Elementor Review (2025) – A Beginner‑Friendly Page Builder for WordPress

Elementor is a popular WordPress page builder plugin that lets you design pages with a simple drag-and-drop interface.

This Elementor review is written for beginner WordPress users who want an easy way to build a beautiful site without coding.

We’ll take a hands-on look at what Elementor offers (both the free version and Elementor Pro), its key strengths and weaknesses, and share tips from personal experience along the way.

Why should you trust this review?

In my day job as a developer, many of our sites are built with WordPress, which is super practical for quickly setting up a website where colleagues want control over the content.

Oftentimes, colleagues want more control over not only the content, but also the design.

Whenever someone wants more control over their design, I recommend Elementor to them, especially if they prefer not to use the WordPress block editor.

This has provided me with a valuable opportunity to examine Elementor websites from a developer’s perspective and gain practical experience. Experience I want to share with you!

Although I’m a developer, it doesn’t mean that this Elementor review is for developers.

The feedback I receive from colleagues provides a good insight into how non-technical users utilize Elementor and the challenges they encounter.

What is Elementor?

Elementor is a WordPress plugin that acts as a visual page builder.

In plain terms, it allows you to create custom page layouts by dragging and dropping elements (such as text boxes, images, and buttons) onto the page, rather than writing code.

This tool has exploded in popularity. As of 2024, Elementor powers over 18 million websites, accounting for approximately 11.6% of the entire web​.

Elementor at-a-glance

• Visual Drag-and-Drop Editor: Anything you build in the editor is shown live on the screen. This lets you see exactly what your visitors will see. Just drag a Heading widget onto the page and type your text. Want an image? Drag the Image widget, upload your pic, and you’re done.
• Widgets and Templates: Elementor comes with a library of pre-built design elements, known as widgets, and pre-designed page templates. Beginners can start with these templates or blocks and swap in their own content – a great way to get a stunning design with minimal effort.
• Free vs Pro: Elementor offers a free version with a solid set of features, and a paid Elementor Pro upgrade that unlocks even more features.

Elementor Free vs Elementor Pro

Both the free and Pro versions use the same core builder interface, but Elementor Pro extends what you can do.

Here’s a breakdown of how they differ and what you get with each:

Elementor (Free)

• ✅ Core Page Builder Features: You get the drag-and-drop editor, 32 basic widgets (text, images, video, buttons, etc.), and access to a selection of free templates and blocks. This is enough to design standard pages (e.g., a landing page, “About us” page, contact page) with considerable creative control.
• ✅ Responsive Design Controls: Even in the free version, you can adjust how your design appears on mobile devices versus desktops, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly.
• ✅ Basic WooCommerce Compatibility: If you have an online store, the free Elementor lets you style WooCommerce pages to an extent (you can rearrange some elements using shortcodes or generic widgets), but it doesn’t include specialized WooCommerce widgets or the ability to create custom product page templates.
• ❌ No Theme Builder or Pop-up Builder: The free plugin cannot directly edit your header, footer, blog templates, or create pop-ups. It’s limited to editing the content area of pages and posts.

Elementor Pro (Paid)

• ✅ Advanced Widgets & Features: Elementor Pro unlocks 60+ additional widgets (for a total of 100+). These include sliders, forms, testimonials, social media feeds, pricing tables, and more. For example, Pro offers a Form widget, enabling you to build contact forms without the need for a separate plugin, as well as a Posts widget for displaying blog post grids in various layouts.
• ✅ Theme Builder: This is a big one – with Pro, you can design your entire site’s theme parts (header, footer, single post template, blog archive, 404 page, etc.) visually. This means you’re not limited by your theme’s design; you can create a completely custom WordPress theme using Elementor’s interface.
• ✅ WooCommerce Builder Integration: If you run a WooCommerce store, Pro gives you dedicated WooCommerce widgets and templates. You can custom-design product pages, shop listings, cart, and checkout pages to match your brand, all without coding.
• ✅ Popup Builder: Design pop-ups (e.g., email signup pop-ups, promo announcements) visually and set targeting rules for where and when they appear. This replaces the need for a separate pop-up plugin.
• ✅ Global Widgets & Custom CSS: Pro allows you to save your own designs as global widgets for reuse and add custom CSS to fine-tune designs, which advanced users may appreciate as they grow.
• 💰 Pricing: Elementor Pro starts from $4.99 per month. This is the most affordable option, and some features are not unlocked at this plan level. From $6.99, you’ll get all Pro Widgets, Popup Builder, Custom Code and CSS, and Collaborative Notes.

