Divi 5.0 Theme Review: Is It A Waste of Money? (2023 Update)

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Here is my 2023 updated Divi theme review. It’s been over a year since ElegantThemes.com released any new WordPress theme, and that is because the last one that was published, Divi, was claimed to be an “all-in-one” solution for any website.

The theme has attracted a lot of attention since its release, thanks to its attractive design and range of features, including the Divi page builder tool.

For a humble membership fee that starts from $89, you can lay your hands on ALL ElegantThemes material, including this Divi theme. So, we decided to take it for a test drive and see if it really is as good as claimed…

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

Appearance

As ElegantThemes has been going for some years now, with the collection now containing 87 themes, it’s not too unfair to say that many of the themes look pretty outdated in terms of appearance and functionality.

Really, there are only up to 10 themes that are going to appeal to most users. So, while on the main screen, you see that you get 87 WordPress themes for $89, you will probably only end up using about 10. This still makes it a fantastic deal compared to prices on ThemeForest, where authors sell a single theme for $89. We will discuss the Divi theme’s pros and cons later in this post.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

Divi is, undoubtedly, a big step forward regarding design compared to the previous theme (again, because years are passing), and its’ features include full-width layouts, large sliders, attractive icons, a responsive design, full-length one-page layouts, and many more.

For e-shop builders, Divi was good news because it is also compatible with WooCommerce. The theme comes with some pre-inbuilt layouts for anyone wishing to create an online store on the fly.

Thanks to the wide variety of layouts that come with this theme, it can easily be used for any number of purposes.

It really is universal, I admit.

Create a sales page, app sales page, a range of portfolio types, multiple blog layouts, and much more. You need just a little time to get your head around it, and you will soon notice that there is really no page layout that this theme won’t allow you to build.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder - design example

Overall, Divi’s design and appearance are impressive and versatile enough to be used for pretty much any type of website. However, Divi’s visual design and appearance isn’t its only great feature.

Divi Drag and Drop Page Builder

The theme’s flexibility makes it so appealing to developers. This flexibility is all thanks to drag and drop page builder, which we have already seen as a stand-alone plugin released 2-3 years ago. The builder can be accessed from the standard WordPress post and page editor.

Since the release of version 5.0 of Divi, the builder has worked with all post types, including blog posts.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

Once clicked, the standard WordPress post editor will be transformed into the new Divi page builder tool.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

Using the page builder is very easy; simply click on one of the + symbols to insert a new row, set of columns or a module. Many column configurations allow you to divide up a row as required easily.

As the section can have multiple rows, and each row can have its own column configuration, you can get really creative with your page layouts.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

If you want to rearrange the rows or sections on your page at any point, you can simply drag and drop them into their new slot.

After you’ve added a row containing at least one column, you can begin adding modules to those columns. There are 40 modules to choose from, including images, text, pricing tables, portfolios, newsletter signups, and slides.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

Once you add a module to the page, you can edit it by clicking on its icon on the page layout screen. From there, you can customize it where necessary.

To get an idea of how the page builder screen translates to an actual web page, this side-by-side comparison shows the page builder view, containing the different sections, rows, columns, and modules, next to the actual page that has been created:

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

While using the page builder is very straightforward, you can save much time by using one of the 18 layouts with the Divi theme (more can be downloaded via the website). These can be loaded from the page builder screen, and once applied to your page, you can either add your own content, edit the page layout by adding or removing modules and rows, or re-arranging the rows by dragging them into their new position.

The bundled layouts are very diverse, including layouts for homepages, About Me pages, landing pages, portfolios, and even ready-to-use shops.

It is also possible to export your own layouts, share them with other users, or import them into your other sites using the Divi theme. This is an excellent feature for web designers who could, in theory, just use this tool to quickly create new sites.

Divi 5.0 New 2023 version – Even More Features and Functionality

To prove that the Divi theme is a long-term priority for the Elegant Themes crew, their flagship product has been recently updated with the release of Divi version 5.0 in 2023.

While last year’s upgrade saw impressive additions to the theme, version 5.0 goes even further and is billed as the biggest update in Divi’s history.

Before we dive into the details of the upgrade in more depth, some of the highlights of Divi’s new release include: using the builder on posts, creating a library of reusable content, new module design settings, more theme customizer controls, full-width content, more header and navigation layouts, and improved custom CSS handling.

Divi Builder Now Works With All Post Types

Before version 5.0, Divi’s impressive page builder tool only worked with WordPress pages. It was great to create custom designs for your home page, about page, and landing pages, but what about your blog posts?

Now you can use the new and improved Divi Builder to give your individual posts a unique look and feel. Creating custom layouts, complete with your choice of dynamic modules and elements, is no longer reserved for pages – now all post types can be given a makeover with Builder.

