Beaver Builder Review

Beaver Builder is a popular front-end visual page builder for WordPress that also (as of very lately) offers a dedicated theme and theme builder to operate alongside it.

Beaver Builder, in contrast to its rivals, appears to have a strong presence in the developer community and offers website designers and their clients a platform to construct and design websites without the normal hassles.

Beaver Builder is a wonderful option for those who enjoy fine-tuning their websites because of its increased customizability, plus the extra tools Beaver makes available to you (like The Theme builder) nicely round out the basic experience.

We’ll just be discussing the page builder as a standalone plugin in this review.

Beaver Builder Review: The Good, Bad, And The Ugly

To examine how Beaver Builder stacks up against the competition for this review, I launched it.

From this point forward, I’ll talk about how I used this tool and what I liked and didn’t like about it.

User Interface & Experience

You will quickly grasp how Beaver Builder functions after you launch it for the first time.

And although I found it to be rather intuitive compared to other page builders, it wasn’t particularly effective.

As an illustration, the top bar has a few buttons on one end and the Beaver Builder logo on the other.

Pure screen real estate waste. There’s no reason they couldn’t relocate those buttons to the sidebar; I don’t need to be constantly reminded of whatever builder I’m using.

Only when you need to bring the sidebar back into view is it handy, however Elementor has a lot more tasteful resolution, which I believe Beaver Builder ought to be aware of.

The sidebars themselves have advanced considerably. You now have two sidebars that open just when you need them, when before there was simply a fixed sidebar on the left.

To access the elements and modules bar, click on the plus sign:

To open the editing sidebar, you can also click any element on the page:

These sidebars are movable, giving you the freedom to arrange them anyway you like in your workspace.

It works and is comparable to what Divi does.

Like most page builders, adding things to a page is simple, and you don’t need to enter a lot of information to see how anything will appear on the page.

Additionally, the styling possibilities are rather excellent. You have the standard options for color, hover, and alignment, but you can also go the developer route.

The “Advanced” option on every aspect allows you to get your hands dirty and customize any module to your preferences, which is exactly what seasoned developers require.

I should also point out at this point that I am not an experienced developer.

I am familiar with the processes involved in web creation, and I have built, managed, and optimized a good number of websites that are hosted on WordPress, Webflow, Wix, and SquareSpace.

I’m not, however, Beaver Builder’s intended market.

Therefore, keep in mind that anything I say in this review is written from the viewpoint of an affiliate marketer.

Resuming our examination of Beaver Builder

Module Library

You can create your page using the elements in the module library.

These consist of items like text blocks, buttons, and graphics. As well as more sophisticated tools like sliders, accordions, and price tables.

That’s all in Beaver Builder. Additionally, it includes a subscribe form, countdown timer, and testimonial slider, among other conversion-oriented features.

There are several modules in Beaver Builder’s library that aren’t flawless. For instance, it lacks a flip box module or a portfolio, which are useful for freelancers or businesses attempting to advertise their services online.

But it also doesn’t have a subpar library. You are taken care of for every fundamental website necessity.

You’ll need to use third-party plugins if you want anything more, which frequently violates the “visual construction” component of utilizing a visual page builder.

Additionally, third-party plugins may corrupt your website’s code, but this is not a certain risk, so let’s return to our Beaver Builder review.

Beaver does have an HTML element, like other visual builders:

Of course, some website builders use these components more effectively graphically. You only have access to the standard “Advanced” HTML options in Beaver for any element:

While instruments such as Thrive Architect or Divi will launch a code playground if this kind of module is used.

However, you may still utilize it as a decent element.

Last but not least, Beaver Builder makes adding columns and rows quite simple.

The layout of any page can be structured more easily with this page builder than with other page builders because it’s simple to see the columns you add.

Flexibility

Let’s be real for a minute.

It doesn’t matter how great the user interface is or how many modules and widgets are available if you can’t actually construct what you’re trying to construct.

To put it another way, a page builder must be adaptable.

I wasn’t really hopeful about this one given what I’ve said thus far about Beaver Builder.

The “row” approach used by Beaver Builder to create various layouts was actually quite reliable and easy to use.

I was able to easily remove gaps by adjusting margins and paddings using both the element settings and global page settings.

Beaver Builder is also extremely flexible thanks to its advanced options available for any template or block.

The vanilla package contains everything you could possibly need if you needed to slightly alter the padding, hover color, class ID, or anything else you could possibly think of.

Having said that, I should point out that not everyone may find it useful to use all of these options.

In order to give a fair Beaver Builder evaluation, we must acknowledge that Beaver is adaptable.

However, in order to truly benefit from these customization possibilities and take full advantage of Beaver, you need to be knowledgeable about how to utilize them.

Builders like Divi, in contrast, make the job of a newbie considerably simpler by providing a broad selection of templates that require little customization to make them publish-ready.

