Visual Composer Website Builder Free vs Premium Comparison | Which Should You Choose?

Visual Composer Website Builder free and premium version differ only in features you get. For the free version, you will not need to pay anything but the paid version will bring all free features plus many good options, settings, add-ons, templates, etc.

In this post, I will compare what each version brings to the table so you can easily decide with which option you want to go.

Visual Composer Website Builder is a user-friendly and powerful website builder with a drag-and-drop interface that seeks to change how users build WordPress pages for the better.

All actions involving changing visual hierarchy and content management are done visually. The tool reduces the need to hand-code the theme parts.

Not only is this simpler to implement, but it also makes it easier to focus on the most critical parts of your site’s design, such as content.

Visual Composer Website Builder is not WPBakery Page Builder. Visual Composer Website Builder is an independent website builder that is designed using the latest generation technology thus providing users with a fast and easy-to-use interface. You can check my Visual Composer vs WPBakery comparison to see differences between those two.

A couple of years ago, the original Visual Composer Page Builder was rebranded to WPBakery Page Builder. The Visual Composer trademark has since been used for a completely different project: a full-fledged website builder – Visual Composer Website Builder.

It comes with over a hundred features, ready-made templates, elements, and add-ons that can be downloaded from the Visual Composer Hub.

 

Visual Composer Website Builder paid
Visual Composer Hub consists of many ready-made templates, elements, and add-ons.

 

Also, Visual Composer Theme Builder allows you to take control of your whole website, not just a content part. This allows you to select page layouts, design custom headers, footers, and sidebars.

To get the most out of Visual Composer Website Builder, it is highly recommended that you activate the Visual Composer Hub.

Hub gives you access to more templates, extensions, and content elements. Visual Composer comes in two variations. Visual Composer Free version offers powerful options for creating your WordPress website.

Visual Composer Premium comes with more advanced features and a toolset that covers all of your page building needs, including headers, footers, sidebars, and the ability to create unique landing pages.

NOTE: You can check my Elementor vs Visual Composer comparison if you wish to know what are the similarities and differences between those two.

 

Visual Composer Website Builder FREE vs PREMIUM Comparison

Here is a comparison between the features of paid and free Visual Composer versions.

Choose free if you need most essential features but if you need to create headers, footers, sidebars and want to have all that Visual Composer Builder offers, then go for its premium (paid) version. Price is $59 for single site license with updates and support for one year.

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  • VISUAL COMPOSER WEBSITE BUILDER FREE
visual composer website builder premium vs free
  • Name
  • Drag and Drop editor
  • Frontend editor
  • Tree view mode
  • Mobile editing
  • Inline text editor
  • Works with any WordPress theme
  • Custom Post Type support
  • Multisite support
  • Multilanguage ready
  • RTL compatible
  • Template management
  • Design Options
  • Element clone
  • Copy/Paste
  • Element custom name
  • Hide element
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Recent colors
  • Undo/Redo
  • Blank page wizard
  • Custom CSS
  • Custom JavaScript
  • Element replace
  • Icon libraries
  • Google Fonts
  • Grid Builder
  • Instagram-like filters
  • Parallax effects
  • Gradient background
  • Slideshow background
  • Carousel background
  • Zoom In/Out background
  • Video background
  • Element animations
  • Background image position
  • Shape divider
  • Box Shadow
  • Instant column resize
  • Column stacking
  • Reverse column stacking
  • Row full width/height
  • Responsive preview mode
  • Automatic responsiveness
  • Yoast SEO support
  • Shortcode support
  • WordPress widget support
  • Custom widget support
  • Header builder
  • Footer builder
  • Sidebar builder
  • Visual Composer page layouts
  • Global Templates
  • Template Export/Import
  • WooCommerce Support
  • Visual Composer Hub access
  • Gutenberg compatibility
  • Premium content elements
  • Premium templates
  • Blocks templates
  • Unsplash Stock Images
  • Post grid elements
  • Menu elements
  • Header elements
  • Footer elements
  • Compatibility elements with popular plugins
  • Facebook widgets
  • Pricing table elements
  • Tabs and Accordions
  • Pageable containers
  • Section element
  • Flip/Hover boxes
  • Testimonials
  • Syntax highlighter
  • Image carousel
  • Premium buttons
  • Online customer support
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  • VISUAL COMPOSER WEBSITE BUILDER PREMIUM

 

Visual Composer Website Builder Free Version Features

Visual Composer makes page building in WordPress fast and easy.

User-friendly and straightforward drag and drop editor coupled with premium templates, blocks, elements, and extensions are all you need to create a website. No coding required.

Here are the features of Visual Composer Website Builder plugin free version:

1. The adaptable user interface lets you configure your interface and move navigation at any time across your layout as needed. This means setting it at the top, left, bottom, or right, or leaving it detached.

