Upgrading too early leaves you renewing Pro features you never open, and upgrading too late means rebuilding pages once you need a site-wide template or a form. The free Elementor plugin gives you a drag-and-drop editor and free widgets; Elementor Pro adds Theme Builder, forms, popups and premium widgets. Stay free for simple pages and move up when your site needs more.
Elementor itself describes the route as a ladder: its FAQ says you can start with the free Editor tier and upgrade to Editor Pro when you need advanced capabilities. This page is for WordPress site owners trying to work out where on that ladder they belong. Both versions are set out below in no particular order, with every detail taken from the WordPress.org listing and Elementor's own pages.
What each version gives you
The free plugin, as the WordPress.org listing puts it, is a no-code, drag-and-drop website builder. It says you get over 40 free widgets, including heading, image, text editor, video, button and gallery, and that you can describe what you want in natural language and Elementor AI builds it. For a lot of small business pages, that list covers most of what you'll ever place on the screen.
Elementor Pro, in Elementor's own words, gives you Editor Pro with premium widgets, theme builder and advanced design tools. It's sold in several plans: Essential, Advanced Solo and Advanced. Essential is aimed at a basic website on one site and includes Theme Builder and Form Builder. Advanced Solo is described as being for a single professional and eCommerce website, and adds Popup Builder and eCommerce features.
Upsides and downsides of staying on the free plugin
The upsides are real. You get the same drag-and-drop editor, a solid set of everyday widgets and the AI builder without spending anything, and Elementor frames Pro as an upgrade on top rather than a different product, so starting free doesn't stop you moving up later. For a brochure site, a single landing page or a blog with a few designed pages, the free plugin is often all you need.
The downsides show up when your site grows beyond individual pages. Theme Builder, which handles site-wide parts such as headers and templates, is listed as a Pro feature. So is Form Builder, which matters the moment you want an enquiry form designed inside the same editor. Popups and the premium widgets sit on the Pro side too. And the WordPress.org listing itself points you to Elementor Pro for all the Pro features, which tells you where Elementor draws the line.
My rule of thumb: if you can describe every page you need and none of them needs a form, a popup or a shared template, free is fine. If you've already started copying the same header from page to page by hand, you've outgrown it.
Elementor and Elementor Pro, side by side
A quick view of the two, alphabetical rather than ranked.
| Tool | Kind of plugin | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Elementor (free) | Free WordPress page builder plugin | Simple pages built from free widgets |
| Elementor Pro | Upgraded WordPress page builder | Sites needing theme templates, forms or popups |
Elementor (free)
Best for: Site owners building simple pages by drag and drop. Vendor claim: access over 40 FREE widgets.
Elementor Pro
Best for: WordPress sites that need site-wide templates and forms. Vendor claim: Editor Pro with premium widgets, theme builder, and advanced design tools.
Essential is not the whole of Pro
This is the detail I'd want every site owner to see before they buy. On Elementor's own plans page, the Essential plan, the entry point to Pro, marks Popup Builder as not included. It also marks Custom code and CSS and eCommerce features as not included. So if the reason you're upgrading is a popup, custom styling or a shop, Essential won't give it to you, and the plan that includes popups and eCommerce is Advanced Solo.
There's a second naming trap. Elementor's FAQ separates Elementor Pro from Elementor One, which it calls a complete solution for web creation, optimization and management. If someone in a forum says 'just get Elementor', ask which one they mean: the free plugin, a Pro plan or the wider One bundle. Elementor also offers a money-back guarantee on its plans, which gives you a window to check the plan you picked does what you bought it for.
So before you buy, write down the specific things that sent you looking at Pro in the first place. A site-wide header and footer points to Theme Builder. An enquiry form points to Form Builder. A newsletter popup, your own CSS or a product catalogue points past Essential. Then match that list against each plan on Elementor's own page, line by line, rather than trusting the word Pro to cover it. It takes ten minutes and saves you buying the wrong rung.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Which sites should upgrade
I'd stay on the free plugin for a simple brochure site, a single landing page or a blog where you only design a handful of pages, and I'd move to Pro once you need site-wide templates or forms built in the editor. If your reason is popups, custom code or selling products, read the plan list line by line and look at Advanced Solo rather than assuming Essential covers it.
If you're not sure Elementor is the right builder at all, my roundup of Elementor alternatives and my Elementor vs Divi comparison are the next reads. And if all you need is one page that converts, see how to create landing pages in WordPress first.
Do you make WordPress page builders or plugins? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elementor free?
Yes, the core Elementor plugin is free on WordPress.org, with a drag-and-drop editor and a set of free widgets. Widget lists and limits change, so check the listing before you plan a site around it.
Does Elementor Pro Essential include a popup builder?
No. Elementor's plans page marks Popup Builder as not included on Essential. Advanced Solo is the plan it lists with Popup Builder and eCommerce features.
Can I start with free Elementor and upgrade later?
Elementor's FAQ describes exactly that route: start on the free Editor tier and upgrade to Editor Pro when you need advanced capabilities. Back up your site before any change of plugin version.
What is Elementor One?
Elementor's FAQ describes Elementor One as a complete solution for web creation, optimization and management, separate from Elementor Pro.
Is there a refund if Elementor Pro doesn't suit me?
Elementor's plans page offers a money-back guarantee. Check the current terms on that page before you buy.
Does the free version of Elementor include AI?
The WordPress.org listing says you can describe what you want in natural language and Elementor AI builds it.
