Elementor Page Builder Review: Revolutionizing WordPress Website Design
In the ever-evolving landscape of website design, the demand for user-friendly, efficient, and customizable tools is paramount. One such tool that has been making waves in the WordPress community is the Elementor Page Builder.
Launched in 2016, Elementor has quickly garnered a loyal following among website designers, developers, and business owners alike. In this comprehensive review, we’ll delve into what makes Elementor stand out, its key features, benefits, and whether it lives up to the hype.
What is Elementor?
Elementor stands as a dynamic drag-and-drop plugin tailored for WordPress, empowering users to craft visually stunning pages effortlessly.
With Elementor, intricate page designs materialize through a seamless drag-and-drop process, all while providing a live visual preview of your site. This innovative method offers numerous advantages:
- Ease of Use: No technical expertise is required to create captivating pages.
- Streamlined Workflow: Bid farewell to toggling between a backend editor and live preview; work directly on the same interface your visitors will see.
- Freedom from Limitations: Elementor transcends the constraints of the WordPress block editor.
- Effortless Text Editing: Simply click and type within the live preview to modify text seamlessly.
The tool offers an extensive array of resources:
- Widgets: Versatile content blocks such as text, images, buttons, and more.
- Design Options: Detailed settings for customizing the appearance of every element.
- Layout Flexibility: Utilize unlimited “Sections” and “Columns” to tailor the layout to perfection.
Moreover, all designs are inherently responsive, ensuring optimal viewing across diverse devices. Additionally, users have the flexibility to fine-tune designs for specific devices with dedicated settings.
But the capabilities extend beyond page design:
By upgrading to Elementor Pro, users gain access to the same intuitive drag-and-drop interface for crafting:
- Complete Theme Customization: Tailor headers, footers, and content templates seamlessly.
- WooCommerce Integration: Design single products and shop pages effortlessly.
- Popups: Create and deploy dynamic popups anywhere on your site with ease.
Understanding the Functionality of Elementor’s Interface
Within this segment of our Elementor evaluation, I aim to elucidate the fundamental workings of the Elementor interface. This comprehension will provide a foundational understanding for the subsequent section, where I will highlight some of Elementor’s most distinctive features.
Upon launching the Elementor editor, your screen presents a visual depiction of your design on the right-hand side, accompanied by a sidebar on the left:
Visual Preview: This area facilitates the creation of your layout, allowing you to intuitively rearrange content elements through drag-and-drop functionality.
Sidebar: Here, you have the ability to incorporate new elements, tailor existing components on your page, and access various other Elementor settings.
To seamlessly incorporate new content elements, known as widgets, into your design, simply drag them from the sidebar directly onto the live preview. Similarly, employing drag-and-drop functionality enables effortless rearrangement of elements within your design. For text editing, a simple click on the visual preview initiates typing.
In organizing your widgets, you have access to two layout blocks:
- Sections: These essentially function as rows.
- Columns: These divide a section into distinct vertical segments.
Widgets are positioned within sections and columns to structure your design.
Clicking on a widget, section, or column reveals its settings in the sidebar, where you can customize design aspects, spacing, content, and more.
These settings are conveniently categorized into three tabs:
Here’s your concise overview of the Elementor interface. Now, let’s delve into specific features to complete our Elementor review.
Discover the 13 Standout Features of Elementor Setting It Apart From the Competition
While Elementor’s interface is notably smooth and devoid of glitches, the realm of visual, drag-and-drop WordPress page builder plugins is vast, making smoothness alone insufficient to distinguish Elementor.
However, Elementor exceeds its competitors in numerous aspects, which explains its widespread adoption across over three million WordPress sites.
Let’s delve into these distinguishing features:
1. Unparalleled Design Customization:
Elementor offers an extensive array of style and design options, surpassing most other WordPress page builders.
Basic adjustments like colors, fonts, and spacing are standard. Yet, Elementor provides a wealth of advanced settings, particularly with Elementor Pro, including:
- Motion Effects: Craft captivating animations such as mouse tracking or 3D tilt. Implement scrolling effects like parallax scroll or rotations.
- Custom Positioning: Place elements anywhere on the page, transcending the limitations of section/column layouts.
- Shape Dividers: Fashion elegant shape dividers to enhance section transitions.
Should the built-in options fall short, Elementor Pro empowers users to incorporate custom CSS directly into individual elements.
