SGEN · Comparison Ledger
No. 01
SGEN vs Elementor
The Elementor alternative: own the product, not a plugin.
Elementor is one of the best visual builders on the web, and it is still a plugin running on WordPress core: you keep owning the WordPress host, the plugin stack, and two update cycles underneath your builder. SGEN ships the same drag-and-drop building as one native module, on a single platform, with hosting, SSL, CDN, WAF, forms, SEO, and attribution included instead of assembled. One platform. One update event. No WordPress underneath.
"91% of WordPress vulnerabilities were in plugins." Patchstack, State of WordPress Security 2026 report.
1
native platform · no WordPress core, no plugin layer underneath
23
native SGEN modules, every plan, one login
91%
of 2025 WordPress vulnerabilities were in plugins · Patchstack
No. 02
Why operators build on SGEN
Agencies and operators build on SGEN with no plugin overhead: one platform to maintain, zero plugin substrate underneath the builder, and server-side output on every page.
1
platform to maintain, not a stack to manage
0 plugins
to license, patch, or trust on SGEN
SSR
finished HTML off the server, every page, every plan
No. 03
SGEN vs Elementor · the stack, by layer
Elementor is a plugin on WordPress. That sentence is the argument.
This is not a quality knock. Elementor is a mature, well-built visual builder with a deep widget library and a theme builder. The point is structural: the builder sits on top of WordPress core, which sits on a WordPress host, with a theme and a plugin stack in between. That is four layers you maintain. With SGEN the builder is one native module, and the layers underneath it do not exist.
Elementor One bundles more tools into one subscription (Pro Editor, 85+ Pro widgets, Theme Builder, Form Builder, Popup Builder, image optimization, accessibility, and more), and that is a real convenience. It does not change the architecture: it is still a plugin on WordPress core, and Elementor One does not include hosting (elementor.com/one). The substrate is still there. With SGEN it is not.
No. 04
SGEN vs Elementor · the plugin failure data
Nine in ten WordPress vulnerabilities live in the plugin layer.
In 2024, 96% of WordPress vulnerabilities were in plugins. In 2025, that figure was 91%, still more than nine in ten, still in the plugin layer that every WordPress site, Elementor included, depends on.
Source: the 96% figure is from the prior-year Patchstack report; the 91% figure is from Patchstack, State of WordPress Security 2026 report. Full 2025 data: 11,334 vulnerabilities, 91% in plugins, 9% in themes, 6 in core. SGEN ships security natively: a WAF and central security patching are included on every plan, including the $0 Sandbox, with no Wordfence or Sucuri license to add. The plugin layer that carries the risk is not the layer SGEN is built on.
No. 05
SGEN vs Elementor · feature by feature
The builder is a fair fight. The architecture underneath it is not.
■ Native, included
□ Add-on / dependent
× Separate vendor
| Capability | Column A Elementor A plugin on WordPress core | Column B SGEN One native platform |
|---|---|---|
| The difference Underlying architecture The layer that carries the host bill, the update risk, and the security risk. | A plugin that installs on WordPress core, uploaded as a .zip from the WordPress plugin screen. You still own WordPress hosting, WordPress updates, and the plugin stack underneath the builder | One native platform. The builder is a module. There is no WordPress core, no separate host, and no plugin layer underneath it |
| Visual drag-and-drop builder | Mature visual builder, 85+ Pro widgets, Theme Builder, Popup Builder. A genuine strength | Native module (SG Builder): 48 drag-and-drop components, 6 responsive breakpoints, a global design-system layer |
| Runs on WordPress | Yes. Elementor is a WordPress plugin and requires a WordPress install | No. SGEN is its own platform; there is no WordPress underneath |
| HostingWhere the site actually lives | Not included with the Elementor One or Pro subscription (elementor.com/one). Available as a separate Elementor Hosting product, or use any WordPress host | Included on every plan, including the free Sandbox |
| SSL + CDN | Bundled with Elementor Hosting (Cloudflare Enterprise CDN + SSL) when you buy that product, or provided by your WordPress host | Included on every plan |
| Number of subscriptions / bills | Typically two or more: a WordPress host plus an Elementor subscription (and add-on plugins as needed). Elementor One bundles more tools but still excludes hosting | One: the SGEN plan |
| Frontend rendering | Renders on WordPress plus the Elementor runtime. Performance varies by host, theme, and plugin load | Server-side and native: finished HTML leaves the data center |
| Security + WAF patching | Provided by your WordPress host and/or security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri). 91% of 2025 WordPress vulnerabilities were in the plugin layer (Patchstack) | Included WAF and central security patching on every plan, no security plugin to license |
| Forms | Native Elementor Form widget on Pro / One; many sites still add WPForms or Gravity Forms for advanced needs | Native Forms module |
| Attribution + call logging | Not native. Requires a third-party tool (e.g. CallRail) plus GA stitching; no native multi-touch attribution | Native Attribution module: multi-touch plus phone-tap logging |
| Update responsibility | You manage WordPress core updates and Elementor updates and every other plugin's updates | Platform-managed: one update event |
| Pricing model | Elementor Pro from ~$59/yr (1 site), ~$99/yr (3), ~$199/yr (25), ~$399/yr; or Elementor One (bundled tools, up to roughly $228/yr, hosting excluded), plus WordPress hosting bought separately | All-inclusive, priced by live-site count: Sandbox free / Indie $39 / Studio $97 / Scale $297 / Enterprise $497 (unlimited) |
Elementor wins the widget count, and we will not pretend otherwise. But read the rest of the ledger down: every row that is not "the builder" is a question of architecture, and the architecture under Elementor is a WordPress stack you maintain. With SGEN that stack does not exist.
