Why I Recommend Bricks Builder Over Elementor

For years, Elementor was the go-to recommendation. But in 2026, the landscape has changed. To achieve top-tier performance/Core Web Vitals scores, we need better tools.

I'm increasingly moving my agency clients to Bricks Builder. Here is the technical breakdown of why this shift is happening and why you should consider it for your next high-budget project.

1. The DOM Bloat Problem

Elementor is notorious for "DOM Bloat". To render a single heading, it might wrap it in 3-4 div layers (`section > column > widget > wrap > heading`).

Bricks Builder outputs clean, semantic HTML. If you add a container and a heading, you get a div and an h2. That's it.

• Fewer nodes = Faster rendering
• Less CSS = Faster paint time
• Better Lighthouse scores out of the box

2. Performance First Architecture

Elementor loads a lot of assets globally or heavily. Bricks is built on Vue.js (for the builder interface) but outputs pure PHP/HTML on the frontend. It has a smart asset loading system that only loads the CSS/JS for the elements actually used on the page.

The result? Pages that often score 95+ on Mobile Pagespeed Insights without aggressive caching plugins.

3. Developer Experience (The True Power)

Elementor tries to hide code. Bricks embraces it.

• Classes & CSS Variables: Bricks has a robust class management system. I can use frameworks like ACSS or Tailwind logic easily.
• Dynamic Data: The dynamic data engine in Bricks is far superior, allowing standard PHP functions directly in the fields.
• Query Loops: Building complex Custom Post Type grids is native and visual. No need for "Elementor Custom Skin" or extra plugins.

4. No "Lock-in" Nightmare

While any page builder has some lock-in, Bricks stores data more cleanly. And because it relies less on third-party addons (unlike Elementor where you often need 5 addons to do basic things), the site is more stable and maintainable over time.

So, is Elementor Dead?

No. Elementor is still fine for low-budget, quick-turnaround sites where the client needs extreme ease of editing. But for professional, high-performance agency sites, Bricks is the superior engineering choice.