When choosing the best WordPress page builder, the options can be overwhelming. Among the most highly rated are Elementor, Breakdance and Divi.
Each offers unique features and capabilities, but how do they compare in terms of performance?
This article explores a detailed comparison of these three popular page builders, focusing on their performance metrics, particularly the size of data transferred and code analyzed.
Comparative Performance with a Blank Page
A crucial aspect of any page builder is how it performs on a blank page. This base metric gives us insight into the inherent efficiency of each builder. In a recent analysis, the following results were observed:
- Elementor: It showed a data size of 5887 KB uncompressed and 160 KB compressed.
- Divi: Showed slightly lower numbers with 570 KB uncompressed and 160 KB compressed.
- Breakdancing: It stood out with significantly lower data usage, with 42 KB uncompressed and 15 KB compressed.
These numbers suggest that Breakdance offers a more efficient and streamlined starting point compared to Elementor and Divi.
With Adding Elements to the Page
The true test of a page builder's efficiency is how it manages the addition of various elements. When adding sliders, icon boxes and tabs to pages:
- Elementor: Page size increased to 1 MB uncompressed and 428 KB compressed.
- Divi: Size increased to 664 KB uncompressed and 224 KB compressed.
- Breakdancing: Remarkably, it only increased to 247 KB uncompressed and 69 KB compressed.
This comparison indicates that Breakdance can maintain a smaller page size, even with added elements, unlike Elementor and Divi.
Comparison by GT Metrix
In a detailed comparison using GT Metrix, Elementor and Breakdance exhibit distinct performance characteristics.
The analysis focuses on the default asset size of a completely blank page created with each builder.
Elementor, when tested, showed a page size of 689 kilobytes uncompressed and 173 kilobytes compressed. This measurement was taken from a blank page using the Hello theme, with just a header added. The GT Metrix report for Elementor also detailed the loading of various assets such as CSS, jQuery, jQuery migrate and several JavaScript files. Despite Elementor's efforts to improve performance, the page was still loading a considerable amount of data.
On the other hand, Breakdance presented a striking contrast in its performance metrics. For a similar blank page configuration, Breakdance recorded a significantly smaller page size – 37 kilobytes uncompressed and 16 kilobytes compressed. This result was achieved without the need for an additional theme, as Breakdance does not require one, unlike Elementor which used the Hello theme for testing.
The comparison in GT Metrix revealed that Breakdance's page size is approximately 5% that of Elementor, making it 20 times smaller when uncompressed. Comparing compressed sizes, Breakdance's page was about 10 times smaller than Elementor's. These numbers highlight Breakdance's efficiency in loading only the necessary assets, avoiding extra weight that could impact page load speed and overall performance.
In conclusion, the GT Metrix analysis demonstrates a significant difference in the performance of Elementor and Breakdance. Although Elementor is a robust and feature-rich page builder, its default asset size on a blank page is substantially larger compared to Breakdance.
Breakdance emerges as a more efficient option in terms of page size, potentially offering faster loading times and a more streamlined user experience.
SEO Optimization and Loading Speed, what is the best WordPress page builder anyway?
Not only in speed and user experience, but in the context of SEO, the performance of a WordPress page builder is crucial in website creation.
A builder that maintains a smaller page size, like Breakdance, can contribute to faster load times, a key factor in search engine rankings.
While Elementor and Divi are established “players” with robust features, Breakdance emerges as a strong competitor, especially in terms of efficiency and page loading speed.
Breakdance Builder's ability to maintain smaller page sizes, both on blank pages and pages with added elements, makes it a compelling choice for WordPress users who prioritize performance and SEO.
