Gutenberg, Elementor ou WPBakery : lequel choisir ?

Gutenberg is the sensible default for a new content-led WordPress site, especially when you can use a block theme. Elementor suits a design-heavy site whose editors want a visual, no-code workflow and accept an added plugin and possible annual subscription. WPBakery remains practical for a site or theme that already depends on it, but its shortcode-based content raises the cost of changing builders later.

That is the short version of Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery. The harder question is whether you are starting clean or inheriting an existing site. A new build lets you choose the lightest workflow that meets the brief. An established WPBakery site may contain dozens of templates and pages that need to be rebuilt before the plugin can be removed.

Choose for the site you have and the exit you can afford. A long feature list tells you little about how the site will be edited, maintained, and eventually redesigned.

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery: the short answer

This WordPress page builder comparison has no responsible universal winner. It has a stronger choice for each common situation. Gutenberg vs WPBakery is largely a choice between WordPress’s native content model and a mature builder workflow. WPBakery vs Elementor compares two plugin-based visual systems with different licensing and migration consequences.

Ta situation	Meilleur point de départ	Pourquoi	Principale précaution
New blog, publication, or documentation site	Gutenberg	Native WordPress workflow, structured content, patterns, and no separate builder license	Full site editing requires a block theme
New marketing site with detailed visual layouts	Elementor	Direct visual editing, responsive controls, and optional Theme Builder features	Plugin dependence and recurring Pro costs can grow with the site
Existing site built with WPBakery	Keep and update WPBakery first	Avoids an unnecessary rebuild and keeps current layouts editable	Audit the license, bundled-theme terms, shortcodes, and unsupported add-ons
Planned redesign of an old WPBakery site	Gutenberg or Elementor after a prototype	Lets the next system match the new content and design requirements	Treat conversion as a rebuild with staging and quality assurance

For a blank project, start by testing Gutenberg. Move to Elementor when the design workflow or site-wide visual controls justify it. Choose WPBakery for a new site only when a required theme, established team process, or client environment already relies on it.

What are you actually comparing?

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery brings together one native editing system and two plugin products. They overlap, but they do not begin from the same place. A useful WordPress page builder comparison starts with that distinction.

Gutenberg and the WordPress Site Editor

Gutenberg is the common name for the WordPress block editing project and the editing experience it introduced. The Éditeur de blocs WordPress has been the default editor since WordPress 5.0. It builds posts and pages from blocks such as paragraphs, headings, images, columns, and galleries.

The block editor does not automatically give every site full visual control over its header, footer, and templates. That job belongs to the Éditeur de sites WordPress, which is available when a block theme is active. A block theme can expose navigation, templates, template parts, patterns, and global styles through the editor.

This distinction matters. If someone says Gutenberg cannot edit a header, first check the active theme. If someone says Gutenberg can replace every visual builder, check whether the required layout and interaction controls exist in the chosen blocks and theme.

Elementor

Elementor is a separate WordPress plugin with a front-end, drag-and-drop editing workflow. Its free plugin covers visual page creation and a collection of widgets. Paid Editor Pro plans add capabilities that vary by plan, including Theme Builder, dynamic content, forms, popups, custom CSS, and ecommerce features.

Élément de Theme Builder documentation describes site-part templates for headers, footers, posts, archives, and WooCommerce content. Display conditions let a designer control where a template appears. That makes Elementor a closer fit for teams that want to design the whole site from one visual system without building a custom theme.

WPBakery Page Builder

WPBakery is a commercial page builder with front-end and back-end editing modes. It is especially common on sites where the theme bundled the builder or where existing layouts use its content elements and Codes courts.

In WPBakery vs Elementor, both products offer visual editing, templates, responsive controls, and ecosystems of extensions. Their content models, license structures, and theme relationships make the long-term experience different.

WPBakery is still maintained. The vendor released WPBakery 9.0 in July 2026 and says it redesigned the interface, rebuilt drag and drop, updated content elements, expanded compatibility work, and introduced more selective CSS loading. Those are vendor-stated changes, not the result of a Webnus performance test.

