Key Takeaways
- Elementor wins for beginners – More intuitive interface with a gentler learning curve and free version available
- Divi wins for value – One-time lifetime payment option and unlimited website usage included
- Elementor has better third-party ecosystem – Thousands of add-ons, templates, and integrations available
- Divi includes more built-in features – Split testing, role editor, and theme builder included in base price
- Both are excellent choices – Your decision should depend on budget, technical comfort, and specific needs
Elementor vs Divi: The Ultimate Comparison
Elementor and Divi are the two most popular WordPress page builders, together powering over 20 million websites worldwide. Both tools promise to help you build beautiful websites without coding, but they take distinctly different approaches to achieve this goal.
This comprehensive comparison examines every aspect of both builders—from ease of use and features to pricing and performance—helping you make an informed decision for your next project.
Quick Comparison Overview
| Feature | Elementor | Divi |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free / $59/year (Pro) | $89/year or $249 lifetime |
| Free Version | Yes (40+ widgets) | No |
| Websites Allowed | 1-1000 (by plan) | Unlimited |
| Lifetime Option | No | Yes ($249) |
| Active Installations | 16+ million | 4+ million |
| Widgets/Modules | 100+ (Pro) | 200+ |
| Theme Builder | Yes (Pro) | Yes (included) |
| WooCommerce Builder | Yes (Pro) | Yes (included) |
| Popup Builder | Yes (Pro) | Yes (included) |
| A/B Testing | No (need add-on) | Yes (Divi Leads) |
| Learning Curve | Easy | Moderate |
User Interface and Ease of Use
Elementor’s Interface
Elementor uses a left-side panel design that many users find intuitive and familiar. The interface features:
- Widget panel – All elements organized in a searchable sidebar
- Inline editing – Click directly on text to edit it on the canvas
- Right-click menus – Quick access to copy, paste, and duplicate functions
- Navigator panel – Tree view of all page elements for easy selection
- Responsive controls – Device-specific editing from the bottom bar
The drag-and-drop experience feels natural, and most users can build their first page within minutes of installation. Elementor’s interface resembles other design tools, making it feel familiar to those with any design background.
Divi’s Interface
Divi takes a different approach with its Visual Builder, offering true front-end editing where you work directly on your page:
- On-page editing – All editing happens directly on the live preview
- Floating settings panel – Settings appear as modal windows
- Inline text editing – Click and type directly on any text element
- Hover controls – Options appear when hovering over elements
- Wireframe mode – Simplified view for structural editing
Divi’s interface can feel more immersive since you’re working directly on the page. However, the floating panels and numerous options can overwhelm newcomers.
Verdict: Ease of Use
Winner: Elementor
While both builders are user-friendly, Elementor’s structured sidebar approach and cleaner interface make it easier for beginners. Divi’s visual builder is powerful but requires more time to master.
Design Capabilities and Features
Elementor Design Features
Elementor Pro offers comprehensive design tools:
- 100+ widgets – Including advanced elements like Lottie animations, hotspots, and price tables
- Motion effects – Entrance animations, scrolling effects, and mouse effects
- Custom positioning – Absolute and fixed positioning for any element
- Global widgets – Reusable elements that update everywhere when edited
- Custom CSS – Add CSS to any element directly
- Dynamic content – Pull content from custom fields and post data
Divi Design Features
Divi comes packed with design options:
- 200+ modules – Extensive library including unique elements like circle counters and filterable portfolios
- Advanced gradient backgrounds – Multi-layered gradients with precise control
- Transform controls – Scale, rotate, skew, and translate any element
- Filters and blend modes – Photoshop-like effects on any element
- Scroll effects – Parallax, fade, scale, and more on scroll
- Shape dividers – 26 built-in section divider shapes
Verdict: Design Features
Winner: Tie
Both builders offer exceptional design capabilities. Divi has more built-in modules, while Elementor’s third-party ecosystem fills any gaps. Choose based on which specific features matter most to your projects.
Theme Building Capabilities
Elementor Theme Builder
Elementor Pro’s Theme Builder lets you design:
- Headers and footers
- Single post/page templates
- Archive pages
- Search results pages
- 404 error pages
- WooCommerce templates (product, shop, cart, checkout)
Display conditions allow you to control where templates appear based on post type, category, specific pages, or user roles.
Divi Theme Builder
Divi’s Theme Builder offers similar functionality:
- Global headers and footers
- Body templates for any content type
- Archive and category templates
- 404 and search templates
- WooCommerce integration
Divi’s template system uses a visual assignment interface where you can see all templates and their assignments in one overview screen.
