At a glance
Page Builder by SiteOrigin
Build responsive page layouts using the widgets you know and love using this simple drag and drop page builder.
Live Composer – Free WordPress Website Builder
Page builder for WordPress with drag and drop header/footer editing, responsive settings, and animations. Compatible with Gutenberg block editor.
Full Comparison
Technical Specs
| Metric | Page Builder by SiteOrigin | Live Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 4.7+ | 6.0+ |
| Requires PHP | 7.0.0+ | 7.4+ |
| Tested up to WP | 7.0 | 6.9.4 |
| Plugin age | 13 yrs | 11 yrs |
Quick Verdict
Page Builder by SiteOrigin wins this comparison. It holds 400K+ active installs, which is 40x more than Live Composer. The community rating of 4.8/5 from 1004 reviews signals a proven track record. Live Composer offers frontend header and footer editing, but its 79% five-star rating with 9% one-star reviews suggests a less consistent experience. For most WordPress sites, Page Builder by SiteOrigin is the safer, more trusted choice.
Feature Comparison: Page Builder by SiteOrigin vs Live Composer
| Feature | Page Builder by SiteOrigin | Live Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Drag and drop page builder | Simple drag and drop interface for building responsive layouts | Frontend drag and drop builder with header and footer editing |
| Responsive design | Built-in responsive page layouts | Responsive settings per element |
| Widget compatibility | Uses standard WordPress widgets you already know | Compatible with Gutenberg block editor |
| Header and footer editing | Standard WordPress header/footer management | Dedicated drag and drop header and footer editing |
| Animations | Basic animation support through widgets | Built-in animation effects for elements |
| Landing page builder | Build pages using widget-based layouts | Explicit landing page builder functionality |
| Visual editor | Visual editor for custom page layouts | Frontend visual editor with live preview |
Who Should Use Page Builder by SiteOrigin
- Site owners who value community trust: 93% of its 1004 reviews give it 5 stars, making it a reliable choice for building responsive pages with widgets.
- Teams that want a drag and drop layout builder WordPress solution without learning a new ecosystem. It uses widgets you already know, reducing training time.
- Anyone building a site that needs consistent performance across devices. The responsive page builder feature is built into every layout you create.
Who Should Use Live Composer
- Users who need to edit headers and footers visually. Live Composer offers dedicated drag and drop header footer WordPress editing, a feature Page Builder by SiteOrigin lacks.
- Builders creating landing pages who want a wordpress frontend builder with live preview. Its frontend editing lets you see changes as you make them.
- Developers who prefer Gutenberg compatibility. Live Composer works alongside the block editor, which can simplify workflows on newer WordPress sites.
Community & Support
The support data for both plugins is too small to draw conclusions. Page Builder by SiteOrigin saw 3 open threads in 2 months, and Live Composer had 0 open threads in the same period. Neither sample size supports meaningful analysis. The ratings breakdown tells a clearer story. Page Builder by SiteOrigin holds 93% five-star reviews against 2% one-star. Live Composer sits at 79% five-star with 9% one-star. This 14-point gap in five-star satisfaction is significant for a visual editor for custom page layouts.
Verdict: Page Builder by SiteOrigin or Live Composer for WordPress sites?
Pick Page Builder by SiteOrigin if you want a proven drag and drop page builder with a 93% five-star rating and 40x more installs than its competitor. It's the best drag and drop plugin WordPress users have consistently rated highest.
Pick Live Composer if you need frontend header and footer editing or Gutenberg compatibility as a primary requirement. Its 79% five-star rating and 9% one-star rate indicate a smaller but dedicated user base.
For most sites, Page Builder by SiteOrigin delivers a more reliable experience backed by stronger community data.
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 methodologyFrequently Asked Questions
Q How many people use Page Builder by SiteOrigin compared to Live Composer?
Page Builder by SiteOrigin has 400K+ active installs while Live Composer has 10K+, meaning Page Builder by SiteOrigin is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — Page Builder by SiteOrigin or Live Composer?
Page Builder by SiteOrigin averages 4.8/5 from 1,004 reviews, while Live Composer averages 4.4/5 from 212 reviews — Page Builder by SiteOrigin has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — Page Builder by SiteOrigin or Live Composer?
Live Composer was last updated on Jun 4, 2026 and Page Builder by SiteOrigin on May 23, 2026, so Live Composer received the more recent update.
Q Are Page Builder by SiteOrigin and Live Composer both free?
Yes — both Page Builder by SiteOrigin and Live Composer 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 Page Builder by SiteOrigin or Live Composer better for WordPress sites?
For most WordPress sites, Page Builder by SiteOrigin is the better choice because it is a more mature, stable plugin with a huge library of free widgets and a classic row-based layout that works reliably with almost any theme. Live Composer is a solid alternative if you prefer a fully front-end editing experience where you click directly on the page to edit, but its smaller widget selection and less frequent updates make it a riskier pick for long-term projects.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — Page Builder by SiteOrigin or Live Composer?
Page Builder by SiteOrigin is easier for a beginner because you can start building immediately using its simple drag-and-drop interface on the back end, and it includes pre-built rows and widgets that require zero coding. Live Composer forces you to edit everything on the front end of your site, which can feel overwhelming if you are not comfortable seeing your live site change as you click around.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between Page Builder by SiteOrigin and Live Composer?
The biggest difference is that Page Builder by SiteOrigin uses a back-end editor where you drag widgets into rows and columns, while Live Composer is a true front-end builder that lets you edit your page by clicking on elements directly in the live preview. This means SiteOrigin is better for users who want a stable, widget-driven layout, while Live Composer appeals to those who need to see every change in real time on the actual page.
Q Can you switch from Page Builder by SiteOrigin to Live Composer (or the other way) without losing data?
No, you cannot switch between these two builders without losing your layout data because each plugin stores your page designs in its own unique database format and shortcode system. If you try to deactivate one and activate the other, your existing pages will likely display as raw shortcodes or broken content, so you should commit to one builder from the start.
Q Which type of site should choose Page Builder by SiteOrigin, and which should choose Live Composer?
Choose Page Builder by SiteOrigin for content-heavy sites like blogs, business pages, and WooCommerce product pages where you need reliable, widget-based layouts that work with many themes. Choose Live Composer if you are building a simple landing page or a one-page site and you want to edit everything visually on the front end without switching between the editor and the preview.
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