Elementor Free vs Pro: What You Can Build with the Free Version

The free version of Elementor is enough to build complete, good-looking pages: landing pages, brochure sites, portfolios and blog page layouts. It includes the visual editor, Flexbox and Grid containers, about 30 basic widgets, global colours and fonts, custom breakpoints and template import. What it does not include is the Theme Builder (headers, footers, single and archive templates), the Form widget, the Popup Builder, dynamic content and custom CSS. Pro also adds more widgets, motion effects and WooCommerce building. If your site needs those, either buy Pro or plan a free alternative for each one before you start.

This post sets out what each version includes, based on Elementor's own comparison in its help centre (updated September 2026) and the free plugin's source code. It also covers what you can realistically build without paying, and how to fill the gaps. A worked example then maps a typical small-business site onto free features.

What the free version includes

Elementor describes its free plugin, which it calls Elementor Core, as including "everything you need to get started". In practice that covers:

Table: Elementor free features (from Elementor's help centre and plugin code)

Area	Included in free
Editor	Drag-and-drop visual editor, undo and redo, revision history, navigator, page settings
Layout	Flexbox and Grid containers, shape dividers, background overlays and gradients, box and text shadows
Responsive design	Per-device settings, custom breakpoints, hide per device, reverse or reorder items
Design system	Site Settings for global colours, global fonts, typography and layout
Widgets	Heading, Image, Text Editor, Video, Button, Divider, Spacer, Google Maps, Icon, Image Box, Icon Box, Star Rating, Image Carousel, Basic Gallery, Icon List, Counter, Progress Bar, Testimonial, Tabs, Accordion, Toggle, Social Icons, Alert, SoundCloud, Shortcode, HTML, Menu Anchor, Sidebar, plus the WordPress widgets
Motion	Entrance animations and hover effects
Templates	Template library, saving your own templates, import and export of template files
Other	Maintenance mode, the Canvas page template, off-canvas content

Elementor's newer Atomic Editor also works in the free plugin, with Variables and Classes for building a design system. Elementor's documentation lists size variables as a Pro feature.

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What Pro adds

Pro is a separate plugin that runs on top of the free one. Elementor's installation guide says you must have Elementor Core installed and activated first. Elementor's comparison splits Pro features by plan:

Table: What Elementor Pro adds (Elementor's comparison, September 2026)

Feature	Essential plan	Advanced, Advanced Solo and Expert plans
Theme Builder (header, footer, single, archive)	Yes	Yes
Form widget	Yes	Yes, plus form submissions and integrations
Popup Builder	Yes	Yes, with unlimited popups
Post, archive and site widgets (Posts, Nav Menu, Site Logo and others)	Yes	Yes
Marketing widgets (Slides, Price Table, Call to Action, Countdown, Flip Box and others)	Yes	Yes
Scrolling effects, custom fonts, custom icons	Yes	Yes
Custom CSS, custom code, global CSS	No	Yes
Dynamic content integrations (ACF, Pods)	No	Yes
WooCommerce Builder and shop widgets	No	Yes
Role Manager and Notes	No	Yes

Elementor's comparison counts 50 widgets in the Essential plan and 82 in the higher plans. Its pricing page described plans as "starting from $60/year" when we checked in October 2026, with Essential and Advanced Solo for one site, Advanced for three and Expert for 25. Check the current page before you buy, because prices and plan contents change.

One detail matters for long-term planning: Elementor's help centre states that when a Pro subscription expires, Pro features stop immediately until you renew. A site built around Pro widgets and the Theme Builder depends on keeping the subscription.

What you can build with the free version

• Landing pages for campaigns, with hero sections, feature grids, testimonials and calls to action.
• Brochure sites of a few pages: home, about, services, contact.
• Portfolios built from image galleries, image boxes and project pages.
• Page layouts on a blog, such as a designed home page and about page, with posts still using the theme's templates.
• Event or launch pages with video, maps and FAQs built from Accordion or Toggle.

What you cannot do with free alone is design the parts of the site that sit outside the page content: the header, the footer, the blog post template and archive pages. Those come from your theme.

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Before you decide

• List the parts of the site you need to design. If headers, footers or post templates must be built visually in Elementor, you need Pro or a theme that gives you enough control.
• List interactive features: forms, popups, sliders, countdowns, pricing tables, shop pages.
• Check your theme. A lightweight theme with header and footer options in the Customizer or Site Editor covers much of what the Theme Builder does for simple sites.
• Check the templates you want to use. Many templates sold or shared online include Pro widgets.
• Think about maintenance. Each third-party plugin you use to replace a Pro feature is another plugin to update.

Filling the gaps without Pro

Table: Free alternatives to common Pro features

Need	Free approach	Trade-off
Contact form	A form plugin, placed with the Shortcode widget	Styling happens in the form plugin, not Elementor
Header and footer	Your theme's header and footer settings	Less design freedom; not edited visually in Elementor
Blog post and archive layouts	Your theme's templates	Posts look like the theme, not your Elementor pages
Custom CSS	Your theme's Additional CSS (Customizer) or the Site Editor's Additional CSS (block themes), targeting classes you add in Elementor's Advanced tab	CSS lives outside the page, so document it
Price tables, CTAs, flip boxes	Build them from containers, headings, text, icons and buttons	Takes longer; save them as templates to reuse
Custom fonts	Google Fonts in Site Settings, or a font loaded by your theme	Self-hosted brand fonts need theme or plugin support
Popups	A dedicated popup plugin	Another plugin to maintain
Online shop pages	WooCommerce's own block templates and your theme	Shop pages are not designed in Elementor

Third-party Elementor add-on plugins also supply extra widgets for the free version. They can be useful, but choose carefully: each adds code, and templates built with them will not open correctly on sites that do not have the same add-on.

