TOP 6 Design Plugins for WordPress

WordPress offers a wide range of plugins to enhance your website’s design. In this list, you’ll find not only visual builders but also tools to create sliders, improve gallery appearance, optimize menus, and design contact forms.

List of plugins to improve your WordPress design

1. Bricks Builder

Key Features:

• Exceptional performance (less unnecessary code than Elementor or Divi).
• Integrated global design system (colors, typography, CSS variables).
• Minimalist but powerful interface for developers.
• Ideal for creating custom themes from scratch.

Pros:
✅ Superior loading speed.
✅ Total control over HTML/CSS.
✅ Perfect for high-traffic sites.

Cons:
❌ Learning curve for beginners.
❌ Fewer pre-made templates than competitors.

Ideal for: Developers who prioritize performance and technical customization.

2. Elementor Pro

Key Features:

• Complete theme building kit (header, footer, archives).
• 300+ professional pre-designed templates.
• Advanced popup system with custom triggers.
• Massive compatibility with eCommerce and marketing plugins.

Pros:
✅ More intuitive for non-technical users.
✅ Active community and 24/7 support.
✅ Robust free version.

Cons:
❌ Can slow down sites if not optimized.
❌ More “bloated” code than Bricks or Oxygen.

Ideal for: Entrepreneurs and teams who need quick design without coding.

3. Oxygen Builder

Key Features:

• Total control over HTML/CSS (removes WordPress classic editor).
• Clean code generation optimized for Core Web Vitals.
• Flexibility to integrate libraries like Alpine.js or Vue.

Pros:
✅ Ultra-fast sites (95+ PageSpeed scores).
✅ Ideal for custom web applications.
✅ No subscriptions: one-time lifetime payment.

Cons:
❌ Less intuitive interface for beginners.
❌ Requires basic CSS/HTML knowledge.

Ideal for: Developers building high-performance sites.

4. Divi Builder

Key Features:

• Modular visual system with 200+ predefined elements.
• Advanced animation effects (scroll, hover, parallax).
• Integrated A/B testing for conversion optimization.

Pros:
✅ Largest template library in the market.
✅ Constant updates with new features.
✅ Ideal for complex landing pages.

Cons:
❌ Lower performance than Bricks/Oxygen.
❌ Mandatory annual subscription.

Ideal for: Marketing agencies needing quick, eye-catching designs.

5. WPBakery Page Builder

Key Features:

• Dual editor (frontend and backend) for greater flexibility.
• User role system for large teams.
• Developer API allowing custom integrations.

Pros:
✅ Wide compatibility with premium themes.
✅ Lighter than Elementor/Divi.
✅ Ideal for static corporate sites.

Cons:
❌ Outdated interface compared to competitors.
❌ Limited for dynamic or interactive designs.

Ideal for: Projects where stability is a priority over innovation.

6. Gutenberg + Spectra

Key Features:

• Native WordPress editor enhanced with professional blocks.
• Zero unnecessary code (less than 50 KB per block).
• Guaranteed compatibility with future WordPress updates.

Pros:
✅ Unbeatable performance (ideal for simple sites).
✅ Minimal learning: uses WordPress base.
✅ Perfect integration with Full Site Editing (FSE).

Cons:
❌ Limited for complex designs without additional code.
❌ Fewer visual effects than other builders.

Ideal for: Blogs, institutional sites, and those who prefer working with WordPress core.

Quick Comparison Table

• Prioritizing speed? → Bricks or Oxygen.
• Need unlimited design? → Elementor Pro or Divi.
• Prefer native and lightweight? → Gutenberg + Spectra.

Bonus Design Plugins

Slider Revolution

Description: Specialized in animated sliders and impactful visual presentations.
Price: From €35/year (basic templates) to €279/year (unlimited license).

Essential Grid

Description: Create custom grids for galleries, products, or blog posts.
Price: €49/year (single site) – €249/year (unlimited).

Beaver Builder

Description: Clean and stable visual builder, ideal for teams.
Price: €109/year (standard) – €399/year (agency).

UberMenu

Description: Create mega menus with integrated icons, images, and widgets.
Price: €27 (one-time payment per site).

WP Forms Templates

Description: Professional templates for contact forms, surveys, or payments.
Price: €49/year (basic) – €399/year (elite).

Greenshift – Animation and Page Builder

Description: Enhance Gutenberg with scroll-triggered animations and dynamic blocks.
Price: Free version + premium from €55/year.

Crocoblock (JetEngine)

Description: Design dynamic listings like Airbnb or Directories.
Price: €69/year (starter) – €199/year (unlimited).

Complementary Plugins for Comprehensive Design

In addition to the mentioned design plugins, it’s useful to suggest tools that complement the site’s aesthetics and functionality:

• Visual optimization plugins:
  Example: Lazy Load by WP Rocket. This plugin allows images to load only when the user scrolls to them, reducing loading time and improving visual experience.
• Accessibility and usability plugins:
  Example: One Click Accessibility. This plugin incorporates features that facilitate navigation for users with special needs, such as font size adjustments, color contrast, and simplified navigation.
• SEO integrated with design:
  Example: Yoast SEO. Although mainly recognized for optimizing search engine positioning, Yoast SEO also offers readability analysis and suggestions that help improve the structure and visual content of pages.To explore the best SEO plugin options in more detail, you can check out the Top 5 SEO Plugins for WordPress and expand your knowledge on how to optimize your site.

Optimize Plugin Management with Modular DS

Managing multiple plugins across various websites can be challenging. This is where Modular DS becomes an essential tool for agencies and freelancers managing multiple WordPress projects.

Benefits of Modular DS:

• Centralized Management: Control all your sites from a single panel, facilitating plugin, theme, and update supervision and administration.
• Bulk Updates: Update, activate, or deactivate plugins and themes on multiple sites simultaneously, saving time and reducing errors.
• Automated Backups: Schedule cloud backups, ensuring your data is protected and recoverable in case of any issues.
• Uptime Monitoring: Receive real-time alerts if any of your sites experience downtime, allowing you to act quickly to resolve any problems.
• Detailed Client Reports: Generate custom reports detailing updates, performance, and tasks completed, demonstrating the value of your work to your clients.

With Modular DS, managing multiple WordPress sites is simplified, allowing you to focus on what really matters: creating and maintaining exceptional websites for your clients.

What can we say in conclusion…

Integrating these plugins into your site not only enriches its design but also transforms the user experience and reinforces its performance. By combining visual optimization, accessibility, and SEO tools, you’ll achieve a website that stands out for its professionalism and functionality. This comprehensive approach will help you provide intuitive and attractive navigation, turning your platform into a reference point within an increasingly competitive digital environment.