WPBakery Page Builder Review: Too Hard for Beginners? (2025)

Ease of Use

My rating for WPBakery’s ease of use is 3.7 out of 5.

Here’s why:

• WPBakery offers both frontend and backend editing, catering to different user preferences.
• The backend editor can be overwhelming for beginners (can deter new users who might find the interface less intuitive compared to competitors like Elementor).
• While the setup process is straightforward, it involves multiple steps, including manual activation of the plugin for posts via the role manager settings.

If you’re comfortable with a bit of a learning curve and need a robust page builder, WPBakery can be a strong choice.

However, if ease of use is your top priority, you might find other options more accessible.

Initial Setup

WPBakery doesn’t have a free version, so if you want to use it, you need to head over to Envato Market and purchase the WPBakery page builder plugin.

After this, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard and go to the left-hand menu

• Click on plugins > add new plugin
• Click on the upload plugin button
• Find the .zip file of the plugin and install it

Like this:

Once the installation is complete, don’t forget to activate the plugin to enable the page builder on your site.

After activation, you will have to activate your license, which is necessary for receiving updates and support.

Click on the activate license button:

The next window will show you WPBakery Page Builder settings — click on the activate button for the WPBakery.

This is where you will enter your product license, as well as your WPBakery account (if you don’t have an account, you can also register from here).

The page looks like this:

Now that the plugin is all set, you can go to the settings from the WPBakery Page Builder tab in your WordPress sidebar to configure basic options according to your preferences.

You can set the role manager to control who can use the page builder, which is useful if you have multiple users contributing to your site.

To start building, navigate to pages or posts > add new and you will see the WPBakery Page Builder interface available for you with drag-and-drop ease:

From here, you can then select the backend editor or the frontend editor (visual composer) to design your post or page. 🙂

I find the installation process is a little bit more complicated compared to other page builders, as you have to manually enable it for posts in the role manager settings.

User Interface

As I explained earlier, this page builder has dual frontend and backend editing capabilities, which offer a robust yet sometimes complex user interface.

Its drag-and-drop functionality and extensive template library make it accessible for users of all skill levels, although the backend editor can present a steeper learning curve for beginners.

Here is a view from its backend editor:

While it has a steeper learning curve, the backend editor offers a more detailed editing environment in the WordPress dashboard, with extensive customization and control.

On the other hand, here’s a view from its front-end editor:

The front-end editor provides a live preview of changes and allows you to see real-time adjustments (helpful for users who prefer visual feedback while editing).

Here are a few notes regarding the user interface:

• The frontend editor offers a live preview of changes, making it easier for users to see their real-time adjustments.
• The backend editor, while comprehensive, can be less intuitive, requiring more familiarity with the system to navigate effectively.
• The user interface supports drag-and-drop operations for elements and widgets and allows users to easily customize their page layouts without needing coding skills.
• However, the process of creating rows and columns first before adding widgets can be slightly less intuitive compared to competitors like Elementor.

So yeah, I can say the WPBakery caters to both beginners and advanced users alike. 🙂

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Best Features

For the best features, WPBakery deserves a rating of 4.0 out of 5.

Here’s why:

• WPBakery’s drag-and-drop interface is a standout feature, making it easy to create and rearrange page elements without any coding knowledge.
• While WPBakery offers extensive styling and customization options, the lack of inline editing and right-click functionality can be a drawback.
• Continuous optimization is needed as using these templates, especially for complex layouts, may slow down page loading times.

The lack of certain convenient editing features and potential performance issues with complex layouts keep it from achieving a perfect score.

For users seeking a powerful, feature-rich page builder, WPBakery is a solid choice, though they may need to weigh the trade-offs between customization options and ease of use.

Here are some notable features of WPBakery:

1. Drag-and-drop interface

Easily the star of its features, WPBakery’s intuitive drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to create and rearrange page elements without any coding knowledge.

Here’s how it looks:

Unlike some other builders, you need to first create a row and then insert your desired widgets into these rows.

This two-step process might be less intuitive compared to more straightforward builders like Elementor, but it provides a structured approach to page building.

2. Template library

WPBakery offers a substantial library of over 80 pre-designed templates that users can apply to their pages. 

These templates range from full-page designs to individual section templates, allowing for a quick start in page design.

Users can customize these templates, their colors, fonts, and images, to fit their branding and content needs.

You can then see the changes in real time in the front-end editor.

3. Styling and customization

What’s nice about WPBakery is its various styling options for rows, columns, and individual elements.

Basically, you can control aspects such as background color, padding, margins, and borders:

The downside is that while the styling options are comprehensive, some users find them less extensive compared to other page builders.

For example, there is less support for inline editing and right-click functionality, which can limit quick edits and adjustments.

Advanced users can also add custom CSS classes or IDs to elements — this provides greater control over the design and allows for more precise and responsive styling.

Reliability

My rating here for reliability is 3.9 out of 5.

