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Genesis or Divi – How To Choose Between The Two…
Both Divi and the Genesis framework are two of the most popular options available to WordPress users in the market for a new theme.
However, when it comes to deciding which one is the best choice for your website, the outcome will depend on many factors. The creators of Genesis (StudioPress) and Divi (ElegantThemes) have each taken alternative approaches to theme design, and this has resulted in two products that are considerably different from one another. These aren’t two similar products competing for the same market share, and it’s their differences that will help you decide which one is the best theme for your needs.
So, if you’re hoping for a showdown between these two best-selling themes, with one declared the winner and awarded the title of best WordPress theme, then you might be a bit disappointment — since that’s not what we’re about to do here. Instead, we’ll be comparing and contrasting each option to what they have to offer, so that by the end of this article, you’ll hopefully understand which theme is the best choice for your website.
Divi vs Genesis: The Essential Differences
These themes are about as different from each other as they can get: within the parameters of what makes a WordPress theme a theme. However, it makes sense to compare them against each other as they are probably two of the most common options you will be presented with when shopping for a new theme.
So to get started, let’s take a look at some of the basic differences between these two options to help you get a better understanding of which one might be the best choice for you.
When is a Theme a Framework?
Genesis is actually a theme framework, upon which child themes are installed. This means that as well as installing the core Genesis framework theme on your site, you can also upload a child theme. These child themes control the appearance of your site, including the design and layout, with the framework taking care of the underlying functionality.
Thanks to the popularity of the Genesis framework, there is a large library of child themes to choose from, with each one being different from the next. So in this article, when we talk about Genesis, we are in fact referring to the framework and its many child themes.
On the other hand, Divi is a more self-contained theme. Although there are child themes available for it, in most cases you will simply upload Divi to your WordPress website, and then get started on building your site. However, this isn’t to say that you only get one look and feel for your site when choosing Divi, as we will take a look at shortly.
Divi Templates vs. Genesis Child Themes
Now I know that the templates available for Divi aren’t child themes. However, as they allow you to change the appearance of your site in a similar way to how Genesis child themes can, these two features are worth discussing together.
After installing the Genesis framework on your WordPress website you can either use the framework as your theme or upload a child theme. These child themes vary in appearance and features, making it easy to change the look and feel of your website, without overwriting many of your settings or having to do a major theme migration.
While there are a small but growing number of child themes for Divi available for download, the Divi theme package includes over 20 templates or layouts. These designs can then be applied to your site. Although they work differently from true child themes, these templates do make it easy to give your site a new look and feel, or add the kind of pre-built page layouts to your site that you might find with a child theme.
So, while Genesis offers greater choice in this department, it’s not as simple as that. As Divi is more of a DIY theme – giving non-coders the ability to build their own custom designs – it’s important that the next section is taken into consideration when it comes to deciding which theme will help you deliver the type of website you want.
Website Customization Options
The Genesis framework quickly became popular with WordPress developers who were looking for a reliable and flexible codebase for their custom website builds. By creating a child theme for the framework, designers are able to get a head start on the development process and take advantage of the underlying code, features, and functionality of the framework. They can then apply their own custom designs and additional features to it.
This is great if you are a coder with an eye for design. But if you aren’t, then, for the most part, what you see from the framework and your chosen child theme, is what you will get. Some child themes ship with a small selection of color schemes that you can choose from, while others include a few different layout options. However, overall, there isn’t much code-free customization on offer from Genesis.
Drag and Drop Builder vs Developer-Friendly Code
On the other hand, Divi has been built to free non-coders from the constraints of their lack of development skills. This is achieved via the Divi builder, a drag and drop tool that’s integrated into the theme.
By using the Divi drag and drop visual editor, you can quickly create custom layouts for your website, all through an intuitive user interface. Furthermore, the Divi builder includes a great library of modules that can be inserted into your layouts. This allows you to add new functionality to your website, without having to touch any code or rely on third party plugins.
The Divi builder does give you a lot of control over how your site looks in terms of colors and other visual property settings. However, thanks to the color coordination of the modules, even if you are not a natural designer, you should still be able to produce a website that is easy on the eye.
When it comes to the criteria of website customization in this comparison, if you are a coder, or are willing to become one, then Genesis could be the better option. You get a robust platform for your theme, with the ability to create something truly unique. However, if you’d rather work through a visual interface, while still having a great deal of control over how your website looks, Divi and its integrated builder tool can’t be beaten.
Website Features and Functionality
When it comes to features and functionality, Genesis and its child themes don’t really add much more to what you get with a standard installation of WordPress. You might get some additional sidebar and widget locations, as well as some SEO fields, but overall, it’s pretty much a stock WordPress installation.
The benefit of this approach is that your Genesis powered website will load quickly, and the simplicity should result in a more user-friendly dashboard area to administrate, not to mention a faster site setup time.
