16 January 2023
Trying to choose between Elementor vs Beaver Builder to create your WordPress site?
Choosing the right WordPress page builder is like choosing a business partner. Sure, you can switch later, but it’s complicated and time-consuming, and it’s better avoided with the right decision upfront!
To help you avoid changing your mind later, we’re going to compare these two-page builders and help you make your decision.
We’re not going to recommend one over the other. Instead, we’re going to dig in and give you the information you need to make your own decision. To help, we’ll give you a hands-on look at the interfaces, widgets, templates, styling options, and many more.
Let’s get started with a quick overview of both website builders!
Elementor is one of the most popular website builders or page builder plugins for WordPress. It is installed and activated by over 10+ million users on WordPress.org, making it one of the most popular WordPress plugins overall.
It comes with an intuitive drag-and-drop editor that makes it easy to design beautiful, custom pages without writing a single line of code. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, Elementor simplifies the design process.
Furthermore, Elementor offers a vast library of widgets that allows you to create virtually any type of page or post. It also offers a range of pre-designed website templates and styling tools, perfect for building elements like contact forms, sliders, buttons, and more with minimal effort.
What makes Elementor even better is its flexibility. It’s available in both free and Pro versions. The free version is great for creating basic pages, while the Pro version unlocks advanced features, widgets, and customization options, allowing you to take your site to the next level without dealing with coding.
Beaver Builder is another WordPress page builder plugin used to create interactive websites. Although it has not achieved the same level of fame as Elementor, it still has a very large and friendly community of fans.
In general, Beaver Builder takes a different approach than Elementor. Rather than constantly adding new features as Elementor Pro does, Beaver Builder focuses on providing a high-quality core page creation experience.
This means you don’t have access to as many functionality and design possibilities as Elementor Pro, but Beaver Builder is solid and lightweight, which is why many WordPress developers prefer it.
This section comes first because the editing interface is where you’ll spend most of your time when using a page builder.
If the interface isn’t fast and user-friendly, your productivity could take a major hit—defeating the purpose of using a page builder in the first place.
Both Elementor and Beaver Builder deliver smooth, glitch-free editing experiences that are quick and reliable. You’re unlikely to see much difference in performance between the two.
However, while both tools are visual, front-end page builders, they each take a slightly different approach to their interfaces, which might influence your preference. There’s no definitive “best” choice here—it ultimately depends on which one feels more intuitive to you.
With Elementor’s interface, you get a large preview of your design on the right side and a fixed sidebar on the left where you can add new content and adjust settings. If you want a full-screen preview, you can collapse the sidebar:
You may add widgets by dragging them from the sidebar. You can click and type on the page to edit a widget’s text. Further, to change its settings, click on it to view its options in the sidebar.
In comparison to Beaver Builder, Elementor offers some useful interface features.
The first is right-click support, which Beaver Builder does not offer. In Elementor, you may open some options by right-clicking on any element. The ability to copy/paste complete widgets or simply styles between them is the most helpful option:
Another useful feature is Elementor’s Navigator, which offers a high-level overview of your page’s structure. You can easily open an element’s settings by clicking on it, and you may rename it to help you keep track of things:
Elementor also offers undo and redo functionality as well as a detailed history log for reverting changes:
Beaver Builder’s interface layout is more configurable than Elementor’s, although it lacks several of Elementor’s key functions, such as right-click support.
It offers a full-width preview of your design with a top bar:
To add content, click the + button to expand a menu:
To edit the settings of a row, column, or module, click on it to open a popup. This popup is resizable and draggable:
If you want a fixed interface, drag the popup to either side to create a fixed sidebar on the left or right.
This flexibility is useful since it allows you to customize the interface to your specific needs, which Beaver Builder offers over Elementor.
However, Beaver Builder lacks right-click support, making it impossible to copy/paste content. You can clone modules and copy styles from a module’s settings area. However, it’s not as efficient as Elementor since you have to access a module’s whole settings area every time you want to copy and paste the style.
Beaver Builder does provide a high-level look at the interface, comparable to Elementor’s navigator. However, you do not have the option to rename elements:
Like Elementor, you also get a history and revision log.
When comparing the interfaces of Beaver Builder vs Elementor, it’s clear that they both function similarly. They are easy to use and suitable for beginners.
However, Elementor will be easier to use because of its intuitive design and familiar shortcuts. Beaver Builder’s interface is a little more complicated; therefore, we recommend it for more tech-savvy users.
Whether you call these elements widgets or modules, sections or rows, they serve as the foundation for your design. For instance, Elementor calls them widgets, while Beaver Builder calls them modules. They are exactly the same thing, though.
This section will compare how each page builder handles these elements.
Elementor offers three elements, each having a hierarchy:
Elementor’s free version allows you to create designs with 40 widgets. With Elementor Pro, you will get access to over 60+ premium widgets to give your design even more flexibility.
Elementor also allows you to add extra widgets using third-party Elementor addon plugins. For instance, the Ultimate Addons For Elementor plugin adds over 50+ new widgets to your designs.