2. The instant content update allows you to see changes made to your pages and elements immediately. You can easily toggle colors, options, and much more.

3. Duplicate elements feature allows you to duplicate any row, column, or element with just one click.

4. Copy and Paste improve your efficiency while creating page designs by copying and pasting existing content and elements wherever you need them on your site.

5. Name your elements to change default names of elements to more efficiently navigate your layout.

6. Hide elements will obscure elements on your site and allow you to un-hide later on, should you choose to do so.

7. Mobile edit option gives you the ability to edit content straight from your phone, with custom mobile UI/UX to make it even easier to edit on the go.

8. Recent colors let Visual Composer remember your favorite color pics, so you don’t have to search correct colors for your site design always.

9. Boxed vs. Full width allows you to adjust the width of your Visual Composer page layouts as needed, and switch between boxed layouts and full-width pages.

10. Template management lets you create your custom templates and save any layout you make as a template.

11. Advanced design options provide you with design options for controlling margins, borders, padding, etc.

 

website builder for wordpress

 

12. Recycle bin gives you a drag-and-drop method for deleting elements quickly.

13. Default WordPress widgets let you implement all the default WordPress widgets on your canvas without ever having to leave the editor.

14. Custom widget support lets you add any custom WordPress widgets without leaving the editor.

15. Social media integration gives you access to all kinds of social media content elements, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

16. WordPress shortcodes support gives you the ability to add shortcodes to your list of content elements. You can even use third-party shortcodes in the editor.

17. Element preview allows you to see what a given element will look like before adding it to your site.

18. Icon libraries come bundled with Visual Composer Website Builder, and include such options as ‘Google Materials Set’ and ‘Font Awesome.’

19. Zoom In/Out background is a single click function that lets you zoom in and out of your background for a more dynamic, eye-catching look and feel.

20. Inline editor provides you with swift text adjustments so you can easily edit content on the go.

21. Tree view is feature makes it possible to work with the site builder just like Sketch or Photoshop layers.

 

Tree View mode in visual composer website builder

 

22. Video background implements Vimeo, YouTube, or self-hosted video backgrounds in rows and columns to help your site stand out with a dynamic element.

23. Element animations include CSS animations that can be applied to any element or container.

24. Google Fonts support allows you to utilize a full list of Google Fonts to craft visually appealing headlines and other forms of content on your site.

25. Instagram-Like filters can be applied directly to any image for a modern look that makes your pictures pop.

26. Lightbox for images and video provides you with the tools to open images and videos in a lightbox. Default options include a standard Lightbox or Photoswipe.

27. Undo/Redo option gives you the ability to undo or redo options when working with content quickly and easily, with no hassle.

28. Blank Page wizard can assist you in starting your web design projects and is an excellent tool for people new to Visual Composer. You can choose a blank page for a custom layout or tweak a pre-made template to your liking.

29. Custom CSS combines the power of the site builder with your CSS coding skills to create local or global CSS for any given page or site.

 

Custom CSS and Javascript

 

30. Custom JavaScript allows you to add custom JavaScript directly from Visual Composer, and much, like the custom CSS feature, lets you add JavaScript locally or globally as header or footer scripts.

31. Element path allows you, with a simple mouse hover, to see the full path to specific content elements just like you would when hovering your cursor over files.

32. Parallax effects are easy to apply background effect for sections, rows, and columns. Try out different effects and change the direction.

33. Gradient background allows adding CSS gradient background that has alpha channel support. This can give you gorgeous Instagram-like overlays effects. Choose between either linear or radial gradients to fit your design needs.

34. Slideshow background is a brand-new background option for slideshows that can be used in conjunction with parallax or gradient effect for a more sleek, polished look.

35. Carousel background turns your background into a smooth, gorgeous carousel slideshow for visitors to enjoy. Pick your images, the direction, and speed to turn a regular site section into a fantastic hero block.

36. Background image position gives you the means to control the position of your background images.

37. Shape divider can easily divide your site sections and apply colors, gradients, backgrounds, or even video for unique, efficient designs that pack a punch.

38. Hide any element allows you to hide any element on all devices with a single click, or even adjust the display of that element across devices.

39. Row layout gives you the tools to build rows and columns to fit your needs with a user-friendly layout control tool.

 

Best Website Builder for WordPress
Row and columns editing in Visual Composer Website Builder plugin

 

40. Column resize, as the name implies, resizes your columns with your mouse cursor, and can recognize your most popular layouts as well as offer smart snap-to-grid options for sizing.

41 Column position lets you adjust the position of columns on your pages within rows, and adjust the position of content on your columns.

42. The content position offers you the tools to control content placements within columns, with options including top, bottom, or middle.