Verdict: Theme Builder
Winner: Tie
Both theme builders are mature and capable. Elementor’s interface is slightly more intuitive, while Divi’s overview screen makes managing multiple templates easier.
Templates and Pre-made Designs
Elementor Templates
Elementor provides:
- 300+ templates in the free version
- 100+ website kits – Complete site designs with multiple pages
- Blocks library – Individual sections for mix-and-match design
- Massive third-party market – Thousands of templates from Envato, TemplateMonster, and independent creators
Divi Templates
Divi offers:
- 2000+ layouts – Continuously growing library
- 300+ website packs – Industry-specific complete websites
- Weekly new releases – Fresh layouts added every week
- Layout cloud – Save and access your designs from anywhere
Verdict: Templates
Winner: Divi
Divi’s built-in library is larger and regularly updated. However, Elementor’s third-party ecosystem provides more overall options if you’re willing to explore beyond the official library.
Performance and Speed
Page builder performance directly impacts user experience and SEO rankings.
Elementor Performance
Recent Elementor updates have focused heavily on performance:
- Improved CSS loading – Only loads styles for used widgets
- Reduced DOM output – Cleaner HTML structure
- Lazy loading – Images load as users scroll
- Experiments panel – Optional performance features to enable
A typical Elementor page adds approximately 200-400KB to page weight, depending on widgets used.
Divi Performance
Divi has made significant performance improvements:
- Dynamic CSS – Generates only required styles
- Critical CSS – Inlines above-the-fold styles
- Deferred JavaScript – Non-blocking script loading
- Dynamic module loading – Only loads JavaScript for used modules
Divi pages typically add 300-500KB, though this has improved significantly in recent versions.
Verdict: Performance
Winner: Elementor (slightly)
Both builders have improved dramatically, but Elementor currently produces slightly lighter pages. The difference is minimal with proper optimization practices.
WooCommerce Integration
Elementor WooCommerce Builder
Elementor Pro includes comprehensive WooCommerce tools:
- Product page builder – Design custom single product layouts
- Shop page customization – Control product grid appearance
- Cart and checkout design – Style the entire purchase flow
- Product widgets – Add to cart, price, gallery, tabs, and more
- Mini cart widget – Ajax-powered cart preview
- Archive templates – Category and tag page designs
Divi WooCommerce
Divi provides WooCommerce integration through:
- WooCommerce modules – 16 dedicated e-commerce elements
- Product page builder – Full control over product layouts
- Shop customization – Design category and shop pages
- Cart and checkout – Complete styling options
- Theme builder integration – Apply designs site-wide
Verdict: WooCommerce
Winner: Elementor
Elementor’s WooCommerce builder feels more polished with better widget organization and more granular controls. Both are capable, but Elementor provides a smoother e-commerce design experience.
Pricing Comparison
Elementor Pricing
| Plan | Price/Year | Websites | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited | 40+ widgets, templates, responsive editing |
| Essential | $59 | 1 site | All Pro features |
| Advanced | $99 | 3 sites | All Pro features |
| Expert | $199 | 25 sites | All Pro features |
| Agency | $399 | 1000 sites | All Pro features |
Divi Pricing
| Plan | Price | Websites | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly Access | $89/year | Unlimited | Divi, Extra, Bloom, Monarch + all features |
| Lifetime Access | $249 once | Unlimited | Everything forever, lifetime updates |
Verdict: Pricing
Winner: Depends on your situation
- Single site owner: Elementor Essential ($59) beats Divi ($89) for year one, but Divi’s unlimited sites offer more flexibility
- Multiple sites: Divi’s unlimited usage wins at any scale
- Long-term: Divi’s $249 lifetime deal is unbeatable value over 3+ years
- Budget-conscious: Elementor’s free version lets you start without spending
Third-Party Ecosystem
Elementor Ecosystem
Elementor has the largest third-party ecosystem in WordPress page building:
- 100+ add-on plugins – Essential Addons, JetPlugins, Ultimate Addons, and many more
- Thousands of templates – Available on marketplaces and independent sites
- Integration plugins – Connect with virtually any WordPress plugin
- Developer community – Extensive documentation and tutorials
- Facebook groups – Multiple communities with hundreds of thousands of members
Divi Ecosystem
Divi has a growing but smaller ecosystem:
- 50+ add-on plugins – Divi Supreme, Divi Toolbox, and others
- Layout packs – Third-party layouts available
- Child themes – Pre-built sites using Divi
- Active community – Facebook groups and forums
- Elegant Themes marketplace – Curated extensions and layouts
Verdict: Ecosystem
Winner: Elementor
Elementor’s ecosystem is significantly larger, offering more options for extending functionality. This matters if you need specialized features beyond the core builder.
