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If you’re starting a blog in 2025, chances are you’re in a Google frenzy on the best tools to use to start.
And you might have seen a lot of strong opinions about Elementor. Some people swear by it. Others say it’s bloated and outdated and wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole.
Actually, a quick google with Elementor and “hot garbage” brings up a ton of articles. Which is kinda surprising.
But honestly? I think it’s good that there are strong opinions. It means people care about the tools they’re using. It’s good to have an opinionated discussion about what works, what doesn’t, and why. But what’s not helpful is when people forget the actual why behind it all. Why do people love Elementor? Why do others hate it? And most importantly why are you building a blog in the first place?
Because if your goal is to publish your content, grow your audience, and build something you can manage on your own, the conversation around Elementor starts to look a little different.
So let’s get into it.
Why I Still Use Elementor After Four Years
I’ve been using Elementor for close to four years now. I’ve built several of my own websites with it, and I’ve used it to build over a dozen client sites too. These sites are fast enough, they’re performing well, and they’re doing what they’re meant to do showcasing a business, blog, or personal brand with a clean, clear layout.
And that last part is important.
A clean layout is one of the most overlooked but most important elements of a good blog. Readers need to find your content easily. They need to feel like the site makes sense. Elementor makes it easy to create that kind of structure without having to learn how to code and it gives enough room to get creative with your design so that not everything looks the same.
Plus, when I hand over a site to a client, I want them to be able to update it themselves. Add a new blog post. Swap out an image. Create a new page if they want. Elementor makes that possible without turning every small change into a support ticket. And the speed is pretty good too, even though there is always things I can improve on and tweak.
If Not Elementor, Then What? What Are the Alternatives for Bloggers?
A lot of people love to hate on Elementor. That’s fine. But when you ask what they actually recommend instead especially for bloggers or creators who don’t want to spend months learning web development the list starts to shrink.
And that’s my issue with the negativity.
Before we go on, let’s remember that WordPress is free and that Elementor is also FREE. And I don’t mean free as a trial version, but actually free, enough to do a very solid, basic design that looks good for your first blog.
This is amazing for new bloggers or if you are just starting out a new site.
And if you want to upgrade to Elementor Pro, which adds more capabilities you are looking at less than $10 a month or less.
Now, let’s go through the most common alternatives and what they actually mean for you as a blogger.
Framer and Webflow
These two are gaining traction. Framer especially is sleek and modern, and Webflow has a strong reputation in the design community. But here’s the reality. Neither of them is WordPress. You’re locking yourself into a new system with different rules, different pricing, and a different way of doing things.
Now why is that bad you might ask? Because of flexibility mostly.
That might be fine for a design portfolio or a one-page personal site. But for a growing blog or business where you eventually want to sell digital products, grow an email list, or integrate with external tools, that lack of flexibility can get in the way.
And the price range is also waaay different than WordPress + Elementor Pro (which is great, but not a must when you are just starting out).
Framer has a personal and business category, but the personal category doesn’t provide you with a custom domain (aka your own actual name) and business sites start from $75 per month to $200 per month depending on your storage needs.
Want to add a new language to your website? Extra money.
Need more editors? Extra money.
Need to redirect links? Oops, there is a limit.
The fact that you need to pay so much for basic web functionality is a big drawback.
Similarly, Webflow currently has a complicated pricing structure that gives you a pretty worthless free option that is just for testing the waters, a basic plan for about $168 per year, and no CMS which you’ll need if you are building a blog or non static website, and a CMS blog friendly plan for $276. But there is no functionality for e-commerce, so if you decide to sell some of your own products that is not gonna work.
Oxygen and Breakdance
Here’s one that hits a bit differently. Oxygen was once a popular choice for people who wanted total control and cleaner code. Then the team behind it dropped a surprise they basically scrapped it and released Breakdance instead, with a completely different interface and focus.
Imagine you built ten client sites on a tool that then pivoted to something else entirely. That’s the risk of smaller or newer platforms. They can be powerful, but they also change direction fast. And for someone trying to build something stable and sustainable, that kind of volatility is a real concern.
Or imagine you’re a blogger that is excited to try out the cooler, new and fancy tool, and then having to relearn a new software or process a few years later.
This is not an issue with Elementor, who is a bigger player and obviously won’t drop a surprise like that on you. And that is an important thing to remember here, “are you chasing what is cool” or what does the job?
Bricks Builder
Bricks is fast, developer-friendly, and becoming more popular. If you are a bit technical and enjoy having control over your site, it could be a good fit.
It does a better job than Elementor when it comes to performance and cleaner code. Animations and conditional logic are built in, and it encourages better practices by design. But that also means you will likely need to learn some CSS to get the most out of it.
That is part of the issue if you are a blogger, solopreneur, or just testing out an idea. Bricks is not as beginner-friendly. The learning curve is steeper, and the community is smaller. Support is there, but it leans more developer-focused.
