Elementor stands out as an easy-to-use tool that works for many people looking to get a website up and running. It has some strong components and is regularly updated with new features that work with today’s online design trends. All of that is an excellent way to keep your website relevant.
Most see Elementor as a highly dynamic website builder that works well with WordPress that can provide professional pages from a separate interface that is easily changeable.
What is Elementor?
Elementor is a website builder that works with WordPress.org as a plug-in to allow users to build, edit and maintain their websites. The WordPress page builder plugin uses a simple drag-and-drop editor (similar to the WordPress editor) and drop page builder to create responsive sites.
The website builder is a product of the Israeli software company Elementor Ltd. This software provides services to more than 5 million websites and has become a premier choice of professional web creators. It has VIP support with its live editing responsive design.
This plug-in works on your website’s front end. That means you can see the work right away as you do it. It also allows you to create any type of layout you can think of regarding the limitations of your WordPress theme.
Elementor allows you to keep your current WordPress theme, too, and still use all the extras available through them.
Check out our roundup of the Best Website Builders for Small Businesses
What are the pros and cons of Elementor?
Elementor has many positives to talk about, but there are also some disadvantages to using it. Below is a list of pros and cons
Pros
- Responsive design
Responsiveness is the most important thing in today’s tech world. If a potential customer can’t pull up your website on their phone or it looks goofy on their tablet, they will likely move on to another website.
You have maybe a minute or two to wow them, so responsiveness is key in doing that. A website must look good on every device.
- No learning curve
Many people don’t hire website builders anymore with all the products that you can use yourself to get a great, professional-looking website up and running.
The problem with that is many people trying to build their websites have no tech-savvy and haven’t done it before, so they are faced with a learning curve. Elementor helps you through all of that with easy-to-use tools that have a lot of guidance.
Plus, with Elementor, there is no coding knowledge required. Using it is as easy as copying and pasting, so virtually anyone can build and manage their websites.
- Lots of pre-made templates
You don’t have to build a website from scratch with Elementor. You also don’t need to know how to code. Elementor has many pre-made templates, pages, blocks, and other things, so all you have to do is lay them out on the page and insert your content.
The free version has around 30 to 40 premade-themed pages and elements to choose from, but the paid version has hundreds.
Cons
- Link problems
Sometimes, an Elementor website link comes across as broken on certain browsers like Firefox or Microsoft Edge.
It isn’t fun to have a broken link icon when you try to pull up a website. That can lose you customers. While this isn’t a recurring problem that happens all the time, there are times when the Elementor website link looks broken.
This is especially true for those using Firefox or Microsoft Edge.
- WordPress integration quirks
While Elementor works well with the WordPress plugin overall, functionality with themes that are connected to a different page builder plugin isn’t great. You will need to see if this is going to be a problem before you get too far into building your website.
Elementor then must override the default, and that can make it a bit of a problem to use.
What are the best features of Elementor?
Elementor has a ton of features that make building a website easy. Here are a few of them.
Separate interface
This is a huge feature as you don’t have to go through the standard WordPress block editor to create or edit your page. You have a completely separate interface, so you can clearly work on your page without a lot of hassle.
That means you will never need to go through the WordPress website to get to your Elementor interface.
Everyone knows that once you get acquainted with an interface, you don’t want to be forced to use another. This keeps things simple.
90 content elements to pick from
The selection of elements is unbelievable with Elementor. This includes many types of things from pictures, buttons, headers, counters, testimonials, carousels, and progress bars. A global widget, known as a divider widget, can improve styling and spacing.
You can build landing pages too. You might build one to encourage subscribers to opt-in to your newsletter or join a special group on social media.
With this amount of selection, you never have to search for the “right” element for your page. There will be plenty to go with your theme, and they are all free with paid plans.
The elements are easy to find in the website builder, so you won’t need to spend a lot of time searching for them.
Template options galore
The premade page templates library has more than 150 that are free and 300 other pro-templates you can buy.
All of these come with paid plans. That is really rare in the website-building tool industry. Most have far less that are free. You can be sure to find a theme that fits your needs, and better yet, you can modify any of these. Another plus is you can save Elementor templates as your own also.
If you have some coding experience, you can add CSS. There are great instructions on adding custom CSS in this video.
Modifications are simple
Many website builders don’t allow a lot of modifications. While that makes it easy for those unfamiliar with tech items, it also limits those who want to distinguish their page and be more creative.
