Divi vs. Elementor: the ultimate objective guide!

Divi or Elementor? I was hesitant for a long time to get into this type of article for two reasons:

1. I didn't really want to take a position between two competing tools.
2. This article is a lot of work (+5200 words)...

But in view of what I found on the web, I wanted to offer you my vision of this complete guide, because so far I have only found articles that were "too advertising" and not objective or detailed enough.

Here, I offer you a battle Divi vs. Elementor very objective. I will only give my opinion in the conclusion...

I will try to offer a real comparison of Divi against Elementor, step by step and feature by feature. I will address the strengths as well as the weaknesses...

In short, the idea is not to influence you but rather to help you choose between Divi and Elementor.

However, you have to compare like with like! So this article will present the Pro version of Elementor because the free version cannot be compared to Divi, it would be lost in advance...

In short, let's not waste any more time and get to the heart of the matter...

Announcement: this article contains affiliate links that you will easily recognise. The classic links are in purple and sponsored links are in pink.

1 - Divi or Elementor in a few figures

Let's start with a broad overview of these two tools. It is good to explain the context to better understand the rest of this Divi vs. Elementor comparison.

1.1 - Some figures about Divi

Divi is the flagship theme of Elegant Themes' theme shop. It was released at the end of 2013. The Divi Builder as a standalone plugin will be released in 2015.

As you may know, the Divi Theme should not be confused with the Divi Builder. These are two different products.

As the Divi Builder is a Page Builder, it is the Page Builder that will be the subject of this comparison with Elementor (and not the Divi theme).

1.2 - Some figures about Elementor

Elementor is the best challenger to Divi.

What contributed greatly to its success: its free version - already very efficient - is directly available on the official WordPress plugin directory. This was not the case for most page builders at the time, which were often only available as premium versions.

So in 2016, Elementor is changing the landscape of free page builders by offering a very promising builder accessible to all.

As soon as it was released, it proposed a front-end page construction while its competitors proposed either a back-end construction or a back-end construction + in front-end (at choice, which is the case of Divi).

1.3 - Comparative and summary table

Figures updated on 3 July 2020

Figures as of 3 July 2020	Divi	Elementor
Year of release	Theme: Dec. 2013 Builder: Oct. 2015	Free: May 2016 Pro: Dec. 2016
Active facilities (free of charge)	-	Free version : 5 million
Pro licenses sold	702.000	???
Number of employees	100	131
5 star review	7078 5-star reviews out of 7317 (TrustPilot) or 97% satisfaction	4930 5-star reviews out of 5308 (on WordPress) or 93% satisfaction

When you see thatElementor already has more than 5 million active installations, it could make Elegant Themes blush , which has "only" 702,000 licences sold. And yet, these figures are not comparable!

Indeed, Divi licenses are sold for an unlimited number of sites which does not allow us to know exactly how many sites are using Divi.

If we assume that each Divi license is used on an average of 10 sites, this would mean that Divi is used on 7.2 million sites.

For example, I myself use it on about twenty sites and I am far from having the productivity of an agency! So, this figure can only be imagined...

2 - Divi vs. Elementor: a story of price?

Now that we know a bit more about the history of the two extensions, let's talk about money...

Indeed, this is often a criterion of choice for some users.

The pro licenses for these two page builders do not work in the same way. Here again, it will be difficult to compare them. Their business model is different and this is also what can change the deal, depending on your needs...

Divi's license offers 2 plans: a yearly plan or a "lifetime" plan that you only pay once... While Elementor does not offer a "lifetime" plan, you will have to pay again every year. In addition, Elementor offers 5 plans that differ according to the number of installations.

To better understand the difference in price, I suggest this table:

	Divi Annual	Divi Lifetime	Elementor Pro
1 site	89 (each year)	249 (one time only)	49 (each year)
1 site after 10 years costs...	890$	249$	490$
3 sites	89 (each year)	249 (one time only)	99 (each year)
3 sites after 10 years cost...	890$	249$	990$
Between 3 and 25 sites	89 (each year)	249 (one time only)	199 (each year)
25 sites after 10 years cost...	890$	249$	1990$
Between 26 and 100 sites	89 (each year)	249 (one time only)	499$
100 sites after 10 years cost...	890$	249$	4990$
Between 101 and 1000 sites	89 (each year)	249 (one time only)	999$
1000 sites after 10 years cost...	890$	249$	9990$
Pro theme included	Yes	Yes	No
Bonus included	Bloom + Monarch	Bloom + Monarch	No

I think this table explains well the price differences between Divi and Elementor.

