WordPress Page Builders: Beaver Builder vs Elementor

WordPress page builders like Beaver Builder and Elementor let anyone design websites with drag-and-drop interfaces, eliminating the need for coding. These tools have revolutionized website design by giving non-developers control over layout and styles. For example, over 8 million websites use Elementor, making it the most popular WP page builder, while Beaver Builder – known for its clean code and simplicity – powers more than a million sites. Both plugins offer rich feature sets and intuitive visual editors, but they differ in scope, pricing, and design approach. This guide provides an in-depth, fact-based comparison of both builders, covering their interfaces, content elements (widgets/modules), design options, performance, and pricing.

Overview

Modern WordPress page builders replace the default editor with a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface. This lets users build pages visually in real time. With page builders, even users without coding skills can create custom layouts by dragging sections, columns, and elements onto a page. Both Beaver Builder and Elementor are leading plugins in this space. They focus on user-friendliness and flexibility, offering pre-built layouts, style settings, and content modules that streamline design.

Elementor Page Builder

Elementor is widely regarded as the first popular live page builder for WordPress. It replaced the basic editor with a modern visual builder that shows exactly what visitors will see. Elementor appeal comes from its huge library of design options, templates, and widgets. The free version already includes about 30 basic widgets (text, images, buttons, etc.) and over 40 page templates. With Elementor Pro, the feature set expands dramatically: you get around 59 widgets (adding 29 pro-only widgets to the free set), plus theme-building tools, motion effects, and a library of 300+ pro templates. Elementor is built for both beginners and professionals: it supports inline editing, responsive previews, and even pop-up and form builders in Pro. In short, Elementor strength is its breadth of features and design flexibility.

Beaver Builder

Beaver Builder is another leading WordPress page builder known for its clean code and reliable stability. It was designed with simplicity in mind: the interface is uncluttered and intuitive, making it very easy for beginners to pick up. Beaver Editor shows a live preview of your page and lets you add modules (the Beaver term for content elements) by clicking a toolbar icon. Developers appreciate that Beaver produces lightweight HTML/CSS output, which can improve page speed. The base plugin supports many common modules and can be extended with the optional Beaver Themer add-on for theme-building (headers, footers, post layouts, etc.). Over a million sites use Beaver Builder, especially for projects where clean code and simplicity are priorities. In summary, the Beaver Builder niche is ease of use and code quality.

User Interface

The editing interface defines how you build pages with each tool. Both Elementor and Beaver offer front-end, live editing, but they arrange controls differently.

• Beaver Builder Interface: The workspace is essentially a full-page canvas. All controls are accessed via a top toolbar and pop-up panels. To add content, you click the “+” icon on the top bar, which opens a panel of modules (content elements) that you can drag onto the page. When you add or edit a module, options appear in a pop-up window (which you can pin to the side if desired). This keeps the main page area mostly free of clutter. Many users find Beaver UI to be clean and straightforward. For example, one source notes that the Beaver interface is “uncluttered and uncomplicated,” making it easy for beginners to navigate. The builder also supports drag-and-drop for columns and modules, and changes are reflected immediately on the page as you edit. In short, Beaver Builder focuses on a minimal, developer-friendly interface.
  
• Elementor Interface: Elementor splits the screen into two main sections. On the left is a vertical sidebar panel containing all widgets (text, images, sliders, etc.) and style settings. The rest of the screen is the live preview of your page. To build, you drag widgets from the sidebar onto the page or click to insert them. Once an element is on the page, its settings (color, font, layout, etc.) appear back in the sidebar. Changes are shown instantly thanks to Elementor’s live editing engine. The interface also includes controls for responsive modes (so you can preview mobile vs desktop layouts), history (undo/redo), and a navigator to jump between sections. Because of this, Elementor workspace can look busier, but it also offers more immediate controls. You see more settings and style options at once. Both builders use drag-and-drop, but Elementor provides a sidebar-driven editing experience. In practice, many users find Beaver UI a bit easier to learn, while Elementor richer interface takes a bit more time but gives greater control.
  

Widgets and Modules

Page builders organize content into blocks. Elementor calls them widgets, and Beaver Builder calls them modules. Understanding the terminology and counts of these elements is key.

