Elementor
The most popular WordPress page builder with a drag-and-drop interface and 10M+ active installs.
Showit
Drag-and-drop website builder designed for photographers and creatives.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Elementor | Showit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | FreeBetter | $24per month |
| Free Tier | Yes | No |
| Top Pros | Most powerful WP page builder | Total design freedom |
| Massive template library | Best for photographers | |
| Theme builder (header/footer) | WordPress blog included | |
| Top Cons | Can slow down WordPress sites | Expensive entry price |
| Pro required for most useful widgets | Niche audience |
Features Compared
Elementor and Showit take fundamentally different approaches to website building, each optimized for distinct use cases. Elementor is built as a WordPress page builder and offers a comprehensive suite of tools including a drag-and-drop editor, theme builder for headers and footers, WooCommerce builder, popup builder, and motion effects. Its strength lies in its breadth—it can handle everything from simple landing pages to full e-commerce stores within the WordPress ecosystem. Elementor's massive template library and large developer ecosystem mean users have extensive resources and pre-built solutions at their fingertips. The platform's ability to customize virtually every WordPress element makes it the most powerful option for those already invested in WordPress.
Showit, by contrast, prioritizes total design freedom and targets a niche but passionate audience: photographers and creatives. Rather than offering specialized builders for different content types, Showit gives users complete creative control through its full drag-and-drop interface without the constraints of predefined structures. A standout feature is its integrated WordPress blog functionality, allowing users to combine a custom-designed portfolio with a functional blog in one platform. Showit also includes client proofing tools and custom animation capabilities, features tailored specifically to creative professionals who need to showcase work and collaborate with clients. While Showit lacks the plugin ecosystem and multi-vertical tools that Elementor provides, it delivers laser-focused functionality where it matters most for its audience.
Pricing & Value
Pricing is where these two products diverge most sharply. Elementor offers a free tier, making it accessible to users who want to test the platform or build simple websites at zero cost, with a paid Pro plan for advanced features. Showit operates on a subscription model starting at $24 per month with no free option. For budget-conscious users and small businesses, Elementor's free tier represents exceptional value and a lower barrier to entry. However, Showit's pricing includes hosted infrastructure and is aimed at professionals for whom the monthly investment aligns with client revenue. The choice between them is less about which is "cheaper" and more about your business model and needs.
- Elementor: Free tier available; Pro plan recommended for most useful widgets; no monthly fees at entry level
- Showit: $24/month baseline; includes hosting and WordPress blog integration; no free trial tier
- ROI for startups: Elementor's free tier wins; ROI for established creatives: Showit's all-in-one platform may cost less than separate hosting + builder
- Long-term cost: Elementor can require additional plugins and hosting costs; Showit bundles infrastructure, simplifying budgeting
Ease of Use & Onboarding
Both platforms feature drag-and-drop interfaces, but they serve different skill levels and workflows. Elementor's massive template library and theme builder lower the learning curve for WordPress users—you can launch a professional site quickly by customizing existing designs. However, the sheer number of features and widgets means the interface can feel overwhelming to complete beginners, and the Pro requirement for "most useful widgets" creates friction early in the journey. Showit's design philosophy emphasizes simplicity and creative freedom over feature abundance, making it more intuitive for designers and photographers who prioritize aesthetics and control over configuration options. Users with design backgrounds will likely feel more at home in Showit's canvas-based environment, while WordPress-familiar users will find Elementor's ecosystem more natural.
Integration & Ecosystem
Elementor's strength is its deep integration into the WordPress ecosystem. With 10M+ active installs and a large developer community, it works alongside countless WordPress plugins and themes, giving users access to a vast marketplace of extensions and pre-built solutions. This makes it ideal for sites that rely on WooCommerce, SEO tools, membership plugins, or other WordPress-native features. Showit, however, operates as a more self-contained platform with built-in WordPress blog functionality and client proofing tools. While Showit includes what photographers and creatives need in one package, it has a narrower integration footprint and is not designed to play well with the broader WordPress plugin ecosystem. For users planning to expand beyond Showit's core features, Elementor's ecosystem offers more flexibility; for those staying within a creative portfolio workflow, Showit's completeness removes the need for external integrations.
Who Should Choose Elementor?
Elementor is the clear choice for WordPress-first businesses, digital agencies managing multiple client sites, and developers who need an extensible, feature-rich platform. If you're building e-commerce sites with WooCommerce, need advanced SEO customization, plan to integrate with membership or CRM systems, or want access to thousands of pre-built templates and developer extensions, Elementor's power and ecosystem deliver exceptional value. Small business owners, freelancers, and marketers who are comfortable in WordPress or plan to grow their toolset will find Elementor's free-to-paid tier model and massive community support invaluable. Teams and agencies particularly benefit from Elementor's maturity and the availability of developers skilled in the platform.
Who Should Choose Showit?
Showit is purpose-built for photographers, visual artists, designers, and other creative professionals who need a beautiful, fully customizable online presence without technical friction. If your primary goal is to showcase a portfolio with the highest level of design control, integrate client proofing workflows, maintain a blog alongside your portfolio, and avoid WordPress complexity, Showit is the superior choice. Creatives who charge clients for their work will find the $24/month investment justified by the platform's elegance, built-in hosting, and tools designed specifically for creative collaboration. Solo practitioners and small creative studios will appreciate Showit's all-in-one nature—no need to juggle hosting providers, plugins, or complex WordPress setups. If design freedom and client-centric features matter more than feature breadth or ecosystem flexibility, Showit delivers.
- Want: most powerful wp page builder
- Want: massive template library
- Want: theme builder (header/footer)
- Want: total design freedom
- Want: best for photographers
- Want: wordpress blog included