43. Equal height columns let you set all the columns in a row to an equal height. Visual Composer can automatically evaluate the tallest column’s height and adapt that knowledge to all of your column height settings accordingly.

44. Full-width sections give you to tools for setting your row and column layouts to full width for variety in your content display options.

45. Frontend editor gives you a genuinely user-friendly ‘What You See Is What You Get’  live site building experience for pixel-perfect results.

 

Visual Composer Website Builder frontend editor

 

46. Full height sections means any row on your layout can be set to full height and the site builder will automatically adapt to your settings based on the user’s browser screen resolution.

47. Column gap control allows you to adjust gaps between columns directly from the row settings on your editor.

48. Custom row responsiveness means that you can create separate settings for row and column responsiveness on each display device.

49. Reverse stacking efficiently adjusts the order in which columns stack on mobile — either left-to-right or right-to-left.

50. Disable stacking is a feature that disables stacking capabilities for specific rows so you can optimize your layout for mobile devices.

51. Sticky elements let you implement sticky headers as well as interactive sections with sticky rows, columns, and even section features.

52. Show on sticky allows you to set your rows, columns, and sections to only display when they’re set as sticky elements, which also lets you utilize standalone Call to Action buttons on your site.

53. Automatic responsiveness is a mobile-friendly feature that Visual Composer Website Builder uses to optimize your site for mobile browsing automatically.

 

Responsive preview mode in Visual Composer
Responsive preview mode in Visual Composer

 

54. Responsive design lets you adjust responsive settings for any device type. Hide elements or control spaces for desktop, tablets or phones.

55. Responsive options give you the tools to see how your site looks on desktop, tablet, and mobile, all without having to leave your Frontend editor.

56. Row custom responsiveness gives you control over how your rows and columns display and act according to the device they’re being viewed on. You can adjust element stacking or hide columns with a single click to better fit mobile displays.

57. Works with existing content means that Visual Composer Website Builder can recognize your currently available content and convert it for use in the site builder, all without losing any previous content from the classic page editor.

58. Custom post type support is available for you to use on pages, posts, and custom post types.

59. Multisite support adds the website builder to your root site, letting you utilize it for your multisite needs.

60. Multi-language ready means that Visual Composer is a site builder that speaks your language. PO/MO file support means your WordPress language preferences automatically apply to your site.

61. RTL compatible implements right-to-left language functionality in Visual Composer Website Builder.

62. Work with revisions means compatibility with the use of WordPress revisions for securing or backing up your work. If something happens, pull up a previous version, and you’re good to go.

 

Visual Composer Website Builder Premium Version Features

Premium version of Visual Composer Website Builder includes all the features that come in the free version plus many useful new features and options only available with paid version:

1. Cloud marketplace is an in-app marketplace that’s packed with elements, extensions, and templates. You get unlimited downloads and regular updates with a fixed fee that also let you build your website from the cloud.

2. Header editor gives you the power to craft unique header templates or use ready-made professional templates available for download on the Visual Composer Hub.

3. Footer editor, much like the header editor, lets you create and edit custom footers or utilize pre-made templates from the Visual Composer Hub.

 

header and footer editor website builder
Header and Footer Editor available in the premium version

 

4 Sidebar editor allows you to create custom WordPress sidebars or implement crisp, professional, ready-to-use templates available on Visual Composer Hub.

5. Global header and footer is a feature that lets you add custom headers and footers to posts, pages, custom post types, default WordPress pages, and even WooCommerce pages.

6. Header elements give you the ability to add multiple menus or even a logo anywhere on your site so you can craft custom layouts for your pages.

7 Post grid elements give you the tools you need to create custom archive pages with grid elements to showcase your portfolio pieces, blog posts, services, and more.

8. Compatibility elements allow for you to gain access to compatibility elements for the most popular available WordPress plugins, including Slider Revolution and Layer Slider, Envira Gallery, WP Forms (see WPForms vs Gravity Forms comparison), and Ninja Forms, among many others.

 

Compatibility elements with popular plugins
Compatibility elements in Visual Composer Website Builder with popular plugins

 

9. Woo Commerce support lets you utilize WooCommerce functions directly from your site builder. You can quickly and easily display products, categories, and add to cart.

10. Gutenberg element uses Gutenberg directly in your Frontend editor to add Gutenberg blocks anywhere in your page layout that you deem fit.

11. Button and icon groups give you a space for displaying in-line buttons and icons with user-friendly group elements.

12. Professional templates provide you with premium, professionally-designed site templates to help you build pages quickly. All it takes is adding your chosen template and replacing or switching out content to fit your needs.

 

visual composer site builder free
Visual Composer Website Builder Ready-made Templates

 

13. Export/lmport allows for you to migrate templates from site to site with no hassle so that you can go right from development to production in seconds.

