Whether you want to customize your website or create a portfolio site, a page builder is what you need. A page builder plugin helps you create any website you want. From landing pages to custom sales pages, you can literally design everything using page builders. When it comes to WordPress page builders, both Elementor and Divi builders are widely popular and they both offer exceptional features including drag and drop editors. In this detailed guide, we will talk about Elementor vs Divi builder along with their features, pros, cons, pricing etc so you can pick the RIGHT one for your website needs. Are you ready to find out? Let’s jump into the details.
Revealing the Main Differences (Elementor vs Divi Builder)
During our reviewing phase, we have encountered several differences between Elementor and Divi page builders. Few of them are crucial to know and would directly impact your decision. So are you ready to uncover the differences?
1. Difference in Drag and Drop Editor Interface
One of the major reasons to use page builders like Elementor and Divi builder is that they offer drag and drop editors. Both their interfaces are easy to work with. So let’s have a quick glimpse of both their interfaces. Here’s how the interface of the Elementor plugin looks like; As you can see above, Elementor offers various elements that you can drag and drop to the “drag and drop editor” to start customizing your blog posts, pages or literally anything you want on your site. As we already discussed above, you’ll have access to over 80 design elements to work with. Here’s how the interface of the Divi builder looks like; As you can see above, Divi builder works differently (when compared to Elementor) as you access everything with floating buttons that open various popups (as shown above). That way you can insert any new module you want. Divi builder offers you 36 various modules to work with. In a nutshell, the Elementor interface follows a more static approach whereas the Divi Builder’s approach requires you to click on their floating buttons to customize your website. So it depends on your personal preference (when it comes to the interface choice) and we found both are extremely easier to work with. Customizing Elements: For customizing elements, Elementor has a menu (customizer) that always sticks to the left while Divi’s customizer offers a free hand approach – Meaning with Elementor, you will always have a menu on the left but Divi’s customizer gives you more scope on the screen. In the first image below, you can see the “Elementor customizer” is stuck to the left. However in the second image, the “Divi customizer” seems more flexible & user friendly (it can be moved anywhere on the screen but can also snap to the left) Adding Elements (Modules) “In Divi, we call it Modules & In Elementor, we call it Elements”. Apart from this, Elementor uses “Sections & Columns” to give a structure (adding elements) to the page. On the other hand, Divi uses “Sections & Rows”. Again, this is totally subjective.
2. The “Free Version” Difference
The free version is undoubtedly one of the main reasons behind the Elementor Popularity as compared with Divi page builder. Page builders are expensive. We all know that!. And the free version would be highly beneficial in a situation where people have no prior experience with page builders. When you search “Page Builder” inside the WordPress plugin repository, the free version of Elementor always comes first – [5 Million+ Installations, 4.5 stars rated is the proof of its reliability] Talking about the Divi page builder, Its free version is NOT EXISTED!
3. The Difference in Modules & Elements
Elements (Modules) or simply “building blocks” are what you should mainly look at in a page builder plugin. You cannot create a page without these blocks. So, this is one of the primary factors which impact your decision.
Elementor elements: Free version (40+ Widgets), Pro version (Upto 50 Extra Widgets) Divi modules: 36 Only.
Comparing the numbers, Elementor is clearly a winner. However, you should always explore the list of available modules manually and then make a decision. Elementor elements have been divided into 4 categories: Basic Widgets, Pro Widgets, Theme Elements, and WooCommerce Widgets. On the other hand, Divi modules have been divided into 3 categories: Content elements, eCommerce elements, and Structural elements.
4. The Difference in Premade Templates
To speed up the designing process, Elementor and Divi both offer tons of premade templates that you can use to create individual web pages or entire websites with a single click. In Elementor, the templates has been divided into:
Individual page templates (Popup page, landing page, single page, etc) Blocks templates (Can embed into any page. Example: 404 Block, Footer, etc) Complete Website Kit (Set of multiple pages with the same style & design)
Divi offers 294 Layout Packs (One layout pack can be made up with multiple pages templates including contact page, about page, etc).
5. The Popup Builder Advantage
One of the main advantages of going with Elementor Pro is Popup Forms. Elementor has a drag & drop inbuilt popup form builder which can be used to create different popups (modal, notification bar, slide-in, etc). Yes there is no need to install any external plugin for this. You can use Elementor widgets to design a beautiful popup forms (Email Opt-in, Login/Registration, etc) and embed anywhere on a website. In Divi you can enable popup forms functionality by using its external paid plugin called Bloom. But this plugin doesn’t offer a drag & drop approach and is also limited compared to Elementor POWERFUL popup builder. So yes, Elementor gets one more extra mark than Divi.
