The overwhelming popularity of WordPress is a testament to its versatility and ease of use. However, if you want more control over the layout of your web pages (without doing any nitty-gritty coding work), you’re going to need more than the default settings.
Fortunately, there are plenty of WordPress page builders that make the process of designing your site incredibly easy. Many of these tools make building pages as simple as dragging and dropping pre-built elements into place – these elements include images, text boxes, titles, and many other features!
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what a WordPress page builder is and how it can benefit your site. Next, we’ll compare 10 of the top page builders, and reveal which one is the best page builder WordPress has to offer. Let’s dive in!
What a WordPress Page Builder Is (And How It Benefits Your Site)
A WordPress page builder is an optional plugin that enables you to more easily customize and organize elements on your web pages. They are also frequently referred to as “Drag-and-drop builders”, since they work by letting you drag the elements you want from an options menu, drop them where you want them to appear on your page, and then tweak them accordingly.
There are several key benefits of using a WordPress page builder plugin. For instance:
- You can see how your site will look in real time, rather than making changes on the back end and having to preview them.
- If you’re a beginner to WordPress, page builders are especially useful. This is because they are easy to master, and require no coding knowledge to use effectively.
- Page builders let you further tweak the elements of your theme, or create something new entirely. This means you aren’t restricted to a pre-defined layout.
- You have total control over what elements on a page you wish to make prominent, which can be handy for increasing conversions on a business or e-commerce site.
- If you want to add your own unique touch to your site, without spending an excessive amount of money, a WordPress page builder can help you achieve this through added customization.
Despite these perks, a WordPress page builder is not without its drawbacks. For example, many page builder plugins are very comprehensive, which means they can potentially slow down your site. However, that shouldn’t dissuade you from using them, as there are a number of ways you can mitigate this problem.
For instance, choosing a quality web host can help ensure that your site runs smoothly and swiftly, regardless of the plugins you’re using. 000webhost delivers lightning fast speed and reliability for your site, for example, which means you can confidently choose any WordPress page builder you want to use.
The Top 10 WordPress Page Builder Plugins
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at what page builders are and how you can benefit from them, the natural question to ask is: “Which is the best page builder WordPress has to offer?” To provide an answer, let’s introduce 10 outstanding options. After that, we’ll reveal which is the best page builder WordPress users can get. Let’s jump right in!
1. The Divi Builder
If you’re searching for a WordPress page builder that will give you maximum control over every element on your site, the Divi Builder by Elegant Themes is an excellent solution. It features more than 40 content modules that can be arranged in virtually any layout you wish. These modules include options for adding audio players, customer testimonials, image sliders, pricing tables, calls to action, and much more. Divi Builder’s lavish demo page can give you a solid overview of these modules in action.
Divi Builder also makes it easy to control who has access to the plugin. Its built in role manager can help ensure that only staff with specific permissions can make changes to your WordPress site’s layout. Furthermore, if you or members of your team do have a bit of coding knowledge, this plugin gives you the option to add custom CSS.
Key Features:
- Comes with more than 30 pre-made page layouts.
- Enables you to drag and drop a huge array of content modules, including text, images, forms, and much more.
- Makes it easy to duplicate and save your layouts to the Divi library, allowing you to import and export them.
- Lets advanced users add custom CSS code if desired.
Pros:
With Divi Builder, you can add as many elements as you like with ease, while ensuring that they are well spaced and laid out. The plugin comes with smart-spacing control features, fluid grid templates, advanced columns, and so on.
Cons:
There is no free version of Divi Builder, which may render the plugin impractical if you have a tight budget. It’s also not as beginner-friendly as some of the other options featured on this list.
Pricing:
The pricing plans for an Elegant Themes subscription (which includes Divi Builder) are as follows:
- Yearly Access ($89 per year): Gives you access to all Divi themes and plugins, priority support, and more.
- Lifetime Access ($249): Provides everything contained in the latter plan, via a simple one-time fee.
2. SiteOrigin Page Builder
SiteOrigin Page Builder is a powerful, responsive, versatile, and grid-based option, which delivers a lot of customization freedom. It’s a solid fit for just about any professional or personal site, particularly if you expect to change your WordPress theme now and then. This is because SiteOrigin Page Builder is one of the best options out there when it comes to theme compatibility.