Beaver Builder follows a similar approach, although with different terminology:
Beaver Builder’s free version offers six modules. However, the premium version gives you access to a total of 50 modules.
Like Elementor, you may extend this further with third-party Beaver Builder Addons. For instance, the Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder plugin adds more than 60 new modules.
Elementor and Beaver Builder both offer most of the features needed for a website. Both offer great options for the free versions and a much wider range for the premium.
Elementor seems to have the upper hand here. The free version offers more than Beaver Builder, and the premium version provides much more. Third-party widgets are also more popular for Elementor at the moment.
After you’ve set up your modules and sections, you want to style everything to make it look exactly perfect.
Let’s see which page builders have the best design options.
Elementor uses its own global styles for your content by default, which you may customize as needed.
However, by visiting the plugin’s settings, you may disable this feature and instead use the styles from your WordPress theme:
However, this is a useful feature if you’re using the Astra theme. You can use Astra’s detailed Customizer options to set the styles for your entire site.
Once you’ve done so, your Elementor content will use the same styling as your normal WordPress content, providing consistency throughout your site.
Of course, if you want to change these global styles or style your design in different ways, Elementor provides you with lots of options.
For each section, column, or widget, you have three tabs to adjust how it looks and functions:
Aside from custom margins and padding, two very useful features are:
Finally, for many of the style settings, you may use the device icon to apply various styles to different types of devices:
This is great for mobile-first design and may help you optimize your sites for different devices.
By default, Beaver Builder applies your theme’s global styles rather than applying its own, as Elementor does. In our view, this is a preferable method of handling things.
When you click on a row or module, the tabs that show in the popup allow you to customize it.
The tabs you see are determined by the module. In general, you’ll have options for:
Similar to Elementor, you may use the device icons to apply various styles to different devices.
While you can just add CSS classes and IDs to single elements, Beaver Builder makes it simple to apply actual CSS styles at the page level (but not at the element level):
Furthermore, one unique feature of Beaver Builder is the ability to specify custom responsive breakpoints inside the global settings (these breakpoints apply to all of your Beaver Builder content).
Both Elementor and Beaver Builder give you a lot of control over each page element. In terms of options and convenience of use, the two are extremely similar, and both provide complete control over everything on the website.
Again, there isn’t much to choose between them here.
Templates might help you save a lot of time. These might be pre-designed templates or your own templates that you create from scratch.
In any case, the ability to put templates into your web pages is a game changer. It improves your productivity and workflow.
Let’s compare which page builder offers the best templates.
Elementor’s templates are grouped into block templates and page templates. A block template lets you create specific sections of your website. However, a page template is a full-page template that you may apply to the entire page rather than just a specific section.
Elementor also offers website kits, which are pre-designed collections of page templates to help you create a fully functional website with ease. These kits typically include templates for various pages, such as the homepage, contact page, services page, and more.
With over 100+ website kits currently available, access to these resources needs an Elementor Pro subscription.
Additionally, Elementor allows you to save your own custom designs as page or block templates, making it easy to reuse them for future projects.
Must Read: Best Elementor Themes and Templates.
Similar to Elementor, Beaver Builder also provides templates. However, it only includes page templates and not block templates. Beaver Builder divides its templates into landing pages and content pages.
As the name suggests, landing page templates are used to create creative and eye-catching landing pages. In contrast, content page templates are used to create content-based pages or blog posts.
Furthermore, Beaver Builder only provides these templates in its premium edition, so if you are a freebie, you will have to start from scratch.
Beaver Builder, like Elementor, allows you to store your preferred templates for later use. Beaver Builder also allows you to import external templates.
In terms of quality, Elementor and Beaver Builder provide top-tier, professionally created templates and styling options.
In terms of quantity, the Elementor page builder offers more template designs for its users to pick from.
Beaver Builder does provide extra solutions for large-scale projects, but you must purchase them individually.
The theme builder in a visual site builder lets you create personalized headers, footers, and templates that can be applied site-wide. This tool saves significant time and ensures a consistent design throughout your website.
While the impact on single landing pages might be minimal, the theme builder becomes essential when all your landing pages require a uniform header and footer.
Now, let’s compare Elementor and Beaver Builder to see how they stack up in terms of their theme builder capabilities.
The Theme Builder in Elementor allows you to create a full site. It includes a variety of site components such as a header, footer, single page, single post, and so on:
It uses the same interface that you use to create pages and posts. However, the only difference is that you get dynamic theme widgets to create your design.
You may also use the Dynamic Tags functionality to add dynamic content from your site or a custom field you’ve created.
You can use dynamic content to populate text, images, links, and so on, giving you a great deal of flexibility when creating custom content sites:
Before you publish a template, you may choose whether you will use it for your entire site or just for certain content, such as a specific category of blog posts:
Beaver Builder also offers a theme builder called Beaver Themer.
Beaver Themer uses the same interface as Beaver Builder to build individual pages and posts.
You may use Beaver Themer to create any sitewide element, such as the header, footer, archive, single post, 404 pages, and so on.
Beaver Themer uses WordPress hooks to inject content into certain areas of your website.
