Are you looking for an Elementor alternative to create the core pages on your WordPress? If yes, we have curated the best options you can opt to. More specifically, we have curated the page builder plugins which you can get with a non-subscription option. As you have known, Elementor offers only subscription-based payment option for the pro version. Meaning that you need to pay subscription fee on a regular basis in order to have access to new updates and support.
For a certain reason, spending a larger amount of money upfront is more reasonable for some people rather than spending subscription fee. If you are an agency, for instance. Using a non-subscription plugin can reduce the monthly/yearly expense you need to spend. This way, you can increase your profit or allocate the budget on other needs (e.g., marketing).
Whatever your reason, if you are looking for a non-subscription alternative to Elementor (Elementor Pro more precisely), here are the options we suggest:
1. Divi Builder
Divi Builder is probably the best alternative to Elementor. Especially if you are an agency who want to reduce your yearly expense as you can get it with a one-time purchase option.
Divi Builder is developed by Elegant Themes and you have two options to get the plugin: with a one-time purchase option and by subscribing (you will be charged on a yearly basis). Whichever the option you choose, you will have access to new updates and support. Divi Builder itself is available in two versions: as an integral part of the Divi theme and as a standalone plugin (which you can install on themes other than the Divi theme). Just like Elementor, Divi Builder also comes with a visual editor to ease your job in creating a page.
What about the features?
The overall features of Divi Builder are not much different to Elementor. However, it may take a little time for you to make the adaptation with its editor as the Divi Builder editor it quite different to Elementor’s.
Here are the key features offered by Divi Builder:
2. Brizy
Brizy is a lightweight, yet powerful page builder plugin for WordPress that you can use to replace Elementor for your next projects. It is not developed specifically for a certain theme so that you can use Brizy regardless of the theme you use. Brizy also comes with a modern visual editor to make it easy for you to create a page. The Brizy editor is even a bit similar to Elementor’s whereby you can find a panel on the left side that hosts the design elements.
Brizy is available in two versions: as a WordPress plugin and as a cloud service. You can use the first version if your website is hosted on a third-party hosting service (e.g., DreamHost.). Brizy is released as a freemium plugin. To get the premium version, you can either make a one-time purchase or become a yearly member.
Brizy is especially a great option if you need a popup builder feature. The popup builder feature of Brizy also supports display conditions in case you want to display a popup on a specific page. Also, you have 7 trigger types to choose from (one page load, on click, after inactivity, on page exit intent, show after x, on scroll, arriving from).
To streamline your workflow, Brizy also offers hundreds of pre-made templates. For advanced site customization, Brizy also comes with a theme builder which you can use to create a custom header, custom footer, custom archive pages, and so on.
Here are the key features offered by Brizy:
Brizy doesn’t support add-on like Divi Builder and Elementor so you will be limited to what’s offered by it.
3. tagDiv Composer
tagDiv Composer might is not the best alternative to Elementor, but if you are looking for a page builder plugin that you can get with a one-time purchase option, it is worth considering. Unlike the first two page builders above which you can install on any theme, tagDiv Composer can only be installed on themes developed by tagDiv (Newspaper and Newsmag). tagDiv Composer is included as a plugin bundle in these themes. In other words, you will get the plugin when you buy either the Newspaper theme or Newsmag theme. tagDiv Composer itself is designed specifically to create editorial content-based websites (blog, news portal, etc), but you can also use the page builder to create a more static website such as portfolio website, company profile, etc.
You are also provided with a visual editor to create a page. You can also create responsive page thanks to the responsive editing capability.
Assuming you will create a static page, you have elements like call to action, list, pricing table, and team member to add. Unfortunately, tagDiv Composer has no element to create a form whereby you can connect your form with a marketing service like MailerLite, Mailchimp, and so on.
4. Avada Live
Avada Live has several things in common with tagDiv Composer. First, it doesn’t work on all themes. Instead, it works only on the Avada theme. Second, it is also released as a plugin bundle. You will get the plugin when you buy the Avada theme. Avada Live itself is a multi-purpose page builder. Meaning that it is not designed exclusively to create an editorial content-based website like tagDiv Composer above. So, Avada Live is a great option to replace Elementor.
Same as tagDiv Composer, Avada Live is marketed via CodeCanyon. A single license can only be used on a single website. That being said, Avada Live is a better suited option for a single project. Avada Live also comes with a nice, modern visual editor to assist your website creation job.
Avada Live also comes with features like global colors and global typography to streamline your workflow. You can also create a full responsive page thanks to its responsive editing capability. Furthermore, Avada Live allows you to add custom fields and the default dynamic content of WordPress.
5. Zion Builder
Zion Builder is another lightweight page builder plugin for WordPress. Its interface is pretty similar to Brizy. You can also use Zion Builder on any theme as it is not developed specifically for a certain theme. Zion Builder is especially a great option for agency thanks to its white label feature. Features like responsive editing, custom fonts, and custom icons are available. Just like other page builders above, Zion Builder also comes with premade templates to streamline your workflow.
Zion Builder also comes with advanced features like theme builder, WooCommerce builder, global colors, custom fields support, and so on.
Key features of Zion Builder include:
6. Oxygen
Oxygen is another worth considering item if you are looking for an Elementor alternative. The page builder also offers a one-time purchase option so that you don’t need to spend a yearly subscription fee. The page builder itself also comes with a visual editor — which is appears in dark mode. The responsive editing capability allows you to optimize your page on every device type (desktop, tablet, and smartphone).
7. Visual Composer
Visual Composer is another page builder plugin that offers a one-time purchase option for its pro version. However, the single license of its lifetime version can only be installed on a single website. Also, you will only have access to technical support for 2 years. Fortunately, plugin updates are accessible forever. Still, one license for one website is not the best option if you are an agency who handle multiple websites.
Regarding the features, Visual Composer is a feature-rich page builder just like Elementor. In addition to its visual editor which offers a responsive editing capability, Visual Composer also comes with features like theme builder to allow you to customize every single part of your website. You can also create a beautiful popup thanks to its built-in popup builder feature. Visual Composer is integrated with Unsplash to allow you to add an image element more effortlessly. It offers a feature called Visual Composer Hub to access the premade template library.
Here are the key features offered by Visual Composer for its one-time purchase version:
The Bottom Line
Elementor is a great page builder, with lots of useful features. However, it is might not the best option for agencies who want to reduce yearly expense as Elementor doesn’t offer a one-time purchase option. You have to spend a yearly subscription fee to access new updates. Whatever your reason, if you are looking for a page builder plugin that offers a one-time purchase option, the curated plugins above are worth considering.