Fully Customizable Divi Builder Modules

One of the greatest features of Divi has always been the number of useful modules that can be inserted into your custom page layouts. These Builder modules can be fully customized to match the rest of your website.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

With over 200 settings now available, each module is fully customizable. This covers details such as sizes, colors, loading and animation effects, and plenty more.

More Control over Your Page Layouts

To give your website more of a fluid and responsive look, Divi 2.4 sees the addition of more controls for setting the width, height, and spacing of the individual elements that make up your website.

The 100% fluid grid will ensure your website will look its best, no matter what screen size it is being viewed on, while pixel pushers will appreciate the ability to get the look and feel of their content just right, thanks to the new customizer controls.

Better Typography Controls

Divi 2.4 allows you to customize all aspects of your website’s typography. This covers all areas of your site, including headers, footers, bodies, titles, links, and more. Change the size, color, spacing, height, weight, capitalization, and basically everything you want.

Improved Header Navigation Area Designs and Layouts

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

The header area is perhaps the most important part of your website and with Divi, making it look perfect is now much easier. You can easily change the size and position of your logo and header area through the new and updated panel. You will also find more flexible options for making use of a fixed header area and the ability to enable hidden scrolling to have a greater impact on your visitors.

You can even set the transparency level of your header navigation area. This enables you to really let your background images and videos take center stage.

Full-Width Content

While some other details of the upgrade covered so far are remarkable, full-width rows are I guess the one that piqued my interest the most when reading the Divi 2.4 announcement.

You can insert full-width content into your pages and posts using this new feature.

Through the new row settings of the builder, you can insert a full-width row into your blog posts, and then inhibit it with tailored content. This allows you to add large full-width images to your posts while retaining a fixed width for your text section area.

This isn’t limited to images, though; any of the modules on offer are inserted into a full-width row. This enables you to create really interesting post layouts, which isn’t possible with the vast majority of other WordPress themes currently available.

Create Reusable Content with the Divi Library

One particularly useful feature added with version 2.4 is the Divi Library. This time-saving feature allows you to easily save and re-use your custom-created modules, design sections, rows, and entire layouts.

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The site builder can then add your saved library artifacts to your layouts. This is a useful feature if you want to use the same row and content configuration on multiple pages on your site.

However, suppose you are creating websites for multiple clients and want to create a portfolio of pre-built elements that match your trademark design aesthetic. In that case, the library gives you an efficient way to store and use these elements as you need them.

Unlimited Possibilities with Improved Custom CSS Handling

While Divi makes it easier to build a unique WordPress website than ever before, for those requiring even more control, the upgrade sees the arrival of a new Custom CSS tab. This feature has been added to the builder’s modules, sections, and rows.

If you see something you want to customize but can’t find the corresponding control, you can now easily add your own custom CSS to give it that personalized look.

There’s no need to create a new child theme – simply use the CSS input fields for the HTML element, corresponding with it.

Divi – Recent Update to 5.0

As part of the improvements to version 5.0, the Divi theme now includes three unique section types: 20 column structures and 33 robust modules. This gives you even more options for adding column-based layouts to your posts and pages while having access to more modules or page elements that can be inserted into those layouts.

Other improvements and upgrades include an enhanced drag-and-drop page builder that makes the original version even easier to use and more powerful. The header section of the theme has also been revamped to give you more customization options, while the navigation options to have been updated to include an optional vertical navigation area.

With Divi 5.0, it is now possible to use a boxed layout instead of a full-width page layout, giving you more control over how your site looks on larger screens.

The updated theme also includes a blank page template that removes the header and footer areas and is ideal for creating standalone landing pages. There are even a few new eCommerce store layouts for selling goods online with the free WooCommerce plugin.

If you thought the original version of Divi couldn’t be beaten regarding flexibility, features, and easy-to-implement customization options, this new version would be a revelation. For those who missed the original Divi the first time, now is the perfect time to join Elegant Themes and start using this theme powerhouse.

Support and Documentation

Purchasing this theme also gives you access to 86 other themes using Elegant Themes. These themes are all supported via a private members-only forum, with sub-forums for each theme and a few additional ones.

Support tickets are, in fact, new posts in theme-specific form. This means anyone can answer your query, but in practice, it’s usually one of the hired moderators who will take care of your issue.

The Elegant Themes support services are often maligned, but it seems that bad experiences are rare and most issues appear to be resolved swiftly via the forums.

When setting up the theme, the online documentation for Divi covers all the necessary steps to get your site up and running and looking like the demo version or allowing you to create your own layout.

The interface for the page builder is well designed, and getting started right out of the box shouldn’t pose a problem to anyone familiar with WordPress or even those new to the platform.

Installation

After installing the Divi theme (Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload), a number of menu items are automatically added to the WordPress dashboard.

Divi Theme Options Control Panel

Divi uses the standard Elegant Themes control panel, which looked awesome back in 2010, but today’s design trends make it look less “elegant” compared to modern competitors.

