Can you help us find the best theme to start building our WordPress website?
Yes! However, the answer relies on your preferences, skills, and requirements. There are many great options for WordPress themes these days, and with the Gutenberg Block Editor continuing to evolve and become more widely accepted, it can be hard to make the best choice. For many years here at Flower Press Interactive, we have been building fully custom WordPress CMS websites using Advanced Custom Fields to create easy-to-use admin interfaces for our clients. Those days are coming to an end as the Block theme era takes hold.
If you’re not using a Block theme by now, then you are missing out on the newer capabilities of WordPress, and even most of the major plugins are focused on offering Block-based solutions and features. When it comes to building custom themes, blocks can be time-consuming and expensive to build. To save some development costs, we have started recommending getting started with a Multipurpose/Freemium theme like GeneratePress or Elementor. These themes (Elementor is not a theme, technically, but more on that later) will give you a bunch of editing control right out of the box, and have reasonable upgrades if you need to really customize your front end.
So, What’s the Difference between GeneratePress and Elementor?
Great question! The answer boils down to how you and your team will use the CMS capabilities and whether or not you want to sacrifice any performance. Elementor is more focused on giving designers a feature-rich page builder experience. GeneratePress puts emphasis on speed and minimalism while trying to leverage WordPress’s existing Gutenberg Block features. So there is not one solid answer; it just depends on your specific needs. At Flower Press, we have clients who love both of these approaches.
Here are some considerations before making a choice, and as always, we are happy to answer any further questions you might have.
- User Experience:
Elementor provides a highly intuitive visual editor, while GeneratePress relies on the WordPress block editor, which may require a learning curve for those accustomed to visual builders. - Performance Requirements:
If your priority is a lightning-fast website, GeneratePress is the clear winner. For complex designs where speed is less critical, Elementor can be a great choice. - Ease of Customization:
Both can achieve high customization, but Elementor offers it through its builder’s features, whereas GeneratePress offers it through a highly flexible theme and theme builder with modules. - Theme vs. Builder:
GeneratePress is a theme that allows for the customization of global elements, while Elementor acts as a page builder compatible with various themes. You can certainly use GeneratePress to enhance your theme’s core features and rely on Elementor for specific page layouts. Although Elementor offers its own theme, many users find it less efficient and missing some of the free features available with GeneratePress.One important consideration with using a page builder like Elementor is the commitment it brings; transitioning away from it can complicate your page data management. For optimal performance, we recommend sticking with GeneratePress. If you find the default WordPress blocks limiting and need more customization for your page layouts, consider the GenerateBlocks upgrade. However, if you prefer a more intuitive drag-and-drop experience, Elementor may be a better fit for you, even though GenerateBlocks can provide robust layout options with a bit of CSS knowledge.
We’re Ready to get Started!
Great! We can help you with all your WordPress needs: design, basic theme setup, hosting, custom blocks, and maintenance. Please contact us and we can discuss solutions for all your project requirements.