Divi vs. Elementor vs. Thrive Architect (Complete Guide)

Are you trying to figure out which is the best page builder for WordPress: Divi vs. Elementor vs. Thrive Architect?

Whether you’re creating your very first website, or if you’re contemplating upgrading the design of your website, choosing the right WordPress page builder tool for your needs can be the difference between a smooth sailing experience, or hours of frustration. 

In this article, we’ll compare three major players in the market: Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect. Let’s dive in!

The Importance of Choosing the Right Page Builder

Before we dive into the comparison, let's first discuss why choosing the right page builder for your needs deserves some thought. 

A page builder is more than just a tool; it’s an extension of your creative vision. Not only does it help you design your website, but also influences its functionality, SEO, loading speed, and overall user experience. With the right page builder, you’ll be able to create the website you’ve always wanted – without having to earn a degree in computer science or hiring a team of designers and developers.

Essentially, choosing the right page builder tool could empower you, your website, and your business, while a wrong choice could hinder your growth or even mean spending days and hours switching to a new page builder later on.

Not to worry, we’re here to help you make your decision.

Divi vs Elementor vs Thrive Architect, Which Should You Choose?

To help you decide, we'll be examining three leading page builders – Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect – and drawing comparisons in the following categories:

• Ease of Setup
• Ease of Use
• Templates and Web Design Options
• Conversion-Focused Elements
• Additional Features and Functionality
• Integration and Compatibility
• Customer Support and Documentation
• Pricing

At the end of our analysis, we’ll tally up the scores and make our final recommendation. 

Ready to take a deep dive into these top page builder plugins? Let’s go!

Note: There are other solid WordPress plugins that offer theme building and front end editing like SeedProd, Beaver Builder, Astra, and more, so check out this article for a more in-depth list of the Best WordPress Landing Page Plugins.

Ease of Setup

A great page builder is one that gets you up and running quickly, smoothly, and without hassle. After all, if a tool is too difficult to set up, that doesn’t bode well for the overall user experience. 

Let’s see how our contenders fare.

Divi Ease of Setup

Divi, developed by Elegant Themes, comes as a part of their subscription service. After subscribing and downloading the plugin, you can install it as you would other WordPress plugins.

Once installed, pages will display the option to ‘Edit with Divi,’ which will open the page in the Divi editor. What follows next is a series of questions and choices you must make before you can begin editing your page.

With this array of options, the Divi builder certainly provides plenty of flexibility, but the number of options presented right from the start can initially be overwhelming for beginners. For ease of setup, Divi gets a score of 8 out of 10.

Elementor Ease of Setup

Elementor is a standalone plugin, available in both free and pro versions. The installation process is simple and similar to Divi - just download and install it from your WordPress dashboard.

Many people opt to take Elementor for a test drive by installing the free version from the WordPress Plugin Directory, in which case you’ll be prompted to create an account, install Hello theme, upload a logo, and ‘Activate Containers.’

This process can be quite confusing for beginners, and so we’re assigning Elementor a score of 7 out of 10 for setup ease.

Thrive Architect Ease of Setup

Thrive Architect, a product from Thrive Themes, is designed with a focus on marketing and conversions.

The setup is fairly straightforward, like Divi and Elementor, involving a simple plugin installation. You’ll need to log in to your Thrive Themes account and download, install, and activate Thrive Product Manager.

Then, visit Thrive Product Manager to install Thrive Architect. After that, getting to work on a new page in Thrive Architect is simple – without any of the detours that Divi or Elementor bring you on. The learning curve is less steep, making it an ideal choice for beginners. We're giving Thrive Architect a 9 out of 10 for ease of setup.

Ease of Use

With the initial setup out of the way, it's time to roll up our sleeves and get into the real work: using the page builder. The best builders should provide a seamless, intuitive user experience, allowing you to focus on creating, not on navigating a complicated interface.

Divi Ease of Use

Divi offers a unique visual builder. The colorful drag-and-drop interface allows you to see real-time changes as you edit your page.

While the abundance of modules and options gives users a high degree of customization, the design of the interface means you’ll need to do some extra clicking to access module and options and customize them to your exact specifications. 

The interface can take some getting used to, particularly for beginners, due to its vast array of features and settings. As such, we award the Divi page builder an ease of use score of 7 out of 10.

Elementor Ease of Use

The Elementor interface is known for its simplicity and being user-friendly . The UI is clean and easy to navigate, with a side panel containing all your widgets and settings. The drag-and-drop functionality makes the building process smooth, and the live editing feature allows you to design your page while viewing it exactly as your visitors would.

Elementor's advanced design features can take some time to fully grasp, but even with a bit of a learning curve, the tool's overall simplicity and intuitiveness earn it an 8.5 out of 10 for ease of use.

