Alright, let's settle this once and for all!! You've got Elementor - the plugin that revolutionized WordPress page building - going head-to-head with Avada - the all-time bestselling theme on ThemeForest.
But here's the thing most comparisons get COMPLETELY wrong... These aren't the same type of product!! One is a page builder plugin, the other is a complete theme with its own builder. Understanding this difference is CRUCIAL before you throw money at either one.
So grab a coffee, get comfy, and let's figure out which one deserves a spot on your WordPress install!!!
The Fundamental Difference (Read This First!)
Before we dive into features, let's get crystal clear on what we're actually comparing:
Elementor is a PAGE BUILDER PLUGIN. It works WITH WordPress themes. You still need a theme underneath - most people use Hello Elementor (free), Astra, GeneratePress, or similar lightweight themes. Elementor handles the visual building part.
Avada is a COMPLETE THEME with its own integrated builder. It's an all-in-one solution - theme AND page builder combined. You don't need anything else to build a full website.
This fundamental difference shapes EVERYTHING about how these tools work, what they cost, and who they're best for...
Feature Comparison: What You Actually Get
Elementor Pro Features
Elementor Pro brings serious firepower:
- 100+ Widgets - Everything from basic text to advanced forms
- Theme Builder - Design headers, footers, archive pages, single posts
- Popup Builder - Create marketing popups with triggers and conditions
- WooCommerce Builder - Custom product pages, shop, cart, checkout
- Form Builder - With integrations to major email marketing platforms
- Dynamic Content - Pull data from custom fields, ACF, and more
- Motion Effects - Animations, parallax, mouse tracking
- Global Widgets - Reuse elements across your entire site
- Custom CSS - Add styling to any element
- Role Manager - Control who can edit what
Plus a FREE version with 40+ widgets to get started!!
Avada Features
Avada packs EVERYTHING into one package:
- Avada Builder - Backend drag-and-drop editor
- Avada Live - Frontend visual editing with live preview
- 110+ Prebuilt Websites - One-click import demos
- 600+ Avada Studio Templates - Individual sections and pages
- Full WooCommerce Builder - Deep ecommerce integration
- Mega Menu Builder - Complex navigation made easy
- Form Builder - Built right in
- Slider Revolution - $59 value, included free
- ACF Pro - $49 value, included free
- Convert Plus - Popups and lead generation
- 400+ Design Options - Control literally everything
No separate theme purchase needed - it's the whole package!!!
The Pricing Reality Check
Here's where things get REALLY interesting...
Elementor Pro Pricing
- Essential: $59/year (1 site)
- Advanced: $99/year (3 sites) - Includes WooCommerce Builder
- Expert: $199/year (25 sites)
- Agency: $399/year (1000 sites)
Remember: You still need a theme!! Free themes like Hello Elementor work fine, but premium themes add cost.
Annual cost for 1 site: $59/year minimum
Annual cost for 5 sites: $199/year (Expert plan)
Avada Pricing
- $69 one-time payment per site
- Lifetime updates included
- 6 months support (extend for ~$21)
- $200+ in bundled plugins
Cost for 1 site: $69 total (one-time!)
Cost for 5 sites: $345 total (one-time!)
The Long-Term Math
Let's do the numbers for 5 sites over 5 years:
Elementor Expert Plan:
$199/year × 5 years = $995
Avada:
$69 × 5 sites = $345 (forever)
For multi-site users, Avada's one-time pricing wins HARD in the long run... But there's a catch I'll explain in a moment.
Ease of Use: Who Wins?
Elementor's Learning Curve
Elementor is famous for being beginner-friendly:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- What you see is EXACTLY what you get
- Inline text editing (click and type!)
- Massive tutorial ecosystem on YouTube
- Huge community for troubleshooting
- Skills transfer to ANY Elementor-compatible theme
Most people can build a decent page within an hour of first using Elementor. The learning resources are ENDLESS - probably the best-documented page builder out there!!
Avada's Learning Curve
Avada is powerful but... complex:
- Dashboard can feel overwhelming
- 400+ options means hunting for settings
- Proprietary builder (different from industry standard)
- Steeper initial learning curve
- Setup Wizard helps but mastery takes time
I've written about Avada troubleshooting and debugging plugin conflicts because the learning curve is REAL.
Winner for beginners: Elementor, no contest
Winner for power users: Depends on whether you value depth (Avada) or ecosystem (Elementor)
Performance: Speed Matters!!!
Neither is going to win races against minimalist setups, but let's compare:
Elementor Performance
Elementor has improved dramatically:
- Remove Unused CSS feature (game-changer!)
- Improved DOM output in recent versions
- Optimized widgets with conditional loading
- Performance depends heavily on theme choice
Pair Elementor with a lightweight theme like Hello or Astra and proper optimization - PageSpeed 90+ is absolutely achievable.
