Thrive Architect vs. Elementor: How to Choose

Trying to decide between Thrive Architect and Elementor for your WordPress site? Don't worry — I've been there, and I'm here to help!

Whether you're building your first website or planning to revamp an existing one, picking the right page builder can make the difference between a smooth, enjoyable experience and hours of frustration.

I'll walk you through a detailed comparison of Thrive Architect and Elementor — two of the most popular page builders out there — to help you make the best choice. Let's dive in!

Picking Your Perfect Page Builder: Why It Matters

Before we jump into comparing these two popular tools, let's talk about why your page builder choice really matters.

Your page builder is the foundation of your website creation process. It's the tool you'll use every time you want to update your site, create new pages, or implement your design ideas. The right choice will give you the confidence to build a website that not only looks professional but also performs well in terms of speed, SEO, and user experience.

I've seen many website owners (myself included!) learn this the hard way: picking the wrong builder can lead to frustration and limitations. The good news? With the right fit, you can create a professional-looking website without needing to code or hire expensive developers. That's exactly why we're comparing Thrive Architect and Elementor today – to help you make the best choice for your needs.

Thrive Architect vs Elementor: Which Should You Choose?

To help you make an informed decision, I'll break down Elementor and Thrive Architect across these key areas:

• 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

I'll share my experience with both builders and give you a clear winner at the end. Plus, I'll help you figure out which one might work better for your specific situation.

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

Ease of Setup

The first test of any WordPress plugin is how smoothly it goes from download to ready-to-use. A straightforward setup process usually indicates a well-designed tool that respects your time.

Let's see how Elementor and Thrive Architect handle the initial setup process.

Elementor Ease of Setup

Elementor is a standalone plugin, available in both free and pro versions. The installation process is simple and similar to Thrive Architect — 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 and involves 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 Elementor brings 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

Now for what really matters - how it feels to actually use these builders day-to-day. A good page builder should get out of your way and let you focus on creating, not leave you hunting through complicated menus or struggling with basic functions.
Let's see how Elementor and Thrive Architect perform when it comes to real-world use.

Elementor Ease of Use

Elementor's interface takes a straightforward approach. The left sidebar contains your building blocks and settings, while the main area displays a live preview of your page. The drag-and-drop functionality works as expected, though occasionally elements can be a bit finicky to position precisely.

While the live editing feature is useful - showing you changes in real-time - the interface can feel cramped when working with multiple setting panels open. Most users will find the basic controls intuitive, but some of the more advanced features require a bit of exploration to master.

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 Elementor's 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. 

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.

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.Its designs center on what truly matters – conversions. 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 9 out of 10 in the templates and design options category.

Conversion Focused Elements

Building a good-looking website is one thing, but turning visitors into subscribers, leads, or customers takes specific tools. That's where conversion-focused features come into play.

Some key marketing elements include:

• Lead capture forms
• Countdown timers
• Testimonial blocks
• Call-to-action buttons
• Pricing tables
• Social proof elements

These features can help transform a static website into one that actively grows your business. Let's see how Elementor and Thrive Architect stack up in the marketing department.

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

Having worked extensively with Thrive Architect's marketing features, I can tell you it takes conversion tools pretty seriously. You'll find all the usual suspects –  call-to-action buttons, testimonials, and pricing tables – plus some interesting extras that go beyond the basics.

I particularly like their lead generation forms, which offer more flexibility than most, and their countdown timers are quite versatile. If you're willing to invest in Thrive Optimize (their A/B testing add-on), you can run split tests right in the builder - something I've found really useful for optimizing landing pages. 

They've also packed in several marketing-focused templates for sales pages and opt-in pages, though I should mention that some of these advanced features took me a while to fully figure out.

For its excellent array of conversion tools, Thrive Architect earns a score of 10 out of 10.

Additional Features and Functionality

While I've covered the main features, both Elementor and Thrive Architect have some interesting extras up their sleeves. Let's look at what additional tools they offer that might make your life easier - or your website better.

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 Thrive Architect.

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.

One handy feature in Thrive Architect is the ability to quickly update colors and fonts across entire landing pages. I've found this particularly useful when adapting templates to match brand guidelines.

The builder works well with other Thrive tools, offering features like quizzes and advanced opt-in forms. While these extras sound promising, there's a catch - you'll need to upgrade to Thrive Suite to access them. The A/B testing feature, for instance, only comes with the full Suite package.

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.

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.

Elementor also 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 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 Elementor, and Thrive Architect.

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. And Thrive Themes boasts a stellar support team, ready to help you figure out your challenges and get you back on the right track.

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 Elementor, and Thrive Architect.

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

Let's talk about what you'll actually pay for Thrive Architect and what you get in return. As someone who works with different page builders, I find pricing is important to understand – but it's really about what you get for your investment.

Thrive Architect comes in at $199 per year.

While this puts it in the higher range compared to some other page builders, I've found the included marketing and conversion features can make it worthwhile for business-focused websites.

Here's a practical 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. 

While I can't promise these exact results (and you shouldn't expect them), I've seen how smart use of conversion-focused features can make a real difference to business results.

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.

Overall Scores for 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 Elementor and 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: 73/80

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 Elementor slightly dents its overall score.

Which is the Best Page Builder: Thrive Architect vs Elementor

After thoroughly comparing these two popular page builders, Thrive Architect stands out as the winner. While both tools offer solid design capabilities, Thrive Architect's powerful combination of user-friendly design tools and conversion-focused features makes it particularly valuable for anyone serious about growing their online business.

I've found Thrive Architect really shines when it comes to turning visitors into customers. The marketing tools are thoughtfully integrated into the building experience, and while Elementor offers good design flexibility, Thrive Architect's focus on business results gives it a clear edge for entrepreneurs and marketers.

That said, the best choice depends on your specific needs. If you're building a business website and want a tool that helps drive real results, Thrive Architect is the way to go. Both builders offer money-back guarantees, so you can try them out and see the difference for yourself.

Click here to check out Thrive Architect today!