Elementor vs WPBakery (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Elementor and WPBakery share a 2.2 GPA, and only Elementor has a free plan.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Elementor grades higher on the free plan. WPBakery grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Elementor
Drag-and-drop page builder plugin and hosting for WordPress
WPBakery
Drag-and-drop page builder plugin for WordPress, sold once
Which one is for you
Pick Elementor if
- Fits if your site is already on WordPress and you'd rather not edit code
- Works for freelancers building client sites, as Expert covers 25 sites for $17 a month billed yearly
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to look after WordPress, plugins and hosting at all
- Not for you if you like paying month to month, since Pro and One plans are billed yearly only
- Tight if you buy Essential, which stores no form entries and has no popups, custom code or store widgets
- Watch out: Elementor Host is a separate subscription that renews at list price and doesn't include a Pro license
- Watch out: One's $180 first year rises to $228, and its AI and email features run on monthly credits
Pick WPBakery if
- Fits if you want to pay once and use it on a WordPress site
- Works for developers who want a builder that fits any theme
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to try it first, because it offers a demo sandbox, not a trial
- Skip it if you want a hosted builder, as it runs only inside WordPress
- Watch out: only one year of Support Plus is included, and extending it costs $59 a year
- Watch out: bulk discounts start at 20 licenses, and the student discount is Regular licenses only
- Watch out: the page offers a 15-day refund on lifetime licenses
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAElementorFair | 2.2GPAWPBakeryFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CGraded against its alternatives, Divi and the hosted builders. Advanced Solo, the plan with stored forms, popups and store widgets, is $7 a month for one site, billed $84 a year. That's the editor alone: Elementor Host is $15 a month in its first year, taking one site to about $22. | A$82 one-time for 1 site, under a year of the category's middle subscription ($12 a month, or $144). Support Plus afterwards is $59 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plugin has no time limit and builds real pages with the core widgets. But the theme builder and popups are Pro, and nothing goes live until you pay someone for hosting, since Elementor's plans don't include it. | FNo free plan and no trial, only a demo sandbox. |
| Features | CVisual editing with responsive controls, a theme builder for the whole site, forms, popups, WooCommerce page design and AI on the One plans. The gap is the one the listing names: it needs a WordPress site, and no editor plan includes hosting. | CFront-end and back-end editors, a template library, a grid builder, an AI assistant and a skin builder. No theme builder is in the listing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The editor is drag-and-drop with global styles, but first you need WordPress running on a host, then the plugin, then Pro, so there's real setup and a learning curve. Elementor Host takes out the hosting step for another fee. | CNo rating on record. You build pages from elements in a WordPress editor. |
| Platforms and integrations | BIt runs in the browser inside WordPress, works with WooCommerce and Google Analytics, and Elementor MCP connects sites to Claude, Codex and Cursor. No desktop or phone app is listed. | BWeb only, as a WordPress plugin, with WooCommerce, WPML, Yoast SEO and qTranslate. |
| Best for | designing WordPress sites visually | a one-time-price page builder for any WordPress theme |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Elementor and WPBakery. How we grade
Where they differ
- WPBakery can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Elementor also covers forms.
- WPBakery also covers online store.
At a glance
| Elementor | WPBakery | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $5 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($60 a year) | $82 one-time for 1 site |
| Free plan | The free Elementor editor plugin for WordPress, with drag-and-drop tools, key widgets and core site-building features. You supply WordPress and hosting. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Elementor Ltd. | Rain-Task Ltd |
| Price read from | elementor.com | wpbakery.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Elementor
- Elementor needs a WordPress site; the plugin and Pro plans do not include hosting, and Elementor Host does not include a Pro license.
- Pro and One plans are billed annually, with no monthly option on the pricing page, and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Essential stores no form submissions and has no popups, custom code or ecommerce widgets.
- Elementor Host is a separate subscription, from $15 a month billed annually for one site ($180 the first year), and renews at list price.
WPBakery
- WPBakery runs only inside WordPress.
