Divi Builder has become one of the most popular page builders for WordPress, loved by website owners, developers, and agencies alike. But is it the right choice for your site?
This comprehensive Divi Builder review will cover everything you need to know, including key features, pros and cons, ideal users, and comparisons to alternative builders. Read on to find out if Divi Builder is the best fit for your next project.
What is Divi Builder?
Divi Builder is a premium drag-and-drop page builder plugin developed by Elegant Themes. It allows you to create custom WordPress pages with advanced design options using a visual editor.
The Divi Builder plugin can be paired with the Divi theme, or used as a standalone plugin to empower any existing WordPress theme. There is also an Extra theme that includes the Divi Builder for a complete website building toolkit.
Since its launch in 2013, Divi Builder has become one of the most widely used premium page builders, with over 700,000 active installations. Its growing popularity is driven by the user-friendly visual interface, extensive design customization options, and ability to create complete WordPress websites without code.
Key Features and Functionalities
Divi Builder comes packed with features to customize your WordPress site. Here are some of the most notable capabilities:
Intuitive Visual Builder
The drag-and-drop builder editor allows you to easily customize page layouts. Simply add modules from the left panel, drag them into place, and edit settings visually. Modules include buttons, images, menus, and more advanced options like sliders, pricing tables, and contact forms.
Divi’s interface is beginner-friendly but offers deep customization for developers. You have full control over every element’s styling and advanced settings through the page builder.
Robust Theme Builder
Divi’s standout Theme Builder feature lets you design custom headers, footers, and post/page templates for your entire site, beyond individual pages.
Create global styles, custom blog layouts, 404 pages, and add site-wide elements like mega menus, banners, and calls to action. All of this allows incredible customization and brand consistency.
Split Testing and A/B Testing
Divi Builder has native split testing capabilities to optimize your site’s design and content. Set up A/B tests for headlines, images, layouts, and more to analyze performance and select the best option based on traffic and conversions.
While powerful, Divi’s split testing is limited compared to dedicated platforms. Still, it provides valuable data to continuously improve your site.
Other Notable Features:
- SEO Settings: Optimize pages for search with custom titles, meta descriptions, and rich snippets.
- Responsive Mobile Design: Easily make sites mobile-friendly with responsive modules.
- Animation Effects: Add animations, hover effects, and video backgrounds to make pages interactive.
There are many more features worth diving into like global templates, pre-built layouts, custom modules, and WooCommerce integration.
The Pros and Cons of Divi Builder
Pros
- Extremely customizable: Divi grants deep design control with endless styling options. Make your vision a reality without coding.
- Huge collection of pre-made elements: Choose from hundreds of templates, layouts, and modules to quickly build pages.
- Excellent theme builder: No other page builder allows this level of full-theme customization from headers to archives.
- Active community and resources: As a top WordPress plugin, Divi has abundant tutorials, guides, and an engaged user base.
Cons
- Significant learning curve: With great power comes complexity. Expect a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.
- Potential performance issues: Large themes with complex builders can slow sites if not optimized properly.
- Costs add up: Divi Builder costs $89/year. Combining with the Divi Theme brings the total to $249/year.
- Limited integration: Some third-party plugins may have compatibility issues with Divi Builder functions.
Who is Divi Builder For?
Divi Builder excels for certain users and project types:
- Website owners who want total design freedom without coding skills.
- Developers who enjoy deep customization capabilities and advanced options.
- Designers and agencies managing many client sites who benefit from global templates and styles.
- eCommerce sites like online stores that need tailored layouts and dynamic interfaces.
It may not be the best fit for:
- Beginners looking for a simpler, lighter page builder to start.
- Sites focused on speed and performance who want a leaner architecture.
- Anyone seeking an affordable or free page builder solution.
How Does Divi Builder Compare to the Competition?
Divi Builder stacks up well against competitors like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Brizy in terms of features and flexibility:
| Page Builder | Key Strengths | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Divi Builder | Theme builder customization, design freedom | $89-$249/year | Advanced users, developers, agencies |
| Elementor | Intuitive and lightweight, great for beginners | Free – $49+/year | Beginners, small sites |
| Beaver Builder | Modular approach, seamless theme integration | $99-$249/year | Developers, custom designs |
| Brizy | Visual-focused editor, great for non-developers | Free – $67/year | Beginners, bloggers, simple sites |
The best choice depends on your specific needs and technical abilities. For extensive site customization and design power, Divi Builder is hard to beat.
Divi Builder Resources to Get Started
To fully leverage Divi Builder’s capabilities, invest time in learning:
- Official Divi documentation – Detailed guides, tutorials, API docs
- Divi Space – Popular blog with tips, tricks, and resources
- Divi Soup – Another top Divi learning site with videos and courses
- Elegant Marketplace – Premium Divi layouts, modules, and themes
- Elegant Themes Support – Get support from Divi experts
The Divi community is welcoming to newcomers. Don’t hesitate to tap into this knowledge base to master Divi Builder and create stunning sites!
Conclusion: A Powerful Tool for Customizing WordPress Sites
In summary, Divi Builder gives you unmatched design freedom to handcraft beautiful WordPress pages and full themes without coding. The intuitive visual interface, robust customization tools, and helpful community resources offer immense value for agencies, developers, and website owners.
However, the considerable learning curve and potential performance trade-offs may make it overkill for simple sites. You also need to factor in the yearly access fees that add up, especially when combined with the Divi theme.
For those seeking granular control over their WordPress site’s layout, styling, and user experience though, Divi Builder delivers. It enables you to turn any design mockup into a custom WordPress website tailored to your brand and needs.
Have you used Divi Builder for your sites? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments below! Check out these WordaThemes resources to take your Divi skills even further:
- How to Disable or Remove WordPress Responsive Image Markup
- How to Close an Elementor Popup on Mobile Menu Click
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is Divi Builder hard to learn?
A: Divi Builder has a steeper learning curve than simpler page builders but offers detailed documentation to guide you. Expect an initial time investment to master its advanced features.
Q: Does Divi work with any theme?
A: The Divi Builder plugin works with any properly coded theme. The Divi theme however requires Divi Builder.
Q: Is Divi Builder slow?
A: It can impact performance if you overuse complex modules without optimizing. But a well-configured Divi site can achieve excellent speed.
Q: Can I use Divi Builder for free?
A: The plugin itself requires a paid membership. But you can try Divi Builder on a free test site first to evaluate it.
Q: Is Divi Builder better than Elementor?
A: There is no definitive “better” option. Elementor prioritizes ease of use while Divi focuses on customization. Assess their strengths against your needs.