It is clear that the annual licences constitute a substantial budget after a certain number of years, whether for Divi or Elementor.

For example, a site created with Elementor costs more than a site created with Divi Lifetime from the 5th year of the site.

The number of sites that can be created with a single licence also comes into play and increases the budget over the years.

This suggests that if you are in the business of creating sites for your clients, Divi is more advantageous. On the other hand, if you need a page builder for your personal site, Elementor will be more advantageous for the first 4 years (if you use a free theme).

To find out more about the tariffs, I suggest these two articles:

• Divi license prices
• How much does Elementor Pro cost?

3 - Theme, Theme Builder, Page Builder: help!

If you get started with WordPressYou must have read up on the subject and come across some strange terms.

When you start to discover the world of themes and page builders, certain words come up often: Theme, Page Builder, Theme Builder, Visual Builder, modules, widgets, etc.

I understand that it can be confusing!

3.1 - Glossary for clarity

To make things clearer in this WordPress jungle, here are some explanations.

WordPress theme

WordPress needs a theme to function. Themes determine the look and feel (design) of your site.

There are lots of themes! Some are free (or freemium) and others are premium.

Free themes are often limited and for this reason users prefer to use paid themes that are richer in possibilities and features.

Page Builder

They are "page builders".

To illustrate this point, page builders allow you to build, brick by brick, the layout of your pages or articles.

Page builders only work on the content part of your page (or post). In other words, on the part where you are allowed to write = the same part used by the WordPress editor.

To better understand this, I advise you to read this article dedicated to the basics of the theme, the page builder and WordPress.

Theme Builder

Theme Builders allow you to act on parts of the site that are not accessible using a Page Builder.

For example, a theme builder will act on the header of your siteon the footer and on special pages such as category archives, product archives, etc.

This is a very useful feature to get a completely customised site.

BothDivi and Elementor Pro have a theme builder (Elementor Free does not have this feature).

Read this article which explains how the Divi Theme Builder works.

WooCommerce Builder

WooCommerce Builder is the term used for page builders acting on WooCommerce product sheets. Some Page Builders do not allow to be used on products in the shop.

Divi Builder or Elementor Pro allow you to build WooCommerce product sheets but this is not the case with Elementor Free.

Modules

Widgets

In other words, Elementor Widgets are the equivalent of Divi Modules.

Add-ons

These are additional features, often provided by third-party extensions.

These add-ons are available as plugins but we prefer the term add-ons because they are not functional if the "parent plugin" is not active.

There are add-ons for Gutenberg (the WordPress editor), for Divi and for Elementor.

Pop-Up Builder

A popup builder is a feature that allows you to create PopUp's with the Modules or Widgets of a Page Builder.

Divi or Elementor Free do not allow this functionality but Elementor Pro does.

More about the Elementor PopUp Builder.

3.2 - Comparative table

This table will allow you to quickly compare what can be done with Divi or Elementor.

	Divi Builder	Elementor (free)	Elementor Pro
Need a theme?	Yes	Yes	Yes
Favourite theme	Divi Theme	Astra, Neve, OceanWP	Hello theme (free)
All compatible themes?	Yes	Most of them.	Most of them.
WooCommerce Builder ?	Yes	No	Yes
Theme Builder feature ?	Yes	No	Yes
Free add-ons ?	+	+++	+++
Popup Builder feature ?	No. Use PopUp for Divi (free).	No	Yes
Back-office construction ?	Yes	No	No
Front-Office construction?	Yes	Yes	Yes

*I say "theme of choice" but you can, of course, use these page builders on any theme, except incompatible ones. The Hello theme is the theme proposed by the developers of Elementor. You may wonder why I didn't mention it in the free Elementor column? Because it's a theme that needs a Theme Builder to be fully effective and the free version of Elementor doesn't offer this feature. Read my review on this subject.

4 - Modules vs. Widgets: which page builder is the richest?

Let's move on to the most interesting part of Pages Builder: the functionalities provided by its modules or widgets.