Dimension	Gutenberg	Elementor	Boulangerie WPB
Modèle du produit	Part of WordPress core	Free plugin plus paid annual plans	Commercial plugin with lifetime license options
Main editing model	Blocks in the WordPress editor	Visual widgets and containers	Content elements in front-end or back-end editors
Site-wide editing	Site Editor with a block theme	Theme Builder features depend on plan	Usually shared through templates, theme integration, and add-ons
Reusable content	Patterns and synced patterns	Templates and reusable components, depending on version and plan	Templates and saved elements
Risque de sortie	Usually lowest when core blocks are used	Pages remain tied to Elementor structures and styling	Complex pages may expose shortcodes or lose layout when the plugin is removed

Which editor is best for a new WordPress site?

For a new site, test Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery against the same brief. Gutenberg is the default recommendation for a content-led project. Writers stay in WordPress’s native editor, content keeps a clear block structure, and motifs de bloc can standardize repeated layouts. Synced patterns update everywhere they are used, which is useful for notices, calls to action, and other shared sections.

The recommendation changes when the visual brief outruns the available block theme and blocks. Elementor can shorten the path from a design concept to a responsive page because spacing, positioning, breakpoints, and visual effects are available in the same interface. It is often a better fit for campaign pages, portfolios, and small business sites managed by visually oriented editors.

WPBakery can still be a rational new-site choice when the project must use a theme or agency system built around it. In Gutenberg vs WPBakery for a blank site, Gutenberg usually carries less builder-specific exit work. Before accepting the WPBakery dependency, create a representative page and ask what happens if the builder is removed. A bundled copy may also handle updates and support differently from a license bought directly from WPBakery.

The most useful Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery test is a real page from the brief. Build the home-page hero, a content-heavy inner page, a form, and one reusable section in each serious candidate. A WordPress page builder comparison based on those tasks reveals gaps that marketing feature tables hide.

Which is easier for editors and clients?

In Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery, ease depends on the task. A designer arranging a landing page and an editor correcting a paragraph do not need the same interface.

Routine task	Gutenberg	Elementor	Boulangerie WPB
Write and format an article	Direct native workflow	More interface than most articles need	Back-end mode can work, but the page remains builder-dependent
Protect a repeated layout	Use locked or content-only patterns where supported	Expose selected content inside templates or components	Use templates and role controls, then test what clients can change
Make visual page changes	Good when the block library covers the design	Strong visual feedback and detailed controls	Front-end editor provides visual control; back-end editor helps with structure
Reuse a site-wide section	Synced patterns or template parts	Templates and components	Saved templates and elements
Hand off to a new editor	Familiar to WordPress users	Requires Elementor-specific training	Requires WPBakery-specific training and knowledge of the site’s theme elements

For editorial teams, fewer controls can be an advantage. A well-configured block theme can restrict accidental layout changes while keeping content simple to update. For a designer-owner, Elementor’s larger control surface may feel easier because the page itself is the canvas.

WPBakery vs Elementor is closer than old reviews suggest because both offer visual editing. Gutenberg vs WPBakery creates a sharper contrast for article editors because Gutenberg keeps routine writing inside WordPress’s native block interface. The practical choice still depends on the site’s existing ecosystem. Check which theme supplies custom elements, who owns the licenses, how reusable sections are managed, and whether editors use front-end or back-end mode in daily work.

Which gives you more site-wide design control?

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery covers three routes to site-wide design control. The source and limits of that control differ.

Gutenberg provides the strongest native route when paired with a capable block theme. The Site Editor can manage templates, template parts, navigation, patterns, and styles. Theme quality still matters. A classic theme may leave the header and footer in the Customizer or a proprietary theme panel.

Elementor offers detailed visual control through its editor. Theme Builder extends that workflow to site parts, while display conditions decide where those parts appear. Some site-wide features require a paid plan, so confirm the plan rather than assuming every Elementor installation has the same toolset.

WPBakery handles page layouts through content elements and can gain broader site control through theme integrations and extensions. That flexibility also means two WPBakery sites may behave very differently. Review the theme’s custom elements and templates before comparing the builder in isolation.

For site-wide design, WPBakery vs Elementor turns on how much control comes from the builder rather than the theme. Gutenberg vs WPBakery turns on whether a block theme can meet the brief without custom builder elements.

How should you compare performance and code output?

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery performance cannot be settled by the builder names. The active theme, page design, image weight, fonts, third-party scripts, caching, hosting, extensions, and builder configuration all affect the result.

