What Elementor is in WordPress
Elementor is a plugin you add to a WordPress site. WordPress still stores the pages, users, and theme. Elementor replaces the block editor on the pages you open with it, and shows the layout while you edit.
It is not a second content system, and it is not Wix. A page built in Elementor still lives on WordPress. Remove the plugin and that visual layout stops rendering until Elementor is active again.
- Plugin, not the CMS. WordPress remains the site. Elementor is the editor for the pages you choose.
- Live canvas. Headings, images, and buttons are placed by dragging, with desktop, tablet, and mobile previews.
- Two editions. The free plugin covers ordinary pages. Pro is a separate licence for site-wide templates.
Ranking guides read on 30 October 2026 cited more than five million active installs for the free plugin on WordPress.org. Add-on packs exist because of that reach. You do not need one to use the editor.
Elementor free plugin versus Elementor Pro
The free Elementor plugin includes the visual editor and basic widgets. Elementor Pro is a paid add-on for headers, footers, popups, forms, and WooCommerce templates. You can publish a real page on the free plugin alone.
| Piece | Free plugin | Elementor Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Editor | Live drag-and-drop canvas | Same canvas |
| Page content | Headings, images, buttons, and basic sections | Same widgets, plus extras |
| Site chrome | Left to the theme | Header, footer, single, and archive templates |
| Shop layouts | Not included | Product, cart, and checkout widgets |
| Who you pay | Nobody, for the plugin | Elementor, for the Pro licence |
Licence prices on the pages ranking on 30 October 2026 did not match. CyberChimps listed Elementor Pro Essential at $59 a year for one site. Kinsta, updated 11 March 2026, listed plans from $49 to $999 a year. Read the live price on the Elementor site. Neither figure is a WebJi® hosting price.
A Black Friday price for Elementor changes each year. It is a discount on the Pro licence, not a feature of the plugin.
How to install Elementor and build a page
You add Elementor from the WordPress plugin screen, then open a page in its editor. The free plugin does not need an Elementor account.
- In wp-admin open Plugins, then Add New. Search for Elementor, click Install Now, then Activate. An Elementor menu appears in the sidebar.
- Open Pages, Add New, or edit a page, and click Edit with Elementor. The block editor closes and the canvas opens.
- Add a container. Older installs still show a section and columns. Drag in a heading, an image, or a button, and set the text on the Content tab.
- Check the tablet and mobile icons, click Update, then open the public URL in a private window. The layout you saved is the one that should load.
What the Elementor Theme Builder changes
Theme Builder ships with Elementor Pro. It designs the parts a theme normally owns: the header, the footer, the single post, and the archive. The free plugin only designs the content area of a page or post.
A shop uses the same split. Pro widgets lay out the product, cart, and checkout. WooCommerce is still the shop plugin underneath. Theme Builder does not replace it.
You know Theme Builder is active when the header on the public page matches the template you published, including on a post you did not design by hand.
Why an Elementor site slows down
An Elementor site slows down when the build is heavy, not merely because the plugin is active. Nested containers become nested divs, each widget adds CSS and JavaScript, and one oversized hero image can outweigh the rest of the page.
- Caching. Turn on a cache and the improved CSS loading setting so styles print per page instead of for the whole site.
- Images. Use WebP, size each file to the slot it fills, and lazy-load anything below the first screen.
- Fewer nests. One container beats a stack of sections. Set fonts and colors once, not on every widget.
- Fewer add-ons. Extra Elementor packs often load CSS and JavaScript you never use.
If the public page is still slow after those four changes, the next job is a WordPress speed optimization pass on the install. Adding another widget will not fix the weight.
Elementor alternatives inside WordPress
An Elementor alternative is another way to lay out the same WordPress page. The block editor is already there. Beaver Builder, Divi, and Bricks are other plugins. Wix is not an in-WordPress swap. It replaces WordPress.
| Option | Where it runs | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Elementor | WordPress plugin | You want a visual canvas on a WordPress site |
| Block editor | Built into WordPress | The page is a post or a simple layout |
| Beaver Builder, Divi, Bricks | Other WordPress plugins | You already pay for that builder |
| Wix | Hosted builder, not WordPress | You do not want to run WordPress |
Stay on Elementor when the pages are already built in it. Moving a finished layout to another builder means rebuilding those pages. The block editor is the lighter choice for a post-heavy site that does not need pixel-level control.
Hosting that suits an Elementor site
Elementor does not need its own server. It needs a WordPress install with enough PHP memory for the editor to open. WordPress hosting at WebJi® is ₹400 a month for WordPress Unlimited and ₹500 a month for WordPress Unlimited+, before 18% GST, as read on 30 October 2026.
That price is the hosting plan. It does not include an Elementor Pro licence. Install the plugin from the WordPress plugin screen after the account is live. A site you do not want to patch yourself can use managed WordPress hosting instead.
Account questions go to support@webji.services. The mailbox is staffed 24/7 in Hindi and English, and the average first reply is under 60 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elementor in WordPress?
Elementor is a page-builder plugin that runs on WordPress. You design a page by dragging widgets on a live canvas. WordPress still stores the content. The free plugin handles ordinary pages, and Elementor Pro adds theme, popup, form, and shop layouts.
Is Elementor free or paid?
Both. The plugin in the WordPress directory is free. Elementor Pro is a paid licence from Elementor for theme templates, popups, forms, and WooCommerce layouts. WebJi® hosting does not include that licence.
What does Elementor Pro add?
Pro adds Theme Builder for the header, footer, single post, and archive, plus popup, form, and WooCommerce widgets. The free plugin does not design those site-wide templates.
How do you add Elementor to WordPress?
In wp-admin open Plugins, Add New, search Elementor, then Install Now and Activate. Edit a page and click Edit with Elementor. For Pro, install the Pro plugin and connect the licence under Elementor, then License.
Does Elementor slow down WordPress?
It can, when pages nest many containers, load extra add-on packs, or use oversized images. A cache, per-page CSS, smaller images, and fewer widgets keep the same design faster. Installing the plugin is not the whole cause.
Can Elementor build a full website?
Yes. Use Pro Theme Builder for the header, footer, and archives, or let the theme handle those parts and use the free plugin for page content. Elementor does not replace WordPress.
What are the alternatives to Elementor?
Inside WordPress, the block editor, Beaver Builder, Divi, and Bricks are the usual alternatives. Wix is a hosted builder, not a WordPress plugin, so it is a different product rather than a swap.
Which company owns Elementor?
Elementor Ltd. publishes the plugin at elementor.com. WebJi® does not own Elementor and does not sell Elementor Pro. WebJi® hosts the WordPress site the plugin runs on.