If you ask me, it's not really the number that counts but rather their usefulness and the options that come with each module (or widget). Because a module without a lot of customisation options is mostly uninteresting.

Each Page Builder therefore includes modules that also contribute to their success.

4.1 - Page builder modules or widgets

Module - Widget	Divi Builder	Elementor Free	Elementor Pro
Accordion	x	x	x
Alert	0	x	x
Menu anchor	0	x	x
Animated Headline	0	0	x
Call to action - Call to Action	x	0	x
Archive Title	0	0	x
Archive Post	0	0	x
Audio - SoundCloud	x	x	x
Author Box	0	0	x
Side bar - Colonne latérale	x	x	x
Rocker - Back and forth	x	x	x
Blog - Post	x	0	x
Blockquote	0	0	x
Icon box	0	x	x
Image box	0	x	x
Shop	x	0	0
Button	x	x	x
Map - Google Map	x	x	x
Folded screen card	x	0	0
Search - Search Form	x	0	x
Code - HTML	x	x	x
Full width code	x	0	0
Short code	0	x	x
Comments - Post Comments	x	0	x
Bar counter - Progress bar	x	x	x
Circle counter	x	0	0
Number counter - Counter	x	x	x
Countdown - Compteur à rebours	x	0	x
Full screen header	x	0	0
Featured Image	0	0	x
Internal section	0	x	x
Article slider	x	0	0
Full width article slider	x	0	0
Video Slider - Media Carousel	x	0	x
Slider Diapo - Image carousel	x	x	x
Full screen slider	x	0	0
Slider	0	0	x
Email optin	x	0	0
Facebook Button	0	0	x
Facebook Comments	0	0	x
Facebook Embeds	0	0	x
Facebook Page	0	0	x
Flip Box	0	x	x
Contact form	x	0	x
Gallery	x	x	x
Image	x	x	x
Full-width image	x	0	0
Read more	0	x	x
Icon list	0	x	x
Menu - Nav Menu	x	0	x
Full screen menu	x	0	0
Post navigation - Post navigation	x	0	x
Star rating	0	x	x
Tab	x	x	x
Person	x	0	0
Portfolio	x	0	x
Filterable portfolio	x	0	0
Full screen portfolio	x	0	0
Post info	0	0	x
Post Excerpt	0	0	x
Summary - Icon	x	x	x
Login - Login	x	0	x
Reviews	0	0	x
Social Follow - Social network icons	x	x	x
Share button	0	0	x
Divider - Spacer	x	x	x
Site Logo	0	0	x
Site Title	0	0	x
Sitemap	0	0	x
Tableau des tarifs - Price Table	x	0	x
Table if contents	0	0	x
Price List	0	0	x
Text - Text Editor	x	x	x
Post Title / Page Title	x	0	x
Full screen job title	x	0	0
Title (h2, h3, etc.)	0	x	x
Testimonial	x	x	x
Testimonial Carousel	0	0	x
Template	0	0	x
Video	x	x	x
Yoast BreadCrumbs	0	0	x
TOTAL	47	30	66

This table shows that Elementor in its free version does not offer some essential widgets (such as displaying the latest articles). This means that you will quickly be tempted to upgrade to the pro version.

The table also shows that Elementor Pro has a large advantage over the modules embedded in the Divi Builder: almost twenty more!

However, note that some functionality is found in the options of some modules. Just because a module or widget is missing does not mean that the same purpose cannot be achieved.

All of this complicates this Divi vs Elementor comparison because some of the features are intertwined. If you use both page builders, you know what I mean...

4.2 - WooCommerce Builder modules or widgets

The Divi's WooCommerce Builder modules widgets are only active if WooCommerce is installed on your site. Elementor's WooCommerce widgets are only available in the pro version.