Beaver Themer’s rules-based customization allows you a lot of control and freedom when it comes to customizing your website. It uses conditional logic to fine-tune where and when Themer layouts or sections of Beaver Builder layouts are shown.
Both Elementor and Beaver Builder offer robust theme-building features, but your choice depends on your specific needs.
Elementor’s dynamic tags and widget-based approach make it ideal for users seeking extensive flexibility and integration with custom fields. Beaver Builder’s rule-based logic and WordPress hook integration cater to those who prioritize fine-tuned control and backend compatibility.
Aside from what we’ve already covered, each builder has some unique features. Let’s go through each one.
The popup builder is one of Elementor’s standout features. By using the popup builder, you may create various popups, such as modal popups, notification bars, full-screen fillers, slide-ins, and more, all using the same Elementor interface:
Before you publish a popup, you may add detailed targeting and trigger rules that control where and when it appears:
Overall, we believe that Elementor popup builder fully eliminates the need for a third-party popup plugin. The one thing that it lacks is built-in A/B testing and analytics.
Still, this is a useful function that Beaver Builder does not offer.
If you create client websites, you might appreciate Beaver Builder’s white labeling feature. Essentially, this allows you to replace all of the Beaver Builder brandings with your own, giving your clients a better-branded website. White labeling is not available with Elementor.
Another area where Beaver Builder outperforms Elementor is WordPress multisite support. Elementor does allow multisite. However, each network site requires an active licensing key, which is a bit of a budget buster.
On the other hand, Beaver Builder simply requires a single license key, allowing you to power your complete multisite network for free.
Elementor and Beaver Builder offer some unique features that one has, but the other doesn’t.
Again, there isn’t much to choose between them here.
Elementor and Beaver Builder both offer free versions that you can try on any website. However, Elementor’s free version stands out by providing greater flexibility, thanks to its extensive widget library.
For those interested in upgrading to the premium versions of these plugins, here’s a quick look at how their pricing compares.
Elementor offers five pricing options based on the number of website users.
All plans come with Theme Builder, Dynamic Content, Form Builder, Popup Builder, Custom Code & CSS, eCommerce Features, etc, except the Essential plan.
There is no option for a lifetime subscription. All plans are billed on an annual basis and include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Like Elementor, Beaver Builder also offers three pricing options based on a number of website usage and features.
There is no option for a lifetime subscription. All plans are billed on an annual basis and include a 30-day money-back guarantee.
If you are looking for cost-effective solutions with extensive features across multiple pricing tiers, Elementor is the better choice. Its lower starting price and well-structured plans make it accessible to individual users, small businesses, and agencies alike.
However, if white-labeling, advanced multisite support, and theme-level customization are crucial to your workflow, Beaver Builder may be worth the higher investment.
Ultimately, Elementor’s pricing structure offers more flexibility and affordability, making it a preferred choice for most users.
A great customer support service helps users in resolving difficulties. It also offers a knowledge base or community forums where newbies may learn about their page builders from official resources or more experienced users.
We’ll compare Elementor vs. Beaver Builder to see which offers better customer service.
Elementor offers a few types of customer support:
Beaver Builder does not fall short when it comes to customer support. It offers its customers a selection of channels and resources, including:
When comparing Elementor vs Beaver Builder, both plugins offer excellent customer support to their users. So, there is not a clear winner.
Elementor and Beaver Builder are two leading page builders in the WordPress space, each excelling in its own way.
Elementor stands out with its extensive range of templates, page elements, and customization options. Its user-friendly interface is visually appealing and provides excellent functionality at a competitive price, making it a great choice for those looking for both versatility and value.
On the other hand, Beaver Builder offers faster performance when navigating menus and using tools. However, its interface is more straightforward and lacks the visual flair of Elementor.
One notable difference is that Beaver Builder’s side menu displays all elements at once, while Elementor requires scrolling to locate specific items.
Both builders provide robust free versions and are consistently updated to address bugs, introduce new features, and enhance overall performance. In terms of its audience, Beaver Builder appeals more to developers due to its simplicity and coding flexibility. Elementor, meanwhile, is often favored by designers for its visually intuitive interface and creative freedom.
Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with either option—they’re both exceptional tools for building stunning, functional websites.
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Both Beaver Builder and Elementor are easier to use, thanks to their user-friendly interface. However, Elementor is cheaper than Beaver Builder and offers more features and elements.
Elementor is perfect for beginners. If you’re not experienced with site design and just want the basics, Elementor is the way to go. If you’re looking for more design options, Divi is a great option.
They’re both equally responsive. All Beaver Builder and Elementor templates are responsive and easy to use. This means that no matter what size of screen your site is being viewed on, the site will adjust.
Beaver Builder is the most lightweight and performance-oriented option. While Beaver Builder is undoubtedly faster, you can still build fast-loading sites with Elementor if you follow performance best practices.
Yes, you may switch from Beaver Builder to Elementor. The process is manual because you need to recreate each page one by one.
No. You cannot use both page builders on the same page. The two plugins can be used on separate pages or templates, but not simultaneously.