bwt
// theme

Divi

by Elegant Themes

The original visual page builder theme. Massive template library, membership pricing, 16-year track record.

Visit Divi → Docs
// decision data
Lighthouse
76 / 100
Tested May 29, 2026
Accessibility
WCAG AA
8 axe issues
Last release
May 23, 2026 v5.0.2
Installs
1,000,000+
Active installations
Builder theme From $89 GPL Since 2008
// editorial verdict

Divi is the original visual page builder theme, launched in 2008 by Elegant Themes. One of the largest WordPress builder ecosystems by install count. Divi 5, released in 2026, is a from-scratch rewrite with substantially improved performance and a modern React-based editor. Membership pricing unlocks the entire Elegant Themes product portfolio.

Pros

  • Massive template library and starter sites
  • One annual price unlocks Divi + Bloom + Monarch
  • Substantial team behind sustained development
  • Divi 5 rewrite brings real performance improvements over Divi 4

Cons

  • Page weight overhead is real, even with Divi 5 improvements
  • Vendor lock-in via shortcode-style content (migration off Divi is painful)
  • Aggressive sale-pricing tactics in marketing
When to pick Divi

Pick Divi when you want one product family that covers theme, page builder, opt-in forms, and social sharing, and you do not mind the page-weight tradeoff for the visual editor depth. Strong fit for agencies running many client sites under one membership.

When to avoid Divi

Avoid Divi for performance-critical sites or when long-term portability matters. Divi content is locked into Divi shortcodes; migrating off the platform requires rebuilds.

// faq

Frequently asked questions

Is Divi worth the price in 2026?
If you build many client sites under one annual membership ($89/year for all Elegant Themes products), Divi remains one of the better value-per-dollar offerings in the WordPress builder market. For a single hobby site, the math is harder to justify.
Is Divi performance-friendly?
Divi 5 (released April 2026) is substantially faster than Divi 4 thanks to a React-based rewrite, but still adds noticeable page weight compared to native Gutenberg or lightweight builders like Bricks. Expect Lighthouse scores 15-25 points lower than a non-builder site.
Can I migrate off Divi later?
It's painful. Divi content is stored as shortcodes, which means switching to another theme or builder requires rebuilding each page from scratch. This is the single biggest argument against Divi for sites with long-term portability concerns.
What is Divi 5 and how is it different from Divi 4?
Divi 5 is a from-scratch rewrite released in April 2026, replacing Divi 4's PHP-rendered builder with a modern React-based editor. The result is substantially better editor performance, cleaner generated markup, and a foundation for future feature work.
// activity & context

Recent releases

  1. v5.0.2 May 23, 2026

    Divi 5 patch release, editor stability fixes

  2. v5.0.1 May 2, 2026

    Hotfix for header builder edge case

  3. v5.0.0 April 15, 2026

    Major release: Divi 5 ships, React rewrite goes GA

  4. v4.27.4 March 20, 2026

    Final 4.x maintenance release

  5. v4.27.3 February 28, 2026

    WooCommerce module fixes

  6. v4.27.2 February 4, 2026

    Patch release

  7. v4.27.1 January 12, 2026

    Customizer performance optimization

  8. v4.27.0 December 15, 2025

    New blog module variants

// often compared with
Product TypePriceLighthouse
Divi this BuilderFrom $8976
Bricks BuilderFrom $7989
Avada BuilderFrom $69—
Extra BuilderFrom $89—
// similar themes
// methodology

Performance testing

Tested on Kinsta Starter (Google Cloud C3D, Iowa). Configuration: Divi default settings, single landing page from official starter library, mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.

Data freshness

Last release tracked May 23, 2026. Release history maintained from the vendor's changelog. Vendor activity refreshed on every build.