As a long-time Thrive Themes user and web design agency owner, I‘ve tested my fair share of competitors. In this epic 2500+ word guide, I‘ll compare the 11 best Thrive Theme replacements available today.
You‘ll get my unbiased, expert advice across factors like features, pricing, ideal use cases, limitations, and more. My goal is to provide everything you need to make the perfect platform choice for your business.
Let‘s dive in!
Key Terminology
Before getting into the top platforms, it‘s important to level-set on some core website building concepts…
Page Builder: A drag and drop visual editor allowing you to build pages and entire sites using pre-made blocks, templates, and design elements. Some popular examples include Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy.
Landing Page Builder: A subset of page builders which focus specifically on conversion-oriented pages like lead capture pages, sales pages, webinars. Leadpages and Instapage fall into this bucket.
CRO: Conversion Rate Optimization. Strategies designed to increase the percentage of visitors that convert into customers. Can include page testing, analytics, persuasive copy, layout changes and more.
Now that we‘re on the same terminology page, let‘s explore the cream of the crop Thrive Architect replacements.
Kadence – Most Well-Rounded Theme
I‘ve built over 300 WordPress sites spanning niches like law firms, authors, non-profits, Fortune 500 companies. In my experience, Kadence stands out as the most well-rounded alternative combining solid page building capabilities with built-in marketing tools.
Let‘s break down the pros and cons:
Pros
- Free starter theme available
- 82 custom templates to choose from
- Drag and drop page builder included
- Suite of marketing tools like email optins, popups, and more
- Lightweight and faster than Thrive
Cons
- Some advanced Thrive features like A/B testing not included
- Integrations not as robust as some alternatives
Pricing
- Free Theme
- Pro Plans Starting at $39/year
In my experience across countless client sites, Kadence strikes the best balance between usability and power. Their implementation is polished and everything "just works" out of the box.
It‘s a great choice for everyone from bloggers to established multi-national companies. Unless you need super niche capabilities, it can likely meet your requirements.
Example of the Kadence interface
Some notable sites using Kadence:
- USA Today
- Product Hunt
- Nascar
Next up…
Elementor – Best for Creatives
While Kadence is great for general purpose sites, Elementor shines for portfolios, design agencies, magazines, and creatives.
The open-ended page builder allows seemingly endless customization for beautiful, unique pages.
Let‘s look at some positives and limitations:
Pros
- 100+ free templates
- Easy to learn and use
- Great Typography and Design Controls
- Constantly Improving and Innovating
Cons
- Hosted externally from WordPress core
- Can cause site speed issues if overused
- Lacks some built-in marketing tools
Pricing
- Free Version Available
- Pro Plans Starting at $49/year
The unique selling proposition of Elementor lies in flexibility and beautiful design. While it lacks some of Thrive‘s conversion and automation capabilities, the core page building experience is unmatched.
If you‘re looking to crank out sleek, modern designs, Elementor is hard to beat.
Some iconic sites using Elementor:
- Fitbit
- Pluralsight
- Entrepreneur
Alternatives Comparison Chart
To help summarize the differences across platforms at a glance, here is a comparison of some of the key Thrive Architect alternatives:
| Kadence | Elementor | Leadpages | |
| Templates | 82 | 100+ | 70+ |
| Marketing Tools | Popups, Email Optins | Basic Widgets | Lead Gen, Optins |
| Learning Curve | Low | Low | Low |
| Ideal For | Bloggers, Businesses | Creatives, Portfolios | Lead Gen Sites |
| Pricing | $39/year | $49/year | $25/month |
This table gives you a sense of capability differences across these popular solutions. Do you need built-in lead gen or a blank design canvas? Robust automation or beautiful typography?
Let your specific needs and priorities guide your choice. Next, let‘s explore other alternatives beyond the major categories highlighted so far…
Choosing Outside the WordPress Ecosystem – Systeme vs Kartra
Beyond core WordPress options for replacing Thrive like Kadence and Elementor, there is a whole separate class of SaaS solutions purpose-built from the ground up as conversion platforms.