Apart from offering the live editing feature that is a staple of WordPress page builders, SiteOrigin implements a ‘history browser’. This handy tool lets you roll the live edits you’ve made backwards and forwards, taking much of the stress out of design experimentation.
Key Features:
- Gives you access to a huge array of widgets, which you can drag, drop, and customize live.
- Implements extremely efficient code, making it lightweight as well as efficient.
- Enables you to easily adjust the style of the rows and borders on your page.
Pros:
SiteOrigin has excellent site migration capabilities, which means it can integrate efficiently with any theme. The interface also makes the process of adding rows, widgets, and other features extremely easy. What’s more, this WordPress page builder comes with thorough documentation and reliable support.
Cons:
This option isn’t quite as feature-rich as some of the other top WordPress page builder plugins. Its interface is also quite basic, so the site-building process isn’t as flexible as it could be.
Pricing:
In addition to the free lite version of the plugin, you also have the option to purchase SiteOrigin Premium ($29). This version offers a bundle of useful add-ons, including an advanced WordPress page builder (which lets you add block animations, custom post types, and more).
3. Themify Builder
If you want to use your WordPress page builder to make a website that truly stands out from the crowd, Themify Builder is certainly worth a look. The premium version of this plugin lets you add gorgeous image sliders, parallax scrolling effects, video backdrops, and other tantalizing visuals. What’s more, it comes with more than 60 animation effects and builder layouts, simplifying the process of achieving stunning aesthetics for your site.
Themify Builder manages to harmonize lots of style with plenty of substance. This builder is search engine-friendly, has a translatable core, and comes with a built-in cache system for faster page processing.
Key Features:
- Features a simple interface of rows and columns, enabling you to arrange content effortlessly.
- Includes plenty of builder layouts, each supported with its own demo.
- Offers a handy ‘copy and paste’ function, letting you to rapidly duplicate modules and rows without disturbing the layout.
Pros:
Themify Builder is feature-rich, flexible, and able to accommodate virtually any custom post type. For more advanced users, it also supports shortcodes, HTML, and rich text formatting.
Cons:
User reviews do cite several bugs with the plugin, particularly during system updates. The free version also lacks some basic styling features.
Pricing:
Aside from the free lite version, there are two premium plans for this plugin:
- Builder Plugin ($39): Offers the complete version of the plugin, with advanced design features.
- Builder Bundle ($59): Includes all the builder plugin functions, as well as all add-ons.
4. Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder is a robust and flexible WordPress page builder plugin, which enables you to build your site directly on the front end. It’s perfectly suited for business professionals and hobbyists alike, or anyone who wants to get their site up and running quickly.
This WordPress page builder makes the process of building pages from scratch simple. What’s more, it comes with customizable layout templates that speed up the process of creating pages (particularly landing pages). You can also add in your own slideshows, videos, tabs, columns, and much more. What’s more, a free demo is available to help you get acquainted with Beaver Builder fast.
Key Features:
- Includes precise text and image positioning features.
- Lets you experiment with new layouts without compromising your existing content.
- Offers the option to save your layouts.
- Provides a wide array of templates to get your site up and running.
Pros:
Beaver Builder is extremely feature-rich and user-friendly, and automatically ensures that the elements you add are responsive to mobile devices. It’s also very well supported.
Cons:
The lite version of Beaver Builder is a bit lacking in customization options. Also, most actions you take using Beaver Builder involve enduring a brief loading time.
Pricing:
In addition to the free lite version, Beaver Builder has three pricing plans:
- Standard ($99): Supports unlimited sites, and offers premium modules and templates.
- Pro ($199): Includes WordPress multisite support, in addition to standard features.
- Agency ($399): Offers white labeling, along with the perks contained in the previous plans.
5. Elementor
Elementor is a strong contender for the best page builder WordPress users can find, particularly in terms of customization, usability, and developer-friendliness. Perhaps this plugin’s most distinguishing attribute is its ability to give your WordPress site the ‘designer touch’. For example, you can add background overlays, animations, hover effects, and other elements that make your pages more exciting and memorable.
