Avada's the bestselling WordPress theme ever - 950,000+ sales on ThemeForest. Impressive!! But here's what nobody tells you about that "cheap" $69 price tag...
Been building client sites for 3 years. Tried both themes extensively. The pricing trap with Avada is brutal once you understand the real math!!
Let me show you exactly why Divi saves agencies thousands while Avada quietly drains your budget:
The Pricing Deception Everyone Falls For
What you see:
- Avada: $69 one-time
- Divi: $249 lifetime or $89/year
Looks like Avada wins, right? WRONG!!
The Hidden ThemeForest Costs
Avada includes:
- 6 months support (industry standard = 1 year!)
- ONE site license (need more sites? Buy more licenses!)
- Support renewal: $18/year per site
Divi includes:
- Lifetime support OR 1 year (depending on plan)
- UNLIMITED sites on one license
- Zero renewal fees
Real Agency Economics
Scenario: 10 client sites over 2 years
Avada costs:
- Initial: $69 × 10 sites = $690
- Support year 1: $18 × 10 = $180
- Support year 2: $18 × 10 = $180
- Total: $1,050
Divi costs:
- Yearly: $89 × 2 = $178
- OR Lifetime: $249 one-time
- Total: $178-249 (unlimited sites!)
Savings: $801-871 over just 2 years!!
And that's only 10 sites - most agencies build way more!!
The Real Kicker
After year 3, Divi yearly subscribers should just buy lifetime $249. Avada agencies keep paying $180/year for 10 sites = $540 every 3 years forever!!
10-year Avada cost: $690 + ($180 × 10) = $2,490
10-year Divi cost: $249 lifetime
Difference: $2,241 wasted on Avada!! And that's assuming you never build more than 10 sites total.
Performance: The 2021 Update That Changed Everything
Old conventional wisdom (pre-2021): Both themes equally slow.
Current reality: Divi significantly faster after massive performance update in 2021!!
My Test Results
Built identical simple page on both themes. Same modules, same content, same hosting.
Avada:
- Page size: 612 KB
- HTTP requests: 27
- Load time: 2.8 seconds
- PageSpeed desktop: 72
- PageSpeed mobile: 58
Divi:
- Page size: 576 KB
- HTTP requests: 23
- Load time: 1.9 seconds
- PageSpeed desktop: 93
- PageSpeed mobile: 89
Divi loads 32% faster with better optimization!!
Why Divi Wins Performance
Divi 4.10+ includes:
- Dynamic CSS generation
- Static CSS file creation
- Critical CSS support
- Minify/combine CSS and JS automatically
- Responsive image optimization
- Defer jQuery loading
Avada has some optimizations but:
- Heavier out-of-box
- More bloat from bundled plugins
- Requires more manual optimization
- ThemeForest demos often poorly optimized
Bottom line: Avada CAN be fast with work. Divi IS fast by default. Huge difference for agencies churning out sites!!
The ThemeForest Marketplace Problem
Here's what agencies hate about Avada (not Avada's fault - it's ThemeForest):
Updates Take Forever
Divi: Push update button, site updates immediately.
Avada:
- Developer submits update to ThemeForest
- Envato reviews (3-7 days typically!)
- Update approved
- Finally available to download
Critical security fix? Wait a week while Envato reviews. NOT ACCEPTABLE!!
Support Ticket System Slower
Divi: Live chat support (unique for WordPress themes!)
Avada: Standard ticket system through ThemeForest
Response times:
- Divi live chat: Minutes to hours
- Avada tickets: Hours to days
When client site breaks Friday afternoon? Divi gets you fixed before weekend. Avada... good luck!!
No Lifetime Option
Because of ThemeForest rules:
- Avada CANNOT offer lifetime licenses
- Stuck with per-site model forever
- Support always expires
Divi controls own pricing = lifetime option available!!
Visual Builder Experience
Both have drag-and-drop builders but very different approaches:
Divi Builder
Front-end visual editing:
- See exactly what you're building
- Real-time changes
- Wireframe mode (see structure without content!)
- Layers view (outline of entire page)
- Global presets (save module styling)
Workflow: Design directly on page, instant feedback, natural creative flow.
Avada Fusion Builder
Front-end AND back-end options:
- Front-end Live editor (visual)
- Back-end builder (faster for experienced users)
- Container/column system
- Global options for reusable elements
Workflow: More technical, steeper learning curve, powerful once mastered.
My Take
Beginners: Divi easier to learn (visual feedback helps understanding)
Experienced developers: Avada back-end builder sometimes faster
Everyone else: Divi more intuitive
Problem with Avada: "Does everything their way, a different way" - massive learning curve even if you know WordPress!!
Pre-built Layouts and Demos
Divi Wins Numbers Game
- 2,300+ pre-built layouts
- 200+ layout packs (multiple pages each)
- 1,100+ individual page designs
- Regular new releases
Avada has:
- 94 complete website demos
- 120+ design elements
- Quality over quantity approach
Different Philosophies
Avada demos: Full website templates (multiple pages, pre-configured, cohesive structure)
Divi packs: Individual page layouts you mix and match
Which better?