These include names like Leadpages that we touched on earlier as well as Systeme and Kartra.
Let‘s break down what makes these unique:
Key Benefits of SaaS Conversion Platforms
- All-in-one toolkit – page builder + email + membership etc
- More opinionated so faster time to results
- Often specialized specifically around funnel building, automation and conversions
Now, within the SaaS lead gen tools space, two top contenders emerge…
Systeme
- Intuitive interface
- Email + Course Building
- 500+ Templates
Kartra
- Email + Helpdesk
- Membership Sites
- Built-in Affiliate Tracking
These all-in-one solutions trade maximum flexibility for speed. By constraining some options but providing more structure and guidance, they allow less technical users to get results faster.
They are purpose-built around a specific use case vs being general purpose open platforms.
Choosing the Right Page Builder for You
While we‘ve covered the top WordPress themes and SaaS tools, most solutions highlighted so far rely on page builders as the core WYSIWYG editor for visual design.
Let‘s explore how to select the right page builder for your needs as a key part of your Thrive Architect replacement strategy.
Types of Page Builders
Page builders for WordPress typically fall into 1 of 3 buckets:
- Plugin Builders: Plugins like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy that work within your theme
- Theme Builders: Built directly into themes like Kadence, Astra, OceanWP
- Standalone: Hosted externally like Instapage, Leadpages
Plugin builders offer the most flexibility while theme builders provide tighter integration. Depending on your goal, different approaches make more sense.
For example, Elementor‘s open-endedness makes it great for creatives while Kadence‘s built-in suite of tools suits business sites well.
Here‘s a simple decision tree:
[infographic of page builder selection criteria]Business Use Case Examples
Let‘s explore how different site needs translate to different Thrive Architect alternative recommendations…
Content Site / Magazine
For blog-centric sites pumping out lots of content, Elementor shines. Flexible templates, gorgeous typography controls, and extensive widgets help content shine.
Service Business
For consultants, agents, and service sites like law firms, Kadence balances solid page building with built-in marketing tools to convert visitors.
Ecommerce Store
For online shops, staying within the WordPress ecosystem for tight WooCommerce integration makes sense. Here OceanWP offers hundreds of store-specific extensions.
Events Company
For sites promoting live or online events, Leadpages simplifies building high-converting registration and countdown splash pages.
As you can see, different use cases call for different solutions. Be honest about your needs before prioritizing features.
Getting Started With Your New Platform
Once you‘ve selected your new platform, here are 5 tips for a smooth transition:
- Take advantage of onboarding calls
- Start with a simple new page
- Replicate an existing high-value page
- Slowly replicate other complex pages
- Consider professional migration help for full site
Resist the urge to do everything at once. Take it slow. Start small, learn the new system, and ramp up complexity over time.
Also leverage available support channels like free onboarding sessions with Kadence experts. Don‘t go it alone!
Common Questions
I‘ll wrap up by addressing some of the most frequently asked questions around migrating from Thrive to alternative solutions:
Can I import my Thrive Architect pages?
Many WordPress page builders like Elementor and Kadence offer import tools to bring in your existing pages, templates, and content with varying degrees of fidelity. Always back up your site before testing.
Is Thrive still a good choice in 2023?
Thrive remains a very capable offering but has its limitations depending on your goals. For general sites, I prefer more modern options. But for some niches like course builders, it still stands out.
Are page builders bad for SEO?
Page builders create additional layers of abstraction and more requests compared to pure HTML. But with sound technical SEO implementation, they need not negatively impact organic performance.
Prioritize speed, mobile optimization, and semantic code integrity regardless of your builder choice.
The Final Verdict
Replacing a complex platform like Thrive Architect requires thorough evaluation across dimensions of features, integrations, pricing, and use cases.
In this 2500+ word guide, my goal was to provide a 360 degree view across leading options – both within and beyond WordPress.
While no tool is perfect across all fronts, hopefully the detailed comparative analysis helps you contextually pick the best platform aligned to your business goals.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to offer additional guidance.
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