Elementor Tutorials Archives

Elementor vs. Gutenberg: Which is Faster for Business Sites in 2026?

May 13, 2026April 28, 2026 by Dattatraya Harchekar

If you’ve been following GetWPFixed, you know I’m a fan of Elementor’s design power. But a common question I see in my search logs is: “Does Elementor slow down your site?” As we move through 2026, the gap between “easy design” and fast performance is closing. For business owners in the US and UK, where a 1-second delay can kill a conversion, choosing between Elementor vs Gutenberg speed is the most important technical decision you’ll make. Here is my honest, developer-level breakdown of how these two giants compare in a real-world performance battle. 1. Elementor vs Gutenberg Speed: Analyzing the Bloat Factor Elementor is a “Page Builder,” meaning it carries a lot of extra code (CSS and JS) to make drag-and-drop possible. Gutenberg, on the other hand, is the Block Editor built directly into the WordPress core. The Pro Insight: In a clean test, Gutenberg will always win on “raw” code weight. However, for a professional US/UK business site, you usually need extra plugins to make Gutenberg look good. Once you add 5 Block Library plugins, the speed advantage often disappears. 2. Does Elementor Slow Down Your Site? Here’s the reality: it’s only slow if you leave the default settings on. In my previous guide on how to fix a slow Elementor website, I showed that by using Flexbox Containers and disabling unused widgets, you can get an Elementor site to load in under 1.2 seconds. The Verdict: Elementor only slows down your site if you use it like an amateur. For a pro developer, it’s a powerful tool that can still hit 95+ on PageSpeed Insights. Also read: Hostinger vs. MilesWeb for WordPress 2026 3. Core Web Vitals: Comparing Elementor vs Gutenberg Speed for LCP Google’s Core Web Vitals are the same whether your visitor is in London or Mumbai. If your target audience is in the US/UK, I recommend using Elementor for high-converting landing pages and Gutenberg for your blog posts. This Hybrid approach is the secret to a fast, professional site. 4. Workflow for 2026: The “GetWPFixed” Recommendation If you are building a site today, here is the rule of thumb: My Final Verdict on Elementor vs Gutenberg Speed for 2026 The Elementor vs Gutenberg speed debate isn’t about which is better, it’s about which is right for your business goals. Speed is a feature, but so is design. Which one are you using for your project? Drop your URL in the comments, and I’ll run a quick performance audit to tell you if your page builder is holding you back!

Free Theme Builder Plugins for WordPress (2026)

May 13, 2026March 15, 2026 by Dattatraya Harchekar

Let’s be honest: Elementor Pro is amazing, but not everyone has the budget for it when they are just starting out. The biggest “missing piece” in the free version of Elementor is the Theme Builder—the tool that lets you design your own custom headers, footers, and blog post layouts. If you’ve ever felt “stuck” with your theme’s default header or footer, I have good news. You don’t need to reach for your credit card just yet. At GetWPFixed, I’m all about finding smart workarounds. Here are the best free theme builder plugins that give you Pro power for $0. “Before you start building with these free tools, make sure your editor is working smoothly—if you run into any loading issues, here is my guide to fixing the Elementor loading circle.” 1.Jeg Elementor Kit (My Top Choice) By using Jeg Elementor Kit, you can create beautiful-looking websites with just a single click. The magic here is in their template library—you can import a full, professional-looking design instantly. Personally, I have made lots of websites using this plugin, and it is my preferred choice for every new project I start. It’s fast, reliable, and the free version gives you a surprising amount of power. It includes a dedicated Theme Builder menu where you can visually design your header, footer, and even your 404 pages without touching a single line of code. 2. Royal Elementor Addons By using Royal Elementor Addons, you can create beautiful-looking websites with just a single click. The magic here is in their template library—you can import a full, professional-looking design instantly. Personally, I have made lots of websites using this plugin, and it is my preferred choice for every new project I start. It’s fast, reliable, and the free version gives you a surprising amount of power. 3. Happy Addons If you’re looking for a theme builder that feels “fun” but is incredibly powerful, Happy Addons is a great contender. Their free version includes a “Theme Builder” feature that specifically helps you design custom headers and footers. 4.The Plus Addons for Elementor The Plus Addons is like a Swiss Army knife for WordPress. They offer a “UI Builder” in their free version that lets you customize specific parts of your theme that the standard Elementor free version usually locks away. 5. Why Not Just Use a “Block” Theme? In 2026, WordPress itself has become a “Theme Builder” through Full Site Editing (FSE). If you use a theme like Blocksy or Astra, they have built-in header/footer builders that work alongside Elementor perfectly. Sometimes the “best” plugin is actually just using a better theme! Final Thoughts You don’t need a massive budget to have a professional-looking site. Start with Royal Elementor Addons—it’s stable, fast, and gives you that ‘one-click’ professional finish. While these plugins are great, remember that keeping your site secure is just as important. Check out our WordPress Security Guide to keep your new designs safe.” Are you trying to build a specific custom layout right now? Drop a comment below and let’s figure it out together! Check out my Portfolio.

Fix Elementor Widget Panel Not Loading (2026 Guide)

May 13, 2026March 14, 2026 by Dattatraya Harchekar

Fixing the Elementor widget panel not loading error

There is nothing quite like the “design flow.” You’ve got your coffee ready, you’ve got a vision for your landing page, and you click “Edit with Elementor”—only to be met with that endless grey loading circle in the widget panel. It’s frustrating, it’s a time-waster, and honestly, it happens to the best of us. At GetWPFixed, I’ve spent countless hours troubleshooting this exact issue. The good news? Your site isn’t broken. Usually, it’s just a case of your server or a rogue plugin being a bit “stubborn.” Let’s get it fixed so you can actually get some work done. The Most Common Culprit: Memory Limits Think of Elementor as a heavy-duty power tool. If your hosting server is only giving it a tiny “battery” (PHP Memory), it’s going to struggle to start. Most hosting providers set the default limit to 128MB or 256MB. For a smooth Elementor experience, you really want that at 512MB. You can usually fix this by adding a single line to your wp-config.php file: define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘512M’); (If you aren’t comfortable touching code, just ask your host’s support to “increase the PHP memory limit to 512″ and they’ll do it in two minutes.) Try the “Safety Switch” Elementor actually knows that some servers are a bit picky about how they load data. Because of this, they’ve built in a “Switch Editor Loader Method.” I’ve seen this solve the loading issue about 40% of the time. Just head over to Elementor > Settings > Advanced and toggle that switch to Enable. It changes how the editor requests data and often bypasses the hang-up entirely. The “One by One” Plugin Test I know, I know—nobody likes doing this. But if the two steps above didn’t work, you likely have a plugin conflict. Disable everything except Elementor. If the panel loads, you know the “villain” is one of your other plugins. Turn them back on one at a time until the loading circle returns. Once you find the one causing the clash, see if there’s an update available or look for an alternative. Still Stuck? Sometimes it’s as simple as your browser being tired. Try opening your site in an Incognito/Private window. If it loads there, you just need to clear your browser cache and you’re good to go. Drop a comment below if you’re still seeing that spinning circle—I’d love to help you figure it out! FAQ Will I lose my design if I increase memory? No, increasing memory only gives your site more power to load the editor; it won’t change your content. Is this a bug in Elementor? Not necessarily. It’s usually just a handshake issue between your server and the software.