As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience using WordPress, I‘ve seen page builders evolve from humble beginnings into one of the most important plugins available today. If you want to create professional, customized designs for your WordPress site without having to code them by hand, then a page builder is likely the solution you need.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain what page builders are, why they are so useful, and break down the top options to consider for your site.
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What Is a Page Builder?
A page builder plugin allows you to design and layout pages on your WordPress site through an intuitive visual interface. Also known as a visual editor, page builder plugins add drag-and-drop functionality and pre-designed elements that you can use to construct web pages.
Page builders aim to simplify web design. Rather than editing PHP templates or writing HTML and CSS code, you can create and customize page layouts visually.
The editor lets you drag elements like text boxes, images, buttons around and position them precisely where you want. You can resize columns and rows, adjust margins and padding, change colors and fonts, and much more.
This gives you the flexibility to craft completely custom page designs tailored to your needs.
Example of editing a page layout in the Elementor page builder.
Page builders are most useful when you need to create complex pages that require unconventional layouts – things like landing pages, sales funnels, directories, and listings. These are difficult to design in standard WordPress themes.
Let‘s explore some of the main benefits of using a page builder plugin:
Design Flexibility
Page builders provide endless possibilities for crafting unique page layouts. You have complete control over the structure of sections, columns, etc. This flexibility is useful when you want pages that are outside the limits of your theme‘s default templates.
You can customize everything on the page from widths and alignments to colors, spacing, animations, and more. No coding required!
Intuitive Visual Interface
The drag-and-drop interface of page builders makes laying out and editing pages much more intuitive than dealing with code. You can see visual changes happening instantly as you work.
This makes page building accessible to beginners. But even seasoned developers appreciate the speed of visually assembling complex layouts.
Pre-Designed Templates
Many page builders come packed with professionally designed templates and layouts to get you started. Instead of starting from a blank canvas, you can quickly customize a template for your needs.
For example, the Divi page builder includes over 800 templates for different purposes like resume sites, directories, product pages, real estate, etc. This saves you a ton of time!
Responsive Design
Page builders make it easy to create responsive designs that adapt for optimal viewing on all devices – desktop, tablets, and mobile. Some even let you edit your responsive breakpoints visually.
You can be confident your site‘s pages will look great no matter the device visitors use.
Consistent Designs
The layouts and styling created in your page builder are saved independently from your WordPress theme. This means you can switch to a completely different theme without losing any of your custom page designs!
Complex Pages Made Easy
Page builders really shine for developing complex, conversion-focused pages like:
- Landing Pages
- Sales Funnels
- Pricing Tables
- Coming Soon Pages
- Ecommerce Product Pages
- Directories & Listings
- Online Courses
- User Dashboard Sections
These page types often require columns, rows, tabs, sliders, and other components that are difficult to build into a standard WordPress theme. Page builder plugins make crafting these complex conversions pages drag-and-drop simple.
Let‘s look at some examples…
Landing Pages
Landing pages are focused, targeted pages designed to convert visitors into leads and customers. Page builders make it easy to craft high-converting landing page designs.
You can quickly add elements like:
- Headlines
- WYSIWYG Content
- Opt-in Forms
- Images & Videos
- Call-to-Actions
- Countdowns
- Testimonials
- Pricing Tables
- FAQs
And customize colors, fonts, spacing until you find a high-converting combination.
Sales Funnels
A sales funnel guides visitors through a series of pages that move them through the buyer‘s journey. Page builders make it simple to create optimized sales funnels that convert visitors into paying customers.
Each page can have its own layout with components like:
- Squeeze Pages
- Sales Pages
- Upsell Pages
- Downsell Pages
- Thank You Pages
- FAQ Pages
Funnel analytics tools even let you view conversion rates and optimize pages.
Directories
Creating an online directory, catalog, or listings page can be a challenge. Page builders provide an easy way to layout and display directory-type content.
