WordPress WYSIWYG – Quick Explanation of the Term:
What is a WordPress WYSIWYG Editor?
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor is an external front-end (often with added back-end functionality) solution that helps users to build pages (and whole websites) on WordPress as they see them with the help of drag-and-drop components such as sections, modules, rows, texts, images and other elements.
In simple words, WordPress WYSIWYG Editor is a plugin that eliminates the pain of dealing with code and allows you to build on WordPress based on “what you see is what you get” model.
Today WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the World. 53% of all websites on the entire Internet use WordPress as their CMS.
Hands down, WordPress has tons of advantages – that’s true.
However, it has also one significant disadvantage: unlike DIY website builders WordPress is not the easiest solution if you are not tech savvy.
That’s the exact reason why we have WYSIWYG WordPress Editors.
In this post, we have gathered and compared for you Best WordPress WYSIWYG Editors available today on the market.
Let’s dive in.
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #1: Divi Builder
Divi is probably the most popular drag and drop WordPress builder out there.
It’s super easy to use, beautifully designed and extremely functional. Building a website with Divi is a breeze.
There is probably nothing you can’t build with Divi.
Plus, it comes with hundreds of professionally designed layouts accessible right from the Divi builder in your WordPress panel.
Divi is the builder our website has been built with – so you can refer to it as to a real-life example.
Here is a quick video that explains Divi in detail:
There are two ways of building websites with Divi Builder:
The first one is Divi Visual Builder where you edit your website on the front-end (right on your website like in the screenshot below). This a true WYSIWYG solution for WordPress.
The second option is the Back-end Builder – where you work in your WordPress dashboard with Divi modules like in the screenshot below:
Both options are great. It’s a mere matter of personal preference what option you use.
Divi Builder Main Features:
- WYSIWYG WordPress front-end and back-end builder
- Requires zero coding skills
- Works with any WordPress theme
- Lots of pre-made modules and layouts
- Split testing functionality
- Awesome Support
- Huge User Community (including Divi centered forums, websites, and communities)
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #2: Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder is one of the best drag and drop WordPress builders on the market.
Nice and neat front-end editor allows users to work on their WordPress pages without using a single line of code.
With Beaver Builder your coding skills do not matter and creating a stunning website is possible with simple drag and drop manipulations.
Beaver Builder has an intuitive and clear interface which makes working with this editor easy for anyone. Over 500,000 WordPress websites have been built with Beaver Builder so far and this number is ever growing.
Main Features:
- WYSIWYG WordPress front-end builder
- No coding skills required
- Intuitive interface
- Responsiveness
- Compatible with any WordPress theme
- Helpful community
- Awesome pre-made templates
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #3: Elementor
Elementor is another widely popular WordPress WYSIWYG plugin known for its ease of use, clean code and speed (both in terms of plugin’s work and the speed of websites built with Elementor).
As a plugin Elementor has great reviews on WordPress (4.8 stars out of 5 based on 2013 reviews at the time of writing this post).
It also comes with over 80 design elements including image, text, video, map, icons and more.
Elementor works great with most WordPress themes and plugins and is available in over 50 languages.
Main Features:
- High speed
- 24/7 Support (Pro version)
- Auto Save functionality
- Redo/Undo functionality
- Responsiveness
- Role Manager
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #4: Themify
Themify is a well-known WordPress back-end and front-end visual editor that comes with Themify theme. However, Themify drag and drop editor can also be downloaded independently as a plugin if you are using a different WordPress theme.
Themify comes with over 40 professionally designed layouts which you can simply import and build your own pages based on them. Stunning web pages can be created literally in minutes with these pre-made layouts.
Additionally, Themify builder includes its own caching system that helps to reduce server resources and makes page processing faster.
Main Features:
- Back-end and front-end builder
- Mobile responsiveness
- Multi-site support
- Can be extended further with add-ons
- Works with any WordPress theme
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #5: Thrive Architect
As the builder positions itself, Thrive Architect is a “click to edit” solution. Thrive Architect adds a real front-end editor to your WordPress meaning that you do not have to deal with WordPress back-end to build your pages.
You can click and edit anything you have on your back-end right on the front-end where you actually see what you edit (as you know this is not possible when you work on the back-end).
Just like other builders listed here, Thrive Architect requires no coding skills. It comes with pre-made conversion elements such as buttons, testimonials, lead generation forms, and countdown timers.
On top of that, 271 different landing page templates are available in Thrive Architect library to use.
Main Features:
- Full front-end editing
- Designed to speed up the page building process
- Mobile responsiveness
- Works with any WordPress theme
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #6: Visual Composer
Visual Composer is a massively popular WYSIWYG editor for WordPress that requires no coding. It allows users to edit pages in real time on the front-end and view the end-results before hitting the publish button.