- Each license includes one year of Support Plus; extending it costs $59 a year for updates, the template library, AI and support.
- Bulk license discounts start at 20 licenses and the student discount applies only to Regular licenses.
- The page offers a free demo sandbox rather than a free plan or trial.
Key features
Elementor
- Visual drag-and-drop editor
- Pages are designed visually inside WordPress, with responsive controls for desktop, tablet and mobile and global styles for fonts and colors.
- Theme Builder and dynamic content
- Pro plans design headers, footers and templates for the whole site and pull WordPress content into them. Custom fields and post types start on Advanced Solo.
- Forms and popups
- A form builder sends leads to marketing tools and stores submissions from Advanced Solo up, where the popup builder is also included.
- WooCommerce store design
- Ecommerce widgets lay out WooCommerce product, cart and checkout pages. They are not included in Essential.
- AI and Elementor MCP
- One plans generate code, copy, images and layouts from prompts using monthly credits, and Elementor MCP connects sites to Claude, Codex and Cursor.
- Elementor Host
- Managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud with a CDN, daily backups, staging and a free domain for the first year, sold apart from the editor plans.
WPBakery
- Front-end and back-end editors
- Pages can be built in a front-end drag-and-drop editor or a back-end one, and work with any WordPress theme.
- Template library
- Premium layout templates can be downloaded from an online library; access is part of Support Plus.
- WPBakery AI
- An assistant that writes content and code from a typed specification, listed as part of each license's first year.
- Grid builder
- Displays posts, portfolios and custom post types or media in a grid or masonry grid with 40+ predefined styles.
- Skin builder and add-ons
- A skin builder restyles the builder's elements, and add-ons such as Templatera and Easy Tables extend it.
Plans
Elementor
Free$0
The basic Elementor editor plugin with drag-and-drop tools and core widgets, installed on your own WordPress site.
Essential$5
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($60 a year)
57 Pro widgets, Theme Builder, 10 cloud templates and forms without submission storage. No popups, custom code or ecommerce features.
Advanced Solo$7
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($84 a year)
85 Pro widgets, popups, custom code and CSS, ecommerce features and custom fields. Advanced is the same for 3 sites at $9 a month ($108 a year).
Expert$17
per month for 25 sites, billed annually ($204 a year)
Everything in Advanced across 25 sites, with storage for 5,000 cloud templates.
One$19
per month for 1 site, billed annually ($228 a year)
Editor Pro plus 25,000 monthly credits for AI, image optimization, accessibility, cookie consent and email delivery. First year advertised at $180.
One Agency$45
per month for unlimited sites, billed annually ($540 a year)
One for unlimited sites with 350,000 monthly credits shared across client sites. First year advertised at $432.
WPBakery
Regular$82
one-time, lifetime, for 1 site
Includes one year of Support Plus: free updates, template library, WPBakery AI and partner discounts.
5 Sites$299
one-time, lifetime, for up to 5 sites
Same features as Regular for up to 5 sites; the page says buying 5 separate licenses would cost $410.
10 Sites$592
one-time, lifetime, for up to 10 sites
Same features for up to 10 sites; separate licenses would cost $820 according to the page.
Theme Integration$82
one-time, for use in a single theme
For theme developers who bundle the builder into a theme; includes a year of premium support and free updates.
Ways to pay less
Elementor
- Other savings
Birthday sale: 21% off the first year of One
The pricing page shows One at $180 for the first year instead of $228, and One Agency at $432 instead of $540. Both renew at the regular yearly rate. No end date is given.
WPBakery
- Education
Student discount on Regular licenses
Students can ask for a discount by emailing from a university-assigned address; it applies only to Regular license purchases.
- Other savings
15-day money-back guarantee
The pricing page offers a 15-day refund on lifetime licenses.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Elementor or WPBakery?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Elementor starts at $5 per month for 1 site, billed annually ($60 a year), and WPBakery starts at $82 one-time for 1 site.
Which has a free plan, Elementor or WPBakery?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Elementor has a free plan. WPBakery does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.