{"id":3861,"date":"2026-10-09T09:41:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T08:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/?p=3861"},"modified":"2026-11-04T12:44:20","modified_gmt":"2026-11-04T11:44:20","slug":"gutenberg-vs-elementor-qual-escolher-para-o-teu-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/gutenberg-vs-elementor-qual-escolher-para-o-teu-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Gutenberg vs. Elementor: which one should you choose for your website?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re going to build a website using WordPress, sooner or later the question will arise: Gutenberg or Elementor?<\/strong> I\u2019ve worked with both of them on real-world projects, and the honest answer is that neither is the best in every situation. Making the wrong choice could cost you time, money and a few headaches two years down the line. Let\u2019s take it step by step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who\u2019s Who<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Gutenberg<\/strong> is WordPress\u2019s native block editor, included since version 5.0 in 2018. You don\u2019t need to install anything: it\u2019s already there. With block themes and the Site Editor, you can also control the header, footer and templates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Elementor<\/strong> is a third-party plugin: a visual page builder, with its own widgets, its own editor and its own design system. In short, Gutenberg is part of WordPress; Elementor is a layer that sits on top of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Performance: Gutenberg takes the lead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gutenberg usually comes out on top here, and for one simple reason: it generates clean HTML and, with block-based themes, WordPress only loads the CSS for the blocks you\u2019ve actually used on the page. There\u2019s no extra engine loading scripts and styles on every visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traditional Elementor (version 3) adds layers of elements around each widget, which bloats the DOM, and brings its own CSS and JavaScript. The flexbox containers, which have replaced the old sections and columns, have already helped to reduce nesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The big news is Editor V4, also known as Atomic. According to the Elementor\u2019s official FAQ<\/a>, uses HTML without any extra layers and promises better Core Web Vitals, with gains that increase as you replace the old widgets with atomic elements. It\u2019s worth bearing in mind that this is the company\u2019s own claim, and that on a page that mixes v3 and v4 widgets, the difference is smaller.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In practice, a well-configured Elementor site (good hosting, caching, optimised images) can deliver good results. The problem is usually the stack: the page builder, plus five extra plugins, plus a heavy slider. If performance is a priority, measure it using PageSpeed Insights and look at the LCP, INP and CLS, rather than relying solely on opinions (including mine).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design freedom and the learning curve<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Elementor is more intuitive to start with: you drag and drop, see the results in real time and have device-specific controls for almost everything, as well as motion effects, pop-ups and forms (some of which are only available in the Pro version). For anyone who wants to see what they\u2019re doing without having to think about code, it\u2019s hard to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gutenberg calls for a change in mindset, but today it is far more capable than its reputation suggests. With a block-based theme, you set colours, typography and spacing just once in the theme.json<\/code>, you create reusable patterns and the website is consistent by design. Where it still falls short is in the finer details of responsive design, which plugins such as GenerateBlocks or Kadence Blocks help to address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A note from someone who almost always starts in Figma: the colours, typography and spacing in the design translate very well to the theme.json<\/code>, and this saves hours when it comes to maintaining visual consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cost and dependency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gutenberg is free and comes pre-installed with WordPress. You only pay if you want extra blocks from premium plugins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elementor has a free version, but it is limited: the Theme Builder (for headers and footers), pop-ups, custom CSS and e-commerce features are only available in the Pro version. According to the pricing page<\/a>, paid plans are annual and start at around $60 per year for one website, with hosting not included. Always check the current prices before you decide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the issue of dependency, which many people overlook. If you ever switch away from Elementor, the layout won\u2019t come with you and the pages will have to be rebuilt. With native blocks, the content is standard WordPress markup and holds up much better when you change themes. Ask yourself where you want to be in three years\u2019 time, not just in the week of the launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, which one should you choose?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Choose Gutenberg<\/strong> if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • the website is a blog, portfolio, corporate website or small business website with a simple structure;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • performance and technical SEO are a priority;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • you want a website that\u2019s easy to maintain and inexpensive in the long run;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • You\u2019ll be working with a well-defined design system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Choose Elementor<\/strong> if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • you need highly customised layouts and fine-tuned visual adjustments without writing code;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • the client will be editing pages themselves and wants to see the results in real time;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • you need ready-to-use pop-ups, advanced forms or dynamic lists;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • The budget allows for the Pro licence.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      My rule of thumb: if the website is mainly about content, start with Gutenberg. If it\u2019s mainly about design and interactivity, Elementor will save you time. And no tool can save a website with heavy images and weak copy, so always start there.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Se vais criar um site em WordPress, mais cedo ou mais tarde aparece a pergunta: Gutenberg ou Elementor? J\u00e1 trabalhei com os dois em projetos reais e a resposta honesta \u00e9 que nenhum \u00e9 o melhor em todas as situa\u00e7\u00f5es. Escolher mal pode custar-te velocidade, dinheiro e algumas dores de cabe\u00e7a daqui a dois anos. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,61,58,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3861","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elementor-plugin","category-gutenberg","category-web-design","category-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3861"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4020,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861\/revisions\/4020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiapereira.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}