A fair Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery performance test needs the same content and visual target. It should also use the same host, PHP version, cache rules, image formats, font files, analytics scripts, test location, and test device. This makes the result a controlled WordPress page builder comparison rather than three unrelated demo pages.

Utilisez ce processus :

1. Build the same representative page in each editor.
2. Match the images, fonts, sections, responsive behavior, and interactive features.
3. Clear caches and warm each test page in the same way.
4. Run several mobile and desktop tests, then report the median rather than the best run.
5. Compare transferred bytes, request count, rendered HTML size, JavaScript work, and Core Web Vitals field data when enough traffic exists.
6. Inspect maintainability as well as speed. A smaller page that the team cannot safely update is not automatically the better system.

WPBakery says version 9.0 loads modular CSS based on the content elements used on a page. Elementor’s current plugin page also describes reduced DOM output and on-demand asset loading. Treat both as product claims until the exact site has been measured.

The right WPBakery vs Elementor performance conclusion can change with the widgets and add-ons used. The same is true of Gutenberg vs WPBakery when the Gutenberg build relies on a large third-party block suite.

What do Gutenberg, Elementor, and WPBakery cost?

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery pricing has two layers: the license on the invoice and the labor needed to build, maintain, and later replace the system.

Produit	Verified pricing model on September 6, 2026	Que vérifier avant d'acheter
Gutenberg	Included with WordPress core; no separate editor license	Block theme, premium blocks, design work, training, and custom development may still cost money
Elementor	Free plugin available; Editor Pro plans from €5/Mo	Essential covers 1 site; Advanced Solo covers 1 professional or ecommerce site; Advanced covers 3 sites; Expert covers 25 sites. Confirm checkout and renewal prices because the official page uses promotions and location-sensitive pricing
Boulangerie WPB	Regular license: EUR 69 lifetime for 1 site; 5 sites: EUR 256; 10 sites: EUR 499	One year of support and exclusive features is included. Updates are lifetime, but automatic updates require active Support Plus; manual updates remain available to license owners

Le Elementor pricing page should be checked at purchase because displayed offers and taxes can change. The WPBakery license page lists prices in euros and offers a 15-day refund policy at the time of this review. WPBakery vs Elementor therefore includes a lifetime-license versus annual-subscription decision as well as a feature comparison.

For an existing site, add migration labor to this WordPress page builder comparison. Rebuilding thirty bespoke WPBakery pages can cost more than years of software licenses. For a new site, include the maintenance burden of every premium widget pack, template library, and theme-specific extension you add. In Gutenberg vs WPBakery, a zero-cost core editor does not make the redesign labor free.

Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery portability

Portability is the biggest strategic difference in Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery.

Système actuel	If the editor is removed or replaced	Typical migration risk
Core Gutenberg blocks	Core content usually remains in WordPress, though third-party blocks and theme styling may change or disappear	Low to medium, depending on block and theme dependence
Elementor	Content and media remain in the database, but Elementor-built layouts, widgets, and styling need replacement	Medium to high for design-heavy sites
Boulangerie WPB	Builder layouts and theme elements may stop rendering correctly; shortcode text may appear on affected pages	Medium to high, especially with theme-bundled custom elements

Do not deactivate a builder on production to see what breaks. Clone the site to staging, make a backup you know how to restore, and inspect the result there.

The same warning applies to third-party block libraries. Gutenberg has a native advantage, but a page assembled from proprietary blocks can still acquire plugin dependence. Portability improves when you use core blocks, documented content models, limited custom CSS, and a small set of maintained extensions.

WPBakery vs Elementor can produce a similar replacement burden on a heavily designed site, even though the cleanup details differ. Gutenberg vs WPBakery usually favors Gutenberg for content portability when core blocks and a block theme meet the requirement. This WordPress page builder comparison still requires an audit of any proprietary widgets, blocks, or theme elements.

Can WPBakery and Gutenberg work together?

Yes. WPBakery’s Gutenberg compatibility documentation says version 5.5 and later can add Gutenberg blocks inside a WPBakery layout. It also provides an option to disable Gutenberg from WPBakery’s settings.

Compatibility does not convert a WPBakery page into native blocks. The surrounding layout can still depend on WPBakery shortcodes, content elements, and theme integrations.