6. The Difference in Form Widget
Did you know both Divi & Elementor have an inbuilt form widget (module)? But there is a difference. You can customize form fields, change colors, etc. However, one thing the Elementor form widget lacks is “CONDITIONS”. Divi’s form widget is more POWERFUL and allows you to apply conditional logic to the forms which is one of the essential features of any form builder. This difference seems minor, but it’s not. Those who have experience with WordPress form builder plugins could understand the benefit of “Conditional Logic” easily. In a nutshell, Divi’s form Widget is more robust than Elementor.
7. Inbuilt A/B Testing Benefit
A/B Testing – Divi’s most unique feature which allows you to split test the page elements against different versions. For example you can test which layout works best for reducing bounce rate. This A/B testing act as a marketing strategy helps in improving conversion and sales. In Elementor, the feature of A/B testing is not given by default; however, you can use free tools like Microsoft Clarity to analyze how users behave with your website layout, elements, etc. Third party plugins like Split test for elementor plugin could also do some help.
8. The Difference in Pricing
One of the major things most people consider while picking any WordPress page builder is pricing. So which one is more affordable among Divi and Elementor? Let’s find out and discuss both of these page builders pricing plans. Elementor Pricing The good thing about using Elementor is that it has a free version which you can download from here. Unlike most other page builders, its free version is very usable and you can easily customize simple websites. For serious users who want to customize their sites in any way, Elementor Pro is a better deal. In fact, you can use the free version for some time and as your site grows, you can invest in Elementor Pro as you can easily upgrade to the Pro version without losing any changes to your design. So how much does Elementor Pro cost? It offers you four pricing options which are listed below. All plans included: 100+ Widgets, 300+ Templates, Theme Builder, Pop up Builder, WooCommerce Store Builder, Landing Page Builder, Premium Support, etc. Elementor Pro offers you a 30-day money back guarantee. So you can ask for a refund within 30 days if you feel it’s not right for you. Divi Pricing Divi Builder doesn’t offer a free version available (unlike Elementor). So how much does a Divi builder cost? By now you know that Elegant themes offer Divi Builder and it’s not sold separately. So you’ll have to sign up for Elegant themes (don’t worry, it’s extremely affordable) to be able to use the Divi builder. Elegant Themes offers two pricing plans which are; Click to buy Elegant Themes (with Divi builder) They also offer a 30-day money back guarantee. That means if you don’t enjoy your Elegant Themes membership (or the Divi builder), you will get a refund within 30 days after signing up. Both are affordable and available at $100 per year and that’s the reason why millions of people are using both these page builders. Elementor is the cheapest when compared to the Divi builder (as Elementor pricing starts at just $59 per year whereas the Divi builder along with the Elegant themes membership pricing starts at $89 per year).
9. Elementor has a Maintenance Mode (Divi Haven’t)
In a maintenance mode the website goes down several times and during this phase the visitors might see 404 code or even face website crash type issues. This is bad for user experience as well as SEO As per Google, your website should return HTTP 503 code during maintenance mode. This way your site SEO won’t be impacted. In Elementor, the feature of Maintenance mode is inbuilt – Meaning you can use a maintenance mode template and configure your website settings so that it can return the right HTTP code. In Divi, you will find the Maintenance mode templates. However it doesn’t have settings which enable a maintenance mode on your site. In other words, you need the help of an external plugin like”Easy Updates Manager” to finish the job.
10. The Shortcode Widget
The Shortcode Widget (Module) – Elementor ✓, Divi X We were surprised to know that the Divi builder doesn’t have a shortcode module. It is one of the essential widgets we personally use on a regular basis. Without it, how could you embed the dynamic content on your post, pages, sidebar, etc.?
11. Divi’s Role Editor is Much Powerful than Elementor’s
The Role editor function is going to be highly useful when you’re building sites for your clients who don’t have a knowledge of WordPress, designing, etc. With the help of Role editor you can restrict their access so that they can’t interfere with settings that ruin a website design. Both page builders offers various rules for the different roles:
Divi: Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Shop Manager Elementor: Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber
Compared to Elementor basic rules, Divi’s role editor gives you the ability to restrict much higher level actions. For Example: In Elementor only 2 rules is assigned to the Editor role: Whereas In Divi, you can enable/disable high level to low level restriction for a “Editor” and other roles:
Elementor vs Divi: Performance Test
One of the primary reasons people avoid page builders is because of the load they make on a website speed. Let’s see how fast Elementor & Divi Page builders are… Elementor Performance Test: We have tested a page made up with an Elementor template. For extra load, we have manually added extra widget such as carousel, contact form, table, etc. Here’s how Elementor performed: Divi Performance Test: Here we have also used a divi premade template with extra custom modules. Here’s how Divi performed: You can see how amazingly both page builders performed. This is just a single test with a slight difference in modules. Both page builders are highly optimized and don’t impact the loading speed. For shared hosting based sites, the user can also use a performance optimization plugin like WP Rocket to enhance the web page performance.
