bwt
// theme

Hello Elementor

by Elementor

Elementor's stripped-down companion theme. Empty canvas for Elementor builds, designed for the builder to do everything.

Visit Hello Elementor → Docs
// decision data
Lighthouse
99 / 100
Tested May 29, 2026
Accessibility
WCAG AA
0 axe issues
Last release
April 22, 2026 v3.1
WP.org rating
4.2
126 reviews
Classic theme Free GPL Since 2020 Requires WP 6.0+ PHP 7.4+
// editorial verdict

Hello Elementor is Elementor's deliberately minimal companion theme. The theme itself is essentially empty: a few CSS resets, the minimum scaffolding WordPress requires, and nothing else. The expectation is that Elementor (and Elementor Pro Theme Builder) handles the entire frontend design. Hugely popular as the foundation for Elementor-based builds.

Pros

  • Among the fastest themes in any benchmark because there is no theme
  • Officially maintained by Elementor (no vendor risk for Elementor users)
  • Zero opinions about design, you build everything in the builder
  • Sensible defaults that work cleanly with Elementor Pro Theme Builder

Cons

  • Useless without Elementor or Elementor Pro on top of it
  • Provides nothing on its own, so non-Elementor users should pick a real theme
When to pick Hello Elementor

Pick Hello Elementor when you are committed to building with Elementor (especially Elementor Pro Theme Builder) and you want the leanest possible base theme. The default safe choice for Elementor builds.

When to avoid Hello Elementor

Avoid if you are not using Elementor as your page builder. Hello Elementor provides essentially nothing on its own; you want a real theme like Astra, Kadence, or GeneratePress instead.

// faq

Frequently asked questions

Is Hello Elementor useful without Elementor?
No, essentially not. The theme ships with intentionally empty styling — just the minimum scaffolding WordPress requires. Without Elementor (or Elementor Pro) on top, you get a near-unstyled site.
Why is Hello Elementor so popular?
Because Elementor users want a fast, neutral base that won't fight the builder. Hello Elementor delivers exactly that: under 10KB of CSS, zero opinions, sensible defaults. Its 2M+ install count reflects the size of the Elementor user base.
Hello Elementor vs Hello Biz?
Hello Elementor is the blank-canvas base. Hello Biz is the business-focused starter built on the same architecture with pre-built homepage patterns. New business sites: Hello Biz. Custom builds where you want maximum control: Hello Elementor.
Does Hello Elementor work with Elementor Pro Theme Builder?
Yes, designed to. The theme deliberately stays out of the way so Elementor Pro's Theme Builder can handle header, footer, single post, and archive templates without conflict.
// activity & context

Recent releases

  1. v3.1 April 22, 2026

    Compatibility update for Elementor 3.27, accessibility pass

  2. v3.0.4 February 15, 2026

    Patch release

  3. v3.0.3 January 8, 2026

    Maintenance release

  4. v3.0.2 November 20, 2025

    WordPress 6.7 compatibility

  5. v3.0.1 September 25, 2025

    Hotfix for default Elementor template loading

  6. v3.0 August 15, 2025

    Major release: refreshed defaults, removed legacy compatibility code

// similar themes
// methodology

Performance testing

Tested on Kinsta Starter (Google Cloud C3D, Iowa). Configuration: Hello Elementor with no Elementor content (theme baseline only), mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.

Data freshness

Last release tracked April 22, 2026. Release history maintained from the vendor's changelog. Vendor activity refreshed on every build.