Worked example: a five-page brochure site on Elementor free

An illustrative case: a small architecture practice needs Home, About, Services, Projects and Contact pages, a contact form, a simple header and footer, and a news section that is updated a few times a year.

Table: Mapping the brief to Elementor free

Requirement	How it is built	Free?
Home page with hero, services grid, testimonials	Containers, Heading, Text, Image Box, Testimonial, Button widgets	Yes
Consistent colours and fonts	Site Settings global colours and fonts	Yes
Projects gallery	Basic Gallery or Image Carousel widget	Yes
Contact form	A free form plugin's shortcode in the Shortcode widget	Yes, with a second plugin
Office map	Google Maps widget	Yes
Header with logo and menu	Theme header settings	Yes, via the theme
News posts	Normal WordPress posts with the theme's post template	Yes, via the theme
Mobile layout	Per-device settings and breakpoints	Yes

Everything in the brief can be built without Pro. The compromise is that the header, footer and news posts are styled by the theme rather than designed in Elementor. If the practice later wants a designed blog template, a newsletter popup or Elementor-styled forms, that is the point to buy Pro.

Getting the most from the free version

• Set up global styles first. Define your colours and fonts in Site Settings before building pages. Every widget then picks them up, and a brand change later is one edit rather than dozens.
• Use containers, not the old sections and columns. Flexbox and Grid containers are free and adapt better to different screens. Our guide to Elementor responsive design covers breakpoints and the common mobile fixes.
• Make headings scale. Fluid font sizes with clamp() work in the free version through the custom unit option; see our guide to fluid typography in Elementor.
• Save your own building blocks. When you build a price table or call-to-action section from basic widgets, save it to My Templates so the next one takes seconds.
• Keep the plugin count low. Choose one form plugin and, at most, one add-on pack, rather than a different plugin for each missing widget.

How to tell whether a template needs Pro

• Read the template's description. Our Elementor template library marks each free section with what it needs, and the resources archive lets you browse the full set.
• Check the file before importing. Paste or upload a template's JSON into the Elementor JSON validator. It lists the widgets used and flags Pro and add-on widgets.
• Import and preview on staging. Missing Pro widgets show as unavailable in the editor rather than rendering.

Our guide to importing an Elementor template walks through both import methods and the "widget not available" message.

Verify your setup

• Open Elementor's widget panel and confirm the widgets you planned are available. Pro widgets appear locked if Pro is not active.
• Build one complete page, then check it on desktop, tablet and mobile.
• Confirm the theme's header and footer look right with your Elementor pages, including on mobile.
• Test the contact form end to end, including that the email arrives.
• Check the page source or speed test for extra scripts from add-on plugins.

Common mistakes

• Choosing a template kit without checking whether it uses Pro widgets.
• Installing several add-on packs to replace one or two Pro widgets.
• Building with Pro, letting the subscription lapse, and finding Pro features have stopped working.
• Expecting to design headers and footers in free Elementor.
• Using the HTML widget for large amounts of custom code that would be better in a small plugin.
• Putting custom CSS inline in HTML widgets on every page instead of one stylesheet.

Troubleshooting

Table: Free vs Pro problems

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
"Widget not available" after importing a template	The template uses a Pro or add-on widget	Replace it with free widgets, or install what it needs
Pro widgets show a lock icon	Pro is not installed, not connected, or the licence expired	Connect and activate Pro, or renew
Elementor Pro will not activate	The free plugin is missing or inactive	Install and activate Elementor first
Header looks different on Elementor pages	The page uses the Canvas template, which removes the theme's header	Switch the page template to the default or full width
No Custom CSS option in the Advanced tab	Custom CSS is a Pro feature (Advanced plan and above)	Use the theme's Additional CSS with a class

Frequently asked questions

Is Elementor free?

Yes. The core Elementor plugin is free and includes the visual editor, containers, about 30 basic widgets, global styles, responsive settings and template import. Elementor Pro is a paid add-on.

Can I build a whole website with Elementor free?

You can build every page's content. Headers, footers, post templates and archives come from your theme, because the Theme Builder is a Pro feature.

Does Elementor free include a form widget?

No. The Form widget is Pro. With the free version, use a form plugin and place its shortcode with the Shortcode widget.

Can I add custom CSS in Elementor free?

Not in the Advanced tab; Elementor lists custom CSS as a Pro feature on the Advanced plan and above. Add a class to the element and write the CSS in your theme's Additional CSS.

Do I need Elementor free installed to use Pro?

Yes. Elementor's installation guide says Elementor Core must be installed and activated before Elementor Pro.

What happens to my site if Pro expires?

Elementor's help centre says Pro features stop immediately when the subscription expires, until you renew or connect a new licence. Plan for that if your design depends on Pro.

Are custom breakpoints a Pro feature?

No. Additional breakpoints and per-device settings are part of the free plugin, under Site Settings → Layout → Breakpoints.

Which Pro plan do I need for WooCommerce?

Elementor's comparison lists the WooCommerce Builder and shop widgets on the Advanced plans and above, not on Essential.

Are free Elementor templates really free to use?

Those built only with free widgets work without Pro. Check each template's requirements, or run its JSON through a validator that flags Pro widgets, before importing.

When is it worth upgrading to Pro?

When you need to design the header, footer or post templates visually, want Elementor-styled forms and popups, or need dynamic content or WooCommerce templates. If you need none of those, free plus a good theme is often enough.

Next step

List the pages and features your site needs and check each against the tables above. Then start from free sections in our Elementor template library, and run any outside template through the Elementor JSON validator before importing it.