At a glance
Template Kit – Import
Use this plugin to import Template Kits to WordPress
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 | Template Kit | Live Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Requires WP | 5.3+ | 6.0+ |
| Requires PHP | 5.6+ | 7.4+ |
| Tested up to WP | 6.4.8 | 6.9.4 |
| Plugin age | 6 yrs | 11 yrs |
Quick Verdict
Live Composer wins this comparison for intermediate WordPress users who need a true frontend builder. Template Kit is a one-way import tool for Elementor designs, not a builder. Live Composer offers drag-and-drop editing for headers, footers, and landing pages with responsive controls. Template Kit has 40x more installs, but its 38% 1-star rating signals user frustration. For building sites from scratch, Live Composer is the better choice.
Feature Comparison: Template Kit vs Live Composer
| Feature | Template Kit | Live Composer |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin type | Template importer (requires Elementor) | Standalone page builder |
| Drag-and-drop editing | No (relies on Elementor after import) | Yes (frontend drag-and-drop builder) |
| Header/footer editing | No (depends on Elementor theme builder) | Yes (built-in drag-and-drop header footer wordpress editing) |
| Responsive settings | No (inherits from Elementor) | Yes (per-element responsive controls) |
| Animation controls | No (inherits from Elementor) | Yes (built-in animation settings) |
| Landing page builder | No (imports templates, not a builder) | Yes (how to build a landing page in wordpress tool) |
| Gutenberg compatibility | No (Elementor replaces Gutenberg) | Yes (compatible with Gutenberg block editor) |
| Template import method | Upload template kit zip file elementor | Not applicable (no template import system) |
Who Should Use Template Kit
- Elementor users who buy pre-built designs from marketplaces and need to upload template kit zip file elementor quickly. The plugin handles that single task, and its 56% five-star rating shows some users find it reliable for imports.
- Designers who want to install template kit from envato wordpress and then hand off the site to clients who only edit content. It's a delivery tool, not a building tool.
- Anyone who already owns a library of Elementor Template Kits and needs a lightweight import method. The plugin doesn't add builder bloat, which explains its 400K+ install count.
Who Should Use Live Composer
- Users who want a best drag and drop page builder plugin wordpress that works without requiring a premium theme or another builder. Live Composer's 79% five-star rating reflects satisfaction with its standalone approach.
- Developers building custom landing pages who need to know how to build a landing page in wordpress without coding. The drag and drop page builder handles layouts, animations, and responsive breakpoints in one interface.
- Site owners who want to edit headers and footers visually without buying a theme builder add-on. Live Composer's drag and drop header footer wordpress feature is built into the free plugin.
Community & Support
Live Composer's rating breakdown shows clear user sentiment: 79% of reviewers gave it 5 stars, while only 9% gave 1 star. Template Kit has a more polarized rating distribution with 56% five-star and 38% one-star ratings, indicating many users encounter issues with imports or compatibility. The one-star rate for Template Kit is over four times higher than Live Composer's.
Verdict: Template Kit or Live Composer for WordPress sites?
Pick Template Kit if you already use Elementor and need to import purchased designs. Its 400K+ installs prove it's the standard tool for that workflow. Just know that 38% of reviewers gave it 1 star, so test imports on a staging site first.
Pick Live Composer if you want a genuine builder that doesn't lock you into another ecosystem. With 79% five-star ratings and built-in header, footer, and landing page tools, it's the better long-term investment for building sites. The data shows Live Composer is the winner for users who want to build, not just import.
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 Template Kit compared to Live Composer?
Template Kit has 400K+ active installs while Live Composer has 10K+, meaning Template Kit is used on more sites.
Q Which has better user ratings — Template Kit or Live Composer?
Live Composer averages 4.4/5 from 212 reviews, while Template Kit averages 3.4/5 from 16 reviews — Live Composer has the higher average rating.
Q Which is more actively maintained — Template Kit or Live Composer?
Live Composer was last updated on Jun 4, 2026 and Template Kit on Aug 1, 2024, so Live Composer received the more recent update.
Q Are Template Kit and Live Composer both free?
Yes — both Template Kit 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 Template Kit or Live Composer better for WordPress sites?
Live Composer is better for most WordPress sites because it is a full frontend drag and drop page builder that lets you build any layout from scratch. Template Kit is only a library of pre-made designs for Elementor, so it cannot build pages on its own without that separate plugin.
Q Which is easier to set up for a WordPress beginner — Template Kit or Live Composer?
Live Composer is easier for a beginner because you install it and immediately start dragging elements onto your page without needing a second plugin. Template Kit requires you to first install and learn Elementor, then import a zip file, which adds extra steps for a new user.
Q What is the biggest feature difference between Template Kit and Live Composer?
The biggest difference is that Live Composer is a standalone frontend page builder that works on its own, while Template Kit is just a collection of templates that only work inside the Elementor page builder. You cannot use Template Kit to edit or create pages unless you already have Elementor installed.
Q Can you switch from Template Kit to Live Composer (or the other way) without losing data?
Switching from Template Kit to Live Composer will break your existing pages because Template Kit pages are built with Elementor and Live Composer cannot read Elementor data. Moving from Live Composer to Template Kit also requires rebuilding your content, since Template Kit is not a builder and cannot open Live Composer layouts.
Q Which type of site should choose Template Kit, and which should choose Live Composer?
Choose Template Kit if you are already committed to Elementor and just want ready-made designs to import quickly. Choose Live Composer if you want a single plugin that handles both building pages and designing layouts without depending on a third party builder.
More Page Builders & Editors Comparisons
Essential Addons for Elementor vs Unlimited Elements For Elementor
Premium Addons for Elementor vs Royal Addons for Elementor
Advanced Editor Tools vs Copy Anything to Clipboard for WordPress
Widget Content Blocks vs Events Tracker for Elementor
Widget Content Blocks vs Style Kits for Elementor
Elementor Website Builder vs Widget Content Blocks
Advanced Editor Tools vs Widget Content Blocks
Unlimited Elements For Elementor vs Events Tracker for Elementor