The demand for WordPress page builder plugins has been massively increased as more bloggers and website owners wanted to have control over their style without the need of any coding skills. These plugins offer drag and drop easy layout tools to create the custom layouts.
Two of the most favourite selections embody Elementor and WPBakery, in 2024 nevertheless, they seem to absolutely take over the WordPress market. They both work with powerful design features, but what’s the better option for you?
In this detailed Elementor vs. WPBakery page builder comparison, we will walk you through features, ease of use, performance, pricing and more to help you choose a great solution for your next project.
What is a WordPress Page Builder Plugin?
With a WordPress page builder plugin, you can build custom layouts and designs without writing a single line of code. They also use a drag and drop interface where you move things like text boxes, images, sliders, and buttons around the page.
These plugins allow you to build anything on your WordPress according to your requirement such as a simple blog, an e-commerce store or complex website.
Elementor Vs WPBakery: In 2024, it appears that the two most used page builders are Elementor and WPBakery but they work in a different way when it comes to usability and flexibility. So, let us discuss these differences.
1. Elementor Overview: The Intuitive Page Builder
Due to its ease of use and intuitive design, powerful features, Elementor has easily become the top choice for a WordPress user. Elementor was first released in 2016, and has enjoyed huge success with millions of global active installations.
Key Features of Elementor:
- Drag-and-drop editor: Elementor’s live front-end editor lets you design pages by dragging elements anywhere on the page and then changing their settings on the fly.
- Hundreds of templates for all page types (e.g. homepage, about, lead generation) that are pre-designed but can be fully customized
- Widgets: Includes a number of included gadgets; pictures, text, recordings, sliders, images and shapes etc.
- Mobile, tablet and desktop views: Quickly alter your layout and design on different types of devices without the hassle of dealing with multiple pages.
- Popup builder: Build your own popups without another plugin.
- Header & Footer builder: Elementor allows you to design your headers, footers, etc. from scratch.
- Integrations: Connects to popular tools such as WooCommerce, MailChimp, and Yoast SEO.
Why Choose Elementor?
The first is Elementor… Elementor is great for those who want a simple approach to WordPress design.
For most beginners, the free layer is more than enough, however if you require more of what Elementor has to offer then the Pro version is there offering an additional boost in functionality – perfect for beginners and developers alike.
2. WPBakery Overview: The Classic Page Builder
WPBakery, which used to be called Visual Composer, is one of the oldest and most widely used page builder plugins for WordPress.
In addition, many excellent themes are integrating it as a drag-and-drop builder alongside or instead of the Visual Composer so tons of sites already have it as well.
Key Features of WPBakery:
- Backend and frontend editor: WPBakery allows you to edit both from the backend (WordPress dashboard) and frontend (live site view), giving you flexibility in how you work.
- Built-in content elements: Houses many vital element like rows, columns, buttons, sliders and image galleries.
- Templates: Choose from pre-designed templates to get your page up and running even more quickly.
- For the shortcode system– WPBakery makes use of shortcodes for all elements which can be an advantage for those that are familiar with how a shortcode system works.
- Make a beautiful responsive grid layouts for your portfolios or product listing with the help of this grid implementing tool.
- A- WooCommerce Integration Works perfectly with any e-commerce website using Woocommerce.
- Extendability: WPBakery can be extended with your custom shortcodes or add-ons to increase even more features.
Why Choose WPBakery?
If you do use a premium theme, WPBakery Page Builder is another fantastic option available to users who just want an easy page builder that comes with many premium themes.
The addition of a backend editor is helpful for users who prefer to work from the dashboard, and the shortcode system helps those who thrive on more technical editing.
3. Ease of Use: Elementor vs. WPBakery
The ease of use is one of the top concerns users have when choosing a WordPress page builder plugin, especially for beginners.
Elementor’s Ease of Use:
A front-end editor is something that Elementor really shines for. WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing enables users to edit the page and instantly see what results from the changes.
Since the editor and preview modes are one and the same, you never have to switch back and forth between each view making it an extremely fluid design process.
- In-Line editing – Add Elements directly to your page and customize them on the fly.
- No programming needed: Elementor is made for anybody who can use wordpress, hence you will be able to use professional designs to your sites without writing one particular lines of code.
WPBakery’s Ease of Use:
The backend editor is supported by WPBakery although it also provides some front-end editing capabilities. This might be a more convenient way for users who are used to seeing the backend WordPress dashboard.
The only downside to WPBakery is that it starts feeling like an old UI compared to the modern, streamlined look of Elementor.
- An old school backend editor — Some people are more comfortable working on the backend, and that is totally an option for Elementor Pro users too.
- Less intuitive to beginners: WPBakery may be more difficult for beginners to use as it uses shortcodes and backend editing.
Verdict: Elementor Wins
Elementor is often easier to use on a surface level (I think especially for beginners, and even experience users who favor live editing with instant visual feedback).
It has a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder on top of its streamlined interface which is always an advantage.
4. Performance and Speed: Which One is Faster?
A slow site can be harmful in teas of user experience, as well as for SEO. The more you install on your site, the slower it becomes which can cause higher bounce rates and will likely result in a search engine ranking see-saw.
Elementor’s Performance:
It is quite lightweight compared to other page builders, but it will still add some extra load time to your pages. However, it does provide tools to better performance like lazy loading to improve page speed. Elementor Pro is more lightweight even compared to other products.
WPBakery’s Performance:
Exactly because of its use of shortcodes (even more so than Pagebuilder), WPBakery is heavier, and can sure slow down the site. More elements = more shortcodes are created => Performance down.
