When it comes to choosing a page builder for your WordPress website, the market offers several options. Because some of these can look it’s quite easy to make a mistake in this area if you have the luxury of telling your designer what page builder to use. Usually it’s not the case but it still really annoys me when I see competitors continuing to build websites for small-medium businesses with sub-par builders because they’re too lazy or simply just want an easy buck.
There’s really not much I can do about it, besides try to educate my customers through my monthly marketing email mail-outs and producing youtube clips like the following. Oh dear, I’m one of them now but putting together a video like this took me more than a day to plan, do some training on Final Cut Pro and put it all together. Go easy on the comments, I have my “L” plates on.
As a web designer even in a small country town Wagga I’ve used just about all of them among the most popular are Elementor and Bricks Builder and SquareSpace. While Elementor has garnered a massive following with a significant number of installs and an extensive theme library, Bricks Builder has steadily gained attention for its modern features and superior performance. Here, we’ll delve into several key areas to show why Bricks Builder is a better choice. You might be surprised if you’re a customer of another agency the cost decision you’re not making as the client.
1. Cost of the website builders
Elementor offers a free version with limited features and a pro version with a subscription model. While the free version is a great starting point, the pro version can be quite costly, especially for small businesses or freelance developers. During my video breakdown of each of these builders I look at background age and price. Bricks Builder, offers a more straightforward pricing model that provides all features for a single, lifetime fee. This cost-effective approach makes Bricks Builder a more attractive option for long-term use. DIVI, has become more expensive but is still no match for the speed of the other builders when considering your cost return over a period of time.
2. Age of the Builder
Elementor has been around since 2016 and has established itself as a veteran in the page builder market, it has an extensive backing, theme and plugin libraries(all of which cost). Most notably with all our builders you’ll find a sprinkling of AI. This seems like every builder and tool has to have some AI in it these days regardless of if it works or should be applied to the scenario it’s put into. Mostly I see this as a bit of a marketing pitch as I demonstrate in the video and would much perfer to use AI in ChatGPT separate to the builder. We’re simply trying to make the builder do too much just so we can get more sales.
Bricks Builder is a newer entrant, launched in 2021 and has lots of the same plugins and themes emerging from vendors over the last few years. Despite its younger age, Bricks Builder has quickly caught up, incorporating the latest in web development technology and practices. This gives it a fresh edge over older builders that may not have integrated modern advancements as seamlessly. Theirs loads of resources out there for Bricks including some from ex-Elementor trainers like Dave Foy.
3. Cutting-Edge Technology
Bricks Builder is built with modern technology Vue.JS, leveraging the latest advancements in web development. Its framework is optimised for performance and flexibility, ensuring that your website not only looks great but also performs exceptionally well. Elementor, while robust, can sometimes lag in this aspect due to its older codebase and legacy support requirements. It’s main dependency is ES6 but is more of a pure PHP alternative.
4. Frontend and Backend Usability and Speed
Usability and speed are critical factors for any page builder. Bricks Builder excels in both areas, particularly with its efficient use of keyboard shortcuts. I go into this more within my Youtube video. This feature enhances productivity, allowing developers to build and customise pages faster than ever before. Elementor is user-friendly but often relies heavily on a more graphical interface that can slow down the workflow for experienced developers.
5. The Purist Idea Behind Using Classes and a Framework
Bricks Builder embraces a purist approach by encouraging the use of classes and a framework. I’m also in the camp of best practice and doing things right rather than just meeting a design specification. This methodology aligns with best practices in web development, promoting clean, maintainable code. It allows developers to create consistent designs and easily manage site-wide changes. Elementor, while powerful, can sometimes lead to bloated and redundant code, especially for complex designs. The code it generates isn’t clean or performant.
Below is a screen capture of a heading generated by Bricks
Elementor – Substantially more bloat don’t tell me every heading has a style block – OMG
Divi – better than Elementor suprisingly
SquareSpace
Test my base builder installs for yourself using Google Core Vitals or Speed Vitals
- Bricks
- Elementor
- DIVI
- SquareSpace (this one get’s deleted if you don’t use it or it’s not a paid account. SaaS is fun like that)
Final Word from Me
Usually a decision to use a page builder is not one a customer makes. We still have a responsibility to use a tool that is up to date and delivers exceptional performance on the backend and not just the front end. Any site can get an “A” or 100 across the board for Google Core Vitals. What needs to be considered here is how much more time did that take compared to if you did nothing.
At the end of the day, we choose Bricks Builder because it offers a cleaner, faster, and smoother experience. Its modern technology, cost-effectiveness, and efficient workflow make it the superior choice for building professional and high-performing websites. While Elementor has its merits, Bricks Builder’s innovative approach and commitment to best practices set it apart as the future of WordPress page building.
By opting for Bricks Builder, we ensure that our websites are not only visually appealing but also optimised for speed and performance, delivering the best possible experience for our Wagga clients and their users 12 months down the track
