. 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. It is very easy to look for your perfect template as they are organized into sets.
- It is mainly focused on conversion and sales; as such, this is the perfect website builder for marketers and online businesses.
- Most websites are mobile responsive, so you can be sure that your website is smartphone compatible
- It’s a light-weight plugin and cannot noticeably slow down your pages’ load times
- It 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. Elementor How To Use Templates
Cons
- Not available individually, You have to buy the whole Thrive Suite to use it. If you already own a WordPress Theme, this will double your cost.
- Aside from that, You need to download Thrive Product Manager before you can even begin to plant a single element on the builder.
- Thrive does not offer a lifetime payment option.
Special Mentions
Brizzy
Brizzy is another WordPress builder that lets you generate web pages of 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.
For one, Brizzy does not have a developer APi. 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.
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.
Brizzy pricing is as follows:
| Personal | Freelancer | Agency |
| $49 per annum | $99 per year | $199 per year |
Ideal 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. Oxygen is also very complex, and as such, it is not recommended for non-techies.
Most website builders are more inviting to a wider audience. This includes people who have no idea how coding works or just how the works in general. Oxygen seems to be the exception to that rule.
Despite this, Oxygen allows both designers and experienced users to create amazing websites.
People who are interested in website development should not use Oxygen. There is a steep learning curve. This makes it a great challenge.
Furthermore, web developers and designers who want to be able to fine-tune even the most minute of details, Oxygen is also for them. Oxygen provides the tools necessary to have full control of a website’s elements, as well as its bits and pieces.
As for beginners and those looking for an easier user experience, it’s best to stay away from this one. Elementor How To Use Templates
The price of Oxygen is prohibitive. You don’t get a demo. It does have a 60-day money back guarantee. If you are not up to Oxygene’s challenge, you can always return it.
| Basic Plan (99 USD One-time Payment) | WooCommerce Plan ($149 one time payment) | Agency Plan ($169 once-off payment) |
| WordPress’s most flexible and powerful visual builder | Visually build websites as well as WooCommerce stores | Oxygen is the ultimate tool for creating websites for clients |
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Gutenberg Builder
While this is WordPress main builder, majority of online consensus is united: Elementor How To Use Templates
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 has a mind of its own.
Lastly, despite significant efforts to improve its performance, it still lags considerably, especially when creating massive posts.
There is a reason why WordPress page builder plugins were created. The default plugin is not recommended.
Verdict Elementor How To Use Templates
At the end of the day, your choice of WordPress page builder or page builders, in general, is up to your preference. They might be experts in one area.
It’s a smart idea to choose a WordPress theme that you like and then use the page builder that comes along with it. This is a great way for you to save money and still get high quality work.
Elementor offers the best features and is free to use.
If there’s one thing you can take away from this review, it’s this:
Avoid Gutenberg, WordPress’ default developer, and save yourself the hassle.