Another major perk of Elementor is its speed. It lets you make live edits in real time, which means less tedious waiting whenever you drag and drop a module. What’s more, if you get a little carried away adding elements to your page, Elementor has a handy revision feature that lets you go back and correct your mistakes. This combination of speed, user-friendliness, and unique aesthetics makes Elementor a standout choice.
Key Features:
- Offers a wide variety of page builder modules (image carousels, tabs, widgets, progress bars, etc).
- Includes more than 800 Google Fonts, and virtually infinite color schemes.
- Provides simple layout customization features, which make arranging columns, spaces, and margins a breeze.
Pros:
Elementor is open source, fully responsive, and perfectly matched to developers who wish to expand on its default options. However, it’s just as welcoming for novice users.
Cons:
If you want to do something like style your links in a particular way, or incorporate a specific font, Elementor isn’t the most flexible WordPress page builder.
Pricing:
Apart from the free lite version of Elementor, there are three premium plans:
- Personal ($49): Lets you use the plugin on one site.
- Business ($99): Includes up to three sites.
- Unlimited ($199): Includes use on unlimited sites.
6. WP Bakery Page Builder
WP Bakery Page Builder was formerly known as Visual Composer – an exceedingly popular plugin incorporated into many themes. It offers many content elements, mobile-ready design layouts, color options, and much more. This profusion of features, coupled with the plugin’s ease of use, makes it a great solution for large-scale sites that need to be built according to strict branding requirements.
This plugin offers a score of template layouts to form the foundation of your pages, and it also integrates well with just about any theme. Even if your current theme contains custom shortcodes, WP Bakery Page Builder can accommodate them with its distinctive shortcode mapper function.
Key Features:
- Includes a powerful back end editor, which lets you see how your page will look on different mobile devices.
- Provides plenty of page templates to choose from.
- Lets you match your brand’s color with the unique skin builder.
Pros:
WP Bakery Page Builder offers extremely robust support and excellent documentation. It is also very developer-friendly, and can be complimented with a range of add-ons.
Cons:
It’s difficult to add third-party widgets to WP Bakery Page Builder. What’s more, because the plugin is shortcode-based, any content you’ve made will cease to work if you uninstall it.
Pricing:
The following payment plans are available for this plugin (there is no free version):
- Regular ($45): Enables use on a single site, and permits access to the template library. Premium support is also included.
- Extended ($245): Can be used for a single SaaS application, and comes with theme integration capabilities (as well as the benefits included in the Regular plan).
7. Upfront Builder
Upfront Builder is an excellent option if you’re looking to create a simple, yet unique site quickly. Although it doesn’t include as many bells and whistles as some of the other plugins we’ve mentioned, it offers more than enough to build impressive pages. Its features include parallax and video backdrops, over 750 Google fonts, toggle grids for pixel-perfect design, and more.
In addition, Upfront Builder is well suited for e-commerce sites. It fully integrates with WooCommerce, and even makes it easy to sell the layouts you have created.
Key Features:
- Provides a useful toolset for creating development templates.
- Includes global style formatting.
- Offers flexible slider gallery modules and video upload capabilities.
Pros:
Upfront Builder is great if you’re looking to monetize your site or dip your toes into WooCommerce. It’s also well supported and documented.
Cons:
This plugin offers limited pre-made page layouts, as compared to other page builders.
Pricing:
Upfront Builder is available with a WPMU DEV membership, which costs $49 per month and includes a suite of plugins and themes.
8. MotoPress Content Editor
MotoPress Content Editor makes building a visually attractive and extendable WordPress site a hassle-free process. It’s particularly well suited if you have a WordPress multisite network, as your creations can be easily extended to additional sites. If you have sites in various languages, the content editor’s multi-lingual interface will simplify the translation process drastically.
Aside from high-quality visuals, MotoPress Content Editor includes a number of drag-and-drop modules that are useful for business sites. These include Google Map modules and Google Charts, as well as tables (which are great for creating schedule calendars).
Key Features:
- Includes easy-to-use video and audio embed features.
- Provides customizable accordion-style and grid layout options.
- Offers plenty of optional add-ons.
Pros:
MotoPress offers plenty of customization options, excellent documentation, and a handy demo to help you learn the ropes.
Cons:
Despite being fully responsive and containing more than 30 content elements, the free version of MotoPress Content Editor is fairly stripped down.
