10 Best Visual Composer Alternatives [Free & Paid] 2021

Writing great content is not enough. Presentation matters.

Heck, who wants to subject themselves to a tortuous and boring page just to harvest a piece of information?

My bet: No one wants that suffering.

Look at the numbers.

Design is responsible for 94 percent of a visitor’s first impression. But it goes beyond feelings and becomes numbers; numbers don’t lie.

Every dollar you spend on a site’s user experience yields $100 in return. More so, improving your user experience design will boost conversions by 400 percent.

It’s clear:

Excellent website design influences everything. But baking pleasant user experience into your site can be expensive.

So what do you do?

Turn to page builders for help.

Page builders allow you to bypass hiring a developer to build a visually and experientially pleasant website. Visual Composer is a widely used page builder for WordPress sites.

Visual Composer a drag-and-drop page builder that transforms the way you work with WordPress. This intuitive tool allows you to use drag-and-drop elements to modify and manage your content and site design. Also, Visual Composer allows you to focus on other crucial parts of design by reducing the need for predesigned themes.

Now, Visual Composer has been around for a while and has been trusted by many. But if you want to compare this tool with its competitors, then you’ll love this article.

Each of these can be used in place of Visual Composer. Take a look at what they offer. 

Best Visual Composer Alternatives

1. Divi Builder

Divi Builder from Elegant Themes is an advanced page builder plugin. If you’re familiar with WordPress themes, then you probably know of Divi Themes. Though they are both related, Divi Builders can also be integrated with any WordPress theme.

Also, Divi Builder comes with over 15 built-in, pre-made layouts, which is more when compared with Visual Composer.

Features

One of the core features of the Divi Builder is its drag-and-drop functionality. Also, with this plugin, you can create multi-column and row layouts for pages and posts. Even more, you can populate these pages and posts on multiple content modules.

With this page builder, you can include email opt-in forms to contents. The email opt-in forms module lets you put email subscription forms for newsletters in custom layouts.

Even more, these forms automatically adjust to fit your preferred row or column size. Plus, you can customize the content of your forms and change their look using setting and a visual editor.

Divi Builder also has a pricing table module for building eCommerce websites. You can also create as many tables as you want and customize their appearance using the visual editor. More so, you can include your personalized CSS.

You can also publish testimonials from satisfied customers and clients. The plugin allows you to include the client’s photo, website address, company, title, feedback, and name.

Also, these testimonials are customizable and responsive, which allows them to fit into any column or row layout.

Additionally, Divi Builder allows you to add slideshows to pages and posts. You can also apply effects to these slideshows and add navigation aids. The plugin even enables you to include audio players and other multimedia to your pages and posts.

Furthermore, you can publish interactive, custom Google Maps using Divi Builder’s Map module. This module also allows you to build custom map markers with as many pins as needed.

Pricing 

Divi Builder comes with three pricing plans. These include:

• Yearly access – $89 per year
• Lifetime access – One-time payment of $249

Pricing plans may change with time. So, visit their pricing page for more information.

What Users Love About Divi Builder

• The plugin is fully customizable
• You have access to numerous layouts and pre-made sites
• It comes with frontend and backend editing

Limitations of Divi Builder

• Functionalities and options can be overwhelming
• You can’t transfer custom shortcodes to other page builders

Also Read: Divi Vs Astra

2. Elementor

First on the list is Elementor, a free WordPress plugin for building pages. The plugin gives users access to a WordPress drag-and-drop interface. Even more, you can use multiple ready-made templates or create pages from scratch using different elements.

Even more, unlike Visual Composer, Elementor doesn’t have additional requirements asides WordPress’ general requirements.

Features

Elementor is a frontend page builder. Hence, you can preview your changes in real-time. Whether you change from a multi- to single-column layout or you add a button, this page builder allows you to see changes immediately as you make them.

You can also save time with Elementor’s page templates. With these templates, you can build multiple types of pages with a few clicks. Moreover, these templates are editable, allowing you to change section backgrounds and so on.

This page builder also has blocks, which are preset sections that can you load into pages. Elementor has multiple blocks for different sections like a list of features, FAQs, About Us, and so on.

Also, Elementor allows you to edits texts from the preview area. More so, you have access to multiple options when customizing texts like changing the color, font family, or size.

Pricing 

Elementor has four pricing plans to choose from. They include:

• Free plan
• Personal plan – $49 per year
• Plus plan – $99 per year
• Expert plan – $199 per year

These prices may change. Hence, it’s advisable to check their pricing page for more details.