Use one primary editor for each page when possible. A mixed page increases the number of systems an editor must understand and the number of interactions a developer must test. Mixing can be reasonable during a staged transition or for a specific embedded block, but document why it exists.

During a WPBakery to Gutenberg migration, that mixed state may be temporary and useful. Keep a page’s ownership clear so editors know which interface controls each section.

In a Gutenberg vs WPBakery decision, coexistence is a bridge, not proof that migration work has disappeared.

How do you migrate from WPBakery to Gutenberg safely?

WPBakery to Gutenberg migration checklist

A WPBakery to Gutenberg migration is usually a controlled rebuild, not a one-click conversion. Simple text pages may be quick to reconstruct. Landing pages with custom theme elements, nested rows, sliders, forms, and responsive overrides need closer work.

1. Inventory builder-dependent content. Find pages, posts, templates, custom post types, widgets, and reusable sections that use WPBakery. Note every theme-specific content element and add-on.
2. Record the current site. Capture full-page screenshots at desktop, tablet, and mobile widths. Export settings where possible and save any custom CSS or JavaScript tied to the layout.
3. Create a restorable staging copy. Take a database and file backup, restore it in staging, and confirm that the copy works before editing.
4. Choose the replacement system. Select a block theme and the smallest maintained block set that can reproduce the required components. Define global colors, type, spacing, and content widths first.
5. Build the shared components. Recreate headers, footers, templates, forms, calls to action, and repeated sections before rebuilding individual pages. Use patterns where they make future editing safer.
6. Start with representative pages. Rebuild one simple article, one complex landing page, one form page, and one high-traffic template. This exposes gaps before the whole estimate is committed.
7. Rebuild content page by page. Keep WPBakery active while new pages are prepared. Remove unused shortcode remnants only after the rebuilt page has been checked.
8. Run functional and visual quality assurance. Test navigation, forms, search, ecommerce, dynamic content, tracking, structured data, responsive layouts, keyboard use, and browser behavior.
9. Preserve URLs and metadata. Keep existing URLs unless there is a separate reason to change them. Carry over titles, descriptions, headings, canonicals, schema inputs, image alt text, and redirects.
10. Measure before launch. Compare important templates under equivalent cache and test conditions. Record any tradeoff that remains.
11. Launch with a rollback window. Deploy the approved build, clear caches, test critical journeys, monitor errors and analytics, and keep the old system recoverable until the review is complete.
12. Remove WPBakery last. Deactivate and delete the builder only after every dependent page, template, and integration has passed staging and production checks.

Automated conversion tools may help with basic content, but do not assume they can reproduce custom elements, theme shortcodes, responsive settings, or third-party add-ons. A WPBakery to Gutenberg or Elementor migration still needs staging tests and inspection of the generated blocks before any tool is used across the site.

The same WPBakery to Gutenberg migration sequence works when moving to Elementor: audit first, define the new system, rebuild shared parts, migrate representative pages, then complete quality assurance before removing the old builder.

Final decision by project type

Projet	Recommandation
Content-first publication	Start with Gutenberg and a well-supported block theme. Add third-party blocks only for a clear requirement.
Design-led marketing site	Prototype Elementor and Gutenberg against the same page. Choose Elementor when its visual controls save meaningful design and maintenance work.
Existing WPBakery site with no redesign planned	Update WPBakery, audit licenses and add-ons, fix problems, and keep it. Migration without a business reason creates risk.
Existing WPBakery site due for a redesign	Price the redesign and migration together. Compare Gutenberg for a native content system and Elementor for a visual design system.
Agency maintaining several inherited sites	Keep the builder each site depends on until a planned redesign. Standardize documentation, backups, licenses, and staging checks across the portfolio.

If you want to choose Elementor and a theme built around that editor, Kata adds Elementor-based site builders while retaining Gutenberg compatibility.

For most new content sites, Gutenberg wins on simplicity and native integration. Elementor earns its place when visual control is central to the project. WPBakery earns its place when changing an existing WPBakery system would cost more than maintaining it.

The final Gutenberg vs Elementor vs WPBakery choice should follow a prototype, not a promise. This WordPress page builder comparison is complete only when the team has built one real page, inspected the editing workflow, listed every dependency, and estimated the cost of leaving.

Foire aux questions