In the example provided, the Minimize Your Documents box dynamically responds to user interaction by visually “tilting” in real-time as the mouse moves across it. This feature adds a captivating dimension to design possibilities, enabling the creation of truly distinctive and interactive experiences.
2. Choose from Tons of Content Elements (Widgets)
In addition to its versatile design settings, Elementor Pro offers an extensive array of content elements, or widgets, providing you with a plethora of options to enhance your website.
With over 60 widgets at your disposal, Elementor Pro caters to diverse needs, ranging from social icons and pricing tables to login forms, sliders, post grids, and more.
Among these widgets, the Form widget stands out as particularly versatile. It not only enables you to create custom forms with multiple fields but also has robust integrations. Seamlessly connect your forms to platforms such as Zapier, various email marketing services, as well as Slack or Discord for real-time notifications within your chat environment.
3. Maximize Efficiency with Enhanced Editor Functions
While many WordPress page builders boast visual, drag-and-drop interfaces, few rival the convenience of Elementor.
Elementor stands out with its array of unique features designed to streamline your page-building process.
One standout feature is its right-click support, a rarity among page builders. With this functionality, you can effortlessly duplicate elements or transfer styles between various elements with a simple right-click.
Additionally, our Navigator tool facilitates swift navigation between elements on your page. You also have the option to rename elements, enhancing your ability to locate them efficiently.
This feature proves immensely beneficial when tackling intricate designs. Moreover, when constructing a complete website using Elementor, the integrated Finder tool facilitates seamless navigation between various Elementor designs and templates, all within the Elementor interface, ensuring efficiency and ease of use.
4. Ensure Optimal Display of Your Content Across Devices
In today’s digital landscape, mobile browsing surpasses desktop usage, emphasizing the need for impeccable design adaptability.
Rest assured, all your Elementor designs are inherently responsive, eliminating any concerns in this regard.
However, for precise control over responsive design nuances, Elementor empowers you with comprehensive controls, enabling tailored settings based on user devices. Additionally, intuitive preview tools facilitate seamless assessment of design aesthetics across various devices.
5. Effortlessly Enhance Your Design with Pre-Made Templates
Occasionally, starting from scratch isn’t the most efficient option. In such cases, Elementor offers a vast array of pre-designed templates to streamline your workflow. These templates are conveniently organized into three categories:
- Page Templates: Fully developed designs ready for immediate use. Simply customize the content to suit your needs.
- Block Templates: Tailored templates for individual page sections. Mix and match them to craft seamless designs.
- Site Kits: Themed compilations of templates that facilitate the creation of entire websites.
6. Implement Global Widgets for Consistent Design Across Pages
Streamline your design process by creating global widgets that can be utilized across multiple pages. Whether it’s an opt-in form template or any other recurring design element, global widgets ensure uniformity and efficiency.
The beauty of global widgets lies in their dynamic nature: a single update to a global widget instantly propagates the change across all instances of its usage, guaranteeing seamless consistency throughout your website.
7. Design Your Entire Theme With Drag-and-Drop (Including Dynamic Content)
Let’s delve into the features of Elementor Pro that elevate it from a mere page builder to a comprehensive theme builder.
To begin, we have the Elementor Theme Builder. This tool empowers you to craft your entire theme, encompassing elements such as:
- Headers
- Footers
- Archive templates
- Single post templates
Effectively, this renders the necessity for a conventional WordPress theme obsolete. The Elementor team has gone a step further by introducing their own minimalist theme, Hello, meticulously crafted to offer only essential features, empowering users to construct their entire design using Elementor Theme Builder.
Upon accessing Theme Builder, users are greeted with the familiar Elementor interface, enhanced with specialized widgets tailored to the specific template being developed.
Another robust capability integrated with Theme Builder is Elementor’s Dynamic Content feature. This functionality empowers you to dynamically populate a widget’s content using data from custom fields you’ve incorporated through ACF, Pods, or Toolset.
Utilize WordPress to its fullest potential as a comprehensive CMS.
For instance, craft a bespoke post type complete with tailored fields, seamlessly designing its template using Elementor without the need for coding.
8. Design Your Entire WooCommerce Store With Drag-and-Drop
If you’re utilizing WooCommerce, you can extend this approach to your individual product and shop pages by incorporating specialized widgets tailored for WooCommerce content.