• Elementor Widgets: Elementor uses a three-tier structure: Sections > Columns > Widgets. First, you create a Section (the widest container), then divide it into Columns, and then place Widgets (text, images, buttons, etc.) in those columns. In the free Elementor, you get around 30 essential widgets (basic elements like heading, text, image, button, etc.). Upgrading to Elementor Pro unlocks about 59 widgets total (the 30 free ones plus ~29 Pro-only widgets). These include advanced tools like Posts, Portfolio, Slides, Forms, Global Widget, and more. Elementor extensive widget library means you can build very complex layouts without extra plugins. Plus, you can extend it further: dozens of third-party “Addons for Elementor” plugins offer dozens of additional widgets (e.g., Ultimate Addons for Elementor adds 50+ widgets).
  
• Beaver Builder Modules: Beaver Builder comes with fewer modules by default, but it covers most common needs. In the free Beaver Builder, you only get 6 modules. (Modules are things like a text editor, photo, button, form, etc.) However, the paid Beaver Builder adds many more. The official modules are grouped into categories (Basic, Media, Actions, Layout, Info, Posts) and total about 33 core modules. Examples include Slider, Counter, Testimonials, and Media Gallery.
• Additionally, Beaver includes around 12 native WordPress widget modules (e.g., Calendar, Categories, Archives). These can be placed in the same way as other modules. If you need even more elements, there are also third-party add-ons (like “Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder”) that add dozens of extra modules.
  

In summary, Elementor has about 30 widgets free and 59 with Pro, while Beaver Builder has 6 free and 45 total (33 + 12) premium modules. The Elementor free version is more generous in elements, whereas Beaver Builder grows when you upgrade. Both interfaces rely on nesting sections/rows/columns before placing widgets/modules, so once you grasp one, the other is a similar conceptually.

Design Options and Templates

Design options (style settings) and pre-built templates greatly speed up building consistent, attractive pages.

• Elementor Design Options and Templates: Elementor includes extensive styling controls. It offers 90+ content blocks and 300+ page templates in its library. In the editor, you can adjust colors, typography, spacing, and more for each widget, column, or section. Elementor Pro adds theme-building templates: you can design headers, footers, blog posts, archive pages, etc., all from the same interface. The package also supports global theme kits and sub-page design (template kits that apply a theme across pages). If you don’t find a built-in template you like, Elementor even allows importing third-party template kits or saving your custom templates. Simply put, Elementor design arsenal is very large. Its theme builder and popup builder (both in Pro) are also design features that many users leverage.
  
• Beaver Builder Design Options and Templates: Beaver Builder’s styling options are more modest. It offers 30+ content design settings and 30+ page templates out of the box. (For example, you can set backgrounds, borders, margins, and basic typography on modules/rows.) One notable limitation: Beaver Builder does not allow adding custom CSS to individual elements; you can only add CSS to the entire page if needed. As for templates, Beaver’s built-in library is smaller. The free version provides no templates, but the paid version includes about 41 templates total (16 “landing page” templates and 25 “content page” templates). These serve as starting points for homepages, about pages, etc. Any custom layout can be saved as a template for reuse. With the optional Beaver Themer, you can also create global layouts (headers, footers, archive layouts) in a separate interface.
  

In a nutshell, Elementor is far richer in templates and design blocks (over 300+ templates and dozens of style presets). At the same time, Beaver Builder provides the essentials (dozens of templates and style controls). Elementor theme and popup builders give it extra design flexibility. Beaver Builder strengths lie in providing a clean interface; its design options cover common needs but are not as extensive. Which matters more depends on your style requirements.

Performance

The page speed is vital for SEO and user experience. Generally, both builders produce reasonably performant code, but there are measurable differences. In one independent benchmark, two identical pages (same content) were built with each plugin, then tested on a mobile connection. The results showed:

• Loading times: Elementor test page fully loaded in 3.8 seconds, while Beaver took 4.2 seconds. So Elementor was slightly faster overall in this scenario.
  
• First Contentful Paint (FCP): Beaver Builder actually painted first content faster (2.5s) than Elementor did (4.8s). This means the Beaver visitor sees something sooner.
  
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Elementor LCP (3.3s) was much quicker than Beaver (7.1s), meaning Elementor finished loading the largest image/text block faster.
  
• Page weight and requests: Both pages were around 0.96–0.98 MB in size, but Elementor triggered 39 HTTP requests vs Beaver 17 requests. In general, fewer requests can mean faster load if cached.
  

The key takeaway is that both builders are comparable in speed, with Elementor having a slight edge in full load time in this test. However, Beaver loaded its first bits of content quicker. In practical use, neither builder will be dramatically slower than the other on well-optimized sites. Both can be further sped up by caching or optimization plugins. The important note from these tests is: Elementor is not inherently slow for the end user, and Beaver is not guaranteed to be the fastest in every metric. With good hosting and optimization (using Voxfor recommended best practices, for example), either page builder can deliver smooth performance.