Module - Widget	Divi Builder	Elementor Pro
Archive Product	0	x
Archive description	0	x
Woo Add to cart - Add-to-cart	x	x
Custom Add to Cart	0	x
Woo Cart Notice	x	0
Woo Comments	x	0
Woo Description - Short Description	x	x
Woo Gallery	x	0
Woo Image - Product Image	x	x
Woo Additional information - Additional information	x	x
Woo Meta - Product Meta	x	x
Woo Breadcrumb	x	x
Woo Price - Product Price	x	x
Woo Related Products - Product Related	x	x
Woo Rating - Product Rating	x	x
Woo Stock - Product Stock	x	x
Woo Tab - Product Data Tab	x	x
Woo Title - Product Title	x	x
Woo Upsell - Upsells	x	x
Menu Cart	0	x
Product	0	x
Product Category	0	x
WooCommerce Page	0	x
TOTAL	16	20

Elementor Pro offers 4 additional WooCommerce widgets compared to Divi. Note that Divi also offers the same functionality as these missing widgets but as embedded options in other modules.

5 - Layouts to download: Divi or Elementor?

For a long time, themes and page builders have offered their users the possibility of downloading pre-built layouts. These are called "layouts".

These layouts are especially helpful for WordPress users who are not "artistic" or have no time to waste.

How does it work? Layouts are created by designers/graphic artists and made available to users who simply click on a button to import the layout template. Then, the users only have to modify the texts, images and colours.

It's more than magical because anyone can create and design their site in a flash.

In this respect, Divi and Elementor Pro offer a nice range of layouts to download. The free version of Elementor is, of course, less rich than the pro version.

5.1 - Divi Layouts

When you activate the Divi Builder (or Visual Builder) on a page or article, a screen appears to suggest the type of layout you want:

By choosing the "Choose layout" option, you will access the complete library of Divi layouts.

You can then choose from 1260 layouts divided into 170 packs. This figure is constantly evolving as Elegant Themes adds 1 new pack of layouts every week, i.e. more than 30 layouts per month (each pack is composed of 7 to 9 layouts).

Each layout pack allows you to build most of the pages of a site with the same harmony: home, contact, blog, portfolio, shop, etc.

The images imported with these layouts are royalty-free and can be used in your commercial projects.

5.2 - Elementor Layouts

Like Divi, Elementor allows you to import ready-made layouts.

When you activate Elementor on one of your pages or articles, you will see a small grey icon. Clicking on it will take you to the template library.

The templates are divided into 2 categories: Blocks or Pages.

Here, there is no notion of "pack". You will have to look for pages that are in harmony according to their visual or their name. For example: hotel, restaurant, agency.

You will also see a red badge that says "pro". This means that these layouts are only available in the pro version of Elementor.

As for the "blocks", they are part of a layout. You could also call it a page section. So you can import only parts of a page instead of the whole layout.

These "blocks" are partly derived from the layouts proposed in the "page" section.

Elementor then offers 210 pages + 340 blocks. Please note that these figures are for the pro version. In the free version, only a few layouts are available.

5.3 - Quick comparison in a table

This small table allows you to quickly compare the layouts proposed by Divi or Elementor:

	Divi	Elementor Pro
Blocks (section or part of page)	0	340
Pages (full layout)	1260	210
Layout packs (7 to 9 layouts)	170	0

If Divi is poorer in modules (widgets), it makes up for it with its rich layout.

6 - Functionality: Divi or Elementor?

Besides modules, widgets and layouts, Elementor and Divi offer other features.

These are directly integrated into the page builder and are not necessarily visible at first glance.

	Divi	Elementor (pro)
1 - Management of the library	x	x
2 - Import/Export	x	x
3 - Browser	x	x
4 - Responsive mode	x	x
5 - Background	x	x
6 - Element Global	x	x
7 - Dynamic Content	x	x
8 - Integration in Gutenberg	x	0

This table shows that the two page builders are equivalent in all respects (or almost), at least in terms of the most important functionalities that one can expect from a page builder!

Read also : 8 Divi features you should use!

6.1 - Management of the library

Divi and Elementor handle the "library" functionality perfectly, each in its own way, but the result is the same.

The Elementor or Divi library allows sections, modules or even entire layouts to be stored in one place for later use.

The library can be used as a backup as well as a time-saving storage.

Divi Library

To save a layout to the Divi Library, simply click on the "arrow in a circle" icon. Your entire layout will be stored in the library.

Of course, you can save modules, sections or rows in the same way. You do not have to save the whole layout.

Then you will find these items saved in the Divi Library.

Go to the Divi tab > Divi Library. Here you will find all your saved templates.

Elementor model

The Elementor template library is managed in the same way. When you want to save a layout to your "templates", simply click on the triangle at the bottom left. Then select the "save as template" option.

