Why It’s Not About Picking Sides Anymore — It’s About Building Smarter.
There was a time in the WordPress world when your choice of a page builder was like declaring your loyalty to a tribe. Divi or Elementor? Oxygen or Beaver Builder? Each had its die-hard fans, endless comparison threads, and very vocal forums.
But something has changed. Quietly at first — then suddenly. The real debate is no longer about page builders vs. block themes. That battle? It’s over.
A Look Back: The Rise of Page Builders
Let’s rewind.
Page builders exploded in popularity for one reason: they made WordPress easier. Drag-and-drop interfaces allowed non-developers to create beautiful sites without writing a single line of code. Agencies could move faster. Freelancers could charge more. Clients could actually edit their own sites.
For years, they were WordPress for many users. But with power came problems — bloated code, slow load times, and the dreaded “lock-in” effect. Switching away from a builder could mean rebuilding an entire site from scratch.
Enter Gutenberg.
The Block That Changed Everything
When WordPress introduced the Gutenberg editor, it was clunky. Developers scoffed. Clients got confused. But like all core innovations, it matured.
Fast forward to today, and the Block Editor is no longer a side project — it’s the backbone of WordPress.
Block themes (aka full site editing themes or FSE) have taken shape, and with them, a new way of thinking about WordPress development. Layouts, headers, footers, templates — all editable with blocks. No plugin required. No third-party builder needed.
So, Which Is Better?
Wrong question.
Here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud: it depends. It depends on your team, your client, your project timeline, and your long-term goals.
At WP Sprint, we don’t see it as a competition anymore. We see tools.
- Need speed, agility, and scalability? Block themes.
- Need dynamic layouts, quick MVPs, or client handoff simplicity? Page builders still shine.
- Have an in-house dev team and long-term roadmap? Block-first development will future-proof your stack.
The Hybrid Future
What we’re seeing is a shift toward hybrid builds — a block-based foundation with page builder-enhanced components where needed. Smart, efficient, and tailored.
And that’s the real lesson: WordPress is a toolbox, not a test of loyalty.
Block themes are the future — yes. But that doesn’t mean page builders are obsolete. They’ve simply found their place.
The debate is over. The decision isn’t either/or — it’s what works best, right now.