However, you can leave it alone once you’ve used the ePanel to upload the site’s logo, set a favicon, and a few other options. Thankfully, the main power of Divi — the page builder — is all accessed via a modern and functional editor integrated into the “Add New Page” screen.

Pricing

As mentioned earlier, Divi is available as part of the Elegant Themes package of 87 themes. There are a few pricing options available to join this theme club:

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder
  • Personal: $69 (2023 update: this plan is no longer available).
  • Developer: $89/year
  • Lifetime Access: $249/full access, lifetime

The Personal plan includes access to all of the themes from Elegant Themes, including Divi, and those released while your subscription is active.

Developer and Lifetime Access plans include access to all current and future themes and plugins from Elegant Themes.

This includes the impressive Monarch social sharing plugin, and the powerful Bloom email list-building tool.

Divi theme review - wordpress design and theme elegant themes with website builder

The subscription period lasts for one year (apart from the lifetime access plan), after which you must renew the plan to maintain your access to support, theme and plugin updates, and access to new products. If you choose not to renew your plan, you can continue using unsupported products.

In addition to accessing the plugins from Elegant Themes, the developer plan includes layered Photoshop files for each theme, giving you even more customization options.

Divi Theme Review – Conclusion

In terms of the appearance and features of the page builder, Divi is an ALL-In-ONE WordPress theme.

It’s easily worth $89, let alone all the other themes that are included for that price from Elegant Themes.

However, I strongly recommend paying for a lifetime plan; if you plan to stay in business, it will pay out big time.

While the design looks modern and clean, the page builder and available layouts make it easy to set up and build attractive layouts for all occasions in almost no time.

Even though Divi is marketed as a page builder, it’s still worth pointing out that this isn’t a theme builder.

You don’t get that granular control that you do with a theme builder tool like Headway. If you are looking for a way to edit margins, set line heights easily, and have pixel-point control over columns and sidebar positions, then Divi isn’t for you.

However, if you want a very easy-to-use page builder that contains lots of really useful and well-designed modules for adding page elements to your site that, in some cases, would otherwise require the purchase of a premium plugin to gain access to, Divi is an excellent choice.

If you like the overall appearance of the Divi theme demo and would like something like that for your site, while also having the ability to easily change the layouts in terms of what goes where then there is every reason to say yes to this theme.

With each update to Divi adding new features and functionality into the mix, this is one WordPress theme that keeps improving.

Divi theme review: pro’s and con’s

Pros

  • Attractive modern design
  • Lots of ready page templates and layouts to choose from
  • Includes a massive page builder tool
  • Regularly updated
  • Good documentation.
  • Fantastic and unbeatable price/quality (and quantity!) ratio.

Cons

  • Very heavy in terms of size and options on the backend (if you are a developer)
  • Due to its heavy structure, it requires a CACHE plugin for better performance.
  • Too many design options may overwhelm beginner users

See full Divi demo and presentation here…

ElegantThemes’ Divi Theme – FAQ

How Much Divi Theme Costs?

Divi has two payment options: Yearly Access and Lifetime Access. You can pay $89 per year for their most popular plan or $249 once for lifetime access and updates. Both plans include access to all Divi and Extra themes and plugins (Bloom and Monarch), theme updates, premium support, unlimited website usage, and a risk-free guarantee.

Does ElegantThemes’ Divi Theme Come with Free Support?

When you buy Divi from Elegant Themes, you get full access to their extensive documentation, support forums, and fantastic support team.
Elegant Themes has a well-trained team of pros who can always help with your theme-related questions.
Furthermore, Elegant Themes maintains a useful blog with tutorials and guides with easy-to-follow instructions and screenshots to help you learn how to accomplish anything and everything with Divi.
Their support subscription also allows you to install Divi on unlimited sites. It can even be used to create client sites.
Technical support is only available via email via a ticket system.

What Kind of Websites You Can Build With Divi Builder?

When you buy an Elegant Themes subscription, you’ll get two versions of Divi on your dashboard: Divi Theme and Divi Builder (plugin).
Elegant Themes themes, including the Divi WordPress Theme, have the drag-and-drop Divi Builder, allowing you to construct and personalize your website.
You can use Divi Theme if you want a highly adjustable WordPress theme. You can also utilize the Divi builder to utilize a different theme and need a drag-and-drop page builder plugin.
You can quickly construct gorgeous layouts on your own by dragging and dropping rows, columns, elements, and modules in Divi Builder’s basic editor. This allows you to quickly develop a fully personalized site without touching a single line of code.
With the press of a button, you may remove or duplicate any module in your layout. The modules are also clearly labeled and color-coded, so even if you’re a beginner, you can simply construct a layout that works for your site.
If you wish to add a new section to your layout, you can do so with a single click and then insert new modules into that area with a couple more clicks.
The Default Editor at Divi allows you to examine the “bones” of your website layout, similar to building bricks for your website theme. But don’t worry if you want a more visual theme editor; Divi has one, which we’ll review later.

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