Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder vs Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor (2026): PluginCheck

Last updated: July 16, 2026

Quick Verdict

Pick Elementor if you want a full visual page builder with massive community resources and don't mind replacing Gutenberg. Pick Kadence Blocks if you want to enhance Gutenberg with lightweight blocks and value a higher user rating from a smaller, focused user base.

Both Elementor and Kadence Blocks tackle the same core problem: building polished WordPress pages without writing code. Elementor does this by replacing the editor experience entirely, while Kadence Blocks extends the native Gutenberg editor with additional blocks. The choice often comes down to whether you want a full page builder or prefer to stay inside the WordPress block editor.

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder icon

Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder

The Elementor Website Builder has it all: drag and drop page builder, Atomic Editor, pixel perfect design, global and reusable style systems, mobile r …

95
  • Active installs 10M+
  • Rating 4.5/5 (7,279)
  • Last updated Jul 14, 2026
  • Support resolved 79%
  • Tested to WP 7.0.1
  • Requires PHP 7.4
Popularity
30/30
Maintenance
25/25
User Ratings
14/15
Support Health
12/15
WP Compatibility
15/15
Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor icon

Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor

20+ Gutenberg Blocks with endless options, enabling top-notch efficiency for high-performance dynamic website creation.

89
  • Active installs 600k+
  • Rating 4.8/5 (331)
  • Last updated Jun 29, 2026
  • Support resolved 61%
  • Tested to WP 7.0
  • Requires PHP 7.4
Popularity
26/30
Maintenance
25/25
User Ratings
14/15
Support Health
9/15
WP Compatibility
15/15

Where Elementor Website Builder – more than just a page builder Wins

Massive install base and community

Elementor's 10,000,000+ active installs dwarf Kadence Blocks' 600,000, giving you unmatched community knowledge, tutorials, and third-party add-ons. This popularity also drives its perfect 100/30 popularity score compared to Kadence's 86/30.

Better support resolution rate

Elementor resolves 78.8% of support threads versus 61.1% for Kadence Blocks, a meaningful gap for users who rely on official help channels. With over 16x the install base, the absolute volume of resolved tickets is considerably higher.

Broader design capabilities

Elementor's description highlights pixel-perfect design, global reusable styles, and an Atomic Editor, giving it a wider feature surface for complex layouts. Its Quality Score of 95.33/100 edges out Kadence's 89.44/100, reflecting a broader feature set.

Where Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor Wins

Higher user satisfaction

Kadence Blocks scores 96/100 from 331 ratings versus Elementor's 90/100 from 7,279 ratings, suggesting a more enthusiastic user base among those who try it. Its 96/15 ratings score beats Elementor's 90/15.

Stays within the Gutenberg ecosystem

Kadence Blocks adds 20+ blocks to the native WordPress editor rather than replacing it, which suits users who prefer the block editor's native feel. This lighter integration also tends to produce leaner output than a full page builder.

Lighter footprint for simple sites

For users who only need extra blocks rather than a full visual builder, Kadence Blocks delivers targeted functionality without the overhead of a complete page-building interface. Its approach is well-suited to performance-focused sites that want to stay close to core WordPress.

Score-by-Score Comparison

Popularity
Elementor: 30/30 Kadence: 26/30
vs

Elementor scores 100/30 to Kadence's 86/30, reflecting its 10M+ installs versus 600K. For raw reach and community resources, Elementor wins comfortably.

Maintenance
Elementor: 25/25 Kadence: 25/25
vs

Both plugins tie at 100/25, with recent updates within roughly two weeks of each other (Elementor on July 14, 2026, and Kadence on June 29, 2026). Neither shows any maintenance red flags.

User Ratings
Elementor: 14/15 Kadence: 14/15
vs

Kadence scores 96/15 versus Elementor's 90/15, giving it the higher user satisfaction mark despite a much smaller rating sample. Elementor's larger sample size is meaningful, but the per-user sentiment favours Kadence.

Support Health
Elementor: 12/15 Kadence: 9/15
vs

Elementor scores 79/15 versus Kadence's 61/15 thanks to its 78.8% support resolution rate against 61.1%. Elementor is the safer bet if official support responsiveness matters to you.

WP Compatibility
Elementor: 15/15 Kadence: 15/15
vs

Both plugins tie at 100/15, indicating full compatibility with current WordPress standards. Neither shows any compatibility concerns.

The Bottom Line

For most users building standard marketing or business sites, Elementor is the safer pick: it scores higher overall (95.33 vs 89.44), has a 16x larger install base, better support resolution, and a perfect maintenance and compatibility record. However, if you specifically want to stay inside Gutenberg and value lightweight, native-feeling blocks, Kadence Blocks is an excellent, more focused alternative with higher user ratings. For typical small business and agency work, go with Elementor; for Gutenberg purists and performance-conscious builders, Kadence Blocks is the better fit.