Elementor Cloud Hosting vs Plugin: A Detailed Comparison with 4 Key Differences
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In this post, I’ll compare Elementor Cloud vs plugin and discuss the key differences between both products.
The Elementor Pro WordPress plugin and the Elementor Cloud Website (a.k.a. Elementor cloud hosting service) are two of the most popular tools for creating customized WordPress websites.
Both tools feature a powerful drag-and-drop builder that allows you to create beautiful, responsive websites without writing a single line of code.
However, the Elementor Pro is a standalone WordPress plugin, while the Elementor Cloud Website is an all-in-one website creation platform that includes cloud hosting, security, the Elementor Pro, and 24/7 premium support.
Now you might get confused about which one to choose: Elementor Cloud vs plugin.
It’s a really tricky choice and depends on your needs and preferences.
So, in this post, we’ll discuss the major differences between Elementor Cloud Website and Elementor WordPress Plugin, which will let you make an informed decision.
What is Elementor WordPress Plugin?
Elementor is the most popular visual drag & drop page builder. It helps you create stunning, pixel-perfect WordPress websites at record speeds.
You can quickly build any website with prebuilt template kits without writing a single line of code.
Elementor’s pro version includes additional features like a popup builder, WooCommerce integration, form builder, global widgets, and more.
The company constantly adds new features to the product, making it the most powerful drag & drop page builder available.
Moreover, Elementor has a large community of designers and developers. And if you need any help, the friendly support team is always ready to lend a hand.
Are you planning to design a WordPress website?
If so, you should definitely give Elementor Pro a try to discover how easy it is with Elementor Pro to build amazing websites.
What is Elementor Cloud Website?
Elementor Cloud Website is an end-to-end solution that includes cloud hosting, a pre-installed WordPress, Elementor Pro WP plugin, security, and a seamless website management experience.
Elementor Cloud is a hosted solution that simplifies the process of building and launching a website without requiring any technical knowledge.
Since the package includes Google Cloud Powered hosting optimized exclusively for Elementor websites, you don’t have to look elsewhere for the best Elementor hosting.
You only need to purchase a custom domain name and Elementor Cloud Website subscription, and Elementor will take care of everything else.
How cool is that?
1. Elementor Cloud vs Plugin: What is Included in the Package
As I mentioned earlier, Elementor Pro is a standalone WordPress plugin, whereas the Elementor Cloud website is a full-featured no-code solution for building WordPress websites.
Below is a breakdown of what each product has to offer.
Elementor WordPress Plugin
Elementor has two different versions: Free and Pro. The free version offers basic functionalities to get started. However, Elementor’s Pro version provides some extra features, making it an irresistible deal.
Elementor Pro Features:
- Code-free Visual Drag & Drop Builder
- 100% Responsive and Mobile Editing
- 300+ Pro Templates & Blocks
- Popup Builder
- A Powerful Theme Builder
- Dynamic Content
- WooCommerce Integration and E-commerce Capabilities
- Robust Form Builder
- 30+ Third-party Integrations
Elementor Cloud Website
Elementor Cloud Website is an integrated website-building solution to launch your WordPress websites quickly. A package includes Elementor Pro along with some additional benefits.
Elementor Cloud Website Features:
- A Google Cloud Powered Hosting Optimized Specifically for Elementor Websites
- 20 GB Disk Storage and 100 GB Bandwidth Limit (up to 100K Monthly Visits)
- Cloudflare CDN
- Custom Domain Connectivity
- Free SSL Certificates
- Automated Daily Backups
- Pre-installed WordPress and Elementor Pro
- Premium Live Chat and Email Support
Verdict:
In Elementor Hosting vs Plugin comparison, you’ll notice that the Elementor Cloud Website offers a better package than Elementor Pro. So you can focus on designing your website instead of finding the best Elementor hosting.
2. Elementor Cloud vs Plugin: Pricing
Besides features, pricing is another deciding factor when purchasing the Elementor Pro WordPress plugin and Elementor Cloud Website.