Built-in Marketing Tools
Elementor Marketing Features
- Popup builder – Create marketing popups with triggers and conditions
- Form builder – Lead capture with integrations
- Landing page templates – Conversion-focused designs
- No built-in A/B testing – Requires third-party solution
Divi Marketing Features
- Divi Leads – Built-in split testing for any element
- Bloom – Email opt-in plugin included
- Monarch – Social sharing plugin included
- Popup builder – Built into the Theme Builder
- Conversion tracking – See which designs perform better
Verdict: Marketing Tools
Winner: Divi
Divi’s included split testing (Divi Leads) is a significant advantage for conversion optimization. The bundled Bloom and Monarch plugins add extra value.
Support and Documentation
Elementor Support
- Free users: Community forums and documentation
- Pro users: 24/7 premium support
- Documentation: Comprehensive knowledge base
- Video tutorials: Official YouTube channel with tutorials
- Response time: Typically within 24 hours
Divi Support
- All users: Premium support included (paid plans only)
- Documentation: Extensive written and video documentation
- Support chat: Live chat during business hours
- Community: Active Facebook group and forums
- Response time: Usually same day
Verdict: Support
Winner: Tie
Both companies provide excellent support for paid customers. Elementor’s advantage is free community support, while Divi offers more direct access to support staff.
Who Should Choose Elementor?
Elementor is the better choice if you:
- Want to start free – Test the builder before committing financially
- Prefer a structured interface – Sidebar-based editing feels more organized
- Need extensive add-ons – The ecosystem offers solutions for almost anything
- Build client sites annually – Per-site pricing works for occasional projects
- Prioritize WooCommerce – Slightly better e-commerce building experience
- Value community resources – More tutorials, templates, and help available
Who Should Choose Divi?
Divi is the better choice if you:
- Want lifetime access – One-time payment for perpetual use
- Build unlimited sites – Agencies and freelancers get better value
- Need A/B testing – Built-in split testing is a major advantage
- Prefer all-inclusive pricing – Everything included, no add-on purchases needed
- Like visual editing – True front-end editing feels more direct
- Want bundled plugins – Bloom and Monarch included at no extra cost
Migration Considerations
If you’re considering switching between builders:
Elementor to Divi
- No automated migration tool exists
- Content remains but layouts need rebuilding
- Consider rebuilding pages gradually
Divi to Elementor
- Same situation—no direct migration path
- Shortcodes may remain in content
- Plan for complete redesign
Recommendation: Choose carefully from the start, as switching page builders requires significant effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Elementor and Divi together?
Technically possible but not recommended. Running both builders adds unnecessary bloat and can cause conflicts. Choose one and stick with it.
Which is better for beginners?
Elementor is generally easier for beginners due to its structured interface and free version for learning. Divi is also beginner-friendly but has a steeper initial learning curve.
Which is faster?
Both builders produce similar performance when properly optimized. Elementor has a slight edge in default output size, but the difference is negligible with good hosting and caching.
Can I switch from Elementor to Divi later?
Yes, but it requires rebuilding your pages. There’s no automated migration tool, so plan for significant time investment if switching.
Which has better templates?
Divi includes more built-in templates, but Elementor’s third-party marketplace offers more total options. Both have professional, modern designs.
Is Divi’s lifetime deal worth it?
If you plan to use Divi for 3+ years on multiple sites, the $249 lifetime deal provides exceptional value. It pays for itself compared to annual subscriptions.
Which is better for agencies?
Divi’s unlimited site license makes it more cost-effective for agencies. Elementor’s Agency plan ($399/year for 1000 sites) is competitive but requires annual renewal.
Do I need coding knowledge for either?
Neither requires coding. Both builders are designed for visual, no-code website building. Advanced users can add custom CSS or code if desired.
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Final Verdict
Both Elementor and Divi are excellent page builders capable of creating professional websites. Your choice should depend on your specific situation:
| Choose Elementor If… | Choose Divi If… |
|---|---|
| You want to try before buying | You want unlimited site usage |
| You prefer a sidebar-based interface | You prefer true front-end editing |
| You need extensive third-party add-ons | You want built-in A/B testing |
| You’re building a single site | You’re building multiple sites |
| WooCommerce is your priority | Lifetime pricing appeals to you |
Both builders will serve you well. The “wrong” choice between these two is still a good choice—you’re deciding between two industry leaders that millions of users trust daily.