Elementor vs Thrive Architect
Updated 5 Oct 2026. 25 features compared side by side.
The most widely installed visual page builder for WordPress, with a free drag-and-drop editor and Pro plans adding theme, popup, form and WooCommerce builders.
Premium front-end page builder from Thrive Themes focused on conversion: landing page templates, lead forms, conditional display and A/B testing add-ons.
Choose Elementor if…
- You need AI assistant and content survives deactivation
- You want the more complete feature set (90/100 vs 79/100)
- You want to start with a free version
- You want the lower entry price ($60/yr vs $199/yr)
Choose Thrive Architect if…
- Marketers, coaches and course creators building conversion-focused pages, especially within Thrive Suite
Elementor includes 2 features that Thrive Architect lacks, including AI assistant and Content survives deactivation. Both include 20 of the 25 features we track. 1 feature is not yet verified for one or both plugins.
At a glance
Feature comparison
Click a screenshot to see both plugins side by side.
Elementor Thrive ArchitectEditing7/86/8
Live drag-and-drop editing on the front end in the free plugin.
Drag-and-drop editing directly on the front end with inline text.
Uses its own separate editor rather than Gutenberg blocks.
Uses its own front-end editor rather than Gutenberg blocks.
Per-device settings with custom breakpoints in the free version.
Separate desktop, tablet and mobile editing.
Global colours and fonts, plus v4 classes and variables, are free.
Global colours, fonts and global element editing.
Flexbox and grid containers are part of the free editor.
Columns and content box layouts; no flexbox or grid container confirmed.
Per-element and page custom CSS need Advanced Solo or higher.
Custom CSS section on individual elements.
Revision history and undo/redo are included free.
Revision manager restores earlier saved versions of a page.
AI for text, images, code and layouts with limited free credits; larger allowances come with One plans.
No AI features are listed for Thrive Architect.
Elements & templates5/55/5
Free template library and kits; Pro unlocks more templates.
300+ templates including 220+ landing pages and many page blocks.
40+ free widgets; Pro adds up to 85 more such as sliders and pricing tables.
Conversion elements: forms, testimonials, countdowns, pricing tables and more.
Popup Builder with triggers and conditions starts at Advanced Solo.
Popups and opt-ins come from Thrive Leads, a paid plugin included in Thrive Suite.
Form widget in Essential; stored submissions require Advanced Solo.
Lead Generation element for opt-in and registration forms.
Entrance animations free; scroll and mouse motion effects are Pro.
Entrance animations and hover effects on elements.
Theme & dynamic6/66/6
Headers, footers, singles and archives in every Pro plan.
Headers, footers and templates via Thrive Theme Builder, included in Thrive Suite.
Dynamic tags for post and site data from Essential upward.
Dynamic personalisation, dynamic links and post data in elements.
Full custom-field and custom post type support listed from Advanced Solo.
Insert ACF field values into Thrive Architect designs.
Loop Grid and Loop Carousel are in Advanced Solo and higher.
Post List element designs custom post listings, with a filter element.
Element display conditions by date, role or page type need an Advanced-level plan.
Conditional Display shows or hides elements based on rules.
Product, shop, cart and checkout templates from Advanced Solo.
WooCommerce compatible; shop and product templates via Thrive Theme Builder.
Performance & workflow5/63/6
v4 atomic elements render leaner HTML; legacy widgets add wrapper markup.
Vendor claims fast pages, but asset loading behaviour was not verified.
Content is kept on removal, but layouts and styling depend on the plugin.
Pages can't be edited after licence expiry; designed layout depends on the plugin.
Free can block roles from the editor; Pro adds content-only editing.
User Access Manager sets which roles can use each Thrive product.
No official rebranding option; agencies rely on third-party plugins.
No white-label option is listed.
Documented APIs for custom widgets, controls and dynamic tags.
Developer documentation is referenced, but scope of the API was not confirmed.
Cloud Templates reusable across sites; 10 items on Essential, more on higher plans.
Cloud template gallery from Thrive; own saved templates not confirmed across sites.
Statuses: Yes Pro Add-on Partial 3rd-party No ?
Pricing compared
Elementor Freemium
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Essential | $60 per year, 1 site |
| Advanced Solo | $84 per year, 1 site |
| Advanced | $108 per year, 3 sites |
| Expert | $204 per year, 25 sites |
| One | $228 per year, 1 site |
| One Agency | $540 per year, Unlimited |
Thrive Architect Premium
| Thrive Architect | $199 per year, 1 site |
|---|---|
| Architect + Optimize | $399 per year, 1 site |
| Thrive Suite | $599 per year, 5 sites |
Downloads trend
Elementor
1,205,057 downloads last week
Thrive Architect
No WordPress.org download data (premium-only plugin).
Verdict
Elementor scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 79/100) and includes AI assistant and content survives deactivation that Thrive Architect does not. Only Elementor has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Biggest differences
Elementor: partial. Thrive Architect: not included. AI for text, images, code and layouts with limited free credits; larger allowances come with One plans.
Elementor: partial. Thrive Architect: not included. Content is kept on removal, but layouts and styling depend on the plugin.
Written from the feature, pricing and install data on this page, not from hands-on testing. How we compare.
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FAQ
Which is better, Elementor or Thrive Architect?
Elementor scores higher on our feature checklist (90/100 against 79/100) and includes AI assistant and content survives deactivation that Thrive Architect does not. Only Elementor has a free version. Check the features you rely on in the table below before deciding.
Which has more features?
Elementor includes 23 of the 25 features we track, against 20 for Thrive Architect. Feature count is only part of the picture; check which of the differences matter to you.
Is Elementor free?
Elementor has a free version on WordPress.org. Paid plans start at $60/yr.
Is Thrive Architect free?
Thrive Architect is premium only. Paid plans start at $199/yr.
Feature data last changed 5 Oct 2026. Spotted something wrong? Suggest an edit to Elementor or Thrive Architect. Some links are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no cost to you; it never affects our data or rankings.