The Elementor page builder lets you modify your page’s core elements, like your blog archives or footer, to make it exactly as you want it. Allowing for such customization means your website will be as unique as you and your business are.
How much does Elementor cost?
Elementor offers five different levels of pricing, with the primary differences being how many websites you host. Here is a rundown:
- Essential – allows 1 website $49 a year
- Advanced – allows up to 3 websites $99 a year
- Expert – allows up to 25 websites $199 a year
- Agency – allows up to 1000 pro websites $399 a year.
All of the paid plans come with a drag-and-drop live editor, responsive page design, more than 90 basic and pro widgets, more than 300 basic and pro templates, the Elementor theme builder, and premium support.
You can explore Elementor for free. You don’t have to enter a credit card, and there is no period for deciding whether to buy or not. The free version of Elementor allows you to play with the drag-and-drop interface and build a website.
Under the free plan, you get more than 30 templates and 40 basic widgets. However, you get nothing else that comes with the Elementor pro plans. You won’t get the theme building, popup builder, form builder, WooCommerce Builder, dynamic content, motion effects, premium support, live chat, or an Elementor Experts Profile.
There is a money-back guarantee for Elementor users. You can try it for 30 days and get a refund if you’re not satisfied. It accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, and Stripe for payments and has an SSL Secure Payment system.
What kind of customer support can users expect?
Customer support is one part of Elementor that has received a lot of criticism. Reviews suggest that support staff should be retrained to put the customer first and kick in the extra work to resolve problems.
Also, be aware that the Elementor team doesn’t come with the free version, but the paid plans have 24/7 support. The website’s knowledge base is available to both free and paid users, but it doesn’t always help answer questions or resolve problems.
The knowledge base is a solid one, covering most topics with easy-to-search terms within a library of tutorials. It covers a wide range of issues and can be incredibly helpful to those with some tech knowledge and willing to research for their answers.
The support team can fix things quickly, like issuing updates that resolve some issues as well as adding more features.
What are the benefits of Elementor?
Elementor integrates well with a lot of things, so you can manage your website from one interface.
It works with marketing tools so that your website is the central spot to handle all of it. It integrates easily with marketing apps like HubSpot, MailChimp, Zapier, ConvertKit, and GetResponse.
All of these apps will assist in building your email list as well as increase conversion rates without being forced to leave your interface.
The primary thing people love about Elementor is that it is so easy to use. There isn’t a major learning curve, and you can create pages immediately after installing it. It is easy to find all the elements and the drag-and-drop feature is so simple a child could do it.
You can use Elementor and WooCommerce Builder to create your online store with all the parts that go with it, from accepting payments, inventory pages, and the rest required, all using dynamic content.
What are the disadvantages of Elementor?
The primary disadvantage of Elementor is you can’t see if the plug-in is compatible with your other items, like your hosting company, Cloudflare settings, or browser, before you upgrade. Most wish they could detect any incompatibility problems before upgrading and issue a warning.
The other major complaint about Elementor is its loading time. Most users state in reviews that it is way too slow. That can be frustrating for anyone trying to build a website.
FAQs
Is there much difference between the free and pro plans?
The free version allows you full access to create a website using some basic widgets and a template library. The pro versions have all those features, too but also include additional widgets and tools, along with more templates.
The free plan allows you to explore how Elementor works, but the Pro plan allows you to build more complex and professional websites. There is no coding required for either one. Add-ons vary.
Is it possible to transfer my Pro license key from Elementor to another domain?
Yes, transferring the pro license key is possible. You will need to deactivate Elementor from your past domain and activate it on your new domain. It is a simple procedure, and there are no hidden fees associated with it.
You can do it from your Elementor account page under Manage License.
What is an Elementor Expert Network Profile?
An Elementor Expert Profile is information in the company’s global network. This network is a list of verified professional marketers, designers, web creators, and developers. Being listed in it allows you to collaborate and connect.
Those who are professional web creators find it a great place to show their designs, marketing projects, and other developments. It can net you more clients and other professionals who will want to work with you.
How easy is it to build an online store with Elementor?
Most people, even those who are just beginning in website building or e-commerce stores, find it a breeze to build a complete online store with inventory, shopping carts, categories, and checkout systems by implementing WooCommerce into their Elementor plug-in. You still won’t need to know how to code, and making a tweak to your store is easy too.