You will give your layout a name, which you can then find in Templates > Saved Templates.

Attention! Elementor sends this template library to indexing! I guess this is not very good for SEO. So, make sure you set the Elementor Templates library to NoIndex via your SEO extension (like Yoast).

Learn more about the Elementor Library Template.

6.2 - Import/export functionality

Divi and Elementor offer an import/export feature. This allows you to export a layout or section of your site for import into another site.

Or conversely, you can get an external layout and import it into your site!

This feature is just great and saves you a lot of time.

Read more about import/export with Divi.

6.3 - Navigation within a layout

This feature may seem trivial but it is not. The 'layers' for Divi is the equivalent of the 'browser' for Elementor.

At a glance, you can see the composition of your layout. This is ideal for moving sections around in long pages.

Of course, if you name the sections that make up your layout correctly, it will be easier for you to recognise them within the browser.

However, I don't know if this is possible with Elementor (I haven't figured out how to name a section yet...).

6.4 - Responsive management

Fortunately, both Elementor and Divi allow you to act on the responsive nature of your site.

Simply activate the view you wish to control: desktop, tablet or mobile.

To find out more, read this guide to Responsive with Divi or the Elementor documentation.

6.5 - History management

We all have the right to make mistakes, and both Divi and Elementor have understood this!

You will be able to revisit subsequent actions if you have changed your mind or made a mistake.

Please note that if you exit the page builder, the history will be reset to zero.

6.6 - Global element functionality

If you need to place recurring elements within your articles or pages, you can save a lot of time with the global element functionality.

This will save you time when inserting the element, but also when updating it (which will be done on all the pages that use it).

Learn more about global elements Divi or the Elementor global elements.

6.7 - Dynamic content

Dynamic Content is a feature that allows you to turn any module (or widget) into a dynamic element that extracts its content from the database.

You can turn any static element into a dynamic element that automatically updates when its connected content changes.

Divi or Elementor support this feature which can be very useful. Imagine if your client decides to change the tagline or even the title of the site! Your content connected to this dynamic element will be updated in an instant!

Learn more about dynamic elements of Divi or on the dynamic content from Elementor.

6.8 - Integration in Gutenberg

This feature is only offered by Divi, and is called Divi Layout Blocks. It is possible to use some Divi modules within pages or posts that use the native WordPress editor.

This is great because you don't have to activate the Divi Builder on an article just to insert one or two modules.

Read the full article dedicated to Divi modules in Gutenberg.

7 - Elementor, Divi & UX: what we like, what we hate...

The two page builders presented here are, in my opinion, the best available at the moment. However, they have good and bad sides. Let's just say that 100% perfection does not yet exist...

Often it is a matter of user experience (UX).

So when I am asked the question: "Do you recommend Divi or Elementor?", I always say the same thing: "You have to try it to see which tool suits you and your needs better ".

Because, yes, there is no such thing as a ready-made answer.

It's like asking a photographer if it's better to go with Canon or Nikon? They both do the same thing in the end, don't they? They both take pictures. After that, it's the user experience that will decide and the affinity you have with the brand.

Are you more comfortable with one or the other? If you don't try both, how can you make up your own mind?

7.1 - Four reasons to adopt Elementor

1. If you deactivate it, it leaves no traces on your page, unlike Divi.
2. Some of the design options offered by some of the Elementor widgets are very nice. I'm thinking of the logo carousel, the image galleries and the section dividers which have more choices than the Divi dividers.
3. I love the animated titles widget. Learn more about Animated Headlines.
4. An ecosystem has grown rapidly around Elementor (more on that later). As a result, you'll find a lot of additional widgets (free or freemium) on the official WordPress directory.

7.2 - Four reasons to criticize Elementor

1. The control panel remains fixed to the left of the screen. If you are working on a small computer, the remaining space is just enough to get the best out of the construction. To remedy this, you will have to add an add-on (extra plugin).

2. We cannot activate Elementor on the fly when we visit a page from the front-end. We are therefore obliged to go through the administration of the page to activate the builder. This is not the case with Divi, which offers both possibilities.
3. There are no multiple display options. You can only view the layout as you see it, unlike Divi, which offers several display modes (in grid, wired, hover).
4. To leave the builder, you will have to click two or three times to return to the page administration (back-office). You simply can't leave the builder in 1 click (hamburger icon at the top left, then "return to the WordPress editor"). This is quite annoying.

