Divi theme, developed by Elegant Themes, is one of the most popular themes for WordPress users. They offer an intuitive and flexible platform for creating beautiful websites without any coding knowledge. However, like any other tool, Divi themes come with their own set of disadvantages. Despite their popularity and widespread use, it’s essential to understand these drawbacks before deciding if Divi is the right choice for your website.
In this blog post, we will dive into some of the main disadvantages of the Divi theme that you should consider.
1. Performance Issues
One of the most common criticisms of Divi is its impact on website performance. The flexibility and versatility that makes Divi so attractive can also lead to bloated code and slower loading times. This can be particularly problematic for larger sites or those with high traffic volumes.
However, with Divi 5.0 around the corner, any lingering performance issues will surely be squashed.
2. Difficulty in Switching Themes
Another significant disadvantage associated with the Divi theme is the difficulty in switching to another theme down the line. If you decide to change your theme after using Divi, you’ll find that your content is filled with shortcodes – a specific code used by WordPress plugins to perform certain functions.
Big fat BUT… Divi 5.0 is also getting rid of shortcodes!
3. Learning Curve
While Divi boasts about its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop builder, there is still a learning curve involved for beginners or those unfamiliar with page builders in general. The plethora of options and settings can be overwhelming for some users, leading to confusion and frustration. Divi’s interface is also quite different from the standard WordPress interface, which can add to the learning curve. Users will need to spend time familiarizing themselves with the Divi builder’s workings before they can effectively use it to design their websites.
Having said that, Divi is a web designer’s best friend… not a non-designer trying to DIY their own website. For even the lowest level of self-proclaimed designers out there – Divi is as user-friendly as it gets!
4. Limited Header and Footer Customization
The Divi theme offers a wide range of customization options for your website’s body content. However, when it comes to header and footer customization, Divi falls short compared to other builders. This can be a significant drawback for users who want complete control over every aspect of their website design.
But guess what?! Superfly has just the solution for this disadvantage…
Mhmm: Mighty Header Menu Maker allows makes Divi header customization a snap.
5. Pricing
While Divi offers a lot of features and tools, it comes at a cost. Unlike other WordPress themes that offer free versions with optional premium upgrades, Divi only has a paid version. This means you’ll need to make an upfront investment even if you’re just starting out or running a small website. While Elegant Themes offers access to all their themes and plugins with one membership fee, if you only plan on using Divi, this pricing model may not provide the best value for money.
You didn’t see this coming did you… HOWEVER – for web designers, the price is nominal to use an outstanding theme across dozens or hundreds of websites.
The Divi theme certainly has its advantages – it’s flexible, feature-rich, and great for web designers who want to create custom designs for clients quickly. Yes it also come with disadvantages that could affect your website’s performance, but thankfully these issues should be all fixed up by the release of Divi 5.0. So the real question is… can you wait a few more months?? I would encourage you to check out other theme options – just don’t forget to come back to Divi (and Superfly!) after the 5.0 release when it’s better than ever!