What Users Love About Elementor

• Elementor offers multiple customization options
• The plugin is open-source
• It has intuitive Global widgets

Limitations of Elementor

• Has limited marketing-oriented features

Also Read: Avada Vs Elementor

3. Beaver Builder

Beaver Builder is a website development solution used to design and build WordPress websites. The tool has a flexible design system that gives you access to a themed framework and page builder plugin. This helps you develop WordPress pages easily and also optimize workflows.

Additionally, the software comes with modules comprising advanced functionalities like creating newsletter signup forms, inserting social media buttons, and adding images from a URL or WordPress Media Library.

However, this software supports only frontend editing, unlike Visual Composer that offers both frontend and backend editing.

Features

Beaver Builder has a page builder plugin that allows you to build and enhance WordPress sites efficiently. You can create pages by dragging and dropping contents or elements where you want them.

Even more, the software allows you to control and build column-based layouts. Plus, you can also view changes or effects in real-time when editing and designing pages.

The software also has shareable, reusable, and customizable templates. You can select from a library of page templates, modify the texts and images, and then publish it. Even more, these templates can be customized and saved for reuse on multiple sites.

Beaver Builder’s design system has a framework that allows you to develop multiple theme settings and styles from customizable presets. Even more, you can switch themes when editing the contents of your page.

With this software, you can build DIY web publishing or hosting platforms. This way, you can build a system that allows end-users to publish their portfolio or resume, share their hobbies online, or even develop wedding pages. If you want to start a DIY web builder business, this feature might just come in handy.

Additionally, Beaver Builder comes with different modules for enhancing websites. With these modules, you can incorporate interactive accordions like testimonial sliders, contact forms, call-to-action-buttons, pricing tables, and slide shows.

Pricing 

Beaver Builder has three pricing plans. These are:

• Standard plan – $99
• Pro plan – $199
• Agency plan – $399

However, note that these pricings can change with time. So, visit their pricing page for more details.

What Users Love About Beaver Builder

• The tool is developer-friendly
• It has mobile responsive editing

Limitations of Beaver Builder

• Beaver Builder does have redo or undo options
• Full-width content cannot be enabled from within the builder

Also Read: Best Beaver Builder Alternatives

4. InstaBuilder

InstaBuilder is another landing page builder that offers a drag-and-drop feature. The plugin also provides you with numerous editing options.

You don’t need any technical skills to create landing pages with Instabuilder. However, the plugin is a bit expensive, compared to Visual Composer.

Features

InstaBuilder offers you an Adobe Aviary SDK-powered visual editor with numerous effects. This way, you can edit and redefine images. Even more, you can change images to logos and also use pre-defined features like header images, page separators, and a call-to-action button.

Additionally, this plugin is designed for cross-platform devices. Hence, you can use email affiliates to generate traffic from mobile devices. Even more, you have access to numerous niches when running lead generation campaigns.

InstaBuilder also has opt-in integrations that can be used in lead-generating forms. These opt-ins are customizable, and you can include elements like buttons and video clips. Plus, the opt-integrations act as a firewall on your page.

You also have access to analytical tools for tracking the progress of campaigns. More so, the plugin supports statistical reporting, which helps you make better campaign decisions.

Furthermore, InstaBuilder allows you to include social sites and social engines to landing pages. Also, the tool helps you quickly generate different legal pages like terms of service, disclaimers, and privacy policy.

Pricing 

InstaBuilder offers three pricing plans or licenses. They include:

• 3-site license -$77
• Unlimited license – $97
• Developer license – $197

These prices might change over time. Kindly go to their pricing page for more information.

What Users Love About InstaBuilder

• It has a built-in image editor
• The plugin supports social sharing
• InstaBuilder supports non-WordPress sites

Limitations of InstaBuilder

• It is a bit pricey when compared with Visual Composer.

Also Read: Best Elementor Alternatives

5. Thrive Architect

Developed by Thrive Themes, Thrive Architect is another drag-and-drop WordPress visual editor and page builder. The plugin is ideal for 

• Content marketers
• Startup founders
• Entrepreneurs

It allows them to build conversion-focused, business websites easily. Even more, Thrive Architect offers features like pricing tables, widgets, a testimonial box, and a call-to-action box, which are lacking in Visual Composer.

Features

With Thrive Architect’s pre-made landing page templates, users can create professional-looking product launch pages, webinar pages, opt-in pages, and sales pages. The software also enables you to design blog posts and visually-appealing homepages.

Thrive Architect also has advanced features that allow you to add hover effects to elements, change background pictures with overlaying text, and change column layouts.