And because we brought up that…

Content & Page Templates

Beaver Builder does provide a respectable selection of landing pages and content structures to whet your appetite if you rely heavily on templates.

Although the designs aren’t winning any prizes, they are nevertheless passable. (They provide a solid foundation to work upon, at the very least.)

However, Beaver Builder will require access to the whole page in order to use one of these templates.

By default, it will end up looking like this:

However, if you’re still utilizing an outdated theme, your design is limited by the restrictions it imposes.

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 activated, it will remove any restrictions imposed by the theme and permit Beaver Builder to fill the entire page with content.

However, only use this method if your theme is outdated and you are unable to fill a page with Beaver Builder Full Width using WordPress’ built-in choices.

Finally, you may store your own templates for future usage, which is an important factor to take into account if you create a LOT of content that is identical. (This alone will save you countless hours.)

Additionally, you can save specific portions of your design to use on a different page or post.

Additionally, you may keep both rows and modules as “global” elements, reusing them throughout your website and allowing you to change them from a single spot.

If you know how to use this fairly subtle feature, it has the potential to be really effective.

Mobile Responsiveness And Editing

Like most page builders today, Beaver Builder lets you preview pages as they’d look from a mobile device.

To open this tab, simply click on responsive editing:

Furthermore, Beaver Builder deserves praise for combining mobile previewing with editing for mobile users.

Unlike most page builders that just let you conceal or slightly edit some portions of a page for mobile, Beaver lets you considerably change a page that will be visible from a mobile device.

Additionally, their layouts and widgets already look good on smaller devices, which is a significant advantage in this case.

Speed

Speed is an interesting subject in Beaver Builder.

We went into great detail about the issues with Beaver Builder’s slow operating pace in our earlier review. Simply said, adding and changing page elements took too long, which was a terrible obstacle for users of all ability 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 contain restrictions about the website’s underlying code. The fact that you can do that in Beaver makes it a fantastic choice because you can’t always access it and clean it whenever you want (or pay someone to do it for you). For someone who understands how to work with source code, in particular.

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 receive replies to your questions in a matter of minutes, but the responses come from other Beaver Builder customers who provide guidance on workarounds and substitutes that you wouldn’t often 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 Buil​der	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.)

Even with my somewhat mediocre rating of this tool, it’s still not a bad price point for what you get.

That said, it would be nice if they offered a single site license at a discount.

And that’s why the pricing might or might not be a problem for you. If you’re a developer working on numerous sites at the same time, it’s not a problem. If you’re a budget blogger, it might be a bit too much.

And since we mentioned that, let’s end our Beaver Builder review with an analysis of who this tool is good for.

Is Beaver Builder Right For You?

Now that I’ve covered all the different features and functions of Beaver Builder, weighing up the pros and cons and giving my experience along the way — let’s talk about YOU.

As with any tool, Beaver Builder isn’t going to be the right choice for everyone, so I’d like to get to the bottom of who exactly this page builder is suitable for.

Budget Bloggers

At a $99 one-time (with 1 year of updates and support), Beaver Builder isn’t the biggest expense you’re likely to run into when building a site.

That said, I’d still recommend the free version of Elementor if budget is really a concern. That way, you can get what is, in my opinion, a superior page builder without spending a penny.

If you do plan on upgrading in the near future, and you’d like to run your page builder on multiple sites, then it would be cheaper to stick with Beaver Builder.

Beginner Bloggers

If there’s one thing I can say about Beaver Builder, it’s that it’s really easy to pick up and start using.

Of course, a big part of that is due to how minimal it is as far as page builders go, but either way, I’d still feel confident about recommending this to someone who’s new to building websites.

Now, is it the best page builder for beginners?

No. Not really. Though it is a good option, in my opinion, it’s still not as easy to use as its newest competitor, Elementor.

High-Level Marketers

If you’re looking for the most capable page builder, I definitely wouldn’t recommend Beaver Builder straight out of the box.

That said, if you were to combine it with the Ultimate Addons plugin and perhaps some developer experience, that might be a different story.

As it stands within the context of this review, Beaver Builder just isn’t what I would consider a “high-level” solution.

Currently, your best bet would be either Divi Builder or Elementor PRO.

Conclusion

I hate to say it, but Beaver Builder struggles to outshine the competition in what has essentially become a fierce market in the last couple of years.

With newer page builders like Divi Builder and Elementor PRO offering a faster, more feature-rich experience right out of the box, it’s difficult to make a strong case for Beaver Builder.

If you have a good understanding of CSS, and you don’t mind investing in additional addons and plugins to unlock the true power of this plugin, you’ll no doubt have a completely different opinion.

As it stands, though, it just doesn’t tick enough boxes and it’s simply not the most complete page builder on the market today.