Hupspot Guide: Elementor vs Gutenberg for Modern WordPress Sites
If you use Hubspot to power your marketing and want a smooth WordPress experience, choosing between Elementor and Gutenberg is a critical step in building fast, flexible, and conversion-focused websites.
This guide distills the main lessons from the Elementor vs. Gutenberg comparison on the official HubSpot blog and shows you how to make a smart choice for your own WordPress stack.
What Hubspot Users Should Know About Elementor vs Gutenberg
Before you decide, you need a clear picture of how each builder works and what it means for performance, content workflows, and long‑term scalability.
Quick overview of Elementor
Elementor is a visual, drag‑and‑drop page builder plugin for WordPress. It replaces the default editor with a live design canvas and a large library of widgets and templates.
- Real‑time visual editing
- Dozens of pre‑built templates
- Style controls without writing CSS
- Free core plugin with paid Pro version
Quick overview of Gutenberg
Gutenberg is the native WordPress block editor. It ships with WordPress core, so no extra plugin is required for basic block‑based page building.
- Block‑based content editing
- Part of WordPress core (no extra cost)
- Lightweight and performance‑oriented
- Growing ecosystem of block libraries
The original comparison on the HubSpot Elementor vs Gutenberg article highlights that both tools can build modern pages, but they differ in complexity, speed, and design freedom.
Hubspot Perspective: When to Choose Elementor
From a Hubspot marketing workflow standpoint, Elementor is best when visual design flexibility is your top priority and you need to build highly customized landing pages fast.
Advantages of Elementor for Hubspot marketers
- Pixel‑perfect control: Ideal when you want campaign pages that match detailed brand guidelines.
- Rich widget ecosystem: Timelines, sliders, forms, icons, and other elements are available out of the box.
- Template libraries: Reuse layouts for landing pages, thank‑you pages, and webinar registration pages.
- Designer‑friendly: Non‑developers can manage page layout, spacing, and styling visually.
Potential drawbacks to consider
- Performance overhead: Extra CSS and JavaScript can slow down pages if you overuse widgets.
- Lock‑in risk: Switching away from Elementor later may require cleanup or page rebuilding.
- Learning curve: More options mean more complexity for new users.
If your Hubspot strategy depends heavily on unique landing pages, branding elements, and design‑led experiences, Elementor can be a strong ally—as long as you actively optimize performance.
Hubspot Perspective: When to Choose Gutenberg
From a Hubspot and SEO mindset, Gutenberg stands out for its simplicity, lean code output, and natural fit with modern WordPress themes.
Advantages of Gutenberg for Hubspot users
- Built into WordPress: No extra plugin to maintain for the core editor.
- Faster page loads: Cleaner markup typically improves Core Web Vitals.
- Editorial focus: Great for content‑heavy sites, blogs, and resource libraries.
- Theme integration: Most new themes are built to work seamlessly with Gutenberg blocks.
Limitations you need to know
- Less visual design freedom: Achieving complex layouts may require additional block plugins or custom CSS.
- Fewer advanced widgets by default: You may miss sliders, advanced forms, and dynamic elements without extensions.
- Design consistency depends on theme: A weak theme will limit what you can do visually.
When your Hubspot programs emphasize publishing velocity, strong performance, and SEO‑friendly content libraries, Gutenberg is often the better fit.
Hubspot SEO Considerations: Speed, Code, and UX
Hubspot users must pay close attention to technical SEO and user experience because these factors influence lead generation and conversion rates across all campaigns.
Page speed and Core Web Vitals
Gutenberg generally produces lighter pages, which is good for:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
- Total Blocking Time (TBT)
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
Elementor can still perform well, but you should:
- Limit heavy widgets and animations
- Leverage caching and a CDN
- Optimize images and fonts
Clean code and maintainability
From the long‑term perspective shown in the HubSpot comparison, Gutenberg offers cleaner default markup, making theme updates and redesigns easier. Elementor introduces more nested elements, which can slow down maintenance and future refactors.
Step‑by‑Step: How Hubspot Teams Should Decide
Use this simple process to select the best option for your WordPress and Hubspot integration strategy.
Step 1: Define your primary goals
- Content‑heavy blog and resource hub
- Design‑driven marketing site
- High‑velocity campaign landing pages
- Hybrid of the above
Content‑heavy usually leans toward Gutenberg. Highly custom campaign designs often lean toward Elementor.
Step 2: Assess your team’s skills
- Non‑technical marketers: May prefer Elementor’s visual builder.
- Developers and content editors: May prefer Gutenberg’s structured blocks and cleaner code base.
Step 3: Audit performance impact
- Set up a staging site for both options.
- Build a sample landing page in Elementor and Gutenberg.
- Measure Core Web Vitals with PageSpeed Insights.
- Compare scores and adjust your decision accordingly.
Step 4: Plan your Hubspot integration
Regardless of which editor you pick, map out how pages will connect to your CRM, automation, and analytics stack. A specialized partner such as Consultevo can help align your WordPress build with Hubspot data flows and reporting.
Hubspot‑Aligned Best Practices for Either Builder
Once you choose your editing environment, follow these principles to keep your site fast, scalable, and aligned with your marketing goals.
For Elementor builds
- Use a lightweight theme and avoid overlapping builders.
- Restrict the number of global widgets and motion effects.
- Regularly test templates on mobile devices.
- Clean up unused plugins and add‑ons.
For Gutenberg builds
- Adopt a block‑first theme that supports full site editing.
- Standardize block patterns for repeatable layouts.
- Extend with a small, curated set of block plugins.
- Document page templates for your content team.
Conclusion: The Best Hubspot‑Friendly Choice
Elementor gives Hubspot users maximum visual freedom and fast campaign deployment, while Gutenberg delivers lean performance and a stable, future‑proof editor. The best option depends on whether your priority is design flexibility or speed and simplicity.
By testing both builders, measuring performance, and aligning your choice with your Hubspot workflows, you can create a WordPress environment that supports sustainable growth, clean data, and high‑converting digital experiences.
Need Help With Hubspot?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Hubspot , work with ConsultEvo, a team who has a decade of Hubspot experience.
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