Starter Templates vs Essential Blocks
Compare WordPress plugins and tools side by side. Pick products with “Compare” in the software directory.
| Feature | Starter Templates v4.7.9 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details | Essential Blocks v6.5.1 · checked 23 Oct 2026 Free + paid · ★ 4.9/5 Visit Details |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Active installs | 1M+ | 200,000+ |
| Last updated | October 20, 2026 | October 19, 2026 |
| Editions | Starter Templates · Essential and Business Toolkits ($) | Essential Blocks · Essential Blocks Pro ($) |
| Pros | Large library of free website and section templates; Works with Elementor, Spectra, Beaver Builder and the block editor; Onboarding installs the needed plugins | Large block library with patterns for the block editor; WooCommerce product grid and add-to-cart blocks; Works within the standard WordPress block editor |
| Cons | Premium templates need a toolkit licence key; AI builder and image features call external services | Several blocks and features are marked PRO; Feed and AI blocks call third-party services and need keys or accounts |
| More features | ||
| Other features | Full website template import, Import of site options from a template, AI website builder, Plugin install and activation during onboarding, Licence check for premium templates ($) | Block library registered from block.json files, WooCommerce product grid and add-to-cart blocks, Fluent Forms block, NFT gallery block fed by OpenSea, Openverse image search block, AI features through an OpenAI API key, Pro-only blocks and conditions flagged is_pro ($) |
| Integrations | ||
| Analytics | — | WP Insights usage tracker (opt-in) |
| Social | — | Facebook Graph API, Instagram Graph API |
| E-commerce | — | WooCommerce |
| Plugins | Elementor | Fluent Forms |
| Other | ZipWP API | Google Maps API, OpenSea API, Openverse API, OpenAI API, Templately |
| Requires WordPress | 6.6 | 5.8 |
| Requires PHP | 7.4 | 7.4 |
| Tested up to | 7.1 | 7.1 |
| Phones home | Only if you agree | Only if you agree |
| External services | api.zipwp.com, fonts.googleapis.com, ipwho.is, api.ipify.org, credits.startertemplates.com, app.zipwp.com, websitedemos.net | graph.facebook.com, graph.instagram.com, maps.googleapis.com, app.templately.com, api.opensea.io, api.openverse.org, api.openai.com, send.wpinsight.com |
| Blocks | 1 | 60 |