There is no free version either. You have to buy a license up front, which may be a blocker for someone just getting started.
Elementor is easier to learn, has more tutorials, and supports more integrations since it has been around longer. Bricks is lighter and more powerful under the hood, but Elementor is more accessible for most bloggers. It comes down to what you value more—speed and control, or ease of use and flexibility.
Why an Established Tool Like Elementor Still Makes Sense
Going back to the why, it’s important to think about tools that you want to grow with.
Elementor has been around long enough that it’s not going anywhere. That stability matters. It means the tutorials you find today will still be relevant next year. The add-ons and templates you buy will still work. And the team behind it is focused on compatibility and continuity, not throwing out everything and starting over.
With a massive user base comes a lot of advantages:
- More tutorials, guides, and courses
- A huge support community
- Templates and kits that are actually maintained
- Updates that prioritize stability over flashy features
- A familiar interface for designers, which keeps prices lower for clients
If you’re starting a blog and want to be able to design something that looks good without having to outsource every little change, Elementor is still one of the best entry points available.
And of course, as a massive player, it tends to be a bit slow and wonky when it comes to updates.
Liking Elementor, doesn’t mean we are blind to its bad practices and there is definitely room to grow.
My Take on Agencies That Use Elementor
Let’s talk about the designer side for a second. One thing I see often in online forums is the idea that “real” developers don’t use Elementor. They code everything by hand, and if you’re serious about your site, you should too.
That sounds nice. But here’s the reality I experienced before I started building websites myself.
When I was shopping around for a professional website years ago, I approached several agencies. Most of them were using page builders including Elementor—because it’s faster, it’s easier to maintain, and it gives the client a way to actually use their own site after launch.
The agencies and web developers there certainly knew how to code. That wasn’t the issue. But they were building sites that their clients could update without having to contact support every week. That’s where Elementor becomes useful. It gives developers a familiar framework to work quickly, reuse elements across projects, and still hand off something polished and usable.
And it gives designers, a canvas to work on their designs and worry less about code and more about building something that looks good (for those that focus on looks that’s it).
It also keeps prices reasonable. Because the designer or developer already knows the tool, they can deliver good work faster. That means lower costs for clients and less time wasted on basic edits.
Add to that the fact that Elementor’s pricing is still competitive compared to many other platforms, and it’s no surprise that even pro agencies use it regularly.
What About Plugins, Themes, and Flexibility?
One of WordPress with Elementor’s biggest strengths is the open ecosystem. You get access to powerful plugins that support blogging, travel storytelling, email growth, SEO, and more—all without limitations.
Framer does support plugins especially for animations, CMS integrations like Notion and Sheets, SEO tools, and even some e‑commerce options—but it is primarily design-focused and doesn’t offer the rich blogging toolkit that WordPress does .
Webflow has a marketplace full of apps analytics, forms, localization, paid memberships, e‑commerce integrations, and more—but adding email tools, multilingual support, and affiliate plugins still requires workarounds or extra services ().
Both are excellent for visual design, but when you want blogging plus SEO, email, affiliate links, multi-language, e‑commerce, you’ll need a variety of tools. WordPress with Elementor offers all of that in one place—often at a lower cost and with less hassle.
Final Thoughts for Bloggers Starting in 2025
If you’re just starting out and trying to choose a website builder, ignore the noise for a moment and focus on what actually helps you move forward.
You want something clean, functional, and easy to manage. Something you can grow into. Something that won’t require you to become a developer overnight just to publish a new blog post.
That’s why I still recommend Elementor. Not because it’s perfect. But because it works. Because it’s flexible. Because it helps people who don’t have a background in web design create something they’re proud of.
And at the end of the day, that’s what matters most.
If you need help setting things up, or just want to talk through your options, I’m happy to help. I’ve made enough websites at this point to know what’s worth the time—and what isn’t.
If you scrolled to the end ,here is the recap:
- Elementor still works well for bloggers and creators who want control without coding
- A lot of hate around Elementor is tied to developer expectations, not beginner needs
- Alternatives like Bricks, Framer, Webflow, and Gutenberg each come with trade-offs
- Most page builders either cost more, have steeper learning curves, or lack flexibility
- Agencies still use Elementor because it is fast to build, easy for clients, and cost-effective
- If you are a blogger or solopreneur, the best tool is the one you can learn and actually use
What About Hosting?
If you’re using WordPress with Elementor, your hosting choice matters. It affects your site speed, security, and overall ease of use. I personally recommend Hostinger for most new bloggers. The price is great, and the support is genuinely excellent. I’ve never had an issue I couldn’t fix instantly with their help.
For more complex or high-traffic projects, I also use Cloudways. It’s a bit more advanced but offers more power and flexibility if you’re scaling up or managing multiple client sites.
Start simple. Go with something affordable and fast like Hostinger. You can always upgrade later when your blog grows. But let’s talk about that in another post.
