Kirki vs Pagelayer (October 2026)
Updated October 22, 2026 · Data from WordPress.org, refreshed daily · How this works
Both rank in the WordPress.org Page Builder Plugins top 10: Kirki at #4 and Pagelayer at #9. Kirki leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Every number below comes straight from WordPress.org and is refreshed every day.
Kirki
Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer
Freeform page builder & website builder for WordPress. Infinite canvas for complex, interactive websites. Built-in forms, animations & Customizer.
Pagelayer
Page Builder: Pagelayer – Drag and Drop website builder
The most advanced frontend drag & drop page builder. Pagelayer is a light weight but extremely powerful Website Builder.
Who leads on what
Kirki leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track.
Kirki ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #9 in Page Builder Plugins.
Kirki has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 400,000+.
Kirki is rated higher: 4.5 out of 5 from 81 reviews, against 3.9 from 104 reviews.
Pagelayer has more reviews behind its score: 104 against 81.
Kirki was updated more recently, on October 13, 2026; Pagelayer on September 24, 2026.
Kirki was downloaded more in the last 30 days: 341,312 times against 131,744.
Which one to pick
Each plugin is the better answer for the measure it actually leads on. Nothing here is a recommendation we invented.
Kirki
Pick Kirki if you go by where WordPress.org itself puts them, you want the plugin more sites already run, the review score matters most to you, you want the one shipping releases most recently or you want the one being installed faster right now.
Pagelayer
Pick Pagelayer if you want the score backed by more reviews.
Kirki vs Pagelayer side by side
| Kirki | Pagelayer | |
|---|---|---|
| Page Builder Plugins ranking | #4 | #9 |
| Rating | 4.5 | 3.9 |
| Reviews | 81 | 104 |
| Active installs | 500,000+ | 400,000+ |
| Total downloads | 16,005,212 | 9,847,013 |
| Downloads, last 30 days | 341,312 | 131,744 |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Sep 24, 2026 |
| First published | May 27, 2014 | Apr 8, 2019 |
| Tested up to WordPress | 7.1.3 | 7.0.7 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 5.5 |
| Pricing | Free on WordPress.org | Free on WordPress.org |
Downloads per day, last 48 days
Kirki ratings
Pagelayer ratings
How we compare these two
Every figure here is pulled from the WordPress.org plugin API every day at 03:00 UTC, for both plugins in the same run, so the two are always read on the same day. We compare only what the directory reports: active installs, the rating and how many reviews stand behind it, the last release date and, once we have a month of history, downloads over the last 30 days. Ratings are only called a win above 50 reviews each, because a handful of five-star reviews is not evidence. Nothing is weighted into an overall score, no measure is worth more than another, and neither Kirki nor Pagelayer can pay to appear here: the pair exists only because both plugins reached the Page Builder Plugins top 10. Full methodology.
Kirki vs Pagelayer: common questions
Is Kirki better than Pagelayer?
Kirki leads on 5 of the 6 measures we track. Neither is better at everything, and the answer depends on which measure you weigh. Kirki ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #9 in Page Builder Plugins.
Which has more users, Kirki or Pagelayer?
Kirki ranks higher on WordPress.org: #4 against #9 in Page Builder Plugins.
Which is rated higher, Kirki or Pagelayer?
Kirki has more users: 500,000+ active installs against 400,000+.
Are Kirki and Pagelayer free?
Both are free to install from WordPress.org. Kirki may also sell a paid version or add-ons. Pagelayer may also sell a paid version or add-ons.
Alternatives to Kirki and Pagelayer
Plugins that score close to both in the same WordPress.org rankings and tags.
-
Colibri Page Builder
80,000+ installs · 4.4 from 80 reviews
-
Website Builder by SeedProd
600,000+ installs · 4.9 from 4,699 reviews
-
Beaver Builder Page Builder
100,000+ installs · 4.7 from 394 reviews
-
Page Builder by SiteOrigin
400,000+ installs · 4.8 from 1,005 reviews
-
Kadence Blocks
600,000+ installs · 4.8 from 332 reviews
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Weekly · free
What moved this week
One email a week, built from the same daily snapshots these rankings come from: the plugins that climbed, what launched, and one ranking worth a look.