Verdict: Elementor Wins
When compared with Gutenberg and the intertwined code, both page builders are going to introduce more additional markup than WordPress on its own — but Elementor tends to do a much better job of performing quickly and well when optimized.
5. Customization and Design Flexibility
Choose Elementor vs WPBakery, based on design flexibility
Elementor’s Design Flexibility:
Where Elementor shines is in the sheer amount of customization it allows. It provides a variety of Widgets, templates and the theme builder on its Pro version allow to design literally any section of your website.
With Elementor, you can tweak just about anything on your page: margins, paddings, fonts and colors can all be modified right inside the live editor
- Widgets and modules: Elementor includes a wide selection of widgets, like carousels, post grids, forms etc.
- Elementor Pro for advanced design control like global settings, custom fonts and motion effects
WPBakery’s Design Flexibility:
While WPBakery has lots of pre-made elements, it lacks the finesse for which Elementor is known. It can take quite a bit of extra work to customize things like spacing, margins and typography, and you might find yourself writing even more CSS to do some layouts.
- Pre-built content elements: While you may find a range of predefined elements in WPBakery, customizing might be less flexible as opposed to Elementor.
- Grid builder : WPBakery grid builder You can make fancy Grid particularly for portfolio and e-commerce websites.
Verdict: Elementor Wins
Elementor has a wide range of customization choices which means more creative liberty for users, even when they have no developer skills. Pro features are the razor-sharp high end of page builders which only serious pro designers need to worry about.
6. Integrations and Add-Ons
Elementor and WPBakery both allow for third-party add-ons and plugins that extend their core.core functionality.
Elementor’s Integrations:
Elementor works well with leading WordPress plugins, such as WooCommerce, MailChimp, Yoast SEO and Rank Math etc. Thousands of extra functionalities allow hands on with the help of its vast ecosystem add-ons to make Elementor even more powerful.
WPBakery’s Integrations:
It also integrates seamlessly with popular plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO. But your ecosystem of integrations relatively smaller than Elementor. It means you would have to use more of custom shortcodes or a developer help for any advance functionality.
Verdict: Elementor Wins
Elementor is backed with more advanced integration with third-party services and a richer marketplace for add-ons which makes IDeator more recommended for the users wishing to extend their sites features.
7. Pricing: Elementor vs. WPBakery
Elementor Pricing:
- Elementor Free: Although limited in features, Elementor Free gives you a good starting point to give a test drive when under budget.
- Pro version: Beginning at $59 yearly, access to features such as the theme builder and popup builder, along with additional widgets.
WPBakery Pricing:
- No Free Version : Unlike others, WPBakery does not have its free version. Or you can buy the regular license from $64 for a sole-site.
- WPBakery also does lifetime updates, whereas Elementor only offers their pro features under an annual subscription.
Verdict: Elementor Wins for Flexibility, WPBakery Wins for One-Time Purchase
Although the free version of Elementor brings it to everyone, its Pro version is a must-have for power users.
On the other hand, some may be attracted to WPBakery when they see that it is a one-time purchase with lifetime access (as opposed to Elementor and Beaver Builder where you have annual recurring fees).
Conclusion: Elementor vs. WPBakery — Which Page Builder Should You Choose?
Both Elementor and WPBakery are powerful WordPress page builder plugins, but they cater to different types of users.
- Choose Elementor if you want a beginner-friendly, intuitive, and flexible page builder with live editing, excellent design control, and a wide range of third-party integrations. Its free version is powerful enough for most users, and the Pro version unlocks incredible design capabilities.
- Choose WPBakery if you prefer working in the WordPress backend or need a page builder that integrates with premium themes. It’s a solid choice for users who are familiar with shortcodes and don’t mind a slightly steeper learning curve.
In the Elementor vs. WPBakery debate, Elementor wins in most categories, including ease of use, performance, design flexibility, and pricing flexibility. However, WPBakery remains a popular choice for users who prefer backend editing and a one-time payment model.
FAQ: Elementor vs. WPBakery
Q1: Which is better for beginners, Elementor or WPBakery?
A: Elementor is more beginner-friendly due to its intuitive drag-and-drop live editor, making it easier for non-technical users to create custom layouts.
Q2: Can I switch from WPBakery to Elementor?
A: Yes, but it can be tricky. WPBakery uses shortcodes, so switching to Elementor may require you to rebuild pages from scratch to avoid shortcode remnants.
Q3: Does Elementor have a free version?
A: Yes, Elementor offers a free version with essential features, while WPBakery is a paid-only plugin.
Q4: Which page builder is faster, Elementor or WPBakery?
A: Elementor generally offers better performance and faster loading times compared to WPBakery, which can be heavier due to its shortcode reliance.
Q5: Does WPBakery have front-end editing?
A: Yes, WPBakery offers both front-end and backend editing, but its front-end editor isn’t as polished or intuitive as Elementor’s.
Q6: What integrations do Elementor and WPBakery support?
A: Both support popular plugins like WooCommerce and Yoast SEO, but Elementor has a broader ecosystem of third-party add-ons and integrations.
Q7: Is Elementor Pro worth the cost?
A: Yes, Elementor Pro unlocks advanced features like the theme builder, popup builder, and additional widgets, making it well worth the cost for serious users.
Q8: Can I use both Elementor and WPBakery on the same site?
A: Technically, yes, but it’s not recommended as it can cause conflicts and performance issues. Stick with one page builder for consistency.
Q9: Which page builder offers more design templates?
A: Elementor offers a larger library of pre-designed templates compared to WPBakery, providing more variety for users.
Q10: What is the main disadvantage of WPBakery?
A: WPBakery’s main disadvantage is its reliance on shortcodes, which can clutter your site’s backend and make switching page builders difficult.
