Thrive Architect vs. Elementor Pro
Welcome to First Class Content Editing
No Limits
Today, dozens of page builders are available for WordPress. But only two of them provide a true, distraction-free, what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience with zero tech skills and imagination needed: Elementor Pro and Thrive Architect.
Are they the same? Not at all. While building your pages with both of them feels like flying first class, the purpose of the editors is different. Let us help you find the right one for your goals.
Pricing
Although Elementor has a free version as well, we're comparing the prices of Elementor Pro and Thrive Architect.
The reason behind this is that Elementor Pro has more and better features than the free version, which makes the plugin more comparable to Thrive Architect.
One Site License
$67
15 Site License
$147
One Site License
$49
Unlimited License
$199
At first glance, Elementor Pro seems to be the cheaper option, but there's one important difference between the two packages: Thrive Architect offers lifetime updates while Elementor Pro doesn't.
If you can't install the necessary updates for a plugin, it will stop being compatible with the other plugins you use and, eventually, with WordPress.
To get updates from Elementor after 12 months, you need to purchase the package again.
For Thrive Architect, you only have to purchase the plugin once and you'll be able to build your websites with it for as long as you want.
Feature Comparison
Let's have a look at what features each plugin offer
Gene | Thrive Architect | Elementor Pro |
|---|---|---|
Pre-Sales Support | ||
Customer Support | ||
One-time fee | ||
Free/Demo Version | ||
Demo Can Be Downloaded Directly from WordPress | ||
Edit In Mobile Responsive View | ||
See Number and Location of Currently Active Installs | ||
WordPress Plugin Dashboard | ||
Knowledge Base and Tutorials | ||
Live, Front-End Editing | ||
Drag and Drop Editing | ||
Works on Non-WordPress Websites | ||
Compatible with Any Official WordPress Theme | ||
Landing Pages | ||
Landing Page Template Library | ||
Pre-designed content templates | ||
Save templates | ||
Easy Switch to Preview Mode | ||
Easy Search Among Elements | ||
Hideable Sidebar Menu | ||
Edit built content with the backend WordPress Editor | ||
Color picker | ||
Custom margins and paddings | ||
Custom Column Width | ||
Inline text editing | ||
Custom element border | ||
Elements hierarchy | ||
Click to Add Elements | ||
TypeFocus / Text Animation | ||
Remove elements with Delete button | ||
Save custom colors | ||
Color gradient | ||
Background section overlay | ||
Editing with hidden side bar | ||
EMS API integrations | 23 | 1 (Mailchimp) |
Other plugins within brand |
Most of the features one plugin has to offer can be found in the other one, or the difference is tiny. Here's to recap the most important differences:
Elementor offers a free version. The free version is obviously way more limited than the pro version, but this is a great way to try the basic features of the plugin for as long as you want. Thrive Architect gives you 30 risk free days after your purchase.
The Elementor landing page templates can also be used as page content templates which can come in handy when you build a homepage or an about page. In Thrive Architect, this feature is yet to be released.
Thrive Architect is big on email marketing, which is a powerful way to keep in touch with your future clients.
The plugin offers API integration with 23 email marketing providers, but you can also connect your webinar and email delivery services to the plugin with an API key.
In Elementor, you need to install a separate plugin if you want to connect an email marketing service other than Mailchimp.
The Thrive Themes family has many more plugins other than Thrive Architect - there are plugins to build opt-in forms, limited time campaigns, quizzes, images and so on.
By having different plugins within the same brand you can make sure that all the plugins are a 100% compatible with each other and no matter how many of them you use, they won't cause any conflict, something that is otherwise common for WordPress plugins.
Elements Comparison
What are the elements can you use to build your posts and pages with?
Elements | Thrive Architect | Elementor Pro |
|---|---|---|
Text element | ||
Heading element | ||
Animated Headline | ||
Image | ||
Image Carousel | ||
Image Gallery | ||
Alert Message Button | ||
Columns | ||
Background Section | ||
Content Box | ||
Content Template | ||
Click to Tweet / Blockquote | ||
Contact Form | ||
Content Reveal | ||
Countdown | ||
Countdown Evergreen | ||
Credit Card Icons | ||
Custom HTML | ||
Custom Menu | ||
Disqus Comments | ||
Divider | ||
Facebook Comments | ||
Facebook Page Like and Embed | ||
Fill Counter | ||
Flip Box | ||
Google Maps | ||
Icon | ||
Icon Box | ||
Image Box | ||
Lead Generation | ||
Menu-like Price List | ||
Number Counter | ||
Post Grid | ||
Portfolio | ||
Progress Bar | ||
Slides | ||
Social Icons | ||
Social Share | ||
SoundCloud | ||
Spacer Element | ||
Star Rating | ||
Styled List / Icon List | ||
Numbered List | ||
Excel-style Table | ||
Table of Contents | ||
Tabs | ||
Testimonial | ||
Toggle | ||
Video | ||
WordPress Content | ||
Integration with other plugins | ||
WordPress Login | ||
Shortcode Inserter | ||
Menu Anchor Element | ||
WordPress Sidebar |
It's easy to spot the big difference between the types of elements these visual editors offer. The most basic elements (text, image, columns, button) can be found in both plugins, but the rest make it clear that Thrive Architect and Elementor Pro are often not used for the same purposes.