Design options include control over background, spaces, borders, parallax effects and more right from the editor.
Hundreds of content elements are available in Visual Composer (some of them are available with Premium access to Visual Composer Hub only).
Visual Composer works with any WordPress theme and you do not lose your design layouts when you switch the themes.
Main Features:
- WordPress widgets support
- Custom CSS
- Global templates
- Responsive design
- Compatibility with Yoast SEO plugin
WordPress WYSIWYG Editor #7: Page Builder by SiteOrigin
The most popular WordPress WYSIWYG plugin out there that is totally free but powerful. It offers back-end and front-end editing options based on widgets.
Page Builder by SiteOrigin works with any theme and keeps your layout and content in place when you change your WordPress theme.
Page Builder by SiteOrigin does not require any coding to build beautiful WordPress websites and pages that are fully responsive. It’s easy enough to edit WordPress pages with this editor both on the back-end and front end.
Although its functionality is not as rich as the premium options above the Page Builder by SiteOrigin does its job effectively and with ease.
Main Features:
- Based on widgets
- Front-end and back-end functionality
- Works with any WordPress theme
- Useful history browser that lets to roll forward and back through your edits
Conclusion
In case dealing with the code is not your strongest skill, WordPress WYSIWYG Editors are very helpful solution that completely solve this issue for you.
What they do is that they literally transform WordPress into a simple and easy website builder.
Of course, it is up to you to decide which of the above is the best WordPress WYSIWYG editor, but one thing is for sure:
With WYSIWYG WordPress Editors you get the full power of WordPress and the ease of WYSIWYG at the same time – two major components combined in one.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are ‘affiliate links.’ This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we might receive an affiliate commission. Commissions are given at no extra cost to you and they do not influence our opinion on products.
Working with code can be so frustrating for me sometimes! I forget so many commands and then I have to edit, edit, edit. Thanks so much for this list!
Great post – really useful! I use WP and find it pretty easy to use – and I’m a complete technophobe lol!
Wow, the only one I’ve used on this list is Divi. It’s good to see there are other options I could recommend, especially for folks who are just starting out. Divi’s gorgeous, and I love that it can be configured with virtually infinite looks. Only downside I’ve found is sometimes it doesn’t play so well with Yoast’s Readability function – it’s like Yoast doesn’t recognize that there’s any text in the page or post. Doesn’t happen all the time, just with some sites.
This is good to know. My husband does a lot of the backend stuff for me
I’ve known how to code a full website for many years now, but it’s still nice to have a visual editor sometimes. I use elementor for one of my websites and it’s so easy to work with.
I use WP and find it to be extremely user friendly. I love all the themes avail be to create a variety of layouts and designs. understanding how to ready a little bit of code greatly improves success though.
This is really helpful to all of bloggers using WordPress platform. Actually I have haring time to edit codes using wordpress so I use blogger for my platform great post!
I switched from WordPress to Squarespace because I got tired of all the coding and frustrations I was having. I love squarespace but I wish I had known about these options before I made the switch.
I found this so helpful. I’m trying to teach myself how to learn all of the “coding” world slang, but this super helped.
Thanks! I definitely needed this I am the worst with coding so these should really help! I hate editing codes
Thanks for such a brilliant and detailed guide. Saved this post as one of my favs.
I’m a devoted WP user and love its wide and varied user friendly tools. Some things I can do, and other things I turn over to people with far more expertise than I have.
I know a lot of people like the Divi Builder and I heard it’s easy to use! I find code annoying to work with but the more I use it the more familiar it becomes. I might go check out Visual Composer.
I am sort of tech savvy so I can work with codes. However, I’ve heard of Divi and Elementor. I hadn’t heard of the rest! Seems so cool, so I will be looking into these.
This was very useful, because I struggle a lot with this almost everyday, so thank you very much.
Thanks for such a great blog post it really helped me a lot I was searching for this all in the internet and finally got it here at your site this is very helpful
I have been looking for this information and well, I just found it. thanks very much.
I am in beginning stage of blog creation and i’m not well-versed in coding but this visual editor is very helpful for me to build a blog or website.
Nice information with full details
Thank you
This has made life so much easier. Now I can use this page to find what I am after.🌝
Wow, great tips! I must try it now!
That’s so cool, information with full details.
I’ve known how to code a full website for many years, now, but it’s still nice
to have a visual editor Perfect. I use Elementor for one of my websites and it’s so easy to work with.
I’m trying to learn the world of code I found it very useful !!
I stick with Divi. just make sure to work the speed up. thanks for sharing!!