As WordPress continues to evolve, one of the most pressing questions for site owners and developers in 2025 is whether to migrate from Elementor to Gutenberg. Elementor has long been the go-to page builder for its intuitive drag-and-drop interface and robust design capabilities. Yet, with Gutenberg now powering Full Site Editing (FSE) and becoming deeply integrated into the WordPress core, many are reconsidering their tools.
This article explores whether migrating from Elementor to Gutenberg is truly worth it in 2025 – examining performance, cost, design flexibility, and long-term sustainability.
What’s Driving the Shift Toward Gutenberg?
When Gutenberg first launched in 2018, it was met with skepticism. However, by 2025, it has matured into a powerful, flexible, and performance-friendly block editor. According to WPBlockz, Gutenberg now powers over 50-60% of WordPress sites, while Elementor holds around 30%. This shift reflects growing confidence in the block-based editing experience.
Several factors are driving this adoption:
- Performance and SEO: Gutenberg produces cleaner, lighter HTML and loads fewer assets, which improves Core Web Vitals and overall page speed.
- Native Integration: As part of WordPress core, Gutenberg evolves alongside WordPress updates – no extra plugins or compatibility concerns.
- Future-Proofing: WordPress’s roadmap is block-first, meaning Gutenberg will continue to receive first-class support and innovation.
- Reduced Costs: Unlike Elementor, Gutenberg is completely free and requires no premium license renewals.
Performance: Gutenberg’s Edge in 2025
Site performance has become a non-negotiable ranking factor. Google’s Core Web Vitals – measuring loading, interactivity, and visual stability – directly influence SEO and user experience.
Studies from Kamal Hosen and Amandubey show that Gutenberg-built sites typically load 30–50% faster than those built with Elementor. The reason lies in Gutenberg’s lean architecture:
- No external dependencies: Gutenberg relies on WordPress core scripts.
- Minimal DOM size: Cleaner markup reduces render-blocking.
- Better caching and CDN performance: Fewer assets mean faster delivery.
In contrast, Elementor’s flexibility comes at a cost. Each widget loads its own CSS and JavaScript, which can increase page weight. Although Elementor’s Performance Mode and asset optimization tools help, they rarely match Gutenberg’s native efficiency.
Cost and Maintenance: The Hidden Savings of Gutenberg
Elementor’s free version is powerful, but most professional sites rely on Elementor Pro, which starts at around $59/year for a single license. Add-ons for advanced functionality – such as motion effects, pop-ups, or WooCommerce widgets – often require additional subscriptions.
By contrast, Gutenberg is free, built into WordPress, and supported by a growing ecosystem of open-source block libraries like GenerateBlocks, Kadence Blocks, and Stackable. This eliminates the need for multiple premium plugins and reduces long-term maintenance overhead.
Moreover, because Gutenberg is part of WordPress core, compatibility issues are minimal after updates. Elementor users, however, often face plugin conflicts or layout breaks after major WordPress releases, requiring extra testing and fixes.
Design Flexibility: Elementor Still Leads in Visual Control
While Gutenberg excels in speed and simplicity, Elementor continues to dominate in design freedom. Its visual drag-and-drop builder, global styles, and advanced animations make it ideal for designers who want pixel-perfect control.
In 2025, Elementor has expanded its capabilities with AI-powered design suggestions, live collaboration, and improved WooCommerce integration (Amandubey). These features empower teams to create complex layouts faster.
Gutenberg, on the other hand, has made significant progress with Full Site Editing (FSE) and pattern libraries. Users can now design headers, footers, and templates directly within the block editor. Still, advanced design elements – such as parallax effects, motion animations, or dynamic content — require third-party plugins or custom code.
For most business websites, Gutenberg’s evolving design tools are now sufficient. However, creative agencies or eCommerce sites that rely heavily on intricate design systems may still prefer Elementor’s visual flexibility.
Migration Challenges: What You Need to Know
Migrating from Elementor to Gutenberg isn’t a simple “one-click” process. While your content (text, images, videos) will remain intact, the layout and styling won’t transfer automatically.
Here are the main challenges:
- Manual Rebuilding: Each page or template must be recreated using Gutenberg blocks.
- Design Consistency: Matching your old design may require custom CSS or block patterns.
- Plugin Dependencies: Some Elementor widgets may not have Gutenberg equivalents.
- Temporary SEO Disruption: URL or structure changes can affect rankings if not handled carefully.
No reliable automated migration tools exist as of 2025 (Kamal Hosen). The process demands planning, testing, and incremental rollout – ideally starting with less critical pages.
At Developress.io, we’ve explored practical migration workflows in our guide on how to optimize WordPress performance with Gutenberg. Combining these insights with a structured migration checklist can minimize downtime and preserve your SEO equity.
SEO and Future-Proofing: Gutenberg’s Long-Term Advantage
SEO is no longer just about keywords – it’s about speed, structure, and accessibility. Gutenberg’s cleaner markup gives it a technical SEO advantage right out of the box.
According to Magnifyi, Gutenberg pages typically achieve higher Lighthouse scores and better schema markup compatibility. Its native block system also integrates seamlessly with WordPress’s REST API, making it ideal for headless WordPress and AI-driven content workflows.
From a future-proofing standpoint, Gutenberg aligns perfectly with WordPress’s official direction. As the platform continues to embrace block-based theming, patterns, and AI-assisted design, Elementor’s external architecture may face growing compatibility challenges.
That said, Elementor remains a robust ecosystem with millions of active users and continuous innovation. For teams that rely on its advanced design tools or custom widgets, staying with Elementor may still make sense – at least for now.
When Migration Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
You should consider migrating to Gutenberg if:
- Your site is performance-sensitive (e.g., SEO-driven, eCommerce, or content-heavy).
- You want to reduce plugin dependency and maintenance costs.
- You’re building new templates aligned with WordPress’s FSE roadmap.
- You prefer a lightweight, future-proof stack.
You might want to stay with Elementor if:
- Your site relies heavily on complex design layouts or animations.
- You need advanced visual editing and client-friendly customization.
- You have significant investment in Elementor templates and workflows.
- Performance optimizations already meet your goals.
The Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds
A growing number of developers are adopting a hybrid strategy – using Gutenberg for most content pages (blogs, landing pages, product descriptions) and keeping Elementor for design-intensive sections like homepages or portfolios.
This approach balances performance with creative flexibility, allowing teams to transition gradually without sacrificing design quality. It also reduces the risks associated with full migration.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Migrating in 2025?
In 2025, migrating from Elementor to Gutenberg can deliver significant performance, SEO, and cost benefits, particularly for content-heavy or fast-scaling websites. Gutenberg’s integration with WordPress core ensures long-term stability, while its expanding ecosystem continues to close the design gap with Elementor.
However, migration isn’t a universal solution. The decision depends on your site’s complexity, design requirements, and available resources. For many, the smartest approach is incremental adoption – testing Gutenberg on new pages before committing to a full rebuild.
If you’re considering a migration, start with a thorough performance audit and review our related guide on WordPress performance optimization.
In summary:
Migrating from Elementor to Gutenberg in 2025 is worth it – if your priority is performance, maintainability, and alignment with WordPress’s future. Elementor remains a powerful design tool, but Gutenberg is rapidly becoming the standard for modern, efficient, and sustainable WordPress development.