Divi takes an almost opposite approach and is packed with features. As well as the Divi builder tool, there is a varied selection of modules that can be added to your site. These modules include items such as sliders, pricing tables, videos, buttons, and ecommerce elements, as well as plenty of other features and functionality.
Of course, neither theme prohibits you from installing additional plugins to add more features and functionality to your WordPress website. If you prefer a more minimal approach to theme design, and would rather add more features as and when you need them, rather than starting out with everything already there, Genesis will be more to your liking. However, if you prefer a more self-contained product that is packed with options right out of the box, you’ll be better suited to Divi.
Plugins and Extensions
As Divi is a more self-contained package, with a wealth of modules that can be inserted into your posts and pages, not to mention its builder tool and list of features, it doesn’t really have an ecosystem that has built up around it.
Genesis, on the other hand, is particularly well served by third party plugins and tools. This includes the suite of tools available from Cobalt Apps and the Genesis Design Palette Pro plugin.
Cobalt Apps has created a plugin and child theme for the Genesis framework that aims to make the process of customizing your website much easier. This includes tools for helping developers to code more efficiently, as well as a user-friendly front end editor that enables non-coders to customize the appearance of their chosen child theme. The Design Palette Pro plugin also provides a set of visual controls for customizing the colors and other visual properties of your site.
Furthermore, as Genesis has such a large user base and does things slightly differently from regular themes, a number of free third-party plugins have been developed specifically for this framework.
So while both Divi and Genesis will work with any quality WordPress plugin, Genesis users do get access to a selection of purpose built extensions. However, the fact that Divi has lots of extra functionality included in its package, its appeal certainly isn’t diminished by this lack of add-ons.
Support and Community
As Genesis has been around for a few more years than Divi, it’s understandable that a larger community has grown up around it than is the case with Divi. Also, it’s more coder-friendly nature has also inspired the creation of a number of third-party developer-focused resources where Genesis code and tips are freely shared.
Furthermore, there is also the official user support forums provided by StudioPress to turn to should have you an issue; not to mention the vast number of freelance Genesis developers out there offering their services for a fee.
Divi again is a bit more insular in this regard too. There are the Elegant Themes support forums that are maned by the team’s help desk staff. Through these support forums, you can ask questions of them and the community and pick up tips and advice on making the most of their themes. However, short of that Divi hasn’t got a community or ecosystem that compares with that of Genesis, although that is changing slightly.
Best Value for Money: Genesis vs Divi
The Genesis framework is available for $59.95. However, you can purchase the framework along with a child theme from the StudioPress collection for $99.95. You can also purchase third party child themes from various sources that will work alongside the framework. Power users might be interested in the Pro Plus All-Theme Package, which includes access to every theme available from StudioPress, as well as any future releases.
When it comes to Divi, getting your hands on this theme requires joining the Elegant Themes club. The lowest priced option is the $69 Personal plan, and this includes not only Divi, but also one year of access to the 86 other themes they’ve produced so far, as well as any future releases.
Another membership option for purchasing Divi is the $89 Developer plan. As well as the 87 themes on offer, this option also includes one year of access to all of the Elegant Themes plugins. This includes the impressive Bloom and Monarch extensions. Furthermore, if you’d like lifetime access to all current and future Elegant Themes products, you can pay a one-time fee of $249.
Overall, both Divi and Genesis represent great value for money. While the 86 themes that are included along with Divi might sound like an impressive deal, the truth is, for now Divi is their flagship theme and will probably be the only one you end up using from the collection, with the rest starting to look rather dated in comparison.
Conclusion: Which One Should You Choose?
As you’ve hopefully realized from this comparison, there is no clear winner here. Both options each have their strengths and weakness, and each will appeal to different types of WordPress users.
On one hand, if you’re not a coder, and you’ve found a child theme for the Genesis framework that meets your needs, then there is no reason not to make that purchase. However, it’s important to understand that you will have little opportunity to customize your website without digging into the code, purchasing a third-party plugin, or hiring a developer.
On the other hand, if you are a coder, choosing the Genesis framework makes it much easier to either create your own child theme from scratch or customize an existing one in order to build the bespoke website you need.
However, if you’re not a coder, but you’d still like to be able to customize the appearance of your website in great detail, including changing fonts, colors, layouts, and a whole lot more, then Divi is the better option. The range of templates on offer, which can be mixed and matched, not to mention the intuitive drag and drop builder tool and its selection of modules makes this a great theme for building a custom website that you wouldn’t be otherwise able to code yourself.
With similar pricing plans, it really comes down to which theme has the features and design you are looking for — or based on your current level of development skills, the website you’d be able to build.
Have you used either Genesis or Divi? Which one do you prefer and do you agree with my assessment? When, and to whom, would you recommend each product?
Joe is a regular WordPress user who enjoys sharing the various tips and information he’s picked up from using this fantastic platform for a number of years. If you’d like to work with him on a WordPress-related project, head on over to his website.
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