Here’s why:

• WPBakery excels in code profiling time, outperforming competitors like Elementor and Beaver Builder in this area.
• Despite its performance strengths, WPBakery’s interface can be resource-intensive, leading to occasional slowdowns.
• WPBakery is actively maintained and regularly updated with new features and improvements, such as the element auto-save and enhanced SEO toolkit.

The resource-intensive interface and the issues related to shortcode cleanup after deactivation prevent it from scoring higher.

WPBakery is a reliable choice for users who are willing to invest time in optimization and are comfortable with the potential trade-offs in performance.

Performance

For performance, WPBakery Page Builder holds fairly well, both in memory usage and in page speed inside the website.

I tested the plugin, both the frontend and backend editors, using the Code Profiler plugin — here are the results:

• Frontend: 0.039 seconds
• Backend: 0.047 seconds

Now let’s compare it with how other page builders went:

From the results above, it seems that the three page builders have different strengths, with WPBakery Page Builder performing the best in code profiling time.

For the actual performance though, I believe that most page builders have more or less similar effects, and it’s still in the features where they mostly vary.

Updates and Maintenance

WPBakery Page Builder has been actively updated to keep up with the demands of modern web design, with several new features, improvements, and fixes.

There’s a detailed release notes (changelog) page on their website:

One of the standout features introduced in the latest versions is the element auto-save, which saves changes automatically as you make them.

WPBakery has also enhanced its SEO toolkit and added tools for keyword analysis, Google snippet control, and social media snippet management.

Nice! 👏

Support

My rating for WPBakery’s support is 3.7 out of 5.

Here’s why:

• WPBakery offers a robust support system with a detailed knowledge base and an extensive video academy.
• While the ticketing system is available to licensed users, the response times can be slow.
• The ticketing system is exclusive to licensed account holders, which helps manage the volume of queries but also limits access to support for other stakeholders.

The comprehensive knowledge base and video tutorials are standout features, providing users with valuable self-help resources.

However, the slow response times in the ticketing system and its limited availability to licensed users prevent WPBakery from achieving a higher score.

Customer Service

WPBakery Page Builder’s primary mode of direct assistance is through the ticketing system, which grants access to a high-quality dedicated support team from Monday until Saturday.

Unlike other systems though, its ticketing system is on its website, and you need to log in first:

However, some users have expressed frustration with the support team’s response times, noting that it can sometimes take several hours or days to reply.

This can be a downside for users who would want a quick resolution to their issues or other queries.

Knowledge Base

WPBakery Page Builder has a knowledge base complete with different articles, from licensing to how-tos, and a search bar that suggests articles based on the query.

Here’s what the page looks like:

What sets WPBakery apart from its counterparts is that they have a special section, a video academy filled with video tutorials from basics to handy tips and tricks.

Here’s what it looks like:

I watched some videos and they really guide you through the process (they also cover almost all aspects of the plugin, even advanced customization).

However, for complex issues or more advanced customization, users might still need to rely on direct support from the WPBakery team.

Pricing

I rate WPBakery’s pricing a 3.8 out of 5.

Here’s why:

• WPBakery’s pricing structure is simple and transparent, with a one-time payment model that grants lifetime access to the plugin and its updates.
• Unlike some competitors, WPBakery does not offer a free version or a wide range of pricing tiers.
• Although the lifetime license is appealing, access to premium features is limited to only one year from the purchase date.

The lifetime license offers long-term value, especially for users managing multiple sites, but the lack of a free version and flexible pricing tiers may not cater to all budgets.

Additionally, the limited access to certain premium features within the first year means that some users might incur extra costs over time.

Cost breakdown

The website builder is only available as a lifetime license.

It starts with the $69 regular license for one site, all the way up to $256 for 5 sites and $499 for 10 sites.

This makes its pricing structure straightforward, focusing on a one-time payment model that provides lifetime access to the plugin and its updates.

When compared to other popular page builders, WPBakery’s pricing structure is simpler but offers fewer tiers and less flexibility for users with constrained budgets.

WPBakery also offers a hosted version for $24.99/month, which includes managed WordPress cloud hosting along with the page builder.

This makes it an all-in-one solution for users who prefer not to handle the technical aspects of hosting, but notably, other hosting services provide more options in pricing plans.

Although WPBakery Page Builder has no free version, you can try the plugin for free at their online demo site before making any further decisions.

Money Back Guarantee/Refund

WP Bakery Page Builder also has a nice 15-day money-back guarantee.

Here are their refund instructions, which state that claims for refund can only be channeled through the ticketing system:

More than the refund policy, WPBakery offers bulk license discounts and student discounts that help lower the costs for qualified customers.

This makes getting WPBakery Page builder all the more enticing. 🤩

Final Thoughts

When considering WPBakery for your WordPress site, it’s important to weigh the long-term benefits of the lifetime license against your immediate needs and budget.

If you’re planning to manage multiple sites or commit to a robust page builder for the long haul, WPBakery’s one-time payment could be a smart investment.

However, if you’re unsure or prefer more flexibility, explore other options that offer a free version or more tiered pricing before making a decision.

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