Want complete site fast? → Avada demos solid
Want maximum flexibility mixing layouts? → Divi's 2,300 options crush it
Agency reality: After building 50 sites, you've used Avada's 94 demos. Divi's 2,300 layouts? Still discovering new ones!!
WooCommerce Integration
Both support WooCommerce but different strengths:
Divi WooCommerce
- 25+ WooCommerce modules
- Shop builder with visual editing
- Product page customization
- Cart/checkout styling
- Upsell and cross-sell controls
Avada WooCommerce
- 15 WooCommerce elements
- Complete shop demos
- Product layouts
- Integration with premium plugins
Verdict: Divi has more modules (25 vs 15) = more design control. Better for custom e-commerce work!!
The Bundled Plugins Trap
Avada markets "premium plugins included" heavily:
Bundled with Avada:
- Slider Revolution ($26 value)
- LayerSlider ($25 value)
- ACF Pro ($49 value)
- Convert Plus ($25 value)
Total "value": $125!!
Here's The Problem
You don't control updates!! When slider plugins need updates:
- Wait for Avada to bundle new version
- Wait for ThemeForest approval
- Finally get update
Meanwhile: Security vulnerabilities sit unpatched for weeks.
Divi approach: Use dedicated best-in-class plugins you control. Update when YOU want. No waiting on ThemeForest bureaucracy!!
Plugin Bloat
All those bundled plugins = code loaded whether you use them or not. Performance hit even with features disabled!!
Divi: Install only plugins you actually need. Leaner, faster, more control.
Theme Builder and Site-Wide Control
Divi Theme Builder
Create global templates for:
- Headers (different per page type!)
- Footers (shop vs blog vs main)
- Blog posts
- Product pages
- Archive pages
- 404 pages
Power: Build once, apply to hundreds of pages automatically. Change header = entire site updates.
Avada Options Panel
Massive theme options panel with settings for:
- Headers
- Footers
- Blog layouts
- Portfolio
- Performance
- SEO
Different approach: More traditional theme options rather than visual template building.
Which Better?
Divi Theme Builder = more visual and flexible
- See exactly what you're building
- Conditional logic (show different headers based on page type)
- More creative control
Avada Options = more organized for some
- Everything in one panel
- Systematic approach
- Less overwhelming for some users
My preference: Divi Theme Builder. Visual editing > text options panel every time.
Community and Third-Party Ecosystem
Divi Ecosystem = MASSIVE
- Divi Marketplace (official)
- 100+ third-party plugin developers
- Huge Facebook groups
- Dedicated tutorial sites
- Layouts, child themes, extensions everywhere
Want custom functionality? Probably a Divi plugin already exists.
Avada Ecosystem = Smaller
- ThemeForest support forum
- Official documentation
- Some third-party developers
- Less community innovation
ThemeForest effect: Because Avada locked in ThemeForest ecosystem, third-party developers less interested. Why build for one marketplace when you can build for wider audience?
SEO Features
Divi SEO
- Built-in SEO tab in theme settings
- Custom meta titles
- Meta descriptions
- Keywords control
- Canonical URLs
- Schema markup options
Plus: Compatible with Yoast, RankMath, etc.
Avada SEO
- NO built-in SEO features
- Must use third-party plugins
Verdict: Divi wins. Having built-in SEO controls convenient even though both work fine with SEO plugins.
When Avada Makes Sense
Fair assessment - Avada works for:
Single site project with fixed scope
- $69 one-time = genuine value
- No recurring costs if you don't need support
- Complete package with everything included
Developer building sites for clients who pay ongoing maintenance
- Client pays $18/year support
- You pocket difference
- Per-site model works when client paying
Someone wanting specific Avada demo that perfectly matches needs
- 94 demos well-designed
- Import and done
- Worth $69 if saves hours of design
When Divi Destroys Avada
Divi absolutely crushes Avada for:
Agencies building multiple client sites
- Unlimited sites on one license
- Economics completely different
- $249 lifetime vs $690+ for 10 Avada licenses
Freelancers with ongoing client roster
- Build 3+ sites yearly? Divi ROI insane
- No per-site fees adding up
Anyone wanting maximum design flexibility
- 2,300 layouts vs 94 demos
- More modules and controls
- Larger ecosystem of add-ons
Performance-focused developers
- Divi faster out-of-box since 2021 update
- Better optimization features built-in
People who value faster updates and support
- No ThemeForest approval delays
- Live chat vs ticket system
- Direct relationship with developer
Bottom Line Reality Check
For single hobby site: Avada $69 fine. Genuinely good value.
For anything beyond that: Divi economics destroy Avada completely.
3 client sites? Divi saves $100+
10 client sites? Divi saves $800+
Agency with 50+ sites? Divi saves $3,000+ easy!!
And that's ignoring:
- Faster performance
- Better support
- No update delays
- Larger ecosystem
- More layouts
- Theme Builder flexibility
Avada's 950,000 sales impressive. But most buyers probably don't understand the per-site trap or haven't experienced Divi's unlimited license model.
Once you do the math, there's no comparison!!
Stop paying per-site fees!! Get Divi unlimited license and build as many sites as you want for one price!! 💪
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Top comments (1)
Been using both for years.. That $69 Avada price looks great until you build your 4th client site and realize you've spent $276 while Divi is still $249 for unlimited sites...