Let’s compare the pricing for both products and see which offers the best value.
Elementor Pro Pricing
Elementor offers a free (lite) version with limited features, which is enough for designing starter websites. However, if you need additional features, pre-made templates, advanced marketing and e-commerce capabilities, and premium support, consider upgrading to the Elementor Pro.
The Elementor Pro license is currently available in four different pricing tiers, as listed below.
1. Essential Plan:
Among all Elementor plans, the Essential plan is the most affordable one, costing $59 per year.
It allows you to install the Elementor Pro plugin on a single website and provides access to all pro features, Website Kits (pre-designed template), and premium technical support.
2. Pro Plan:
Elementor’s Pro plan costs $99 per year. It allows you to install the Elementor Pro plugin on up to three websites and provides similar features as the Essential plan.
3. Expert Plan:
The Elementor Expert plan is the most popular among all five plans, which costs $199 per year.
The license allows you to install the Elementor Pro WP plugin on up to 25 websites. It grants you access to all pro features, Expert Website Kits, Elementor Expert Profile, and premium technical support.
4. Agency Plan:
Elementor charges $399 per year for its Agency plan.
The license allows you to install the Elementor Pro WordPress plugin on up to 1000 websites. That’s less than $1 per website.
Moreover, it offers unlimited access to all pro features, Expert Website Kits, Elementor Expert Network Profile, and VIP support (offers priority support responses).
Elementor Cloud Website Pricing
Elementor Cloud Website is a fairly new product in comparison to Elementor Pro.
The company has announced four Elementor Cloud plans, starting at $9.99 per month.
1. Basic Plan:
Elementor’s Basic plan is perfect when you’re just starting. It’s the cheapest Elementor hosting plan available, costing $9.99 per month.
It offers you 1 WP Hosted website installation and access to all pro features (Elementor Pro website builder worth $59/year included), Website Kits (pre-designed templates), and premium technical support.
The plan includes 10 GB of storage, 25K monthly visitors and up to 30 GB of bandwidth. Additionally, you’ll receive a 14-day backup, SSL & CDN from Cloudflare, and Premium Support for one member.
This plan is available for 33% off, i.e., $120/year, and renews at a regular list price of $180/year.
2. Business Plan:
The plan is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses, especially WooCommerce shops.
Just like the Basic plan, it offers you 1 WP Hosted website installation and access to all pro features, Website Kits (pre-designed templates), and premium technical support.
However, you will receive more server resources, i.e., 20 GB of storage, 50K monthly visitors, and up to 50 GB of bandwidth. The package also includes 30-day backup, SSL & CDN from Cloudflare, a Staging Environment, and Premium Support for two members.
This plan is available at 20% off, i.e., $240/year, and renews at a regular list price of $300/year.
3. Grow Plan:
This plan is ideal for businesses in the early stages of growth that may experience sudden traffic surges.
It includes 3 WordPress Hosted websites and access to all Elementor Pro features (Elementor Pro license worth $99/year included), Website Kits Library, and premium technical support.
The plan includes 25 GB of SSD storage, 75K monthly visitors, and up to 75 GB of bandwidth. In addition, you’ll receive a 30-day backup, SSL and CDN from Cloudflare, and a Staging Environment, along with Premium Support for four members.
The standard list price of this plan is $396/year; however, you can get 30% off, i.e., $276/year.
4. Scale Plan:
The plan is a good choice for web design agencies and professionals with a growing clientele.
It includes up to 10 Elementor-powered WordPress websites and access to all Pro features (Elementor Pro Website Builder worth $199/year included), Website Kits Library, and premium support.
The plan includes 40 GB of blazing-fast SSD storage, 100K monthly traffic, and up to 100 GB of bandwidth. In addition, you’ll receive a 30-day backup, Cloudflare SSL and CDN, a Staging Environment, and Premium Support for six members.
