Originally published at livecms.io. Updated October 8, 2026. Disclosure: I build LiveCMS.
If you build WordPress sites for clients, you've had this ticket: "can you change the headline?" The fix everyone reaches for is a front-end editor. But "front-end editor" covers several kinds of tool, and which one fits depends on how the page is rendered.
- If the page is Gutenberg blocks in
post_content, a block-aware editor is the right tool: FrontEdit, Frontpen or Jamie's Front-End Editor. - If it's a block theme and you want styling on the page too, look at Visual Edit Lite.
- If it's a hand-written PHP template (Tailwind, Bootstrap,
get_header(), hardcoded sections), none of those apply. That's the gap LiveCMS covers: you mark regions in the template, and clients edit only those regions.
Here's how they compare, checked against each plugin's wordpress.org listing on October 8, 2026.
The tools in short
FrontEdit: click supported core blocks (text, media, buttons, tables) on the live page and save normal block markup, including on block-editor custom post types. Its readme says it doesn't edit ACF or Meta Box values, block-bound post meta, or page-builder layouts. It shows 2,000+ active installs on wordpress.org and requires WordPress 7.0. Pro adds drafts, approvals, per-user permissions and block history.
Frontpen: a lighter tool for paragraphs, headings and list items, plus matched classic HTML. Version 1.5 adds an inline link editor with internal-page search. Its readme says it "does not edit theme templates, menus, custom fields, page-builder widgets." For agencies building PHP themes, that's the line that matters.
Jamie's Front-End Editor for Content Teams: built on the Interactivity API, for block themes. It edits paragraphs and headings by default (other block types are configurable), plus links, buttons and images. You can lock pages or blocks, and a "Site changes" screen logs every edit. It has 100+ installs and was last updated on 21 July 2026.
Visual Edit Lite: new on wordpress.org (added 25 September 2026). On a block theme, it opens WordPress's own editor with a floating style inspector. On converted static-HTML themes, it makes the pages click-to-edit. Its FAQ is direct: with a classic PHP theme, "the visual editor does not apply."
LiveCMS: for custom PHP, Tailwind and Bootstrap themes. You wrap fields in HTML comments, and clients edit those fields on the front end. Content is stored in post_content and post meta. Layout stays in the theme and in git.
<!-- lcms:text hero_heading -->
<h1><?php echo esc_html($hero_heading); ?></h1>
<!-- /lcms -->
Setup: developer quickstart. Comparing code-first region tools? Read Bindery vs LiveCMS.
Pick by stack
| Page model | What clients edit | Can clients add sections from the front end? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FrontEdit | Gutenberg blocks in post_content
|
Supported block content and attributes | No (its readme lists adding/moving blocks as planned Pro work) |
| Frontpen | Block text, plus classic HTML it can match | Paragraphs, headings, list items, links | No |
| Jamie's | Blocks (block themes) | Text, links, buttons, images | No |
| Visual Edit Lite | Block themes; converted static-HTML themes | Text, links, images, video; styles on block themes | Yes on block themes (from theme patterns) |
| LiveCMS | Custom PHP template regions | Only the text, images and links you marked | No |
Rule of thumb: a stack of blocks means FrontEdit, Frontpen or Jamie's. A block theme where you also want on-page styling means Visual Edit Lite. A designed PHP template with a few client fields means LiveCMS.
Why not just use contentOnly locking or Block Bindings?
On a block site, try them first: they're native and free. But both work on blocks, inside the block editor, so neither one makes an echo in page-about.php editable.
contentOnly editing hides design tools inside a pattern or container. Since WordPress 7.0, it's the default for unsynced patterns and template parts. It's an editing mode, though, not a permission: users can still open an unsynced pattern with "Edit pattern" and get full editing. Block Bindings connect block attributes to sources such as post meta.
Layout risk
Clients break pages when they can change structure. Block front-end editors are safer than a page builder, but roles and locks still matter. LiveCMS removes the canvas, so adding a section is developer work.
FAQ
What's the difference between FrontEdit and LiveCMS?
FrontEdit edits Gutenberg blocks on the live front end and saves block markup. LiveCMS marks regions in custom PHP themes with HTML comments. Clients can't add blocks, and content is stored in post_content and post meta.
Is LiveCMS a FrontEdit alternative?
For custom PHP themes, yes. If the site is already built with Gutenberg, use FrontEdit, Frontpen or Jamie's. LiveCMS isn't trying to be a better block editor.
Does Visual Edit Lite work on custom PHP themes?
Not as a visual editor. Its FAQ says the visual editor doesn't apply to classic PHP themes. It supports block themes and converted static-HTML themes that declare its theme contract.
When does Frontpen say no?
When the text comes from theme templates, menus, custom fields or page-builder widgets. LiveCMS is built for theme-template regions.
Get Started
Mark three regions on staging, walk one client through an edit, then decide. If your sites are custom PHP themes, Get Started.
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