Elementor is one of the most popular plugins for WordPress, which allows you to create drag-and-drop websites. Thanks to it, even people without advanced programming knowledge can design modern, responsive websites, which, however, unfortunately, comes out differently. In the article you will learn what exactly Elementor is, what are the differences between its free and paid versions, what are its main functions and what are the advantages and disadvantages of using it. We will also answer the question of whether it is worth investing in Elementor Pro.
Table of Contents:
Elementor is a visual page editor that works as a plugin for WordPress. You could say it's an overlay for Wordpress that doesn't have much to do with the core functionality Wordpress was created for. Gutenberg or all the advantages of Wordpress are not used here, however Elementor was designed for people who want to create visually advanced websites without having to write code, which on the surface seems like an advantage.
With Elementor's page builder, the user can fully customize the layout of the site using a wide range of widgets, templates and blocks. However, it's worth remembering that what Elementor's marketing talks about is not what we encounter in reality, e.g.: unlike traditional page design methods, where one had to write HTML, CSS or JavaScript code, Elementor allows users to create visually advanced pages using ready-made tools and components. P
It is mostly the case that the demo versions of Elementor themes are pushed to the limit in terms of visuals, the reality is unfortunately brutal
Read also Gutenberg or Elementor - which to choose?
Elementor offers many features that set it apart from other web development tools. The education that the company implements, the Youtube channel and Elementor's advertising tells us about several aspects that are used in advertising campaigns mi.a :
The drag-and-drop interface makes adding elements to your site a breeze. You can quickly place widgets anywhere on the page, giving you full control over the layout.
See also 5 fastest wordpress themes
Elementor offers a wide range of widgets that can be used to build pages. Examples possible to use :
Elementor provides access to hundreds of ready-made templates and blocks. These templates are tailored to different industries and page types, saving you design time. You can also save your own templates to reuse them in the future.
See also : Elementor does not load - problems loading editor
Elementor automatically adjusts the design for different screen sizes, but also allows you to manually adjust elements for mobile and tablet devices. You can easily review the mobile view and make changes to ensure an optimal user experience.
Elementor offers many styling options that allow you to customize every element of the page:
The Pro version of Elementor allows you to use dynamic content, which allows you to automatically display data from your WordPress database. You can create pages based on posts or products that automatically update as new content is added.
With Elementor, you can easily create and customize product pages and other elements of your online store. Features include:
This feature allows you to create popups that can be used to collect email addresses, promotions or event notifications. You can easily customize the appearance of the popup and set conditions for its display.
Elementor supports integrations with many popular marketing and CRM tools, such as Mailchimp, HubSpot and Zapier. This makes it easy to collect and manage data from users.
This feature allows you to manage access to various Elementor features for different WordPress users. You can restrict access to the editor or certain widgets for specific user roles.
Below is a view of the Elementor interface when creating a blank page i.e. when we are full of confidence that we will create the page ourselves.
View our services:
Installation of Elementor is very simple and takes just a few minutes. All you need is:
First of all, the main advantage of Elementor is its potentially simple operation, which does not require coding. We can consider the functionalities listed above as advantages. An important advantage of the wizard is that in the basic version it is free and quite basic websites can be realized on it with more patience to work with the interface.
See also how to choose a server for your site
Elementor's primary drawbacks include the fact that it is an Elementor ;) and in fact :
One of the main criticisms of Elementor is that it can slow down page loading due to the larger size of the DOM (Document Object Model). The larger number of HTML and JavaScript elements can lead to longer page loading times. The ubiquitous skins and multipurpose solutions are even saturated with a lot of JS and CSS code.
Although Elementor is user-friendly, it does not always work perfectly with SEO optimization tools. Pages created with this plugin may have an inferior code-to-content ratio, which negatively affects SEO results. The extra CSS and JavaScript code generated by Elementor can make it difficult for search engine robots to index the content, which can lower the page's rankings in search results.
One of the biggest criticisms of Elementor is the amount of code generated by the plugin compared to the actual content on the page. The complexity of CSS and JavaScript code can lead to longer page load times, which negatively impacts user experience and SEO. Pages built on Elementor can struggle with a lot of “unnecessary” code, which increases the page rendering time for browsers.
Despite its intuitive interface, working with Elementor's more advanced features, especially in the Pro version, requires some technical knowledge. For beginners, learning the full capabilities of the plugin can be time-consuming. As the site expands, managing the numerous widgets, styles and templates can lead to chaos if the project is not properly organized.
One common problem when working with Elementor is compatibility with purchased skins on platforms such as ThemeForest. Although most popular skins declare compatibility with Elementor, in practice some may require additional settings or even cause conflicts that can affect site performance. Users should carefully check reviews of skins and test their compatibility with Elementor before making a purchase.
Elementor, like other plugins, can cause conflicts with other installed plugins in WordPress. Compatibility issues often arise, especially when other plugins are not updated regularly or have similar features. Conflicts can lead to problems with the display of page elements, performance, and even complete page crashes.
Pages created in Elementor can lose performance over time. As the site expands and more widgets and visual elements are added, the amount of code generated increases, which affects the loading speed of the site. The more extensive the page, the greater the load on the server, which can consequently lead to loading delays.
Regular updates to WordPress and Elementor can lead to compatibility issues with other plugins or themes. Sometimes, after updating Elementor, certain features stop working properly, which can cause frustration for users. Therefore, updates should be done carefully and after backing up the site first.
To avoid some of the problems mentioned, it is worth following a few rules:
Elementor is a tool for the job, but like any software, it requires conscious and responsible management to avoid long-term problems.
The free version of Elementor offers basic features to create an aesthetically pleasing website. Users can use various widgets and basic styling options.
Elementor Pro is a paid version that extends the capabilities of the free version with additional features:
Elementor offers different price plans, depending on users' needs. The free version offers basic features, but for more advanced capabilities, it is worth investing in Elementor Pro. Below is an overview of the current Elementor Pro price plans:
See also:
Elementor also offers lifetime licenses as part of special promotions or for larger companies that prefer a one-time payment instead of a subscription. Currently, however, the annual subscription model is the most common
For those who plan to build only one or a few pages, the Essential or Advanced plan will be the best choice, but if you are an agency, the Agency plan with unlimited pages is the most cost-effective.
Elementor works well with the WooCommerce plugin, allowing you to create visually appealing and functional online stores. Elementor Pro additionally offers WooCommerce-dedicated widgets, such as dynamic product lists, carousels or product filters
Elementor is compatible with most WordPress themes, but you'll get the best results using Elementor-optimized themes, such as Hello Theme. When buying themes, especially from platforms like ThemeForest, it's a good idea to make sure they are fully compatible with Elementor.
Elementor Pro offers full integration with many popular marketing tools, such as MailChimp, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign and Zapier. This allows you to easily collect leads, create email campaigns and manage contacts