Matthew Widdop
Matty is a Digital SEO Executive at Intelligency, helping our clients to improve their digital performance. Matty is currently studying for his Level 3 Multi-Channel Marketer apprenticeship and has completed a Sport Journalism Degree at the University of Huddersfield.
When creating and managing a WordPress website, there are different options for developers or beginners to consider when they initially set up their site. The latest version of WordPress 6.9.4 comes with the native block editor (Gutenberg) and the WordPress core theme (TwentyTwentyFive). The Gutenberg block editor is considered the future of WordPress as it offers full site editing capabilities and is future-proof due to always being included in the latest WordPress updates.
There are other ways to build out a site, including using page builder plug-ins, which offer more advanced capabilities than the Gutenberg editor, in terms of layout and drag-and-drop templates, but they have their own drawbacks, which we will speak about later.
Themes, Block Editor and Page Builders
When you’re setting up a WordPress site, one of the first decisions you’ll face is how to build it. You’ve probably already started researching, and if so, you’ll have come across a mix of themes, theme types, editors, and page builders, all promising different benefits.
This guide cuts through that noise. I’ll walk you through the main options, from theme types to editors and page builders, explain how they work together, and help you decide which setup best fits your needs.
Classic Themes
To understand the role the block editor and page builders play in WordPress, we first need to understand themes, as the two are intrinsically linked in the way in which they operate. Every site needs a theme, and it is something that when you start up your site, you will already have a WordPress theme installed.
A WordPress theme is what defines the design, layout and styling of your site. Classic themes are traditional WordPress themes that use PHP templates and CSS to allow you to add additional styling on top of your theme. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of classic themes that have been developed over the years that you can use as a base to build out your WordPress site; some of the most popular include Astra, Generate Press and Neve.
Most classic themes are compatible with the Gutenberg block editor; however, this offers limited capability as you can’t edit global styling (headers, footers, page templates) without coding PHP files.
Block Themes
Block themes are the latest iteration of themes and are fully compatible with the Gutenberg block editor. Block themes allow for full site editing (FSE), which means that all the global styling can be edited within WordPress, making for an easier design and styling process. These block themes also allow the creation of template parts or reusable sections or block patterns, allowing you to reuse them across your site for ease of use when building.
WordPress Editor vs Page Builders
The Gutenberg block editor is, as mentioned, the standard editor you get when you create a WordPress site. Page builders are essentially drag-and-drop editors that are visually easier to use for beginners who want to build a site quickly.
The downside of using page builders is that they are often heavy plug-ins that add a lot of unnecessary code and bloat to a site that can slow it down considerably. Also, while most page builders are compatible with Block themes and FSE, you wouldn’t typically use page builders with Full Site Editing, as there are overlaps in functionality, such as custom templates, headers, footers and global styles and using both would add unnecessary bloat and code to your site. Page builders are typically used alongside classic themes, which, as discussed, are a more traditional way of building out a WordPress site.
However, the drawbacks of using Gutenberg is, despite continuously improving, it is still more of a structured builder and can be somewhat restrictive, whereas page builders are often highly visual and better for beginners. You can, however, increase the functionality of the block editor by coding custom blocks.
An additional point to make is also factoring in cost; the block editor is free to use, and your only cost will be the development time. Page builders often come free at the point of use, but additional features such as custom template builders, etc., require additional fees.
There is no correct way to build a WordPress site, and there are pros and cons to both approaches depending on your skill level and how much time and resources you have available to you. It is wise to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each approach before building out your site.