Free vs Pro Feature Comparison

Feature	Free Version	Elementor Pro
Drag-and-drop Editor	Yes ✅	Yes ✅ (same editor)
Number of Widgets	~40 Basic widgets	100+ (incl. all basic plus advanced widgets)
Pre-designed Templates	Yes (limited selection)	Yes (hundreds of additional templates & site kits)
Theme Builder	No ❌	Yes ✅ (edit header, footer, blog templates)
Popup Builder	No ❌	Yes ✅ (create pop-ups visually)
WooCommerce Builder	No ❌ (basic use only)	Yes ✅ (custom product/cart/checkout pages)
Support	Community forums	Premium support (1 year)

Ease of Use: Getting Started with Elementor

One of Elementor’s key strengths is its ease of use, making it a great choice for beginners. There’s virtually no complex setup.

You can install the plugin and start building pages within minutes.

Installing Elementor is as simple as any other plugin:

1. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add New, search “Elementor”.
2. Click “Install” and “Activate“.
3. You’re ready to get started.

When you have installed Elementor, you’re met with a Get Started page.

First, connect your account (note that you can skip these steps).

Step 2 is for installing the Hello Biz Theme. This is a theme provided by the Elementor Team. It is entirely optional, but it will get you a head start on building your Elementor website.

The next step allows you to select the features you need. You can skip this step if you’re not ready to try Elementor Pro already.

Tip: If you’re starting out, skip this part. Try the free plan of Elementor, then decide if you need pro features later.

The last step lets you choose what to do from here:

1. Start from a blank canvas.
2. Use a premade theme (or import your own).
3. Use AI to create a website.

Elementor’s Strengths

Beginner-Friendly & Easy to Get Started

No Coding Required

You can achieve complex layouts (columns, tabs, sliders) purely through drag-and-drop and setting options from dropdowns.

This empowers beginners to create designs that would typically require a web developer.

Guided Experience

Elementor provides little hints and tooltips as you use it.

Additionally, there is a wealth of documentation and video tutorials for every feature, all of which are accessible directly from the editor in case you get stuck.

For instance, if you’re not sure how to use a widget, you can find help articles or hover over the “?” icons in the panel for guidance.

Quick Setup

As mentioned earlier, installation and initial use are straightforward.

You don’t have to configure complex settings to see results.

Many users report being able to build their homepage within a day of installing Elementor, even with no prior design experience.

Minimal Setup & Compatibility (Works with Most Setups)

Works with Most Themes

Elementor is coded to be compatible with the vast majority of WordPress themes.

You can install it on your existing site without needing to rebuild it from scratch. It simply takes over the content area of your pages.

While some themes are more optimized for it, generally, you won’t face issues as long as a theme follows WordPress standards.

No Additional Plugins Needed (for core usage)

Out-of-the-box, Elementor Free offers a wealth of design functionality that would otherwise require multiple plugins, including sliders and galleries.

This “all-in-one” nature means you install one plugin and you’re set to design pages.

Frequent Updates & Improvements

The Elementor team actively updates the plugin, adding features and fixing issues.

For example, recent updates have introduced Flexbox Containers and performance improvements.

Knowing it’s well-maintained gives beginners peace of mind that the tool will continue to improve and remain secure.

Tip: Whenever there’s an Elementor update, update it. This is for the best security and performance of your website.

WooCommerce Integration for Online Stores

Design Product Pages Visually

With Elementor Pro’s WooCommerce Builder, you can design the layout of product pages from scratch.

For example, you can decide where the product title appears, how the images are displayed, and which information tabs to show, all using drag-and-drop.

This level of customization is typically difficult to achieve without coding in a standard WooCommerce setup.

