Essential Addons vs Template Kit 2026

At a glance

Plugin A

Essential Addons for Elementor – Popular Elementor Templates & Widgets

Elementor addon offering 110+ widgets and templates — Elementor Gallery, Slider, Form, Post Grid, Menu, Accordion, WooCommerce & more.

Rating

4.9/5

Active Installs 2.0M+

Author WPDeveloper

Version v6.6.10

Last Updated Jun 2026

Source WordPress.org ↗

Plugin B

Template Kit – Import

Use this plugin to import Template Kits to WordPress

Rating

3.4/5

Active Installs 400K+

Author envato

Version v1.0.16

Last Updated Aug 2024

Source WordPress.org ↗

Full Comparison

📊 Data-Driven Review

Technical Specs

Essential Addons for Elementor vs Template Kit: Key Statistics
Metric	Essential Addons for Elementor	Template Kit
Requires WP	5.0+	5.3+
Requires PHP	7.0+	5.6+
Tested up to WP	7.0	6.4.8
Plugin age	9 yrs	6 yrs

Quick Verdict

Essential Addons for Elementor is the clear winner for most WordPress users. With 2.0M+ active installs and a 94% support resolution rate, it offers far more value than Template Kit. Template Kit serves a single purpose: importing pre-built designs. Essential Addons for Elementor gives you 110+ widgets and templates, making it the better choice for anyone building sites with Elementor.

Feature Comparison: Essential Addons for Elementor vs Template Kit

Key functional differences between the two plugins
Feature	Essential Addons for Elementor	Template Kit
Total widgets available	110+ widgets and templates	0 widgets (import tool only)
Form builder widget	Built-in Elementor Form widget	Not included
Post grid widget	Dedicated Elementor Post Grid widget	Not included
Slider gallery widget	Elementor Slider Gallery widget included	Not included
WooCommerce widgets	WooCommerce-specific widgets for online stores	Not included
Accordion template	Elementor Accordion template included	Not included
Menu builder	Advanced Menu widget included	Not included
Import pre-built kits	Via templates library	Core function: imports Template Kits to WordPress

Who Should Use Essential Addons for Elementor

Site builders who need to add a form in Elementor without a separate plugin, the built-in Form widget covers contact forms, subscriptions, and file uploads.
Developers looking for the best Elementor addons plugin for content display, the Post Grid widget and Slider Gallery widget handle dynamic layouts that would otherwise require custom code.
Store owners running WooCommerce sites who want dedicated WooCommerce widgets for online store features like product grids, cart icons, and checkout styling.

Who Should Use Template Kit

Designers who buy pre-built Template Kits from marketplaces and need a reliable method to import them, the plugin's sole job is to upload and process kit zip files.
Users who don't need extra widgets or features, if you already own a widget collection and just want to import a specific kit, Template Kit avoids adding bloat.
Beginners who are learning how to import template kit in WordPress and want a one-click solution without configuring advanced settings.

Community & Support

Essential Addons for Elementor shows strong community trust. Of its 4085 reviews, 95% are 5-star ratings and only 2% are 1-star. Support handled 18 threads in the last 2 months, resolving 17 of them (94%). Template Kit's support sample is too small to draw conclusions, but its rating breakdown tells a different story: 56% 5-star and 38% 1-star, indicating a polarised user experience.

Verdict: Essential Addons for Elementor or Template Kit for WordPress sites?

Pick Essential Addons for Elementor if you want to build feature-rich pages. It has 5x more installs than Template Kit and offers 110+ widgets versus Template Kit's zero. You'll get a Post Grid widget, a Form widget, and WooCommerce widgets all in one plugin.

Pick Template Kit only if your workflow is strictly about importing pre-made designs and you already own a separate widget plugin. It serves one purpose well, but it cannot replace the functionality of a full addon suite.

For 95% of users, Essential Addons for Elementor is the practical choice. It solves more problems out of the box and is backed by a community that gives it a 4.7-star average from 4085 reviews.

How this comparison was made

This comparison is AI-generated from live WordPress.org data. Install counts, ratings, versions and support statistics sync weekly, so the numbers on this page stay current. Content passes automated quality checks before publishing, and pages below our quality threshold are held for human review.

Read our full methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

Q How many people use Essential Addons for Elementor compared to Template Kit?

Essential Addons for Elementor has 2.0M+ active installs while Template Kit has 400K+, meaning Essential Addons for Elementor is used on more sites.

Q Which has better user ratings — Essential Addons for Elementor or Template Kit?

Essential Addons for Elementor averages 4.9/5 from 4,085 reviews, while Template Kit averages 3.4/5 from 16 reviews — Essential Addons for Elementor has the higher average rating.

Q Which is more actively maintained — Essential Addons for Elementor or Template Kit?

Essential Addons for Elementor was last updated on Jun 10, 2026 and Template Kit on Aug 1, 2024, so Essential Addons for Elementor received the more recent update.

Q Are Essential Addons for Elementor and Template Kit both free?

Yes — both Essential Addons for Elementor and Template Kit are free to install from the official WordPress.org plugin directory. Some features may require a paid upgrade offered by the plugin author.

Q Is Essential Addons for Elementor or Template Kit better for WordPress sites?

Essential Addons for Elementor is the better choice for most WordPress sites because it gives you a huge library of functional widgets like post grids, accordions, and WooCommerce tools that actually do something. Template Kit is just a collection of pre-made designs, so it adds templates but not new features. If you want to build a real site with interactive elements, Essential Addons is the clear winner.

Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — Essential Addons for Elementor or Template Kit?

Template Kit is easier for a beginner because you just install it and import a pre-designed layout without configuring any settings. Essential Addons requires you to activate individual widgets and learn what each one does before you can use them effectively. Most beginners will get a finished page faster with Template Kit, but they will outgrow it quickly.

Q What is the biggest feature difference between Essential Addons for Elementor and Template Kit?

Essential Addons adds over 80 new interactive widgets and extensions to Elementor, like sliders, forms, and WooCommerce product grids that you can customize. Template Kit only provides pre-built page templates and blocks that you import and edit, but it does not add any new functionality to Elementor itself. The difference is between getting new tools versus getting new designs.

Q Can you switch from Essential Addons for Elementor to Template Kit (or the other way) without losing data?

You can switch between them without losing your existing content because both plugins only add features to Elementor and do not store your page data. Your pages built with Essential Addons widgets will still exist, but those widgets will stop working until you reactivate the plugin. Template Kit imports are just standard Elementor templates, so they remain editable even if you deactivate Template Kit.

Q Which type of site should choose Essential Addons for Elementor, and which should choose Template Kit?

Essential Addons is for sites that need custom functionality like an online store with WooCommerce widgets, dynamic post grids, or interactive sliders and accordions. Template Kit is best for simple brochure sites or landing pages where you just want a nice design fast without learning new settings. If you need to build a real business site with features, pick Essential Addons.