Pricing

Both Beaver Builder and Elementor offer free versions and paid plans. Costs and licensing differ significantly:

• Beaver Builder: The free plugin has very limited features (only the basic modules, no templates) – it’s really a demo version. For the full experience, Beaver Builder has four paid annual plans:
  
  • Standard ($99/year): Supports unlimited websites, includes all modules/templates, and 1 year of support/updates.
    
  • Pro ($199/year): All Standard features plus the Beaver Builder Theme (a dedicated WP theme), and Multisite capability.
    
  • Agency ($399/year): All Pro features plus Multisite network settings and White Label mode (you can rebrand the builder for clients).
    
  • Ultimate ($546/year): All Agency features plus the Beaver Theme Addon and a 6-month license for Assistant Pro (an onboarding plugin).
    
• Every Beaver plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Notice that even the cheapest paid tier allows unlimited sites, which is great for developers or agencies.
  
• Elementor: Elementor also has a free version (with 30 widgets and 40 templates), but its advanced features require Elementor Pro. Elementor offers three annual Pro plans:
  
  • Essential ($59/year): 1 Pro website license; includes 90+ widgets and 300+ templates, theme builder, popup builder, and updates for one site.
    
  • Expert ($199/year): All Essential features for up to 25 websites.
    
  • Studio (Not always listed) and Agency ($399/year): Agency covers 1000 websites with full features. (Elementor has occasionally offered a Studio plan around $399 for 100 sites, but the latest plans focus on Essential, Expert, and Agency as above.)
    
• Elementor pricing is per site count. Like Beaver, Elementor includes 30-day refunds, and it highlights that SSL secures payments.
  

In summary, Elementor entry-level Pro ($59) is much cheaper than Beaver ($99), but the Beaver license allows unlimited sites while the Elementor lowest plan covers only 1 site. Elementor becomes more cost-effective for single-site projects, while Beaver Builder is advantageous if you manage multiple sites on one plan. Both offer robust features at their price points, so the best value depends on your usage scenario.

Below is a quick comparison table of key points:

Feature	Beaver Builder	Elementor
Cost (entry plan)	$99/year (unlimited sites)	$59/year (1 site)
Free version	Yes (very limited modules, no templates)	Yes (30+ widgets, ~40 templates)
Interface	Clean, uncluttered. Full-page editing, drag-and-drop	Sidebar + live preview, rich control panel
Widgets/Modules	33 core modules + 12 WordPress widgets (premium)	30 widgets (free) / ~59 widgets (Pro)
Templates (pro)	~41 total (16 landing + 25 content)m	300+ page templates
Theme Builder	Optional (requires Beaver Themer add-on)	Built-in (in Pro version)
Popup Builder	No	Yes (in Pro)
Multisite Support	Included from the Standard plan (network settings in Pro/Agency)	Via higher plan (Expert/Agency covers multiple sites)
Performance	Slightly slower full load (4.2s vs 3.8s), fewer HTTP requests	Slightly faster full load, more widgets/templates
Popular Use Case	Emphasis on ease-of-use, clean code (favored by developers)	Emphasis on rich features and design flexibility

Each row above reflects the information we’ve cited. Note that raw numbers (like widget count and speed) come from independent tests and official feature lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Both Beaver Builder and Elementor are top-tier WordPress page builders, each with strengths. Elementor tends to offer more design elements, templates, and advanced features, while Beaver Builder emphasizes simplicity, clean output, and ease of use. Neither is objectively “best” for everyone. Elementor low entry price and vast library make it ideal for feature-rich, multi-site setups, whereas Beaver intuitive interface and unlimited-site license suit users prioritizing straightforward building and developer-friendly code. In our Voxfor review, we find that users looking for an extensive toolkit often pick Elementor, while those valuing stability and simplicity lean toward Beaver. Ultimately, your choice should match your project needs: Elementor if you need maximum flexibility and lower per-site cost, or Beaver Builder if you want a cleaner interface and unlimited usage in one plan. Both plugins have active communities and long-term support, so either way, you get a robust solution for building modern WordPress sites.

About the writer

Hassan Tahir wrote this article, drawing on his experience to clarify WordPress concepts and enhance developer understanding. Through his work, he aims to help both beginners and professionals refine their skills and tackle WordPress projects with greater confidence.