Divi vs Elementor 2023: Features List
Divi Builder Features Divi Builder from Elegant themes comes with a ton of excellent in-built features which are listed below. Here are some of the amazing benefits of using Divi Builder. Divi Builder Offers Over 150 Layout Packs Did you know that Divi builder offers over 158 layout packs (from 1161 total layouts) across various categories? From business to lifestyle to technology, no matter what industry you are in, you can use Divi premade layout packs to design a stunning website design effortlessly. Just pick a layout of your choice and start customizing it using their easy to use drag and drop page editor. You’re good to go! Customize however you want Divi builder offers over 40 different content elements to choose from, such as Images, Videos, Text, and Buttons. Here’s how it looks like; As you can see above, just click on any module and start customizing it. Inside the content tab, you can modify the module content elements, such as text and images. It also offers a drag and drop feature, using which every item on the page can be dragged and dropped to new locations. You can also preview how your content looks on mobile devices. While editing your page, it’s easy to see what your design will look like on mobile devices. Elementor Features Elementor is not far behind when it comes to features as it includes a wide range of options which are included below. Does it offer any free demos? No, but you can grab Elementor free plugin which offers you limited features. Here are some of the useful features of using the Elementor page builder. Access to over 80 design elements From basic elements to theme elements, you’ll get access to over 80 stunning design elements with the Elementor Pro plugin. Basic elements include;
Star ratings Video embeds Sound cloud Google maps etc
Theme elements include;
Post Title Post Excerpt Post Content Featured Image Author Box Post Comments etc
WooCommerce element include;
Product Breadcrumbs Product Title Product Images Product Price Add To Cart Product Rating etc
That means you can easily customize your WordPress site by using anything ranging from star ratings on your product reviews to adding product price to your ECommerce site. It offers a free plugin Unlike the Divi Builder from Elegant themes, Elementor offers you a free version with limited features. If you want to try it for the first time or looking to build a simple site, the free version is more than enough. The free plugin offers you some cool features including;
30 free widgets Visual and intuitive form builder Custom fonts Custom CSS Animated headlines Image and video sliders etc
Elementor vs Divi 2023: Pros And Cons
This Elementor and Divi builder comparison will be incomplete if we don’t talk about their pros and cons. So let’s discuss them now. Elementor page builder Pros: Elementor page builder Cons: Divi page builder Pros: Divi page builder Cons: Read: GeneratePress vs Divi: Which is Best in 2023
What Others Are Saying About Divi & Elementor?
User reviews are extremely important for any product including visual page builders like Elementor or Divi. So what other users are saying about the two WordPress page builders? Let’s find out the user reviews of both Divi and Elementor page builders. What People Are Saying About the Elementor? Elementor has raving reviews from users all over the blogosphere including on product software comparison sites like TrustPilot to WordPress forums. On TrustPilot, Elementor got a TrustScore of 4.3 out of 5 ratings. It also has a ton of 5 star rating reviews on WordPress plugin directory. With over 4 million installations, this plugin has a 4.9 star rating with over 5000 reviews at WordPress.org. So what are you waiting for? If you feel Elementor Pro is for you, use the following link to try it today. What People Are Saying About Divi Builder? Divi Builder from the Elegant themes is not too far behind in terms of user ratings. On TrustPilot, Elegant Themes got a TrustScore of 4.9 out of 5 ratings. Quick note: Divi builder is a part of the Elegant themes and there’s no TrustScore separately maintained for Divi builder on Trustpilot. Also, a ton of customers who are already using their themes and builder are enjoying their features. Have a look at the testimonials from real users. Want to try the Divi builder? Use the following link to get started. Read: Astra WordPress Theme Review 2023: Is It The Best Theme?Read: GeneratePress vs Astra: Who’s the REAL Winner?Read: Elementor Pro Discount Code 2023 Here are some frequently asked questions around both these popular WordPress page builders i.e Divi and Elementor. Read: Elementor Review 2023: Is It The Best Page Builder for WordPress?Read: 3 Proven Ways to Add Google Analytics to GeneratePress Theme But if you’re planning to use both Elementor and Divi page builders at the same time, it can lead to messy customization. So use any one of them (page builders).
Final Thoughts
If you are looking for an easy way to design your website, drag and drop page builders are extremely helpful for you. Even if you’re a beginner with zero technical skills, you can use page builders like Divi builder or Elementor Pro to customize your site. Both of these drag and drop editors are extremely easy to use, offer a wide range of features and both are affordable. So which one are you going to pick to customize your WordPress sites? Do you have any more questions around WordPress Divi builder vs Elementor? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
