Beaver Builder is a widely-used front-end visual page builder for WordPress, also offering a dedicated theme and theme builder (as of very recently) to work alongside it.
Unlike it’s competitors, Beaver Builder seems to have a strong foothold in the developer community, promising site builders and their clients a platform to create and design websites without the usual headaches.
The added customizability of Beaver Builder makes it a good choice for people that like to get nitty-gritty with their website, and the added tools that Beaver puts at your disposal (The Theme builder, for example) complement the vanilla experience very well.
In this review, we’ll just be looking at the page builder as a standalone plugin.
Beaver Builder Review: The Good, Bad, And The Ugly
For this review, I fired up Beaver Builder to see how it fares in comparison to popular alternatives.
From here on out, I’ll share my experiences using this tool, as well as what I liked and didn’t like along the way.
User Interface & Experience
When you launch beaver builder for the first time, it won’t take you very long to get an idea of how it works.
And even though I found it fairly intuitive as far as page builders go, it wasn’t exactly efficient.
For example, it has a bar going along the top with the Beaver Builder logo on one end, and a handful of buttons on the other.
This is a pure waste of screen space. I don’t need a constant reminder of what builder I’m using and there’s no reason they couldn’t move those buttons to the sidebar.
The only time it’s useful is when you need to bring the sidebar back into view, but Elementor has a much more elegant solution that I think Beaver Builder should take note of.
The sidebars themselves have actually come a long way. If before you only had a rigid sidebar on the left, you now have two sidebars that open just when you need them.
Click on the “+” sign to open the elements and modules bar:
Or click any on-page element to open the editing sidebar:
You can move these sidebars around, which leaves room for you to design your workspace however you want.
It’s similar to what Divi does, and it works.
Adding elements on a page is straightforward and, like most page builders, you don’t have to input a lot of data to see how something looks on-page.
The styling options are pretty impressive too. You get your basic color, hover and alignment options, but you can always take the developer route.
All elements have an “Advanced” tab where you can get your hands dirty and modify any module to your liking, which is exactly what experienced developers need.
And now would be a good time to make an important observation: I’m not an experienced developer.
I understand how web development works, and I’ve created, managed and optimized my fair share of websites hosted on WordPress, Webflow, Wix and SquareSpace.
But I’m not the target audience of Beaver Builder.
So whatever I say in this review – remember that it’s from the perspective of an affiliate marketer.
Now back to our Beaver Builder review.
Module Library
The module library is a collection of elements you can use to build your page.
These include things like buttons, images and text blocks. As well as more advanced stuff like accordions, sliders and pricing tables.
Beaver Builder has all that. And it even has a few conversion elements like a subscribe form, countdown timer and testimonial slider.
Beaver Builder doesn’t have a perfect collection of modules. For example, it’s lacking a portfolio or a flip box module, which can come in handy for freelancers or agencies trying to promote their services on a website.
But it doesn’t have a weak library either. For any basic website need, you’re covered.
If you want anything extra, you’ll need to use third-party plugins which often breaks the “visual building” aspect of using a visual page builder.
On top, third-party plugins can mess up the code of your website, but that’s not a 100% risk, so let’s get back to our Beaver Builder review.
In line with other visual builders, Beaver does have a HTML element:
Granted, some website builders do a better job visually with these elements. In Beaver, you’ll just get the classic “Advanced” HTML options you would on any element:
While tools like Thrive Architect or Divi will open up a code playground when using this type of module.
But it’s still a decent element you can use.
Lastly, adding columns and rows is extremely easy in Beaver Builder.
And unlike other page builders, it’s easy to visualize the columns you add, which makes it easier to structure the layout of any page.
Flexibility
Let’s be real for a minute.
Even with a stellar user interface and an abundance of modules and widgets to choose from, none of it really matters if you can’t actually build what you’re trying to build.
In other words, a page builder needs to be flexible.
Given what I’ve had to say about Beaver Builder so far, I wasn’t entirely optimistic about this one.
In terms of achieving different kinds of layouts, Beaver Builder’s “row” system was actually fairly robust and simple to use.
Using both the element settings and global page settings to control margins and paddings, I was also able to eliminate spacing without any fuss.
Beaver Builder is also extremely flexible thanks to its advanced options available for any template or block.
If you need to slightly modify the padding, hover color, class ID, or anything else you can think of, it’s all available in the vanilla package.
That being said, I want to mention that making use of all of these options might not come in handy for everyone.
So yeah, Beaver is flexible, and we have to mention that for a fair Beaver Builder review.
But when it comes to actually making use of these customization options… you need to know what you’re doing to enjoy Beaver to its maximum potential.
By comparison, builders like Divi make a beginner’s job much easier by offering a large amount of templates which require little editing to get them publish-ready.
And since we mentioned that…
Content & Page Templates
If you rely heavily on templates, Beaver Builder does offer a reasonable selection of landing pages and content structures to wet your appetite.
And while the designs aren’t winning any awards, they’re still decent enough. (They offer a good base to build upon if nothing else.)
In order to use one of these templates, however, Beaver Builder will need access to the entire page.
By default, it will end up looking like this:
But if you’re using an older theme, your design can only extend to the boundaries set by it.
Unfortunately, the builder itself doesn’t offer any way around this problem, so you’ll need to install a plugin (like this, or this) to get a new option in your page template settings.
Once enabled, it will lift the themes inherent boundaries and allow Beaver Builder to fill the entire page with content.
But again, only go this route if you use an older theme and you can’t use WordPress’ options to fill a page with Beaver Builder Full Width.
Finally, you can save your own templates to reuse later, which is a crucial element to consider if you produce a LOT of similar content. (This alone saves hours of your time.)
