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The wordpress builder comparison clearly shows that not every plugin is suitable for every website. If you pay specific attention to loading time, design freedom and ease of use, you will find the optimal page builder for your application more quickly - whether for a blog, a business portal or an online store.
Key points
- Visual editors facilitate design processes without coding
- Elementor and Divi lead with features and user-friendliness
- Gutenberg scores points for performance and future viability
- SEO and load time optimization are crucial for success
- Compatibility to themes and plugins is a must
Elementor, Divi & Co. in direct comparison
In the year 2025 Elementor and Divi clearly tops the ranking of the most popular page builders. Elementor impresses with a particularly intuitive editor and a huge template library. Divi offers a combined theme-editor package and enables extensive visual adjustments in real time. For agencies, it's worth taking a look at Beaver Builder - not as feature-packed, but extremely solid and easy to maintain.
Although the Gutenberg editor is not a classic plugin, it is an integral part of WordPress. Extensions such as Kadence Blocks or GenerateBlocks allow it to be expanded competitively - especially when clean code output and loading times are crucial. WPBakery, on the other hand, remains interesting due to its compatibility with many themes, but its operation seems a little outdated. For technically experienced users, Oxygen is a powerful alternative, although it also has a steeper learning curve.
When choosing between Elementor and Divi, you should consider not only the range of functions but also your personal workflow. Elementor scores with closer integration into various marketing and conversion tools, while Divi has a globally growing community with numerous child themes that you can use directly. This allows projects to be implemented very quickly without losing creative freedom. People who value continuous updates and a broad community are in good hands with both solutions.
It is also worth comparing the license costs and subscription models. Elementor offers different price models, depending on how many websites you want to manage. Divi comes with an attractive lifetime license. If you manage a large number of customer projects, you should factor in the cost factor as well as global support and the resale value of finished websites.
Functional overview of the most popular builders in comparison
The following table compares the most important functions of the most popular page builders:
| Page Builder | Drag & drop | Number of templates | Theme building | WooCommerce | Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementor | Yes | 300+ | Yes | Yes | approx. 55 €/year |
| Divi | Yes | 200+ | Yes | Yes | approx. 83 €/year |
| Beaver Builder | Yes | 50+ | No | Yes | approx. 92 €/year |
| WPBakery | Yes | 100+ | No | Yes | approx. 60 € (one-off) |
| Gutenberg + add-ons | Yes | depending on the plugin | Partial | Yes | Free of charge |
A glance at the table quickly shows that the scope of the templates plays a significant role in saving time. Not every user wants to create their own layouts from scratch. Templates that can be flexibly customized are therefore a big plus. Theme building is just as important: if you are aiming for a holistic approach with headers and footers, sidebar design and dynamic elements, you should make sure that the page builder supports this feature as standard or can be extended via add-ons.
WooCommerce support is also an issue: if you are planning to set up an online store in the long term, you don't want to find out later that the page builder you have chosen only implements this in a limited or complicated way. An efficient store editor can be crucial, especially in competitive e-commerce niches.
Important criteria when choosing a page builder
Choosing a builder plugin has a significant impact on the scalability and maintainability of your site. Pay attention to Regular updatesto avoid security problems. Compatibility with your theme is at least as important as the performance impact on Core Web Vitals. Some page builders load a lot of resources, which can affect your website performance under certain circumstances. Therefore, use tools such as GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights to check in advance what results can be achieved with your favorite builder.
Beginners should focus on simple user guidance, while advanced users should consider functions such as custom CSS, dynamic content and advanced export features. The size of the community also has an impact on support and available resources. The more users use the solution, the easier it is to find forum posts, tutorials and plugin extensions.
Those who frequently migrate between projects benefit from structured import/export functions. These save an enormous amount of time when replicating entire sections or layouts. In my day-to-day project work, the combination of speed and flexibility plays the decisive role. My favorite therefore remains Elementor Pro.
There is also another issue that is often underestimated: Lock-in effect. Many page builders leave behind shortcodes or proprietary code when they are deactivated. If you are looking for flexibility and portability in the long term, you should find out about the possible disadvantages of switching builders in advance. Gutenberg has a clear advantage here: as it is anchored in the WordPress core, the code remains largely readable even if it is deactivated later, or at least much less complicated than with pure drag & drop solutions.
Optimization: How to get the most out of your builder
A high-performance page builder alone is not enough - you also need to prepare your theme and content for speed and SEO. Choose a light themethat fully supports your page builder. Astra, GeneratePress or Hello Theme are proven candidates for this. You can find suitable tips for theme optimization here.
Optimize your images automatically with AI-supported tools such as Imagify or ShortPixel. Use WebP formats and reduce oversized media. A lean and tidy media library also makes your daily work in the backend easier. In addition, a structured naming system for your images, for example by category, can help to keep things tidy and insert SEO-relevant keywords into the image names.
Regularly remove post revisions, transients and outdated plugin data from the database. Tools such as WP-Optimize help with this and not only improve the speed, but also the security of your installation by reducing the attack surface. Also plan regular backups, especially before major updates. This way, you can always fall back on a stable version of your site in an emergency.
Often underestimated: Global Styles and reusable elements. Many builders offer the option of defining colors, fonts and spacing globally. This is not only an aesthetic advantage, but also a performance plus because less code is generated. At the same time, you maintain the consistency of the design without having to manually adjust each page.
Technical tuning measures for better loading times
Plugins such as Autoptimize or WP Rocket bundle and minimize CSS and JavaScript files. This reduces HTTP requests and improves key performance indicators such as CLS and FID. You can also activate Gzip compression at server level to shorten your delivery times. Since the introduction of HTTP/2, websites with many requests benefit even more from a minimization cure.
Lazy loading is mandatory: Images and iFrames should only be loaded when they appear in the viewport. This not only increases performance, but also leads to measurably better results in Google PageSpeed Insights. The complete optimization guide will help you step by step.
If you want to be particularly precise, you can also use CDN solutions such as Cloudflare or KeyCDN. This distributes static resources such as images and CSS globally, which can significantly reduce the loading time for visitors from different countries. However, remember to test any caching layers as well so that there are no conflicts with your page builder, especially if you frequently make changes live.
Another point concerns fonts: Google Fonts and other font libraries can slow down the loading time if they are not integrated locally. Check whether you can host the desired fonts yourself. This avoids external requests and increases overall performance more quickly.
Gutenberg as a builder: Light, fast, but limited?
Gutenberg has made enormous progress in recent years. With add-on plugins such as Stackable or Kadence Blocks, almost all layouts that previously required page builders can now be implemented. The HTML output is particularly lean, which has a significant impact on loading times. However, Gutenberg still lacks the UI comfort of some of its competitors. Multistep animations, complex grid systems or conditional logic can only be mapped using plugins or user-defined code. Those who prioritize website speed can still seriously consider this approach.
An important aspect of the Gutenberg ecosystem is the growing interest in Full Site Editing (FSE). This allows you to control template parts, complete header and footer areas as well as dynamic content via the block editor. This increases the range of functions enormously. However, there is a certain learning curve, as FSE is still relatively new and not every theme supports it seamlessly.
If you want a deeper insight into the code, Gutenberg layouts can also be supplemented with custom fields (e.g. ACF) and conditional blocks. In this way, complex page structures can be realized without relying completely on an external page builder. At the same time, however, users should be prepared to familiarize themselves more intensively with the subject matter. Although Gutenberg and its add-ons offer a high degree of flexibility, they require more technical knowledge to implement really complex projects.
Beaver Builder for developers and agencies
The Beaver Builder is aimed at technically experienced users. White label functions, stable APIs and a clear module structure make it ideal for agencies. Despite the range of functions, it impresses with simple maintenance and error-free code output. Especially for customer-specific projects that are frequently updated, a reliable and lean code base is worth its weight in gold.
However, the entry-level price of around €90 per year is comparatively high - and not every function can be accessed intuitively straight away. However, anyone who manages projects over the long term and values code quality is well served here. The Builder shines with organizational efficiency, especially in multisite environments.
Another advantage is the option to fully integrate the Beaver Builder into your own branding: This means that your customers do not see which tool is being used, but instead receive an in-house editing environment. This creates a professional impression and can be an important sales argument. In addition, developer consistency and documentation remain very manageable, which simplifies troubleshooting and maintenance.
What role does the theme play?
A page builder only unfolds its full potential with a clean and flexible WordPress theme. Make sure that it does not come with its own builder features that block the editor. HTML5-based themes can bring additional performance benefits.
I recommend using themes that are already optimized for Page Builder. These include Astra, Neve and the Hello theme from Elementor. They deliver good Google Core Web Vitals values - out of the box. In addition, important layout areas such as the sidebar, footer and header can be designed even more easily. If you use Astra Pro, for example, you can make extensive adjustments without having to intervene in the code.
Don't forget to take a look at any child themes if you plan to make adjustments to the theme code. Child themes are a proven way to apply updates to the parent theme without overwriting your own changes. This is particularly relevant for large projects that remain active and are further developed over a long period of time.
What you should also consider
Security and regular backups are essential. Keep your plugins up to date and rely on established page builders with a high market share. Use security plugins in combination with hosting-side firewalls to block attempted attacks at an early stage. Page builders in particular often offer an attack surface if they are not kept up to date, as they intervene deeply in the system and set up their own database tables or user-defined post types.
Remember: The more add-ons and external widgets you use, the higher the probability of incompatibilities or performance drops. Plan your setup strategically from the start and don't repeat the same mistakes in future projects. A good approach is to make it clear beforehand which functions are really needed and which of these can be covered natively or by a lean add-on.
It is also advisable to set up a staging environment. This allows you to test updates, new page layouts or individual programming in a protected environment before you go live. This reduces the risk of downtime and ensures smooth project processes. Many hostings already offer integrated staging solutions so that only a few clicks are required to create a copy of your site.
Summary with recommendations for action
In the end, choosing the best page builder depends on your workflow, your design goals and your team. Elementor is versatile and fast, Divi convinces with design diversity, Gutenberg provides you with speed and sustainability, while Beaver Builder offers transparency and control. WPBakery remains an alternative if you're working with older themes that are tailored to this builder. For ambitious developers, Oxygen can mean enormous freedom, but also requires a higher level of technical understanding.
Test at least two tools in the live project. Always pay attention to Performancecode quality and user interface. Maintain a setup that meets your needs without unnecessarily bloating the site. With the optimization tips presented here, you can take your WordPress site to a new level - without any heavy ballast or performance drops.
Overall, you can take your time to play through different concepts and compare both classic and block-based editors. Today more than ever, visitors value fast loading times and convincing designs. Those who plan consistently here will benefit in the long term from a stable, optimized and user-friendly WordPress installation.