These widgets offer dedicated functionalities ranging from displaying product titles and prices to facilitating add-to-cart actions, showcasing upsell items, and much more.
9. Build Flexible Popups Using the Full Elementor Interface
Elementor offers more than just posts, pages, theme templates, and WooCommerce shops. It also provides a powerful tool for creating popups.
With Elementor’s popup feature, you can design various types of popups and place them anywhere on your website using the familiar interface.
What’s great is that you have access to the full range of Elementor widgets within your popups. This means you can craft:
- Email opt-in popups using the Form widget and seamlessly integrate them with your email marketing service.
- Login popups utilizing the Login widget for a streamlined user experience.
- Social share button popups employing the Share Buttons widget to enhance social engagement.
The potential for creativity and functionality is virtually limitless!
You can also position your popups in different spots to create:
- “Regular” popups
- Notification bars
- Screen fillers etc.
When you publish your popup, you’ll get options to target it to specific content/users and control how to trigger popups:
10. Set Up Global Styles to Control Sitewide Design
In 2020, the Elementor team introduced a groundbreaking addition known as global styles.
This innovative feature empowers users to establish site-wide color palettes and font selections effortlessly.
By leveraging global styles, every new design seamlessly adopts these preset themes, eliminating the need for tedious manual adjustments to individual elements’ colors and typography.
Certainly, you have the flexibility to manually override the global styles if necessary, allowing for customization at the individual design level.
But here’s what makes it exciting:
These global styles operate similarly to CSS variables.
This means that any future updates to the global style will automatically reflect across every instance throughout your site. For instance, you can promptly alter the primary design color across all elements on your site.
In essence, it’s an incredibly practical feature. However, it’s important to note that you retain the freedom to manage these styles from your theme, especially if you’re using a theme like Astra or GeneratePress, which might offer a more tailored approach depending on your site’s construction.
In my opinion, the global styles feature shines brightest when utilized alongside Elementor Theme Builder to craft every aspect of your site.
11. Create Custom Loops Using Elementor Loop Builder
In late 2022, Elementor unveiled its dynamic new feature: Loop Builder.
This advanced design tool empowers users with unparalleled flexibility for crafting bespoke WordPress sites.
For those unacquainted with WordPress’s “the loop,” it serves as the platform’s default mechanism for content repetition.
Elementor Loop Builder revolutionizes this process, offering an intuitive interface for designing repeatable content templates. Think of it as the Posts widget, but supercharged.
Here’s why Loop Builder outshines Elementor’s Posts widget and other page builders:
Loop Builder allows for the integration of dynamic content within your templates, including data sourced from custom fields.
For instance, envision crafting a real estate website where each property listing showcases custom field data such as the number of bathrooms and bedrooms.
Previously, such custom loops necessitated tools like Oxygen. Now, within the user-friendly confines of Elementor, users can effortlessly design their custom loops.
To get started, simply access the new Loop Item template type within Elementor Theme Builder, enabling seamless loop design via the Elementor interface.
Enhance your designs by incorporating loop templates with the latest loop-centric widgets: Loop Grid and Loop Carousel. Customize your content queries to seamlessly populate these loops according to your preferences.
12. Easily Launch a Site Using the All-In-One Elementor WordPress Hosting Service
In 2022, Elementor unveiled its latest innovation: Elementor WordPress hosting service, a comprehensive solution that integrates website hosting seamlessly with full access to WordPress functionality.
Upon registration, Elementor promptly sets up a WordPress website and installs Elementor, enabling immediate site construction without the hassle of managing hosting.
Moreover, users retain the flexibility to incorporate additional WordPress plugins as necessary, as this platform remains authentic to WordPress, not restricting users to solely utilizing Elementor.
To my knowledge, Elementor stands out as the sole builder tool providing such comprehensive, all-inclusive services. While Brizy offers Brizy Cloud, it doesn’t match the full functionality of Elementor Cloud, which is a fully operational WordPress installation.
For those who find the prospect of setting up their own WordPress site daunting, Elementor Cloud emerges as an excellent solution. Not only is it user-friendly, but it’s also quite cost-effective.
However, I would advise utilizing your own hosting for more significant ventures, particularly those generating income. Although Elementor Cloud performs adequately for portfolios and basic blogs, opting for a WordPress host optimized for performance is preferable for serious income-generating sites.