Pricing:
In addition to the free version, there are three premium plans for this plugin:
- Personal ($29): Enables use on one website.
- Business ($49): Include up to five websites.
- Developer ($139): Lets you use the page builder on unlimited websites.
9. Conductor
While it’s not really a WordPress page builder if you go by the strict definition of the term, Conductor has been included because it makes it easy to arrange page content into grids, lists, and unique custom fields. This extremely lightweight plugin is ideal if you simply want to tweak an existing theme to display content in a way that better suits your needs, without completely overhauling the editing experience.
You can use Conductor to set the number of columns on a page, display featured images, assign custom post types, and designate any posts you want to exclude from a page display. As such, this plugin is particularly useful for any site that includes a blog.
Key Features:
- Offers easy content block tweaking options (via a simple toggled interface).
- Includes a custom query builder for more advanced functions.
- Integrates well with WooCommerce.
Pros:
Virtually every facet of Conductor is explained via tutorial videos. You also get the option to implement shortcodes, in order to display your content just right.
Cons:
This plugin is arguably the least beginner-friendly option on the list, and is suited mostly for WordPress professionals.
Pricing:
There is no free version of Conductor. The three premium plans include:
- Personal ($99): Supports 100 domains, and includes one year of support.
- Professional ($199): Offers support for unlimited domains.
- Lifetime ($399): Includes all add-ons for a single payment.
10. Live Composer Page Builder
Last but not least, Live Composer Page Builder certainly isn’t light on features and perks. It’s also 100% open source, and extremely well integrated with WordPress (functioning smoothly with various integral plugins, such as Yoast SEO). What’s more, you can also enjoy peace of mind knowing that if you deactivate this plugin, you won’t have to go through a mess of troublesome code.
Live Composer Page Builder comes with two optional themes that can form a basic framework for you to build on. You are also given the option to import or export your compositions (or sections of them) for other site building projects.
Key Features:
- Integrates well with WooCommerce.
- Includes more than 30 customizable design modules.
- Provides a streamlined portfolio builder function.
Pros:
Although the free version of the plugin is quite comprehensive, you also have the option to purchase some quality extensions. These improve the interface on the back end, and let you add more visual effects to your pages.
Cons:
This plugin requires a paid add-on if you want to optimally adjust page width, whereas many other page builders offer that feature by default. What’s more, the paid extensions don’t come cheap.
Pricing:
The premium extension plans for the plugin include:
- Single Site ($49): Lets you use the builder on one site, and includes all extensions.
- 2-5 Sites (&79): Provides use on up to five sites.
- Unlimited Sites ($99): Enables you to use the plugin on any number of sites.
And the Winner Is…
After reviewing all of the above options, it’s time to select a winner. In our view, the best page builder WordPress has to offer is Beaver Builder.
Our choice came down to the fact that Beaver Builder achieves an excellent balance of perks across the board (rather than excelling in just one or two areas). Its interface is extremely user-friendly (while still being extendable), and the the potential for customization is extremely broad. Even the free version of the plugin contains a wide array of features, including the ability to add custom CSS. In terms of housekeeping, if you choose to deactivate Beaver Builder at a later point, you won’t have to worry about losing your creations.
For these reasons, we feel that Beaver Builder is often the best page builder WordPress beginners and developers can use. However, that doesn’t mean you should be discouraged from trying out any other WordPress page builder listed above, all of which are quality choices. The most important criteria is to pick a tool that fits your unique needs and design process.
Conclusion
Using a WordPress page builder is a perfect way to make the unique vision you have for your website come to life. Better still, there’s a lot of choice out there. You can find plenty of innovative and intuitive page builders for WordPress users of all experience levels.
All of the above plugins are excellent tools, although we found Beaver Builder to be the best page builder WordPress has to offer. No matter which plugin you pick, here are some of the benefits you can expect from using a WordPress page builder:
- They enable you to organize the content on your page by simply dragging and dropping the modules you want.
- You can eliminate much of the need for time-consuming coding.
- You’ll be able to create unique designs by building on your existing theme.
- Most of the time, you’ll get the option to see the changes you make to your site happen in real time.
What do you think is the best page builder WordPress users should try? Let us know in the comments section below!