WooCommerce Widgets

Elementor Pro provides specialized widgets for WooCommerce elements – Product Title, Images Gallery, Add to Cart button, Price, Related Products, you name it.

This means you can place each component exactly where you want on the page and style it to match your site.

Even the Cart and Checkout pages have dedicated widgets, enabling you to craft a seamless checkout experience that aligns with your design vision.

Minimal Plugin Conflicts

Using Elementor for your store layout can reduce the need for multiple WooCommerce add-ons.

Instead of installing separate plugins for a custom product page or gallery, you do it all in Elementor.

In general, Elementor plays nicely with WooCommerce – the developers ensure compatibility with Woo’s latest versions. (Again, make sure to keep both plugins updated.)

Great for Landing Pages and Sales Pages

If you run promotions, Elementor enables you to quickly create custom landing pages for sales or new product launches that seamlessly integrate with your store.

You can drop in product grids or buy buttons anywhere on a page.

Beginners love this because it’s a way to make marketing pages without hiring a developer.

Rich Template Library and Add-Ons

Hundreds of Templates & Blocks

Elementor offers numerous free templates and “Site Kits” (complete website designs) that you can import with a single click.

This is great for beginners who want a head start – you can import a template and then replace the text and images.

It’s a quick way to get a professional layout without designing from scratch.

Third-Party Add-ons

Because Elementor is so popular, many developers have created add-on plugins (both free and paid) that give you even more widgets and template packs.

For example, plugins like Essential Addons or Element Pack can add specialized widgets, such as Instagram feeds and advanced sliders.

While not necessary, it’s good to know such extensions exist if you ever need a feature that Elementor doesn’t include by default.

Elementor’s Weaknesses (Cons)

Performance Considerations

Elementor, like all page builders, adds extra code to your page.

If you go overboard with too many widgets, videos, large images, or animations, your page might load slower.

For most simple pages, this isn’t a huge issue, but it’s something to keep in mind.

To keep your site fast, you’ll want to optimize images, maybe use a caching plugin, and avoid using more widgets on a page than necessary.

Elementor has been improving performance in recent updates (e.g., loading only widgets used on the page, and offering Experiments settings to reduce file sizes).

A hand-coded theme might be a bit lighter than a page builder page, but the trade-off is you’d need a developer for changes.

As a beginner, it’s usually worth the slight performance trade for the flexibility and ease Elementor gives. And with good practices, you can still achieve fast load times.

Compatibility Issues with Some Themes and Plugins

While Elementor works with most themes, there are cases where a WordPress theme (or plugin) can conflict with it, causing some frustration.

This is a potential weakness to be aware of.

The most common conflict with Elementor is a theme conflict.

A theme that is poorly coded or very opinionated in its design might not cooperate with Elementor.

For example, some themes might not allow full-width layouts, adding side padding you don’t want, or they might have JavaScript that interferes with Elementor’s editor.

Tip: For newcomers, using Hello theme (Elementor’s own blank theme) plus Elementor is the least problematic route.

Container Blocks (Flexbox Layout) Have a Learning Curve

Elementor uses a layout structure called Flexbox Containers. While this makes Elementor more powerful and flexible, it can be tricky to master for new users.

Elementor provides flexbox container templates in the library, using those as examples can help you learn how they work. Also, consider checking Elementor’s official guides or YouTube tutorials specifically on using Flexbox Containers.

You Need to Understand Layout Structure for Best Results

This point goes hand-in-hand with the container discussion above, but even in general, beginners must grasp how Elementor’s layout hierarchy works.

In Elementor (with or without the new container feature), designs are built with a nesting structure. At the top level you have a Section (or Container), inside that you can have Columns (or nested Containers), and inside those you place Widgets (the actual content elements).

If you don’t place things in the right level, the design might break.

For example, dragging a widget outside of any section will not display it properly, or adding too many nested sections can complicate spacing.