14. Template widget lets you insert Visual Composer templates into areas of your site that are widgetized, such as a sidebar.

15. Blocks templates provide you with the tools to design your WordPress pages section by section with blocks templates available directly from the Visual Composer Hub.

16. Global templates put the power in your hands to create and edit global site templates, all from one convenient spot.

17. Site layouts give you an excellent selection of layouts to choose from so you can quickly add custom content and site blocks.

18. Premium support gives you access to quality support from Visual Composer’s dedicated support team of technical experts.

19. Staging support allows you to experiment with staging and live environments.

 

Visual Composer Website Builder vs WPBakery Page Builder Features Comparison

People are still confusing Visual Composer Website Builder and WPBakery Page Builder. These are two different WordPress plugins.

Visual Composer Website Builder is not shortcode based, but WPBakery Page Builder is shortcode based. Visual Composer Website Builder generates static HTML which ensures high performance and clean code.

Also, if you deactivate the website builder, it will not leave shortcodes behind as there are no shortcodes. Visual Composer Website Builder is not showing back-end editor because it doesn’t have one.

In contrast, it has a user-friendly frontend editor and a Tree view that allows overviewing your layout in layers. In such a case, people may refer to the WPBakery Page Builder which has Backend editor.

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  • Name
  • Price
  • Free version
  • Drag and Drop editor
  • Frontend editor
  • Tree view mode
  • Backend editor
  • Mobile editing
  • Inline text editor
  • Instant save
  • Header editor
  • Footer editor
  • Sidebar editor
  • Page layouts
  • Global header and footer
  • Works with any WordPress theme
  • Custom Post Type support
  • Multisite support
  • Multilanguage ready
  • RTL compatible
  • Template management
  • Blocks templates
  • Element presets
  • Templatera/Global Templates (Reusable templates)
  • Template Export/Import
  • Design Options
  • Copy/Paste
  • Element clone
  • Element custom name
  • Grid Builder
  • Hide element
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Recent colors
  • Undo/Redo
  • Blank Page Wizard
  • Custom CSS
  • Custom JavaScript
  • Element replace
  • Role manager
  • Icon libraries
  • Google fonts
  • Instagram-like filters
  • Parallax effects
  • Gradient background
  • Slideshow background
  • Carousel background
  • Zoom In/Out background
  • Video background
  • Element animations
  • Background image position
  • Shape divider
  • Box Shadow
  • Instant column resize
  • Column stacking
  • Reverse column stacking
  • Row full width/height
  • Responsive preview mode
  • Automatic responsiveness
  • Custom row responsiveness
  • Yoast SEO support
  • Shortcode support
  • WordPress widget support
  • Gutenberg element
  • Block for Gutenberg
  • Custom widget support
  • Unsplash Stock Images
  • API
  • Staging activation
  • 3rd party Add-ons
  • WooCommerce Support
  • Cloud library
  • Menu elements
  • Theme integration
  • Developers License
visual composer website builder vs wpbakery page builder
  • VISUAL COMPOSER WEBSITE BUILDER
  • $59 for single site
    $59 single site premium license for unlimited access to all of its elements and customer support, a $149 for 3 websites license, and Developers license (for unlimited usage) for $349.
wpbakery vs visual composer
  • WPBAKERY PAGE BUILDER
  • $45 for single site
    $45 single site license (one time payment) and a $245 extended license for Saas applications

 

VC Free vs Premium Conclusion

Visual Composer Website Builder has a lot to offer in terms of page building in WordPress. Not only does it make site building faster and easier, but it also becomes more fun with the added creative freedom that allows for more efficient and effective design solutions.

Visual Composer Website Builder is React-based product. It is not shortcode based. However, it has a shortcode element that allows you to add any WordPress shortcode to your layout.

Visual Composer Website Builder is up-to-date offering regularly new features and compatibility. It comes with 100+ features, elements, templates, and extensions you’ll need to create a beautiful and professional website.

You can customize your page layout, adjust mobile editing options, and apply multiple page layouts. It is compatible with every WordPress update, Gutenberg editor, WooCommerce, Gravity Forms, Yoast, Advanced Custom Fields, and many other popular plugins.

Visual Composer is optimized for SEO. All elements and templates are following best SEO practices. Visual Composer Builder has a free version, which is enough to give you a great first impression and even build a simple site.

However, to get unlimited access to all of the core features, along with constant updates and dedicated customer support, Visual Composer Premium is the way to go.

If you are not interested in Visual Composer, then check other popular builder plugins like WPBakery (see Elementor vs WPBakery), Elementor (Elementor free vs Elementor pro comparison), Oxygen, Brizy, Divi (see Divi vs Elementor) or Beaver Builder (check Beaver Builder free vs pro).


DISCLOSURE: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of those links, I might get a small commission, without any extra cost to you. Read more about it here.

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