This plan usually costs $720/year; however, you can get 17% off, bringing it down to $600/year.
Since Elementor Cloud Website bundles multiple services, including cloud hosting, security, CDN, backups, WordPress management, and the most popular Elementor Pro plugin, the pricing is quite reasonable.
Verdict
Elementor has priced both products well. In other words, you get the best deal regardless of whether you purchase Elementor Pro or Elementor Cloud Website.
3. Elementor Cloud vs Plugin: Market Share
Yoni Luksenberg and Ariel Klikstein co-founded Elementor in 2016, which has been wildly successful since its inception.
At its live launch event on 22nd February 2022, Elementor unveiled its latest cloud-based website solution. Moreover, Elementor Pro is primarily designed as a visual page builder, whereas Elementor Cloud Website is an all-in-one website-building platform.
So obviously, these two products significantly differ in market share because of their different service lengths and market segments they cater to.
Below you will find more information.
Elementor WordPress Plugin Market Share
No-code interface and drag-and-drop functionality made Elementor a massive success.
Today Elementor holds over 8.3% market share of all the websites. Based on company data, the plugin is used in 150+ countries worldwide and has over 11 million active installations.
Elementor Cloud Website Market Share
In comparison to other companies offering end-to-end website-building solutions, Elementor Cloud Website is a relatively new product.
In addition, the hosting industry is highly competitive, and adding another brand to this overcrowded market would not make sense.
That’s why Elementor chose an innovative approach of offering an all-inclusive website-building platform that takes care of everything.
Even though it’s too early to predict this, Elementor Cloud will likely be a big hit since only a few reputable companies offer such bundle packages.
Verdict
The Elementor WordPress plugin already dominates the page builder market. From a market share perspective of each product, the Elementor plugin is far ahead of Elementor Cloud. Nevertheless, the Elementor Cloud Website solution has great potential for sure if optimized and marketed well.
4. Elementor Cloud vs Plugin: Compatibility With Other Platforms
Elementor integrates seamlessly with thousands of other plugins and themes as part of the WordPress eco-system. The software currently has more than 11 million active installations, with no compatibility issues reported. On the other hand, the Elementor Cloud Website restricts users to only using services that the company offers. E.g., hosting service, CDN, and page builder.
Elementor WordPress Plugin Compatibility With Other Platforms
Elementor Free and Pro are compatible with most web hosting services, themes, and plugins.
Moreover, it integrates with 30+ third-party marketing solutions, WordPress plugins, LMS, social networks, and other online platforms.
Elementor Cloud Website Compatibility With Other Platforms
At the moment, the Elementor Cloud Website system only supports a few services. E.g., Google Cloud Platform for hosting infrastructure and Cloudflare for CDN.
However, Elementor doesn’t compromise on performance. The system is well-optimized for speed and security without limiting your design freedom.
A list of banned plugins remains an issue with the Elementor Cloud Website.
The platform restricts the usage of backup plugins, migration plugins, caching plugins, and most competing page builders.
Verdict
The Elementor WordPress plugin is flexible and works with various hosting services, software, and email providers. However, Elementor Cloud Hosting users may experience some compatibility issues, especially with certain WordPress plugins. So check out Elementor’s banned plugin list before purchasing.
Elementor Cloud vs Plugin: Conclusion
Elementor Cloud Website is an exceptional choice for those who want to take advantage of the Elementor ecosystem’s features, including professional design, cutting-edge technologies, creative freedom, and a vibrant community.
In addition, Elementor’s integrated cloud hosting service, managed security, backups, website management, and premium support remove the hassle of launching and maintaining WordPress websites.
For $9.99/month, Elements Cloud Hosting offers incredible value.
However, if you wish to use the standalone Elementor Plugin with an external hosting provider, you can always choose that option.
Please don’t follow the crowd. Instead, review each product thoroughly and choose the one that meets your needs.
Interested in learning more about the Elementor Cloud Website platform or the Elementor Plugin?
You can read the full reviews below: