If you’re running a WordPress website, chances are you’ve heard of WPBakery Page Builder and Elementor. These two are among the most popular drag-and-drop page builders available today, allowing even non-developers to create stunning websites without writing a single line of code.
In this in-depth comparison, we’ll look at the features, differences, pros and cons, and price structures of both WPBakery and Elementor, helping you decide which one is the best choice for your WordPress website.
Table of Contents:
- Introduction
- Features Overview
- Key Differences
- Pros and Cons
- Pricing Comparison
- User Experience and Workflow
- Support and Documentation
- Compatibility with Themes and Plugins
- Which One Should You Choose?
- Final Thoughts

Introduction to WPBakery and Elementor
Before we dive into the comparison, let’s briefly introduce both tools.
- WPBakery (formerly known as Visual Composer) has been around since 2011 and has cemented itself as one of the most widely used page builders. It’s bundled with many premium WordPress themes and offers a front-end and back-end editor.
- Elementor is a newer but rapidly growing page builder plugin. Launched in 2016, it has gained widespread popularity due to its intuitive interface and comprehensive features. Elementor is also available in both free and paid versions.
Features Overview
WPBakery Features:
- Front-end and back-end editors: WPBakery offers both front-end (live view) and back-end editors, allowing you to build pages either from the WordPress dashboard or directly on the page.
- Pre-built templates: WPBakery provides a range of templates to kick-start your designs.
- Add-ons and integrations: WPBakery supports a wide range of third-party add-ons, expanding its capabilities further.
- Content elements: WPBakery comes with over 50 predefined content elements like buttons, sliders, and charts.
- Custom post types support: Easily create and manage custom post types for different content structures.
- Responsive design options: WPBakery includes responsive controls to make sure your site looks great on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
Elementor Features:
- Drag-and-drop visual editor: Elementor offers an intuitive drag-and-drop builder that works entirely on the front-end, meaning you see your changes in real time.
- Free version: Elementor offers a robust free version with many basic features, while the Pro version unlocks advanced options.
- Theme builder: Elementor’s theme builder allows you to design not just pages but also headers, footers, and other parts of your theme.
- Pop-up builder: The built-in pop-up builder lets you create opt-in forms, banners, and other pop-ups directly from Elementor without the need for additional plugins.
- Pre-built templates and blocks: Elementor includes hundreds of professionally designed templates and content blocks for easy website building.
- Custom CSS: Add custom CSS to individual elements, giving you more control over design tweaks.
- Widgets library: Elementor Pro unlocks over 90 widgets, including WooCommerce-specific options for building eCommerce websites.
Key Differences Between WPBakery and Elementor
Now that we’ve covered their features, let’s compare the two based on some key aspects:
1. User Interface and Usability
- WPBakery: The back-end editor can feel somewhat outdated compared to Elementor, and switching between front-end and back-end modes can be cumbersome. However, it offers a wide range of controls for more technical users.
- Elementor: Known for its clean and intuitive interface, Elementor provides a smoother experience, especially for beginners. Everything is drag-and-drop, and changes happen in real time.
2. Content Elements and Widgets
- WPBakery: Offers around 50+ elements out of the box. However, with the use of third-party add-ons, this number can increase significantly.
- Elementor: The free version offers around 40+ elements, while Elementor Pro adds over 90 widgets. Additionally, Elementor offers WooCommerce widgets, making it highly useful for eCommerce websites.
3. Template Library
- WPBakery: While WPBakery offers pre-built templates, its library isn’t as extensive as Elementor’s. It does, however, allow you to save and reuse your own layouts easily.
- Elementor: Elementor has an expansive library of pre-designed templates and blocks. These are highly customizable and cater to various niches, such as portfolios, business websites, and blogs. You can also save your designs for future use.
4. Performance
- WPBakery: It is known to generate more shortcodes, which could slow down page load times, especially if your website grows larger over time.
- Elementor: Elementor is generally more lightweight and optimized, which can result in faster page load times. It also provides flexibility with disabling unused features to reduce bloat.
5. Theme Builder
- WPBakery: WPBakery doesn’t offer a theme builder out of the box. You’ll need additional plugins or themes to customize areas like headers and footers.
- Elementor: Elementor Pro comes with a powerful theme builder that lets you design every aspect of your site, including headers, footers, and archives, with ease.
6. Third-Party Add-Ons
- WPBakery: It has an extensive range of third-party add-ons available for advanced functionality. Many themes are also pre-built with WPBakery, offering custom elements and templates.
- Elementor: Elementor’s marketplace has a wide range of third-party add-ons, but the base Elementor Pro plugin covers many features you may need.

WPBakery vs Elementor: Pros and Cons
WPBakery Pros:
- Bundled with many premium themes, reducing extra costs.
- Supports both front-end and back-end editing.
- Extensive third-party plugin support.
WPBakery Cons:
- Steeper learning curve for beginners.
- The interface can feel outdated.
- More prone to slowing down site performance due to shortcode usage.
Elementor Pros:
- User-friendly and intuitive interface.
- Real-time editing for instant feedback.
- Comprehensive theme builder for full site control.
- A large library of pre-made templates and widgets.
Elementor Cons:
- More expensive if you need access to advanced features (Pro version).
- Free version has limited widgets and templates compared to Pro.
Pricing Comparison: WPBakery vs Elementor
WPBakery Pricing:
WPBakery Page Builder costs a one-time fee of $64 for a single-site license. There is no free version, but the single payment grants you lifetime updates. WPBakery is also included in many premium themes, so if you buy a theme with WPBakery bundled, you may not need to purchase the plugin separately.
- Regular plan: $64 for one website
- 5 sites: $256
- 10 sites: $499
Elementor Pricing:
Elementor offers a free version with limited functionality. To unlock advanced features such as the theme builder, WooCommerce widgets, and pop-up builder, you’ll need Elementor Pro. The pricing is as follows:
- Essential Plan: $59/year for 1 website.
- Advanced Plan: $99/year for 3 websites.
- Expert Plan: $199/year for 25 websites.
- Agency Plan: $399/year for 1000 websites.
Now, we’ll dig deeper into aspects like user experience, support, and which builder is best suited for different website needs. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of which page builder will work best for your WordPress site.

User Experience and Workflow
WPBakery:
WPBakery offers both front-end and back-end editing, which is useful for developers who like working from the WordPress dashboard. However, for the average user, this dual interface can feel a bit disconnected, especially since the front-end editor is not as seamless as Elementor’s real-time editing.
One major downside is that WPBakery relies heavily on shortcodes. When deactivating the plugin, your content can be left riddled with shortcodes, making it difficult to manage or transfer to another page builder without extra cleanup. Additionally, WPBakery’s user interface is less modern and can seem clunky to beginners, with a steeper learning curve compared to Elementor.
Pros of WPBakery’s Workflow:
- Dual front-end and back-end editing options.
- Suitable for more advanced users or developers familiar with WordPress.
Cons of WPBakery’s Workflow:
- Cluttered with shortcodes.
- The editing experience feels outdated compared to Elementor.
- Requires extra learning for non-developers.
Elementor:
Elementor stands out with its real-time visual editor, providing instant feedback as you design your pages. The intuitive drag-and-drop interface allows you to create custom layouts quickly, and you can view exactly how your design will look as you’re building it.
Unlike WPBakery, Elementor doesn’t rely on shortcodes. This makes it much easier to manage your content, even if you deactivate the plugin later. Additionally, Elementor Pro includes a range of tools like the theme builder, pop-up builder, and WooCommerce builder, all integrated seamlessly into the same interface.
Pros of Elementor’s Workflow:
- Real-time, front-end visual editing.
- No shortcode clutter when deactivating the plugin.
- Easy for beginners and experienced users alike.
- Includes full theme customization options (Pro version).