Even more, the software allows you to create mobile responsive WordPress pages and websites with its mobile options and features.

You can preview pages on different screen sizes as well as choose the screen size where content blocks will be hidden or shown. Plus, this feature allows you to change the position of elements or layouts on each screen size.

Additionally, this tool comes with pre-made landing page templates that you can optimize for lead generation. You can also find templates for when you want to host live webinar events, promote products, or make announcements.

The software also functions as a full website, landing page, and homepage. Hence, you can easily build one-page sites with essential information rather than having multiple pages. More so, you can update and modify the website or one-pager.

Thrive Architect also has pre-built conversion elements like lead generation forms, countdown timers, testimonials, and customizable buttons. Plus, these elements can be integrated with already-existing email marketing tools.

Also, you can access numerous custom fonts for text layouts and combine images with texts. The tool allows you to overlay texts on background images. You can even apply gradient overlays or colored overlays to images, allowing texts to be clearer.

Pricing 

Thrive Architect has three license packs with different prices. They include:

• One license – $67
• Five licenses – $97
• 25 licenses – $19 per month, billed annually

Kindly note that these prices may change with time. Go to Thrive Architect’s pricing page for more details.

What Users Love About Thrive Architect

• Offers you numerous page templates
• It provides advanced marketing features
• Thrive Architect comes with a popup engine included
• The tool provides pre-designed section templates

Limitations of Thrive Architect

• Complex interface
• Does not support third-party plugins

Check Out: Best Thrive Theme Alternatives

6. SiteOrigin Page Builder

SiteOrigin Page Builder is another useful WordPress page creation plugin. The tool enables you to use your preferred widgets to build responsive column-based content.

The plugin allows your content to adapt properly to numerous mobile devices. Plus, you can duplicate already-existing pages, which is not supported in Visual Composer.

Features

SiteOrigin Page Builder allows you to pick any of the WordPress themes for your page. This will enable you to change themes whenever you want, without losing any of your content.

This page builder also has a drag-and-drop interface, which allows you to create pages without writing a line of code. The tool helps you generate the right code for your page.

With its row builder, SiteOrigin Page Builder enables you to choose the precise number of columns for rows. Plus, you can also indicate the weight of each column. Even more, this feature uses advanced ratios to guide users towards well-proportioned content.

More so, this plugin supports live editing. Hence, you can edit widgets and view content in real-time. The tool also allows you to undo and redo changes, which will enable you to try out different content and layouts without any work.

SiteOrigin Page Builder gives you multiple widgets and rows styles that help you personalize your content. You can also modify attributes like column spacing, background colors, and padding. Even more, the plugin allows you to include custom CSS and CSS classes into pages for more granular control.

Pricing 

SiteOrigin Page Builder is free. However, there’s a SiteOrigin Premium that goes for $29 and offers you additional addons.

This pricing might change with time, so kindly go to their pricing page for more details.

What Users Love About SiteOrigin Page Builder

• You have access to multiple transitions and animations
• The tool allows you to add as many columns as you like
• It has a browser history for redoing and undoing changes

Limitations of  SiteOrigin Page Builder

• It has a plain UI
• You need to download an additional widget bundle.

7. Live Composer

Live Composer is a page builder for WordPress with animations, responsive settings, and drag-and-drop footer and header editing. The plugin can also be integrated with the Gutenberg block editor. Also, Live Composer is an open-source page builder, unlike Visual Composer.

Features

Live Composer offers you over 20 modules for creating blog posts and custom landing pages. The plugin also enables you to include comment forms, call-to-action-buttons, image galleries, and testimonials. This is done by simply dragging and dropping the module on your page.

With Live Composer, you can build responsive pages and optimize them for mobile devices and desktops. This way, end-users have a better user experience on your page regardless of the device they use.

Also, Live Composer can be used with any WordPress theme. More so, the plugin has built-in WordPress themes that you can choose from. Hence, you can start customizing your page once you install the plugin and choose a theme.

Pricing 

Live Composer is free to download. However, there are Extension Packs with different prices. These include:

• One site – $49
• 2-5 sites – $79
• Unlimited sites – $99

Now, these prices might change with time. Kindly go to their pricing page for more information.

What Users Love About Live Composer

• Live Composer can be integrated with any WordPress theme
• It has over 20 modules for adding elements to pages
• Live Composer has built-in WordPress themes

Limitations of Death To Live Composer

• No pre-built layout
• The tool does not support inline text editing

8. MotoPress

MotoPress is a content editor that allows you to develop a website visually and also enhance the WordPress editor. Also, the tool will enable you to create responsive pages without any line of code. Hence, you can add content elements and modify them as you please using a drag-and-drop feature.

