Elementor vs Bricks: Workflow, Features & Licensing (2026)

TL;DR: Elementor offers a capable free edition, a very large extension ecosystem, and a familiar plugin-based visual workflow. Bricks is a premium theme-builder system centered on classes, variables, components, dynamic data, and query loops. The important pricing comparison is not just the entry price: Elementor’s feature set changes by Pro tier, while Bricks Starter is currently $79/year for one site with all core Bricks features.

Elementor vs Bricks at a glance

These products overlap, but they approach WordPress building differently. Elementor starts as a plugin that works with a WordPress theme and scales into Theme Builder, dynamic content, popups, forms, WooCommerce, and a broad extension ecosystem. Bricks is itself the theme and visual builder, so templates, dynamic data, query loops, components, popups, forms, and WooCommerce sit inside one architecture.

Compare	Elementor Website BuilderFree; Pro Essential $59/year; Popup Builder requires Advanced Solo or higher Remove	Bricks Builder$79/year Starter; $599 lifetime unlimited Remove
Pricing model	Freemium	Premium
Starting price	Free; Pro Essential $59/year; Popup Builder requires Advanced Solo or higher	$79/year Starter; $599 lifetime unlimited
Free version	Yes	No
Sites included	1 site (Essential)	1 site (Starter)
Lifetime option	No	Yes
Refund policy	30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans	60-day money-back guarantee
Setup level	Beginner-friendly	Advanced
WordPress.org rating	4.5/5 (7,308)	Not available
Active installs	10M+	Not available
Best for	Elementor-built sites that want popup design, forms, dynamic content, and display rules inside the same visual builder.	Agencies, developers, and advanced site builders that want dynamic data, reusable classes/components, and full-site visual control.
Not ideal for	Popup Builder is not included in Free or Essential; it requires Advanced Solo or a higher Elementor Pro plan.	Beginners who want a permanent free edition or teams that prefer native Gutenberg as the primary site-building system.
Tested version	4.2.4	Documentation reviewed Sep 2026; no local version test
Last reviewed	2026-09-14 23:50:00	2026-09-14 23:50:00
Features
Theme builder	Paid plan Included with Elementor Pro Essential and above.	Yes Bricks is a theme-based visual site builder with template conditions.
Template library	Yes	Yes
Dynamic content	Paid plan Basic dynamic content is in Essential; fuller custom-field/post-type access requires higher plans.	Yes Supports WordPress and custom-field dynamic data plus query loops.
WooCommerce builder	Paid plan Available on higher Pro tiers, not Essential.	Yes Includes 30+ WooCommerce-specific elements.
Popup builder	Paid plan Available on Advanced and higher plans.	Yes Native popup template type with conditions and interactions.
Form builder	Paid plan	Yes Native form element supports multiple field types, actions, authentication, and post creation.
Responsive controls	Yes	Yes
Global styles	Yes	Yes
Custom code support	Paid plan Custom Code and custom CSS require higher Pro tiers.	Yes
Animations / interactions	Yes	Yes Interactions and animation controls are built into the builder.

When Elementor fits the project

Elementor has a lower-friction adoption path because you can start with the free plugin and add Pro later. There is a substantial free plugin, a very large third-party ecosystem, and a workflow many WordPress freelancers already know. The current Essential plan includes Theme Builder and basic dynamic content for one site, while higher tiers unlock the fuller professional feature set such as Popup Builder, ecommerce capabilities, custom code and CSS, and broader dynamic workflows.

I would choose Elementor when client handoff, ecosystem depth, pre-existing team familiarity, or access to many specialized add-ons matters more than keeping the builder stack as consolidated as possible.

When Bricks fits the project

Bricks is more opinionated about building a complete site system. Its class and variable workflow, components, query loop tools, dynamic data, custom code, popup templates, forms, and WooCommerce builder are all native parts of the product. That makes it especially attractive to agencies and technical builders who want design-system discipline without depending on several separate builder add-ons.

The trade-off is a steeper learning curve. Bricks is easier to misuse if a team ignores classes, variables, components, and template structure. It also has no permanent free edition, so evaluation and adoption start differently from Elementor.

Pricing and licensing

Elementor has a free edition and Pro Essential is currently positioned around $59 per year for one site. Bricks starts at $79 per year for one site, offers a $249/year unlimited-site Agency plan, and a $599 one-time Ultimate Lifetime license. Elementor uses several Pro tiers, and the current feature table shows that Essential includes Theme Builder and basic dynamic content but excludes Popup Builder, custom code/CSS, and ecommerce features. Those are available on Advanced Solo and higher tiers, so compare the exact Elementor tier your project needs rather than only the lowest advertised entry point.

Dynamic content and reusable systems

Both can build dynamic WordPress sites. Elementor supports Theme Builder and dynamic content, but some capabilities depend on the selected Pro tier. Bricks makes dynamic data, templates, query loops, components, classes, and variables central to the builder workflow. For directories, custom post types, listing sites, and heavily templated builds, that difference can matter more than the raw widget count.

Forms, popups, and WooCommerce

Elementor can cover all three, but the full set is tied to higher Pro tiers. Bricks includes a native Form element, Popup Builder, and WooCommerce builder in the product. If your project would otherwise install separate popup and form plugins, Bricks can reduce overlap, although specialized form or marketing tools may still be better for complex requirements.

Match the builder to the way you build sites

Elementor fits teams that want a free entry point, broad agency familiarity, and a very large extension ecosystem. Bricks fits teams that want an integrated theme-builder architecture, class and component discipline, deep dynamic workflows, and fewer builder-specific extension dependencies.

What you gain and give up with each builder

Elementor gives teams a free entry point, broad familiarity, and a very large third-party ecosystem. The trade-off is that some advanced features depend on the Pro tier and extension choices, so two Elementor sites can end up with very different stacks. Bricks keeps classes, variables, components, query loops, dynamic data, and theme templates inside one premium builder, but there is no permanent free edition and the workflow expects more design-system discipline from the person building the site.

I like Bricks’ single-system approach for highly structured builds, but I would still favor the workflow a team can maintain consistently. A powerful class system does not help if every editor ignores it, and a huge Elementor ecosystem can become a liability if a project depends on too many overlapping add-ons.

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