---
title: Bricks Builder — Deep Dive 2026 | RGM®
url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/cms/wordpress-builders/bricks/
updated: 2026-06-10
source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/cms/wordpress-builders/bricks/
---

# Bricks Builder

Bricks is a performance-focused WordPress builder favored by developers — clean code output and one of the fastest visual builders.

## What Bricks Builder actually is

Bricks Builder was founded by Thomas Ehrig in Germany around 2020 and launched publicly in early 2022. The plugin grew rapidly to become the developer-favored WordPress builder, praised for clean rendered HTML/CSS, fast loading, and a thoughtful templating system. Bricks is bootstrapped and remains independent.

The product is sold via a single one-time license: $79 for 1 site, $149 for unlimited sites with 1 year of updates and support. After the year expires, the plugin keeps working but you don't get updates or support. The pricing model is unusual in the WordPress space and very popular among agencies.

## How it fits in the broader stack

Bricks sits in the performance-focused builder tier alongside Breakdance and Oxygen. The conceptual difference vs Elementor and Divi: Bricks targets developers and design-systems-thinking marketers; Elementor and Divi target non-technical users. The rendered output difference is meaningful — Bricks sites consistently score 90+ on PageSpeed Insights with minimal optimization; Elementor sites typically score 60-80 without aggressive tuning.

The competitive position: Bricks is the WordPress builder of choice for agencies and developers who want builder convenience without the legacy code overhead. It's not the right choice for non-technical teams — the learning curve is steeper than Elementor.

## Key features and capabilities

Core features: visual drag-and-drop builder, complete template system (theme + builder in one), Bricks-native templates and components library, Theme Styles for global design system, Custom Code at element level, Dynamic Data integration (ACF, Meta Box, CMB2, JetEngine), conditional logic, query loops for dynamic content, animation library, custom CSS variables, code-friendly HTML output.

Recent additions: integrated form builder, AI-powered features for content generation, expanded template library, deeper WooCommerce integration, improved performance benchmarks.

## Pricing and tier comparison

Pricing: 1 site at $79, Unlimited at $149, Lifetime Unlimited at $249 (one-time, with lifetime updates). Pricing is one-time, not annual — pay once for the year of updates and the plugin works forever.

Trade-offs: smaller plugin/addon ecosystem than Elementor or Divi, steeper learning curve, fewer pre-made templates, smaller community for support. For non-technical teams, these trade-offs make Bricks harder; for developers and agencies, Bricks' performance and code quality usually win.

#### RGM Experts Say

RGM Experts Say: Bricks has been the dominant WordPress builder we've used for new agency client sites since 2023. The performance lift over Elementor and Divi is consistent and meaningful. The learning curve for the team was real (2-4 weeks of ramp time per designer/developer) but the long-term productivity is higher because the output is more predictable and maintainable.

## When we recommend it (and when we don't)

We recommend Bricks for: agencies building many client sites who want performance-focused output, developer-led teams who can work with semantic HTML/CSS, brands prioritizing Core Web Vitals over builder convenience. We recommend against Bricks for: non-technical teams who need maximum builder simplicity (Elementor wins), brands needing extensive third-party widget ecosystems.

RGM Experts Say: Bricks has been the dominant WordPress builder we've used for new agency client sites since 2023. The performance lift over Elementor and Divi is consistent and meaningful. The learning curve for the team was real (2-4 weeks of ramp time per designer/developer) but the long-term productivity is higher because the output is more predictable and maintainable.

## How we work with this technology

We use the tools that fit the job. If our approach feels aligned with your business, [apply for an engagement](/apply/).

### Related guides

- [Elementor](/learn/cms/wordpress-builders/elementor/)
- [Breakdance](/learn/cms/wordpress-builders/breakdance/)
- [Gutenberg](/learn/cms/wordpress-builders/gutenberg/)
- [WordPress](/learn/cms/wordpress/)
- [WP Rocket](/learn/cms/wordpress-plugins/wp-rocket/)
- [Technical SEO](/learn/seo/technical-seo/)
- [Kinsta](/learn/cms/hosting/kinsta/)
- [CMS Hub](/learn/cms/)