Features

MotoPress has a drag-and-drop interface that enables you to build versatile designs, improve content with multiple modules, create custom page layouts, and so on. The plugin also has features for building pages with smart functionalities.

Also, this plugin allows you to build custom post types and designs for posts. It also integrates seamlessly with every WordPress theme. Hence, you can decide to either create custom themes from scratch or modify pre-designed ones.

MotoPress also has numerous pre-defined layouts that can be used on different pages of your site. You can pick a preferred layout and change the placeholders with your content.

Even more, the plugin comes with inline text editing capabilities. This way, you can modify pages and posts from the front end of your website by clicking on any area of the page or post.

More so, the tool offers you a wide range of built-in content elements for creating feature-rich pages. You can add these elements, no matter the layout of your website.

Additionally, MotoPress has numerous modules for creating custom post grid layouts. Also, you can remove, edit, or add columns, as well as tweak texts, specify settings, manage styles, and so on.

Pricing 

MotoPress offers two membership plans. These are:

• $249 – billed annually
• $699 – one-time fee with lifetime updates

What Users Love About MotoPress

• MotoPress works with your existing page or post
• It has an extensive collection of content elements
• Contents remain on your site even after deactivating the plugin
• It supposed inline text editing

Limitations of MotoPress

• The tool does have not have any pre-made themes yet
• It is a bit pricey compared to Visual Composer

9. Oxygen-WordPress Site Builder

Like other page builders on this list, Oxygen Builder allows you to create WordPress websites using a drag-and-drop interface. However, this plugin does not work with WordPress themes like Visual Composer.

Features

With Oxygen Builder, you can either start with a blank installation or a pre-designed website. The plugin has a library of pre-made templates with different designs.

Also, since it does not work with WordPress themes, the plugin automatically installs an Atomic Design Set. This gives you access to multiple pre-made design options asides the default design.

Additionally, Oxygen Builder does not place ads on WordPress dashboards. Hence, you don’t have any distractions in your admin area.

Pricing 

Oxygen Builder has three pricing packages with a 60-day money-back guarantee. These include:

• Basic plan – $99
• WooCommerce plan – $149
• Agency plan – $169

Note that these prices can change with time. For more details, visit their pricing page.

What Users Love About Oxygen-WordPress Site Builder

• The tool integrates with ACF
• You can store templates centrally
• Oxygen Builder allows you to create popups

Limitations of  Oxygen-WordPress Site Builder

• It has a steep learning curve
• Contents are wrapped in shortcodes

10. Themify Builder

Themify Builder is another drag-and-drop plugin for creating WordPress websites. The plugin allows you to create any post or page layout, notwithstanding your current website theme. Also, compared to Visual Composer, Themify Builder offers proprietary shortcodes.

Features

Themify Builder offers themes that give you complete control of your site. Users can also customize these themes without editing templates or writing any code.

As a drag-and-drop page builder, Themify allows you to preview changes in real-time and from the frontend of your site. This plugin also works on multiple platforms like mobile, tablet, and desktop devices. Hence, you can build your posts or pages from anywhere.

Themify Builder also has a robust styling panel that lets you customize the details of your theme. This feature allows you to customize footer styles, post title styles, background image styles, and header styles. Hence, you have complete customization and personalization.

This page builder also offers you numerous intuitive widgets. You can easily display and create content on your pages. More so, you have access to proprietary shortcodes that let you insert content like Twitter Stream and Flickr Photo Stream.

Pricing 

You can download Themify Builder for free. However, there’s a Builder Pro membership plan that goes for $69.

What Users Love About Themify Builder

• Themify Builder offers pre-designed sections and layouts
• It supports backend and frontend editing

Limitations of Themify Builder

• It does not support theme building features.

Wrap Up: What’s The Best Visual Composer Alternative?

In this review, we’ve been able to highlight ten of the best Visual Composer alternatives. However, it would only be right to pick a winner, and that is Divi Builder.

With Divi Builder, you can create unique and personalized pages and posts that are different from the standard WordPress theme templates. Even more, you have a separate interface when working on pages and posts.

Additionally, Divi Builder works on the frontend of websites. Hence, you can easily see changes right away.

More so, regardless of the limitations of your current WordPress theme, you can create any page layout or content layout with Divi Builder. Plus, the plugin also works with any WordPress theme. This way, you can maintain your present design and still enjoy the features of Divi Builder.