13. Extend Elementor with a Huge Third-Party Marketplace
Ever since its inception, the creators of Elementor have dedicated themselves to simplifying the process of extending its capabilities for fellow developers. This commitment, coupled with Elementor’s widespread acclaim, has resulted in a vast array of third-party extensions tailored to augmenting its functionality.
A plethora of both free and premium Elementor extensions are readily available, offering enhancements in the form of widgets, templates, and additional features. This abundance ensures effortless access to diverse widgets, templates, and more, catering to a wide spectrum of project requirements.
Exploring the WordPress.org platform reveals an extensive selection of free extensions, complemented by numerous premium offerings, providing ample choices to suit individual preferences and project needs.
Three Drawbacks of Utilizing Elementor
While Elementor boasts numerous commendable features, any comprehensive review must also address its drawbacks.
Though not abundant, there are considerations worth noting.
1. Performance Potential: An Ongoing Journey
Integrating a WordPress page builder plugin inherently adds to the page’s weight compared to using the native WordPress editor alone.
However, the efficacy in minimizing this additional load varies among page builders.
Elementor falls within the middle ground – it neither excels as the most lightweight nor lags as the heaviest.
Encouragingly, the Elementor team recognizes the significance of performance and has been actively enhancing it. They’ve introduced optimizations like streamlined DOM operations and refined asset delivery methods.
To offer a performance perspective, I conducted a rudimentary speed comparison between Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Brizy, and Gutenberg.
Each builder was employed to craft a straightforward design, after which a test was conducted to gauge the page’s total weight (inclusive of my GeneratePress theme).
The findings are as follows:
| Builder | Total Page Size | Total Page Requests |
| Elementor | 129 KB | 21 |
| Beaver Builder | 79 KB | 12 |
| Divi Builder (plugin) | 148 KB | 13 |
| Gutenberg | 35 KB | 8 |
| Brizy | 216 KB | 16 |
If your aim is to create the most lightweight website imaginable, your best bet is to stick with the block editor. Alternatively, if you require a visual tool but prioritize lightweight solutions, Beaver Builder edges out Elementor in terms of weight. More insights are available in our comprehensive Beaver Builder review.
However, opting for these lighter options comes with a tradeoff – they don’t offer the same level of design flexibility as Elementor.
Many individuals might find it worthwhile to sacrifice some performance for enhanced design capabilities. It’s important to note that even with Elementor, it’s still possible to construct fast-loading websites; you simply need to ensure you’re implementing performance optimization techniques.
2. No Unlimited and/or Lifetime License
Elementor’s pricing structure differs from that of other popular page builder plugins in that it lacks options for unlimited site usage or a lifetime subscription.
While Elementor can be cost-effective for single-site usage, it tends to become pricier than its competitors when needed for more than three websites.
However, if you’re creating websites for clients, don’t be deterred by the price tag. Investing in Elementor can enhance efficiency and increase revenue from your clients.
On the other hand, if you prioritize long-term affordability and functionality, Divi’s lifetime membership at $249 for unlimited site usage stands out as a compelling option.
Personally, I favor Elementor over Divi, making it worth the additional investment. Nonetheless, if you’re working with a tight budget and require a tool for multiple sites, there are other solid options available at a lower price point than Elementor.
3. Locked Pro Elements If Your License Expires
When it comes to licensing considerations, it’s crucial to grasp how Elementor differs from other plugins you may be familiar with.
Unlike many WordPress plugins that continue to function normally even after your license expires, Elementor Pro operates differently.
While your existing designs remain unaffected and will continue to function seamlessly, you’ll encounter limitations with Elementor Pro if your license expires. Specifically, you won’t be able to incorporate Pro widgets into new designs or utilize certain Pro features for new purposes.
It’s important to note that your current designs, including those featuring Pro widgets, will remain fully functional despite the expiration of your license.
However, without renewing your license, you won’t have access to adding new Pro widgets to existing designs or creating new designs with Pro widgets/features. Thus, it’s prudent to factor in license renewal when planning to utilize Elementor Pro on your site.
For a comprehensive understanding of Elementor Pro’s renewal policies, refer to their official documentation.
Who Can Benefit from Elementor: Free or Pro?
Elementor is a versatile tool that can benefit nearly any WordPress user, but determining whether to stick with the free version or upgrade to Elementor Pro depends on your specific requirements.