You can use templates for:
- Staff Directories
- Event Listings
- Local Business Directories
- Real Estate Listings
- Product Catalogs
Directory functionality can be added through plugins. The page builder enables you to display the content attractively.
These are just a few examples of complex pages that page builder plugins excel at creating. The possibilities are endless!
Now that you understand the benefits of using a page builder for WordPress, let‘s compare the top options…
Top Page Builder Plugins for WordPress
There are a number of excellent page builder plugins available. Based on decades of combined experience using them myself and with clients, these are my top recommendations:
1. Elementor – Best Overall Page Builder
Key Features:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Live page building to see edits in real-time
- 300+ free templates and widgets
- Responsive mobile-first design
- No coding required
- Works with most themes
- Great customization options
- Large library of 3rd party addons
- Active development and support
Elementor is my choice for the best WordPress page builder overall. It strikes the perfect balance of power, ease of use, and features.
The smooth live page builder experience sets Elementor apart. You can drag-and-drop elements and see changes happen instantly. This real-time visual feedback helps you build pages faster.
While easy for beginners, Elementor also offers tools pro builders will appreciate like CSS injection and code widgets. It‘s a builder that grows with you.
With over 5 million active installs, Elementor has the largest user base of any page builder. And the team is dedicated to rapid development with monthly updates and fixes.
For these reasons, I recommend Elementor as the best page builder to get started with for most WordPress users.
2. Divi – Best Page Builder Theme Combo
Key Features:
- 800+ premade templates for any site
- Combined theme & page builder
- Intuitive visual editor
- Global elements for easy updates
- Built-in Divi Theme Builder
- Divi Library of layouts and modules
- Active community and support
Divi by Elegant Themes is the premium page builder + theme combo option. This pairing sets Divi apart from standalone plugins.
The Divi Builder comes packed with over 800 templates for all types of websites like local businesses, real estate, online stores, blogs, restaurants, and more. You can be up and running in minutes by customizing a premade layout.
The Divi Theme works seamlessly with the page builder. And you can use the Theme Builder to customize your overall site‘s header, footer, and other aspects without code.
Divi also allows you to save elements and sections to reuse anywhere on your site. And it has global styles and color schemes for easy site-wide updates.
While one of the pricier options, Divi includes stellar support and ongoing theme and module additions. For those wanting an all-in-one theme and builder solution, Divi can‘t be beat.
3. Beaver Builder – Most Flexible
Key Features:
- Modular page builder
- 100+ drag-and-drop modules
- Beautiful ready templates
- Works with any theme
- Role-based template access
- Beaver Themer for custom designs
- Beaver Builder Theme for full customization
- Great for advanced developers
When it comes to flexibility, Beaver Builder stands out as one of the most customizable page builders available. It takes a modular approach to page building.
The drag-and-drop editor gives you fine-grained control over every element on the page. You can build pages from reusable modules, saving tons of time.
While easy to use for beginners, Beaver Builder offers powerful tools for developers like custom PHP, CSS, and JavaScript. So it‘s great for advanced users.
Pairing Beaver Builder with the Beaver Themer or Beaver Builder Theme takes customization even further. If you want limitless possibilities, it‘s tough to beat Beaver Builder.
4. Brizy – Fastest Page Builder
Key Features:
- Visual drag-and-drop builder
- Lightweight so pages load super fast
- Block-based editor
- Over 100 premade blocks
- Global styles and elements
- Templates and Cloud library
- Works with themes
- Free and Pro versions
Brizy stands out as one of the fastest page builders available for WordPress. Its lightweight editor was built for speed optimization.
The averages site can see pages load up to 3x faster compared to other builders. This can greatly improve user experience and satisfaction.
Brizy uses a block-focused approach that allows you to combine content elements visually. For example, add buttons, icons, fields into sections then drag and drop into place.
It feels very similar to using the WordPress block editor. So if you like the block approach, Brizy is a great page builder option – with far more features.
