Gutenberg

What Gutenberg actually is

Gutenberg is the WordPress core block editor, introduced as the default editor in WordPress 5.0 on December 6, 2018. Named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable-type printing, the editor replaced the legacy TinyMCE editor with a block-based approach where every piece of content is an independent block (paragraph, heading, image, gallery, columns, etc.).

Gutenberg's defining feature is that it's the WordPress core — it's free, it's included with every WordPress install, and it doesn't require any third-party plugin. The block-based approach has matured through 2019-2026 to include Full Site Editing (FSE), which extends the block editor to the full site template (header, footer, sidebar, archive pages) — not just post content.

How it fits in the broader stack

Compared to third-party builders (Elementor, Divi, Bricks), Gutenberg has historically lagged on visual-design power but caught up significantly in 2023-2026. The trade-off: Gutenberg is the lightest builder (the rendered output is essentially native HTML/CSS), it's free, it's the WordPress team's strategic direction, but it requires more familiarity with WordPress core concepts to use well.

Gutenberg sits at the intersection of WordPress strategy — Automattic and the WordPress core team are investing in Gutenberg as the long-term builder solution, which has driven third-party builder vendors to focus on differentiation (Elementor's enterprise features, Divi's theme bundle, Bricks' performance, Breakdance's design-led workflow).

Key features and capabilities

Core features: block-based content editing with 50+ core blocks (paragraph, heading, image, gallery, video, embed, columns, group, query loop, navigation, etc.), Patterns (reusable block combinations), Site Editor (Full Site Editing for templates and template parts), Theme.json for design system configuration, Block-themes (themes built specifically for FSE).

Third-party Gutenberg block libraries extend the core: GenerateBlocks (lightweight, performance-focused), Kadence Blocks (popular), Stackable (large library), Spectra (former Ultimate Addons), GhostKit, CoBlocks. These add the missing widgets that Elementor and Divi include out-of-the-box.

Pricing and tier comparison

Pricing: free. Gutenberg is part of WordPress core. Third-party block libraries have free and pro tiers ($30-$200/year) for additional features.

Trade-offs: Gutenberg requires more design discipline than visual builders — the team has to define a design system in theme.json rather than freestyling per page. Migration TO Gutenberg from Elementor or Divi is significant work because of the conceptual differences. Migration AWAY from Gutenberg is easier than from third-party builders because the content is structured.

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

We recommend Gutenberg for: brands committed to long-term WordPress investment, sites prioritizing Core Web Vitals and performance, content-heavy sites where structured content matters, teams that can invest in design-system discipline. We recommend supplementing with block libraries (GenerateBlocks + a design-system-first block theme like Kadence or Ollie).

RGM Experts Say: Gutenberg has matured faster than most people realize. We migrated several brand sites from Divi and Elementor to Gutenberg + GenerateBlocks in 2024-2025 and consistently saw 40-70% Core Web Vitals improvements with no loss of design quality. The discipline shift is the hardest part — moving from page-by-page freestyle building to design-system-first thinking — but the long-term productivity is meaningfully higher.

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.