7.3 - Four reasons to adopt Divi

1. The multitude of layouts to download. Most of them are very creative and are perfect for low budget projects.
2. The intuitiveness and UX of the builder. It's true that when you first use it, you'll be a bit lost (like Elementor, by the way) but once you've understood how it works, it's very easy to customise the sections or modules. The user experience (UX) is also great. For example, the options panel can be moved at will and does not encroach on the width of the screen (this is just one example among many).

3. There are lots of tutorials and resources on the web about Divi. A large community has grown up around this tool. By choosing this builder, you will never be lost! You're sure to find a solution to your problem.
4. Constantly evolving or improving. Divi updates about 3 times a month and implements an improvement or a new feature each time. It's reassuring to choose a theme or page builder that evolves as needed and is seriously maintained by its developers.

7.4 - Four reasons to be critical of Divi

1. The French translations look like nothing! You will have to add a plugin to get Divi in 'good' French. Better still, keeping Divi in English is a solution to consider.
2. The editor loads twice. This is not always the case but it is annoying when it happens.
3. If you deactivate Divi, many traces will remain on your pages. You will need to cleaning Divi shortcodes with a plugin.
4. Sometimes you click on a text to change it and the cursor "bars". This is annoying! So it's better to edit the text from the settings of the module itself.

8 - Resources, community, freebies...

Already, the WordPress community is "rich", at its core. So it's not surprising that the "good tools" are also valued and supported by their users and third-party developers.

Moreover, Elementor and Divi have a nice community.

8.1 - Elementor Community

Although Elementor is newer, the community supports it wholeheartedly! Just look at the number of add-ons and plugins that are available on the official WordPress directory. It speaks for itself.

But beware, most of these extensions are freemium. However, there is already plenty to do with the many free versions.

Don't fall into the trap of installing dozens of additional extensions just because they are "free"! This could have an impact on your site (slowdown, bugs, conflicts, increased risk of security breaches).

8.2 - Divi Community

On the Divi side, the community has been well established for years. There are many sites and marketplaces that offer free and paid resources (Divi Den, Aspen Grove, Divi Cake, etc.). Find the list of these resource sites here.

In addition to these sites, the community is also found in Official Divi Nation MeetUps. The movement has over 6500 members in 57 groups in 20 countries. Go here to find the Divi MeetUp nearest to you.

More recently, Divi announced the upcoming launch of its MarketPlace to bring all Divi resources, both free and paid, together in one place.

The idea is to create an official Divi resource directory. Nothing is explicit yet and it is not known if these resources will be available directly from the WordPress back-office (like the WordPress themes and extensions directory) or if they will be embedded in the Divi Builder (like the layouts)... Read this article to learn more about Divi Marketplace or to apply as a 'designer'.

Finally, you will find some free plugins on the official WordPress directory but the resources available here are 'small'. Find out more about 14 free Divi extensions.

9 - Divi or Elementor? I'm asking you!

Well, as you know, I have a soft spot for Divi, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this blog...

But it wasn't always the case! At first, I had a hard time finding my feet and understanding how to tame it to make nice websites with it...

It's like everything else, really!

When you first learned to drive, you didn't feel comfortable... Well, with WordPress, it's the same thing. Whether you choose Divi or Elementor, you're bound to need some time to adjust.

Once you have mastered one of these two tools, you cannot change it. This is the way of the human being...

That's why we see everything on social networks: Arf Divi is crap! or Beurk Elementor is crap!

Simply because these people have a habit and do not want to change it. And the choice they make is obviously the best one!

So to conclude, I'll let you in on a little secret: I use Divi on a daily basis for my own sites and those of my clients. However, I'm not stubborn and Elementor is part of my WordPress training program (at the FAC and in a training organization).

Why? Because it is a good product that has the advantage of offering a free version on the official WordPress directory.

I think it is fairer not to push students, job seekers or people in retraining to buy a premium product.

On the other hand, if Elegant Themes offered a free version of Divi on the official WordPress directory, I would definitely offer this tool in my training sessions.

Now it's your turn to comment!