Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder
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The WordPress block editor (aka Gutenberg) has been out for quite a few years now and has increasingly become more and more popular. Perhaps you’ve recently found yourself contemplating whether to use it in place of third party page builders that provide a similar visual content building experience. To be more specific, when it comes to the Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder, how do these tools compare to one another, and which one is right for you?

While the Gutenberg block editor does offer a more visual design compared to its predecessor (the classic editor) – not to mention drag-and-drop editing – it’s not one-for-one replacement for page builder plugins. This means that many WordPress users can still benefit from using an additional tool.

In this post, we’ll compare the Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder to help you decide which one is best for your unique needs. We’ll start off with a quick ⏩ intro to the block editor, followed by a ⏩ full comparison of all three page builder options.

A quick introduction to the Gutenberg block editor

In WordPress 5.0, WordPress replaced the old TinyMCE editor with a block editor, which was named Gutenberg while under development.

If you want a deeper explanation of the Gutenberg block editor and how it works, check out our posts on “What is Gutenberg” and “Gutenberg blocks“.

In general, the basic Gutenberg block editor is a good substitute for simple content and layouts, but to unlock its true potential, you’ll need to use a dedicated block-based theme with FSE (full site editing) capabilities, or a block extension plugin.

If you do decide to use a dedicated block-based theme like Raft for example, then the block editor does open up a lot of design possibilities. However, it’s still not a direct replacement for page builders. We’ll illustrate this by comparing the Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder.

Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder: A full comparison

We’ve already introduced the block editor – let’s do the same for the other two tools we’ll be looking at. First up, Elementor has been a staple page builder for WordPress for quite some time:

This plugin offers a wide range of elements and templates you can use to build your content. The free version enables you to design your pages and posts using a drag-and-drop system. If you opt for the premium version, you’ll also be able to take advantage of Elementor’s optional built-in hosting plan. In other words, you won’t need to find a hosting provider because Elementor will take care of it for you. Check out our Elementor full review to learn more, as well as our comparison of Elementor free vs Pro.

As for the Divi Builder, it’s also been a perennial favorite among WordPress users for years now:

The Divi Builder website.

With Divi, you get access to a large library of elements, along with plenty of customization options, and the ability to create nearly any layout you’d like. There’s no free version, though. It’s only available as part of the $89.00 Elegant Themes membership.

Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder: Specific features

To start things off, let’s take a look a each tool’s features.

Gutenberg block editor

Here’s what you can do in the Gutenberg block editor:

  • Create pages, posts, and custom content types using a drag-and-drop editor.
  • Use blocks to create content, including essentials such as text and images, as well as some more advanced options like tables and buttons. These blocks can be expanded with extension plugins like Otter Blocks.
  • Customize a few options for each block, as well as some document-wide settings. Additional customization options available via block extension plugins like the aforementioned Otter Blocks, or by using a dedicated block-based theme with FSE capability.
  • Rearrange blocks at will, and add or delete as many as you’d like.
  • Create multi-column layouts.

Overall, the block editor provides a functional drag-and-drop system. These features are also standard in most page builder plugins. Given this, let’s look only at what’s unique in Gutenberg vs Elementor vs Divi Builder.

Elementor

With Elementor, for example, you get:

  • An optional all-in-one solution that also includes hosting (so you won’t need to look for a hosting company).
  • Access to over 40 different “widgets” (similar to Gutenberg’s blocks) in the free version and more than 100 in the premium option.
  • A library of page and section templates you can use.
  • The option to create certain layouts that are unique to Elementor.
  • More style options for each widget and section.
  • More advanced features such as maps, image carousels, and accordion tabs (the premium version also offers forums, slides, pricing lists, and more).
  • The ability to design your headers, footers, and other parts of your site in the premium version.

Divi

What about Divi? With this page builder, you can:

  • Use 200+ customizable “modules” (similar to Gutenberg’s blocks) to build your content.
  • Choose from advanced features such as portfolios, testimonials, maps, forms, counters, and much more.
  • Create complex layouts, with multiple columns and even a mix of full-width and multi-column rows.
  • Add custom margins and padding to control spacing.
  • Save your designs to be easily reused later.
  • Use lots of style controls to change how modules look.

As you can see, some of the areas where both Elementor and Divi excel in comparison to the raw Gutenberg block editor is when it comes to things like columns, spacing, and style controls.

The raw block editor is totally fine for basic layouts and styling. But if you want precision control over your designs, you’ll need to either expand its functionality with a plugin like Otter Blocks, use a dedicated block-based theme like Raft, or otherwise rely on Elementor or Divi’s features to get the job done.

Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder: Ease of use

Next, let’s take a look at what it’s like to use each of these page builder systems.

Gutenberg block editor

When you create a post or page in the Gutenberg block editor, you’ll usually see the following interface:

The Gutenberg interface.

It’s simple and clean, and there are some handy tooltip prompts to show you the ropes. Adding blocks is as straightforward as clicking on the Plus sign, and choosing an element:

Adding a block in Gutenberg.

When you’ve placed multiple blocks, you can click each one to access its unique settings, and also reorder them. The interface could be a little more intuitive, but the tooltips will get you up and running quickly.

Elementor

On the other hand, Elementor provides an entirely new interface. You get a live preview of your site on the right and a sidebar on the left:

The ELementor interface.

To add new content, you can just drag a widget from the sidebar onto your live design:

An image in Elementor.

The customization options for the specific element will appear in the left-hand sidebar. You can also select the elements themselves to duplicate, delete, and move them (among other things).

Divi

Divi is unique in that it gives you two different ways to build your designs. First, you can use this abstract builder where your content is represented by generic blocks:

The Divi Builder interface.

Or, you can open the Visual Builder, which lets you build your design on a live preview of your page, much like Elementor. Rather than a fixed sidebar, though, you’ll add elements using a series of popups:

Visual builder in Divi

No matter which interface you choose, you’ll be able to edit your modules and sections using more popup interfaces, rather than a sidebar like the block editor or Elementor:

Module settings in The Divi Builder.

Overall, the Gutenberg block editor certainly offers the simplest interface. Even so, we think Elementor’s is the most intuitive, while Divi’s is more flexible (but does come with a learning curve).

Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder: Which one should you use? 🤔

Now for the million dollar question – which editor should you use?

If you’ve never used a page builder before or are just getting started with WordPress, Gutenberg is the best option from the three. It’s simple and easy to use, and as tests have shown, it’ll almost certainly give you a faster loading site compared to using Elementor or Divi [1].

In addition, the Gutenberg editor has come a long way since we first wrote this comparison post. These days it’s very easy to expand its functionality with a block-based theme or a free plugin like Otter Blocks. Otter will set you up with over 30 additional blocks that will allow you to create many of the same or similar designs that you’d get with Elementor or Divi.

On the other hand, if you’re already using Divi or Elementor to work on your site, you don’t necessarily need to stop doing so. Remember that you can also use them in conjunction with the Gutenberg block editor, so it doesn’t have to be an either/or situation.

You can test the waters for some posts with the Gutenberg block editor and then switch to Elementor or Divi Builder if you feel like there’s something specific you want to achieve that you know you can rely on those plugins to do.

You can even insert Elementor templates into your Gutenberg designs thanks to Elementor’s free official block plugin (here). Experiment and find a solution that works best for you – whether that’s using one of these tools exclusively or relying on a more hybrid approach.

Do you have any other questions about the Gutenberg block editor vs Elementor vs Divi Builder? Ask away in the comments section below!

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