In the WordPress community, there are so many page builders for users to choose from. One of them is Elementor. However, if you’ve taken a look at the plugin, or tried it out, you might’ve noticed that there’s a free version and a pro version of Elementor. In this article, you’ll learn the difference between Elementor free versus pro.
Written on by Nile Flores
Estimated read time 5 minutes
Elementor Free vs Pro
Elementor is a page builder built with the intention of helping website owners, designers, and developers an easier and more streamlined way to build a theme. The plugin has been around since 2016 and has become quite powerful, as it is used by 7.6% of WordPress websites, or over 11 million active installations.
What Kind of Websites Can You Build with Elementor?
Elementor can be used to build pretty much any type of website. It all depends on your own needs, as well as creative and imagination skills. You can build simple blogs or one page websites, or elaborate and beautifully eye-catching websites. The plugin works with most plugins and themes, so the possibilities of what type of website you can create are endless.
While editing your post or page, you can drag and drop content elements from the Elementor sidebar, and watch your changes in real time. Really cool, right?
Why Would You Use a Page Builder like Elementor?
If you’re reading this article out of curiosity, and because you kept hearing from other people online about recommending Elementor, but not knowing why would you use it, then here are some reasons:
You like to learn and do things yourself with your website.
You want to use as little code as possible.
You use a great theme, but need it to do more than what it offers by default.
You like to learn and do things yourself with your website.
Page builders like Elementor allow you to tinker around and learn how to build a website the way you want it. Sure, there’s going to be a need to spend time learning, but anyone who loves DIY, will also enjoy the challenge in learning Elementor.
You want to use as little code as possible.
Using most page builder plugins usually requires very little to no code. Elementor is designed for you to select options, toggle on and off features, pick colors from a color picker, and above all, drag and drop it into any area on a post or page.
You use a great theme, but need it to do more than what it offers by default.
A lot of the free WordPress themes have great designs, but with Elementor, you can either re-design or add to what is already on the theme.
What is the Difference Between Elementor Free Versus Pro?
In order to understand the difference between Elementor Free versus Pro version, you need to know the features that each has.
Elementor Free features
Elementor free is good if you just need the basics, and don’t need to use any templates that the pro version has.The features that the Elementor free version contains lot of basic widgets and modules like:
Template library
Ability to import and export templates
Editing in mobile
Video Lightbox
Background Overlay
Box shadow transformations
Shaped dividers
Hover animation
Page entrance animation
Testimonials
Buttons
Video display
Text editor
Heading control
Social icons
Image gallery
Image carousel
Counter
Content accordion
Content toggle
Alert notice module
Module for inserting HTML
Module for inserting shortcode
Sidebar support
Google maps integration
SoundCloud integration
Columns
Element hover
Page revisions, as well as ability to redo and undo actions
Maintenance mode
Blank canvas template
This is a long list of features, which is great whether you’re just trying out the plugin or don’t need anything more than this. The plugin even works great with the free Hello Elementor theme. Other than the Hello Elementor theme, Elementor offers some suggestions on a few other free themes that work well with the page builder and can help you get your site launched fast.
Elementor Pro features
Elementor Pro includes all of the features of the free version, and a lot more. In fact, many of the Elementor Pro features make it so you won’t need to install any extra plugins, kinda making it like a bit of a Swiss Army knife of website page building. For example, if you need to display testimonials, you won’t need an extra plugin, as Elementor contains this, and the pro version has a testimonial carousel.
Other features of Elementor Pro are:
Portfolio module
Create forms
Embed Anywhere module
Pro templates
Pricing table module
Countdown module
Pricing list module
WooCommerce product module
WooCommerce Elements module
WooCommerce product category module
WooCommerce Add to Cart module
Flipbox
Masonry layout module
Login widget
Media Carousel
Testimonial Carousel
Call-to-Action widget
Navigation menu widget
Pop-up builder
Scrolling effects options
Advanced Custom Fields and Toolset plugin integration
Dynamic single post and archive page designs
Custom fonts
The Elementor Pro price tiers are based on how many websites you’ll be using the plugin on, with the lowest cost at $49 per year for use on one website.
If you choose higher priced packages, you also receive more perks. One of the best parts of buying a premium plugin, including Elementor Pro, is that you get access to their technical support team. This is for those times when the plugin might not be working as expected. For example, if your site is slowing down, there’s an error, or you’re having problems using the page builder.
Another highlight of the plugin is all the free templates and 100+ responsive website kits that are tailored toward many different site niches. All of these templates are great guides to make your theme fit your brand.
Lastly, if you’re running WooCommerce on your WordPress
Should You Buy Elementor Pro?
If you need anything that Elementor Pros feature lists include, or prefer to take advantage of pre-built templates, then yes, you should buy it. You still also get technical support and updates, which may include new features.
Buying any premium or pro version of a plugin helps support the development of the plugin. It puts food on the table for the developers, so they can continue providing support and plugin updates. For one website, at $49 per year, that is actually super affordable!
In Summary
Based on what you’ve learned about Elementor free versus pro, you should be able to decide which one will work best for you. With both versions, you get to take advantage of using a world-class page builder. However, just remember that if you choose the pro version of Elementor, you also reap the benefits of getting technical support when the page builder does anything unexpected. Happy page building!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are website builders easy to use?
One of the easiest ways to build a website is with a website builder. Using a website builder doesn't require any programming and coding skills.
Can I afford a website builder?
Yes. Besides paid website builders, there are also free ones; however, they come with fewer options.
What are the best web builder tools?
Some of the best web builder tools are Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, Webnode, Webflow, Jimdo, Duda, GoDaddy Websites, Strikingly, Site123, Webstarts, and much more!
What are the customization options with a website builder?
Although website builders usually have some customization settings, like templates, fonts, margins editing, and so on, when compared to CMSs, it lacks customization options.