Thrive Architect Ease of Use

Thrive Architect's interface is as straightforward as its setup process. The intuitive drag-and-drop editor makes it easy for users to create and customize their web pages, and you’ll get the same type of live-editing feature as Elementor, letting you see exactly what your page will look like to visitors as you make your edits.

Some users might find the amount of options a bit overwhelming, but overall, the learning curve is less steep than that of Divi or Elementor while still offering a ton of customization options.

We're giving Thrive Architect a score of 9 out of 10 for ease of use.

Templates and Design Options

A key aspect that sets a good page builder apart from a great one is the variety of pre-made templates and design options available. Having pre-designed layouts available in just a few clicks can be a real game-changer, saving you heaps of time and effort. Let’s find out which of our contenders offers the best templates and designs. 

Divi Templates and Design Options

Divi truly shines when it comes to the variety of its design offerings. With over 200 website elements, 200 full website packs, and an impressive library of more than 2,000 pre-made designs, Divi gives users a leg up in building beautifully-designed websites.

Whether you're crafting a portfolio, an e-commerce site, a blog, or a corporate website, Divi will likely have a pre-made design that fits your needs.

For the sheer variety and quality of its templates and design options, Divi scores a perfect 10 out of 10.

Elementor Templates and Design Options

Elementor offers over 100 full website kits covering a wide range of industries, and over 100 widgets in the Elementor editor. The pre-designed kits are fully customizable, allowing you to match them to your brand's aesthetics.

Elementor's design options are comprehensive, providing everything from basic text and image widgets to more advanced features like forms, maps, and social media integrations.

However, compared to Divi's extensive template library, Elementor falls a bit short. We’re assigning Elementor a score of 9 out of 10 for templates and design options.

Thrive Architect Templates and Design Options

Thrive Architect focuses on conversion-optimized designs. While it doesn't boast as vast a library as Divi or Elementor, it centers on what truly matters – conversion-optimized designs. With over 350 specialized landing page templates for sales, opt-in pages, thank you pages, and more, it prioritizes quality over quantity. Plus, it offers over 810 block templates that can be mixed and matched to create unique layouts.

Thrive Architect's strength is that every one of its templates is carefully crafted for conversions, ensuring your site doesn't just look good but also gets results. Instead of merely churning out templates, the focus here is on creating highly effective designs adaptable to a wide range of industries.

The quality and conversion-focused nature of its templates earn Thrive Architect a score of 8 out of 10 in the templates and design options category.

Conversion Focused Elements

Websites serve not just to provide information, but also as a powerful tool to attract clients and customers, make sales, and grow your business. This is where conversion-focused elements come into play. These include tools like testimonials, countdown timers, lead generation forms, call-to-action buttons, pricing tables, social proof, and more.

Elements like these can significantly enhance user engagement and encourage visitors to take desired actions – or to convert – such as signing up for a newsletter, or purchasing a product.

Divi Conversion Focused Elements

Divi comes with a wide array of modules that can aid in driving conversions. It includes the standard conversion-focused elements like testimonials, call-to-action buttons, and email opt-in forms.

Additionally, it provides modules like a pricing table, contact form, and social follow buttons. However, compared to some other builders, Divi lacks pre-made design templates for its modules. More module designs are available from third party developers on the Divi Marketplace, but this comes with additional fees. For its collection of conversion-focused elements, Divi scores 7 out of 10.

Elementor Conversion Focused Elements

Elementor also provides a number of conversion-focused widgets. It includes basic elements like call-to-action buttons, testimonials, and social proof. Elementor Pro takes it a step further, offering advanced tools like a countdown timer, form builder, and pop-up builder.

Despite these features, Elementor lacks some specific conversion tools such as A/B testing capabilities, and while the form widget can be used for lead generation, it isn’t optimized for conversions like the lead generation elements from other page builders. We give Elementor a score of 8 out of 10 for its conversion-focused elements.

Thrive Architect Conversion Focused Elements

Thrive Architect, designed with a focus on conversions, excels in this category. It provides all the standard conversion elements such as call-to-action buttons, testimonials, and pricing tables – complete with an array of design options for each.

But where Thrive Architect truly stands out is its advanced conversion tools. It comes with a comprehensive suite of lead generation forms, countdown timers, and even the ability to run A/B testing right from the page builder using Thrive Optimize.

Additionally, Thrive Architect offers specific conversion-focused templates, like sales pages and opt-in pages. For its excellent array of conversion tools, Thrive Architect earns a score of 10 out of 10.

Additional Features and Functionality

While the core functionality of page builders is to help you create beautiful, responsive websites, it's the additional features and functionality that can truly help you build the perfect website for your business. Let's compare our three contenders.

Divi Additional Features and Functionality

Divi offers a host of additional features that make it an appealing option. For starters, it provides integrated split testing right out of the box, advanced display conditions, and custom CSS control. Divi also has built-in modules for WooCommerce.