To begin, Elementor’s free version is exceptionally robust compared to other page builders, so there’s no rush to opt for Elementor Pro right away.
If your goals are to:
– Enhance the visual appeal of your blog posts and essential pages.
– Create simple landing pages.
Then, the free version should suffice perfectly.
However, if you’re looking to:
– Develop entire websites using Elementor.
– Utilize Elementor for marketing purposes.
– Craft highly customized designs.
In such cases, upgrading to Elementor Pro becomes essential. This upgrade grants you access to:
– The Theme Builder for comprehensive theme design using Elementor.
– Marketing tools like the Form widget with integrations, popups, and additional landing page templates.
– Expanded design possibilities, including advanced animations, precise positioning, custom CSS for individual widgets, and more.
Elementor Pro is available starting at just $59, offering exceptional value for access to all its Pro features, including the Theme Builder and Popup Builder.
For a comprehensive overview of Elementor’s pricing, continue reading below.
Elementor Page Builder Pricing Details
Here are two methods for accessing Elementor Pro:
- Procure the standalone Elementor Pro plugin and install it on your self-hosted WordPress site.
- Opt for the comprehensive Elementor WordPress hosting service, encompassing both web hosting and the full suite of Elementor Pro features, all for a single flat fee.
If you choose the standalone plugin option, pricing begins at $59 for single-site usage and extends up to $399 for deployment across up to 1,000 websites.
For those seeking the comprehensive Elementor WordPress hosting solution, entry-level plans begin at just $9.99 per month, accommodating a single website.
Benefits of Using Elementor:
Ease of Use: Elementor’s intuitive interface makes it accessible to users of all skill levels, from beginners to experienced developers.
Time-Saving: With its drag-and-drop functionality and pre-designed templates, Elementor enables users to build professional-looking websites in a fraction of the time it would take using traditional methods.
Customizability: Elementor’s extensive customization options, coupled with its Theme Builder feature, give users unparalleled control over the design of their websites.
Performance: Despite its rich feature set, Elementor is optimized for performance, ensuring that websites built with Elementor load quickly and perform well.
Community and Support: Elementor boasts a large and active community of users and developers who contribute to its ecosystem by sharing templates, plugins, and providing support through forums and documentation.
Final Thoughts on Our Elementor Review
Elementor stands out in the realm of WordPress page builders for good reason—it’s widely recognized as one of the premier options available. However, its popularity doesn’t automatically make it the ideal choice for everyone. Let’s delve into its strengths and weaknesses to assist you in making an informed decision.
In Favor of Elementor
Elementor excels in covering the fundamental features expected of visual page builders. Moreover, it enhances these essentials with user-friendly interface elements such as right-click functionality, an extensive array of design choices, and advanced tools like Theme Builder and Popup Builder. Notably, its inclusion of a loop builder feature, typically found in more sophisticated platforms like Oxygen, is noteworthy. Furthermore, Elementor’s integrated WordPress hosting distinguishes it as a unique offering in the builder plugin landscape, simplifying the process of launching a website.
In terms of features and functionality, Elementor arguably outperforms its competitors, making it a top contender for those seeking a powerful and flexible design tool for WordPress, particularly beginners and those averse to coding.
Considerations Against Elementor
Despite ongoing efforts to enhance performance, Elementor could stand to improve in this area. While it’s entirely feasible to create fast-loading websites with Elementor, there are lighter alternatives available, such as Beaver Builder. Notably, utilizing the native editor typically yields superior performance compared to any builder plugin.
Moreover, while Elementor may be more cost-effective for a single website compared to many competitors, costs escalate for those managing multiple sites. Additionally, unlike Divi, Elementor lacks a lifetime license option, and failing to renew the license results in the loss of access to Pro widgets for new designs.
For budget-conscious users, Divi’s lifetime unlimited license option via the Elegant Themes membership may hold greater appeal.
Final Considerations
Despite its drawbacks, Elementor’s benefits generally outweigh its limitations for the majority of users, including WordPress enthusiasts, freelancers, and agencies. It presents a comprehensive package among visual design tools.
To explore its capabilities, experiment with the free version available on WordPress.org before considering an upgrade to Elementor Pro for access to its full suite of features.
If you have any queries regarding our Elementor review to aid in your decision-making process, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll be happy to assist you further.
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