Cons of Elementor’s Workflow:
- The free version lacks some advanced features.
- While intuitive, it may require some initial exploration to discover all features.
Support and Documentation
WPBakery:
WPBakery offers lifetime updates with a one-time purchase, but support is only available for 6 months, unless you extend it for an additional cost. They provide a knowledge base with extensive documentation and video tutorials, but some users report that response times for support can be slower compared to Elementor.
Since WPBakery has been bundled with many premium themes, the community around it is quite large. However, because of the reliance on theme developers to maintain compatibility, support issues can arise when switching themes or updating plugins.
Pros of WPBakery Support:
- Lifetime updates.
- Large community with many third-party tutorials.
Cons of WPBakery Support:
- Limited to 6 months of support (extendable for an extra fee).
- Potential delays in customer support responses.
Elementor:
Elementor’s support structure is tiered based on the subscription plan you choose. The free version has access to the documentation and community forums, while Elementor Pro users gain priority support. Elementor offers detailed documentation, tutorials, and a large Elementor Academy full of guides for both beginners and advanced users.
Elementor also benefits from its thriving community, including many third-party developers who create add-ons. However, one advantage of Elementor over WPBakery is its consistent updates and ongoing feature improvements, making it a more dynamic choice for evolving websites.
Pros of Elementor Support:
- Priority support for Pro users.
- Extensive documentation and Elementor Academy.
- Active community and third-party developers.
Cons of Elementor Support:
- Pro support is limited to paying customers.
Compatibility with Themes and Plugins
WPBakery:
WPBakery is widely compatible with many premium themes, and in fact, it is bundled with a large number of them. This means that if you buy a theme that includes WPBakery, it may already come pre-customized with additional content elements, saving you time and effort in building your site.
However, the heavy reliance on third-party themes can cause conflicts when themes or plugins update. Since WPBakery doesn’t offer a built-in theme builder like Elementor, you are dependent on your theme’s flexibility for controlling headers, footers, and sidebars.
Elementor:
Elementor is a standalone plugin and works with almost any WordPress theme. If you opt for Elementor Pro, you can bypass a lot of theme compatibility issues thanks to its built-in theme builder. This lets you customize headers, footers, and archive pages without switching themes.
The plugin is also well-optimized for popular WordPress plugins like WooCommerce, making it ideal for eCommerce websites. Elementor’s compatibility with add-ons and integrations is solid, and updates are regularly tested for stability.
Pros of Elementor Compatibility:
- Built-in theme builder reduces reliance on theme compatibility.
- Seamless integration with WooCommerce and other popular plugins.
- Works with most WordPress themes.
Cons of Elementor Compatibility:
- Full theme-building capabilities are only available in the Pro version.

Which One Should You Choose?
Now that we’ve thoroughly compared WPBakery and Elementor, let’s help you decide which is the better fit for your needs.
Choose WPBakery if:
- You prefer a builder that is included with many premium themes.
- You’re comfortable with a more technical back-end editor.
- You need lifetime updates without recurring subscription fees.
- You’re working on a larger project that benefits from multiple third-party add-ons.
Choose Elementor if:
- You want an intuitive, real-time visual editor.
- You value ease of use and quick setup, especially as a beginner.
- You need access to a complete theme builder for full-site customization (with Elementor Pro).
- You run an eCommerce store and want built-in WooCommerce support.
- You prefer lightweight, shortcode-free content management.
Final Thoughts
WPBakery and Elementor are both powerful page builders with their unique advantages. WPBakery excels in projects where third-party themes and add-ons are needed, but its reliance on shortcodes and outdated user interface may be a turnoff for some.
On the other hand, Elementor shines with its ease of use, real-time editing, and extensive features for both free and Pro users. It’s the better choice for those looking to build dynamic websites without coding knowledge, and it offers unmatched flexibility with its theme and pop-up builders.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on your personal preferences, budget, and website goals. Whichever page builder you choose, both can help you build a visually stunning and functional WordPress website.