Elementor offers many elements for portfolio-like pages and online presence, e.g. image gallery, portfolio, social media like and embed.
Thrive Architect on the other hand focuses more on helping you build a truly conversion optimized website. It's the ultimate tool for online marketing.
Elements like the evergreen countdown for limited time offers, star rating and table for product reviews, table of content for quick scanning, social share option for better engagement, or a more elaborate pricing table all help you achieve these marketing goals faster and with less work.
That being said, you can achieve a conversion optimized website with Elementor and a porfolio-like page with Thrive Architect, but the process of building these types of pages are way easier and quicker with the "right" editor.
Landing Pages
A landing page is a page on your website with a single purpose - usually that of converting your visitors to subcribers, buyers or fans. Pre-designed templates can be of big help.
Purpose of Template | Thrive Architect | Elementor Pro |
|---|---|---|
Coming Soon Page | ||
Ecommerce Page | ||
One Step Lead Generation | ||
Two Step Lead Generation | ||
Confirmation Page | ||
Download Page | ||
Thank You Page | ||
Login Page | ||
Course Page | ||
Contact Page | ||
Homepage | ||
One Page Website | ||
Product Launch | ||
Product Review | ||
Sales Page | ||
Service Page | ||
Video Page | ||
Webinar Page | ||
About Page |
Both plugins offer a wide range of templates, but slighly different ones.
Thrive Architect provides a pre-designed template for every step in the sales funnel: from the first visit encounter with your brand to becoming a satisfied client. The primary goal of the template is successful marketing and increasing your conversion rate.
Elementor offers less conversion focused templates and focuses more on online presence (with the exception of the Ecommerce templates).
What we liked here is the ability to use the templates as a regular page content template as well, not just as a landing page, so the template library includes templates for regular pages too. This feature is yet to come in Thrive Architect.
In Thrive Architect, you can convert your page into a landing page without leaving the front-end editor. The page automatically turns into the right size.
In Elementor Pro, this process is somewhat longer: you need to go back to the WordPress backend and switch your page template to Elementor Canvas before you get started with landing page building.
Flexibility
Can you really do everything?
There are no surprises with Thrive Architect: what you see is truly what you get.
When you edit an element, there are no windows opening on top of each other, the editing experience is a 100% distraction-free. You apply every setting and change in the sidebar menu.
You fully customize every element with sliders, applying the exact color, size, shape, font and space and column width without having to count pixels.
The text editing is brough to a whole new level: Thrive Architect works with inline editing, being the first visual editor that introduced this feature. You can change any part of the text, even if you just want to change the color or size of a single letter.
Every element can be placed wherever you want, simply by dragging and dropping it - whether its above, below or next to another element.
You can add any new element with a simple click, unique to Thrive Architect.
Elementor Pro has it all...almost.
Similarly to Thrive Architect, the editing happens exclusively in the sidebar menu, making sure that you are not at all distracted while you're editing.
Text can be edited either inline or in the sidebar menu, inside the well-known WordPress text editor. The changes you can apply to the text right away are somewhat limited, for example you can't select only a piece of text to modify.
Every color, shape, size, font type, column widht and space can be changed the way you want, most of it with the help of sliders.
The elements can be organized into columns, but to achieve this, you need to set up the columns beforehand.
Without setting them up, you can only organize the elements vertically: only above and below one other.
You can delete some of the elements with the Delete button on your keyboard.
Examples For Using the Two Editors
Enough of theory! Watch how the editors really work in action
Adding and Editing Text
Rearranging Elements
Columns
Adding Space to Elements
Adding and Editing Text
Rearranging Elements
Columns
Adding Space to Elements
Conclusion
Elementor Pro
Without a doubt, you will be able to build beautifully designed, fully customizable pages for your WordPress website with Elementor Pro. Most changes can be applied within seconds and you get free hand over what you want to achieve.
Although, with a little workaround, you can achieve practically anything you want, the main focus of the page templates and elements (or widgets, in Elementor lingo) is online presence, portfolio, building a profile for yourself and for your business.
If this is your main goal and you don't need to rely on your website to get clients and customers, you will enjoy using Elementor.
Thrive Architect
Although Thrive Architect was without doubt made for successful marketing, the elements and templates are also well-designed. You can make sure that your pages will not only be conversion focused, but also pleasing for the eye.
The main goal of all the elements and landing page templates is to help solopreneurs, entrepreneurs and businesses build a website that will convert more visitors into leads, clients, customers, and lifetime fans. This is important for any business, but essential for businesses that fully operate online.
If your goal is to get more engagement and clients, Thrive Architect is the right tool for you.
Step Up Your Marketing Game
Build beautiful, fully conversion optimized website and watch your business grow.