Elementor suits people who want to start free, because its WordPress plugin has 40+ free widgets and 10+ million active installations, with paid Pro plans sold per site. Divi suits agencies and freelancers building many sites, because one Elegant Themes membership covers unlimited websites and includes the Divi theme, Extra, Bloom and Monarch, with a lifetime option. Divi has no free version, but you can try it risk-free for 30 days.
Lots of WordPress site owners weigh these two builders against each other. I read Elementor's WordPress.org listing and plans page and Elegant Themes' Divi, Divi 5 and membership pages.
Elementor and Divi side by side
| Elementor | Divi | |
|---|---|---|
| Free version | Yes, on WordPress.org | No, 30-day risk-free trial |
| Licence | Plans sold per site | Unlimited websites per membership |
| Pay once option | Not covered on the pages I read | Divi Lifetime |
| Content | 40+ free widgets, more in Pro | 200+ elements and 2,000+ layouts |
| Also included | Optional Elementor Host | Extra, Bloom and Monarch |
| AI | Angie and the Elementor MCP | Divi AI and Divi AI Agent |
| Active installs | 10+ million | Not shown on the pages I read |
Divi 5 dropped shortcodes
If you tried Divi years ago, its newest version changes the basics. Elegant Themes says Divi 5 was rebuilt from the ground up, focusing on performance and design systems, and replaces shortcodes with a faster, Gutenberg-like system. It's a free upgrade for Divi members. That matters if you've ever switched off a builder and found your pages full of shortcode clutter.
What Elementor offers
Elementor's WordPress.org listing shows 10+ million active installations, a no-code drag-and-drop Atomic Editor and over 40 free widgets, including heading, image, video, button and gallery. Pro plans are sold per site as annual plans, starting with Essential for one site and Advanced Solo for one site with eCommerce, and Elementor says its 30-day money-back guarantee applies only to annual plans. Elementor also sells its own hosting powered by Google Cloud and Cloudflare, and an MCP that turns plain-language prompts into editable layouts.
The plans page shows how the per-site model scales: Essential covers one basic site with 57 Editor Pro widgets, Advanced Solo covers one professional or eCommerce site with 85, and larger plans add more sites. Divi's model is the opposite, with the same membership whether you build one site or one hundred, so count the sites you'll build over the next few years before you compare the two. If you hand sites over to clients, also check who'll own the licence after handover.
What Divi offers
Divi is a WordPress theme and visual builder in one, and there's also a Divi Page Builder plugin that works with any theme. Elegant Themes lists 200+ elements, 2,000+ layouts, Quick Sites and a Theme Builder. Its membership is the big draw: Divi Yearly includes all its themes and plugins, including Divi, Extra, Bloom and Monarch, with updates and support, while Divi Lifetime gives lifetime access, updates and support on unlimited websites for a single payment.
Which builder for which person
- One small business site and no spending yet: Elementor's free plugin.
- An agency building dozens of client sites: Divi's unlimited-site membership.
- Someone who hates renewals: Divi Lifetime.
- A store owner who wants builder and hosting together: Elementor with Elementor Host.
- A site you might move off the builder later: check Divi 5's shortcode-free system.
- A team that wants an AI helper inside the builder: compare Angie with Divi AI on a test page.
For more options, my rundown of top WordPress plugins and this guide to landing page builders cover the wider toolkit.
My advice on Elementor or Divi
If you're building one site for your own business, install Elementor's free plugin first and only buy Pro when you hit a widget you need. If you build sites for clients, Divi's unlimited-site membership, or the lifetime deal, is hard to argue with, and Divi 5 has replaced its old shortcodes with a cleaner system. Whichever you choose, build one real page during the trial and test it on your phone before you commit.
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.
Do you make WordPress or website building tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place in comparisons like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elementor free?
Yes. Elementor's WordPress plugin is free with over 40 widgets. Elementor Pro and its other plans are paid and sold per site.
Does Divi have a free version?
No, but Elegant Themes lets you try Divi risk-free for 30 days.
Can I use Divi on unlimited websites?
Yes. Elegant Themes says its membership covers unlimited websites, on both the yearly and lifetime options.
What changed in Divi 5?
Elegant Themes says Divi 5 was rebuilt from the ground up and replaces shortcodes with a faster, Gutenberg-like system.
How many sites use Elementor?
Elementor's WordPress.org listing shows 10+ million active installations.