This is something that will take some time to master, but once you get a hold on it it is so much easier to get right.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Elementor

• Take Advantage of Templates: Don’t start from a blank page if you feel stuck. Elementor’s template library (and Kits) can save you time and show you what’s possible. You can load a template and then peek at how it’s built (how sections and widgets are arranged) – this is a great way to learn layout structure by example.
• Use an Elementor-Friendly Theme: As mentioned, picking a compatible theme from the start can save headaches. If you’re unsure, you can’t go wrong with Hello Elementor (blank slate) or popular choices like Astra or Neve, which explicitly support Elementor and often come with pre-made Elementor templates.
• Learn the Basics of Sections/Containers: Spend a little time with Elementor’s official docs or tutorial videos on how their layout system works. Even 30 minutes of learning can make your design process much smoother. Key concepts to focus on: adding sections, splitting into columns, padding vs margin (for spacing), and using the Navigator panel.
• Keep it Simple at First: It’s easy to get excited and try to use every fancy widget and effect. In the beginning, stick to the essentials – a clean layout with text, images, maybe a contact form. You can always enhance it later. Simple designs not only are easier to build, but they also tend to be more mobile-friendly and load faster.
• Save Your Work and Reuse: If you create a section you love (like a call-to-action banner), save it as a template or global widget (Pro feature). This way you can insert it on other pages easily, and even update it in one place (global widget) to change everywhere. This is a pro-tip that makes your site more consistent and maintenance easier.
• Join the Community: Elementor has a massive user community. There are Facebook groups, forums, and YouTube channels dedicated to it. If you run into a problem or need inspiration, a quick search will often yield an answer or tutorial. Don’t hesitate to tap into this community – it’s like having an army of helpers on standby.

Some Personal Tips

1. Recreate pages

One thing that helped me as a beginner was recreating a simple webpage I liked using Elementor.

It was a fun exercise that forced me to learn how to use different widgets and settings.

By copying the layout of a sample site (just for practice, not to publish), I quickly picked up new techniques. Consider trying that to boost your skills.

2. Use Elementor’s documentation thoroughly

Trying to figure anything without documentation is not recommended (speaking from experience).

Check out the documentation by Elementor, and they cover absolutely everything there.

Another nice feature with the documentation is that they inform you if the feature is included in the free plan or if you need to upgrade to Elementor Pro.

Examples of websites using Elementor

With an astonishing 18 million websites running Elementor, there’s no problem in finding beautifully designed Elementor websites.

We have compiled a list of some fine Elementor site examples that you can use as inspiration.

Phonely

Live website

Mable

Live website

Villa Grand Piton

Live website

Auxa

Live website

Scope Copenhagen

Live website

Need more inspiration of what Elementor can do? You can always take a look at our full list of the best Elementor websites here.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Is Elementor worth it for beginners? In my opinion, absolutely yes – with a few caveats. Elementor delivers on its promise of making WordPress page building accessible to non-developers.

It’s easy starting point, rich features (even in the free version), and smooth WooCommerce integration make it a top choice if you want to build a custom site without touching code.

The professional yet user-friendly interface can empower you to bring your website vision to life, whether that’s a simple blog or a full-fledged business site.

That said, keep in mind the learning curve we discussed.

You’ll get the most from Elementor if you invest a little time to learn how to structure your pages properly and choose a good theme to pair with it.

The new container system is powerful, but don’t be discouraged if it feels confusing at first – every builder has a learning phase. Take it step by step.

Start with the free version to get a feel for it.

Once you’re comfortable and if you find yourself wanting more (like e-commerce features or theme building), upgrading to Pro can unlock those capabilities.

In this review, we highlighted how easy it is to get started (you can literally have a page up in minutes), the minimal setup required, and Elementor’s strong WooCommerce integration for online stores. We also gave you a heads-up on some challenges like mastering containers, understanding layout structure, and potential theme hiccups. By knowing these upfront, you can plan accordingly and avoid frustration.

Final recommendation

If you’re a beginner on WordPress, Elementor is one of the best tools to learn. It’s like getting a superpower for web design – suddenly, you can create custom layouts and styles that were previously out of reach.

I’d recommend giving Elementor’s free version a try on a test site.

Play around, build a mock homepage, and see how you like the workflow. In all likelihood, you’ll quickly see why millions of people use Elementor to build their sites.

And if it clicks for you, it could become your go-to tool for all your future WordPress projects.

Happy building! 🎉