Unlike Elementor, Divi doesn't have a built-in pop-up module, and unlike Thrive Architect, Divi lacks built-in templates for its most useful modules. 

However, it’s worth noting that Divi has the Divi Marketplace, where you can purchase additional themes, extensions, and layouts, for an additional fee. Divi’s diverse set of features gives it a score of 8 out of 10, but we wish it came with more built-in templates for those features.

Elementor Additional Features and Functionality

Elementor offers a strong set of additional features. It stands out with its built-in pop-up builder, allowing you to create engaging pop-ups without the need for an additional plugin. Elementor also offers theme builder functionality, giving you control over your entire site's design, and it integrates with WooCommerce.

However, Elementor lacks built-in A/B testing, a feature provided by both Divi and Thrive Architect. While there are a number of third-party integrations available, Elementor doesn't provide as many native elements as Divi, and their Add-on page isn’t nearly as extensive as Divi’s Marketplace. For its additional features and functionality, Elementor scores an 8 out of 10.

Thrive Architect Additional Features and Functionality

Thrive Architect is not just about building beautiful websites, it's about building beautiful websites that perform. It boasts features and functionalities tailored to meet the needs of marketers and conversion-focused entrepreneurs, such as fully customizable, pre-designed blocks, which can be dropped into your page designs for rapid implementation.

Thrive Architect also offers the unique ability to customize colors and fonts for pre-built landing pages across the entire page with just a few clicks – a huge time-saver for those who need to get their work done quickly.

Thrive Architect integrates seamlessly with other Thrive tools that provide several powerful features like quizzes, advanced lead generation opt-ins, and A/B testing to fine-tune your content. These functionalities are extremely useful for conversion optimization but note that to access these features, you would need to upgrade to Thrive Suite.

While this may seem like an additional cost, the value Thrive Suite brings in terms of increased conversions and efficiency makes it a fantastic investment. You'll get an all-in-one marketing toolkit that has been specifically designed to boost your WordPress website's performance, attract more leads, and get more engagement. When you consider the immense value you'll get from Thrive Suite, it's not just a sensible choice, it's a no-brainer.

For those looking for a set of features specifically designed to aid in conversion optimization, Thrive Architect is the top choice among these contenders. We give Thrive Architect a score of 8.5 for overall features and functionality.

Integration and Compatibility

For page builders, their compatibility with different themes, plugins and other third-party tools and services can greatly impact your WordPress site's functionality. Let’s see which page builder offers the most compatibility with other tools.

Divi Integration and Compatibility

Divi generally works well with the majority of WordPress themes and plugins. As for integrations, Divi offers in-built support for popular email marketing services like Mailchimp, Aweber, and ConvertKit.

It also integrates with WooCommerce, allowing you to easily build an online store.

However, Divi's integrations with learning management systems are somewhat limited compared to Elementor and Thrive Architect. Taking all of this into consideration, Divi receives an 8 out of 10 for integration and compatibility.

Elementor Integration and Compatibility

Elementor stands out with its compatibility and integration capabilities. It's designed to work with most WordPress themes, and it integrates well with a wide variety of tools, including popular email marketing services like Mailchimp, Drip, and GetResponse.

Like Divi, Elementor integrates with WooCommerce. For e-learning, Elementor integrates seamlessly with LearnDash and LifterLMS, among others. These integration capabilities earn Elementor a score of 8.5 out of 10.

Thrive Architect Integration and Compatibility

Thrive Architect also fares well on the compatibility front, working with most WordPress themes and plugins without major issues. On the integrations side, Thrive Architect has an edge, particularly for marketers. It integrates with a wide range of email marketing services including Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Drip, and AWeber.

Like Divi and Elementor, Thrive Architect also offers integration with WooCommerce.

As for e-learning, Thrive Architect integrates with LearnDash, Wishlist Member, and of course Thrive’s own e-learning tool, Thrive Apprentice. Using Thrive Themes’ free automation tool, Thrive Automator, can expand integrations even more. This focus on compatibility and integration earns Thrive Architect a 9 out of 10.

Customer Support and Documentation

No matter how feature-rich or user-friendly a tool might be, there will always be times when you need a bit of help. This is where customer support and comprehensive documentation come into play. Let's compare the customer support and documentation of Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect.

Divi Customer Support and Documentation

Divi offers an impressive support system. Users can easily reach out to the support team via live chat and email. Their response time is usually quick.

Divi’s documentation is also thorough, covering a wide range of topics in detail. They provide comprehensive written tutorials, along with video walkthroughs, making it easy for users to understand and solve problems. 

Divi also has a Facebook group, where customers can share their thoughts with the Divi community. Divi scores a 9 out of 10 in customer support and documentation.

