You’ve probably Googled “Elementor Pro vs Free” more times than you’d admit. Maybe you even clicked “Buy Now” at some point, hovered over that $59/year tag for a while… and then quietly backed away.

It makes sense. On the surface, the free version already lets you build pages. You drag, you drop, you publish, done. So, why upgrade?

Then your client asks for a sticky header. Or your course needs a login pop-up. Or you just want to fix one frustrating layout issue. And suddenly, Elementor Free just stares back at you like: “Nope. Upgrade.”

Let’s unpack 

What you really get with Elementor Pro, where the limitations of Free start to hurt, and when the upgrade actually pays off. Especially if you’re building LMS sites or client funnels, like we do every week at LMS Crafter.

Quick Comparison: Elementor Pro vs Free

So what’s missing in the free version?

Let’s break it down in plain English. Not with a feature list, but with real situations.

• Trying to build a homepage that doesn’t look like a 2007 blog?
  Elementor Free will give you the canvas. But that’s it.
  No sticky nav, no hero animations, no lead-gen popups.
• Trying to make your LearnDash lessons look clean and user-friendly?
  You’ll be tweaking CSS for days if you’re on Free.
  Pro gives you widgets, layout control, and templates that fit LMS structures.
• Running a WooCommerce store?
  Good luck styling your product archive with Free.
  Pro lets you control everything: cart, checkout, and shop pages.
• Need forms?
  Forget about it. Free doesn’t even let you connect a basic email form to Mailchimp or GHL.
   

Pro tip: Elementor Pro forms integrate with everything from Zapier to webhooks. Major time-saver.

Is Elementor Pro Worth It?

If you’re building a basic static site, like a one-pager for a small business, you might survive with the free version. But if you’re building a membership site, an LMS, a coaching funnel, or even an agency workflow, Elementor Pro pays for itself fast.

The time you’ll waste trying to “work around” missing features in Free? You’ll lose that in just one week of client revisions. Trust me, we’ve seen it too many times at LMS Crafter, coaches and creators struggling with Free until they finally switch and wish they did it sooner.

Elementor’s pricing doesn’t punish growth.

If you build client sites, go for Expert or Agency, easy ROI.

Protip 1: Use Reusable Templates

Let’s say you create a lead-gen popup or course signup page. With Pro, you can reuse that same asset across 10 sites with just a few tweaks. That one feature justifies the upgrade by itself if you’re building at scale.

Protip 2: Combine Pro with Hello Theme

The Hello Theme is Elementor’s own barebones theme. Combined with Pro, it gives you full control over every element,headers, footers, layouts, and mobile styles. It’s our go-to combo for high-converting course platforms.

Future Insights: What’s Coming with Elementor?

Elementor is moving fast. We’re already seeing AI-assisted page generation, smarter layout tools, and faster global styling features. Better LMS compatibility and WooCommerce controls are also on the roadmap.

But here’s a warning: not everything shiny is helpful.

Installing too many third-party add-ons? Slows your site down.
Overusing global widgets? Makes updates a pain.
Relying only on templates? Your site ends up looking like everyone else’s.

Build smart. Customize where it counts. That’s how we do it at LMS Crafter: design that’s fast, functional, and still unique.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Here’s the deal:

Elementor Free is perfect when you’re just starting out. Tight budget. Simple layout. No real pressure. But the moment your site has a goal, Like selling a course. Booking coaching calls.
Or converting leads.

“The free version starts to break.”

You’ll hit wall after wall.

At LMS Crafter, we build LearnDash sites weekly. And honestly,Elementor Pro makes 80% of our builds smoother, faster, and easier to maintain.If you’re serious about design, user experience, and control…

Just get Pro. You’ll thank yourself next month.