Brizy offers free and paid versions. But even the free builder includes all the features and blocks you need to create great designs. The paid version adds things like global elements, saved pages, and premium support.
5. Thrive Architect – Best for Conversions
Key Features:
- Focus on conversions
- High-performing templates
- Easy-to-use editor
- Tools for headlines, forms, countdowns
- Works with Thrive Suite plugins
- Dynamic content options
- Dedicated conversion analytics
- Weekly training and support
Thrive Architect takes a conversion-focused approach to page building. Everything it offers aims to help you maximize conversions.
Thrive Architect comes packed with high-performing templates crafted to boost engagement and sales. These include landing pages, sales pages, opt-in forms, thank you pages, and more.
The editor makes it easy to customize the premade templates with your own content. And it provides targeting conversion tools for elements like headlines, text, forms, videos, and countdown timers.
Thrive Architect is part of the Thrive product suite containing multiple plugins that integrate for sales funnels, memberships, and online courses. Using Thrive Architect with other Thrive plugins can give you an all-in-one conversion solution.
This makes Thrive Architect a smart choice for marketers prioritizing conversions and sales enablement.
Page Builder Comparisons
Here‘s a quick rundown comparing the key aspects of the top 5 page builders I recommend:
| Elementor | Divi | Beaver Builder | Brizy | Thrive Architect | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Excellent | Very Good |
| Features | Very Good | Very Good | Excellent | Good | Very Good |
| Flexibility | Very Good | Very Good | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Designs | Very Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good | Excellent |
| Speed | Very Good | Good | Very Good | Excellent | Very Good |
| Support | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Good | Excellent |
| Price | Free | Paid | Free or Paid | Free or Paid | Paid |
This is just a high-level comparison of my top picks overall for features, flexibility, designs, speed, and price. The best one for you depends on your specific needs and priorities.
All five of these leading page builders are great options that can help you create beautiful, conversion-focused pages without needing to code.
All-In-One Website Builders vs Page Builders
At this point, you may be wondering how stand-alone page builders differ from all-in-one website builders like Wix, Weebly and Squarespace.
The main difference is page builders are plugins that extend WordPress. So they work alongside your existing WordPress site and theme.
Website builders work very differently – providing the entire website building package integrated into their platform:
So if you already have a WordPress site, installing a plugin page builder allows you to enhance your existing site without migrating away from WordPress.
If starting fresh, here are some key things to consider:
- Cost – Website builders often have monthly fees. WordPress + page builder plugin is a one-time cost.
- Design Freedom – Page builders offer nearly unlimited design flexibility. Website builders can be more restrictive.
- Features – WordPress has vastly more plugins and integrations than any website builder.
- Ownership – With WordPress, you fully own your site and content. Website builders control the platform.
- Traffic – WordPress dominates search traffic. Website builders often can‘t compete.
For professional sites, WordPress paired with a page builder plugin generally offers far more features, customization options, traffic, and long-term cost-savings than an all-in-one website builder.
But for very basic sites, beginners may find the simplicity of an all-in-one builder appealing – at least to start. Many users begin with a website builder then migrate to WordPress + page builder after outgrowing the limitations.
Conclusion
I hope this detailed guide has provided you with a solid understanding of what page builder plugins are, how they work, why you would want to use one, and which options are the best choices.
To quickly recap:
- Page builders allow you to visually create custom page layouts in WordPress without coding
- Benefits include design flexibility, conversion optimization, and easy complex pages
- Elementor is the best overall page builder – excellent for beginners yet powerful
- Divi is great bundled with its theme and library of templates
- Beaver Builder offers maximum modularity and flexibility
- Brizy is incredibly fast and lightweight
- Thrive Architect provides the best conversion-focused templates
Whatever WordPress project you‘re starting, I‘m confident a page builder plugin can help you design and build pages faster while providing creative freedom no theme alone can offer.
I‘ve personally seen first-hand the power of page builders for creating high-performing WordPress sites over the past 15+ years. So don‘t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!