Avada Performance
Avada requires more optimization work:
- Performance Wizard guides you through settings
- Critical CSS generation
- Lazy loading built in
- Still tends to be heavier out-of-box
I've covered why Avada sites get slow and fixing Core Web Vitals extensively. With work, you can hit 70-90 mobile scores.
Winner for performance: Elementor + lightweight theme combo has the edge, but both require optimization for best results.
WooCommerce: Building Online Stores
Elementor WooCommerce
Elementor Pro (Advanced plan and up) includes:
- Custom product page layouts
- Shop archive design
- Cart and checkout customization
- Product widgets (images, price, add-to-cart, etc.)
- Dynamic content for products
Solid WooCommerce support, but for advanced features like wishlists, quick view, and AJAX filters - you'll need additional plugins.
Avada WooCommerce
Avada's WooCommerce integration goes DEEP:
- Full WooCommerce Builder
- Product variation swatches (Color, Image, Button)
- Custom layouts for everything
- Off-canvas cart
- Mega menu with product showcases
- More features built-in without extra plugins
I've written complete guides on setting up WooCommerce with Avada and Avada WooCommerce speed optimization.
Winner for basic stores: Tie - both work great
Winner for feature-rich stores: Avada has more built-in, Elementor needs plugins
For SERIOUS ecommerce, check out dedicated themes like WoodMart that include everything out of the box.
The Ecosystem Factor
Elementor's MASSIVE Ecosystem
This is where Elementor genuinely dominates:
- Thousands of third-party addons (Essential Addons, JetElements, etc.)
- Hundreds of compatible themes
- Huge template marketplace
- Skills are transferable - Learn once, use anywhere
- Enormous community - Problems get solved FAST
- Job market - "Elementor experience" is a marketable skill
The ecosystem around Elementor is probably its biggest advantage. Whatever you need, someone's probably built an addon for it!!
Avada's Self-Contained World
Avada takes the opposite approach:
- All-in-one solution - Less need for third-party stuff
- Avada Studio - 600+ official templates
- Limited third-party addons - Ecosystem is smaller
- Proprietary skills - Knowledge doesn't transfer as easily
Avada is powerful but isolated. Your expertise becomes Avada-specific rather than industry-wide.
The Lock-in Question
Real talk time...
Elementor Lock-in
If you build with Elementor and later switch to another builder:
- Your content remains in WordPress (it's just shortcodes)
- Layouts break but text/images survive
- Migration plugins exist to help
- Can switch themes freely while keeping Elementor
Avada Lock-in
If you build with Avada and want to switch:
- Everything uses Avada-specific formatting
- Switching themes = rebuilding from scratch
- No migration path to other builders
- Your content is essentially hostage
This lock-in factor is why some agencies avoid Avada despite its power. Client sites become dependent on a single theme forever...
When to Choose Elementor
Elementor is your best choice if:
- You want the industry-standard page builder
- Transferable skills matter to you
- You prefer lightweight theme + builder combo
- You value the massive addon ecosystem
- You want the most intuitive editing experience
- You're building sites for clients who'll edit themselves
- You might switch themes in the future
- You want a free version to start with
Elementor shines for: Beginners, freelancers who value flexibility, anyone who wants maximum ecosystem support and transferable skills.
When to Choose Avada
Avada is your best choice if:
- You want an all-in-one solution
- One-time pricing appeals over subscriptions
- You need deep WooCommerce integration without extra plugins
- You're building 1-5 sites (licensing cost stays reasonable)
- You want maximum built-in features
- You prefer everything from one vendor
- You don't mind a steeper learning curve
- Long-term savings matter more than flexibility
Avada shines for: Solo site owners, those who hate subscriptions, complex projects that need everything included.
The Third Path: Divi
Worth mentioning that Divi offers a middle ground:
- Unlimited sites on one license (~$89/year or $249 lifetime)
- All-in-one like Avada
- Modern builder like Elementor
- Huge ecosystem like Elementor
If the per-site licensing of Avada bothers you but you don't want Elementor's subscription model, Divi's unlimited licensing is worth considering. I covered why I switched from Avada to Divi in another article.
My Honest Recommendation
After years of using both extensively, here's my take:
For most people: Start with Elementor. The free version lets you learn without commitment. The skills transfer everywhere. The ecosystem is unmatched. If you later decide you need more, upgrading to Pro or switching to something else is straightforward.
For specific situations: Avada makes sense if you're building a handful of permanent sites, want everything included without plugin hunting, and don't mind committing to one ecosystem long-term.
The uncomfortable truth: Neither is "better" - they serve different philosophies. Elementor says "be flexible." Avada says "have everything." Your workflow determines which matters more!!
Still can't decide?? Try Elementor Free on your next project. If you find yourself constantly wanting features it doesn't have, Avada or Elementor Pro might be your answer. But don't assume you need to pay before you've tested what's available for free :)
Got questions about specific use cases? Drop them below - I've probably built something similar and can point you in the right direction!!!
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