Not only that, but you can also save individual sections from your design to reuse on another page/post.
AND… you can save both rows and modules as “global” elements, allowing you to reuse them anywhere on your site and edit them from one central location.
This is one somewhat subtle feature that can be really powerful if you know how to use it.
Mobile Responsiveness And Editing
Like most page builders today, Beaver Builder lets you preview pages as they’d look from a mobile device.
You just need to click on responsive editing to open this tab:
And kudos to Beaver Builder for mixing mobile previewing with editing for mobile audiences.
While most page builders give you the ability to hide/slightly modify some elements for mobile, Beaver lets you drastically change a page that’s going to be seen from mobile devices.
On top, their templates and widgets are already looking good on smaller screens, so a big plus in this department.
Speed
Speed is an interesting subject in Beaver Builder.
In our previous Beaver Builder review, we spoke at length about the problems with the speed of working in Beaver. It just took too long to add and modify elements on page, which was a horrible hindrance for users of all skill levels.
That’s not the case anymore.
You can quickly add and edit elements of all sizes and shapes. Working in Beaver Builder is fast.
If you’re to talk about the speed of the site itself, things get even better.
Some page builders have limitations when it comes to the code behind the site. You can’t always access and clean it at will (or pay someone to do it for you) so the fact that you can do that in Beaver makes it a great choice. Especially for someone that knows how to work around source code.
The added layout options for CSS and Javascript connoisseurs also opens up a lot of possibilities for that same purpose.
Support
Beaver Builder speaks highly of their support, and it’s hard to say otherwise based on my own experience.
Even before I got my hands on the plugin, the email response I got back from enquiring was fast and helpful.
And while they do have a contact form to fill out, you’ll get the best response by posting in the dedicated support forum.
Aside from that, the Beaver Builder’s community Facebook group is another excellent support line with over 16,000 members.
Not only do you get responses to your question in minutes, but the answers are coming from other Beaver Builder users who offer advice on workarounds and alternatives you wouldn’t normally get from Beaver Builder’s official support.
Price
Beaver Builder is pretty expensive.
Beaver Builder isn’t the cheapest page builder out there, but it’s not the most expensive, either.
It does have a free version, but it’s even more limited than the paid version, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
(Besides, if you’re going the free route, Elementor is the easy choice.)
Looking at how it’s competitors are priced, you can get a better idea of where this plugin sits in the market.
| Page Builder | Free Version | Premium Version |
|---|---|---|
| Thrive Architect | No | $67 lifetime |
| Elementor | Yes (some limitations) | $49/yr – $199/yr |
| Beaver Builder | Yes (heavy limitations) | $99/yr – $399/yr |
| Divi Builder | No | $89/yr or $249 lifetime |
| Visual Composer |
No | $43*varies |
At first glance, Beaver Builder might seem like one of the more expensive options on the market, but it’s not entirely true.
Even with Beaver Builder’s lowest plan ($99), you’re allowed to install the plugin on unlimited sites, with complete access to all the plugins modules and templates.
(You can continue to use Beaver Builder after 1 year, but you just don’t get updates and support without renewal.)
So while some alternatives above may appear cheaper, not all of them offer the same flexibility. (For example, using Elementor PRO on unlimited sites will set you back $199.)
Mesmo com minha classificação um tanto medíocre desta ferramenta, ainda não é um preço ruim para o que você obtém.
Dito isto, seria bom se eles oferecessem uma licença de site único com desconto.
E é por isso que o preço pode ou não ser um problema para você. Se você é um desenvolvedor trabalhando em vários sites ao mesmo tempo, isso não é um problema. Se você é um blogueiro de orçamento, pode ser um pouco demais.
E já que mencionamos isso, vamos encerrar nossa análise do Beaver Builder com uma análise de para quem essa ferramenta é boa.
O Beaver Builder é ideal para você?
Agora que abordei todos os diferentes recursos e funções do Beaver Builder, pesando os prós e contras e dando minha experiência ao longo do caminho, vamos falar sobre VOCÊ.
Como acontece com qualquer ferramenta, o Beaver Builder não será a escolha certa para todos, então gostaria de saber para quem exatamente esse construtor de páginas é adequado.
Bloggers de orçamento
Por US $ 99 uma vez (com 1 ano de atualizações e suporte), o Beaver Builder não é a maior despesa que você provavelmente terá ao criar um site.
Dito isto, eu ainda recomendaria a versão gratuita do Elementor se o orçamento for realmente uma preocupação. Dessa forma, você pode obter o que é, na minha opinião, um construtor de páginas superior sem gastar um centavo.
Se você planeja atualizar em um futuro próximo e gostaria de executar seu construtor de páginas em vários sites, seria mais barato ficar com o Beaver Builder.
Blogueiros iniciantes
Se há uma coisa que posso dizer sobre o Beaver Builder, é que é muito fácil de pegar e começar a usar.
Claro, uma grande parte disso se deve ao quão mínimo é, no que diz respeito aos construtores de páginas, mas de qualquer forma, ainda me sinto confiante em recomendar isso para alguém que é novo na construção de sites.
Agora, é o melhor construtor de páginas para iniciantes?
Não, na verdade não. Embora seja uma boa opção, na minha opinião, ainda não é tão fácil de usar quanto seu mais novo concorrente, o Elementor.
Profissionais de marketing de alto nível
Se você está procurando o construtor de páginas mais capaz, eu definitivamente não recomendaria o Beaver Builder imediatamente.
Dito isto, se você combiná-lo com o plugin Ultimate Addons e talvez alguma experiência de desenvolvedor, isso pode ser uma história diferente.