Elementor Customer Support and Documentation

Elementor provides customer support through online chat, and licensed users can access premium support by logging in to their accounts. Elementor's strong point is its extensive documentation and vibrant community. The documentation covers almost every aspect of the tool; videos accompany some articles but not all.

They also have an active Facebook group where users can share issues and ideas. Considering all these details, Elementor receives a 7.5 out of 10 in customer support and documentation.

Thrive Architect Customer Support and Documentation

Thrive Architect also offers strong customer support and comprehensive documentation. Support tickets are generally responded to in less than 24 hours.

Thrive Architect’s documentation is exhaustive, covering all features of the tool in depth, and many articles include a helpful video tutorial.

Thrive Themes has a Facebook group where users can discuss issues. Thrive Architect also earns a 9.5 out of 10 in this area.

Pricing

While features, ease of use, and customer support are all crucial factors in choosing a page builder, pricing is an equally important consideration. After all, every tool needs to fit within your budget. Let's take a look at the pricing plans for Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect.

Divi Pricing

Divi offers two straightforward pricing plans. The annual subscription costs $89 and gives you access to Divi, Extra, Bloom, and Monarch for unlimited websites. This means you're not just getting Divi Theme Builder and page editing, but also a premium theme (Extra), an email opt-in plugin (Bloom), and a social sharing plugin (Monarch).

Alternatively, you can choose their lifetime access plan for a one-time fee of $249, giving you access to all these tools without any recurring costs. However, keep in mind the additional costs if you decide to purchase themes, extensions, and layouts from Divi's Marketplace. Considering the value it offers, Divi scores a 9 out of 10 for its pricing.

Elementor Pricing

Elementor offers a free version on the WordPress Plugin Directory that is great for beginners, but for advanced features, you'll need the premium version, Elementor Pro. Pricing for the Pro version starts at $59 per year for a single site.

While the free version of Elementor (freemium model offers) excellent flexibility, the costs can add up if you need to install Elementor on multiple sites or if you purchase third-party add-ons. Thus, Elementor scores a 8 out of 10 in pricing.

Thrive Architect Pricing

Pricing is a crucial factor when it comes to choosing a page builder, but it's essential to remember that it's not just about the cost – it's about value. Thrive Architect offers excellent value for your money, particularly when you consider its focus on conversion-optimized features and the potential increase in revenue.

For example, let's say you market a $100 product to an audience of 10,000 people, and you make 200 sales.

That's a conversion rate of 2%, and a total revenue of $20,000. 

Now let's say Thrive Architect's conversion features help you increase your conversion rate to 3%, a mere one percent difference. 

The increase to your bottom line? $10,000!

That's the power of using a conversion-focused tool. 

Thrive Architect is priced at $199 per year, and you can get a significant discount of $100 for the first year. While this is on the pricier end, the potential increase in conversions and, consequently, the addition revenue it can bring makes it a highly cost-effective solution.

With Thrive Architect, you're not just buying a page builder – you're investing in a tool that could drastically boost your bottom line. So, when it comes to pricing, Thrive Architect scores a 9 out of 10, tying with Divi. 

Overall Scores for Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect

Having explored the ins and outs of each of these three powerful page builders, it's time to tally up the scores and see how they stack against each other. Let's take a look at the final scores for Divi, Elementor, and Thrive Architect.

Divi: 66/80

Divi scores well across most categories, with its extensive design options and conversion-focused elements adding to its overall score. Divi's simple setup process and lifetime pricing option provide added benefits that few competitors can match. However, Divi falls short in the integration category, and some users find the user interface slightly more complex than Elementor or Thrive Architect. 

Elementor: 64.5/80

The Elementor plugin, with its array of templates and user-friendly interface, also scores impressively. It stands out in the integration category and offers a wide range of design options and conversion-focused elements. However, its relatively higher cost, somewhat distracting ease of setup, and lack of conversion focused tools pull its score down a bit.

Thrive Architect: 72/80

Thrive Architect shines in the conversion-focused elements and customer support departments. Its impressive ease of use and additional features make it a favorite among many users. However, offering fewer page templates compared to Divi and Elementor slightly dents its overall score.

Which is the Best Page Builder: Divi vs Elementor vs Thrive Architect

When the dust settles on the drag and drop builder battlefield, one page builder stands out as a clear victor: Thrive Architect. Not only does it bring an easy-to-use interface to the table, but its strong focus on conversion-boosting elements sets it apart from the crowd.

Every design element and feature is there to ensure your website not only looks fantastic but also engages your visitors and encourages them to turn into customers. This focus on helping businesses thrive (pardon the pun) online makes Thrive Architect the ideal tool for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

In the end, the best website builder will come down to personal preference and depends on your unique needs and goals. Each of the page builders we examined here today offers a no-risk, 30-day money back guarantee, so why not check them out and see how they work for you? 

Click here to check out Thrive Architect today!