No. 06
How SGEN renders
SGEN outputs finished HTML off the server.
This is an architecture statement, not a speed benchmark. We will not quote you an Elementor page-speed number, because performance on WordPress is per-site: it depends on the host, the theme, and the plugin load. What we can state is how SGEN works. Every page on every plan is rendered server-side: the server delivers complete HTML before it leaves the data center, to users and to Google.
Server-side rendering is how the SGEN platform works, on every page and every plan, not an add-on you buy, configure, and re-buy in caching plugins. The point is structural: it is part of the platform, not a layer you assemble on top of one.
No. 07
Pricing
From $39/mo. Everything included.
SGEN is priced by how many live sites you run, never by feature tier. Every plan is the whole platform: all 23 native modules, hosting, SSL, CDN, WAF, security patching, and the multi-site dashboard. Only the live-site count changes. The free Sandbox is the whole platform on a staging URL, dev-transferable when you go live.
| Plan | Live sites | AnnualPer month | Monthly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox | Unlimited staging | Free | Free | The whole platform, staging URL only, not public-live |
| Indie | 1 live site | $39 | $47 | All 23 modules + everything included |
| Most popularStudio | 3 live sites | $97 | $117 | All 23 modules + everything included |
| Scale | 10 live sites | $297 | $333 | All 23 modules + everything included |
| Enterprise | Unlimited live sites | $497 | $577 | The whole platform, published price, not a sales call |
With Elementor, the price is assembled: a WordPress host (Elementor Hosting starts in the single digits per month, or any host you choose), plus an Elementor subscription. Elementor Pro runs from roughly $59/year for one site up to about $399/year, and Elementor One bundles more tools into one subscription (up to roughly $228/year, hosting excluded). Elementor Hosting bundles SSL, a Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, and daily backups, which is a real convenience; the figures here are soft ranges that move with promotions.
On SGEN the plan price is the price. Every plan is the entire platform: all 23 modules, hosting, SSL, CDN, WAF, and the dashboard. The plans differ only by how many live sites you run. There are no Suites to add and no a la carte tiers.
No. 08
SGEN vs Elementor · moving from Elementor
Moving to SGEN is a rebuild. Two paths.
We will not tell you it is a one-click import. Elementor's page format is proprietary to the WordPress plus Elementor stack, so there is nothing to import: you rebuild on SGEN, and that is by design. You leave the WordPress substrate, the plugin stack, and the update cycles behind, and start on a clean native architecture. SGEN templates start you fast, not blank.
Path 01
White-glove rebuild
We rebuild your Elementor site on SGEN for you. Contact sales for scope and pricing.
Contact SalesPath 02
DIY rebuild on SG Builder
You rebuild on SGEN with SG Builder and the template library. Start on the free Sandbox and move at your own pace. Every template is a finished starting point, not a blank canvas.
Try the Free SandboxFor the full rebuild guide and what each path looks like, see /migrate. The Redirects module maps every old URL to its new home, so you keep your link equity through the rebuild.
No. 09
Questions
Common questions about switching from Elementor
Is SGEN's builder as flexible as Elementor?
Elementor is one of the best visual builders on the web, with a mature widget library and a theme builder. SG Builder is a native module with 48 drag-and-drop components, 6 responsive breakpoints, and a global design-system layer. The honest answer is to judge it yourself: spin up a page on the free Sandbox and build the thing you actually need to build. The architectural difference (native platform vs a plugin on WordPress) is the part that does not change page to page.
Will my Elementor templates transfer?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Elementor's page format is proprietary to the WordPress plus Elementor stack, so moving to SGEN is a rebuild, not an import. SGEN does not run an Elementor importer. The rebuild path uses SG Builder and SGEN's native template library, which make the rebuild fast because every template is a finished starting point rather than a blank canvas. See /migrate for the full rebuild guide and the two paths.
Do I still need separate hosting with SGEN?
No. Hosting is included on every SGEN plan, including the free Sandbox, along with SSL, CDN, a WAF, and security patching. With Elementor, hosting is separate: Elementor One does not include hosting (elementor.com/one), so you bring a WordPress host or buy Elementor Hosting as its own product. On SGEN there is one plan and one bill.
What plugins does SGEN replace?
SGEN ships 23 native modules across 7 categories. In a typical WordPress plus Elementor stack, the native modules cover the builder, security and WAF, forms, popups, on-page SEO and 301 redirects, image optimization, and attribution, the categories you would otherwise assemble from Elementor plus separate plugins like Wordfence, WPForms, Yoast, and a third-party tool like CallRail. There are no licenses to stack.
Is Elementor One the same as the old plugin setup?
Elementor One bundles more tools into one subscription (Pro Editor, 85+ Pro widgets, Theme Builder, Form Builder, Popup Builder, image optimization, accessibility, and more), which is a genuine convenience over wiring up separate plugins. Architecturally it is unchanged: it is still a plugin on WordPress core, installed from the WordPress plugin screen, and Elementor One does not include hosting. The substrate is the same. SGEN removes the substrate.
Is SGEN HIPAA compliant, or SOC 2 / ISO certified?
SGEN is HIPAA compliant for healthcare: it runs on a single secure database with data protection and does not host your patients' records or PHI, so the PHI stays under the clinic's control. SOC 2 and ISO are in progress, with no certification badges to show yet. The supporting posture is native: audit-ready activity logging, a per-session consent log, and a WAF in the platform on every plan. That is a structural posture, not a claim that any platform is unbreakable.
Build on the platform
Build on the platform. Not the plugin.
Elementor is a well-built visual builder, and it runs on WordPress: a host, a core, a theme, and a plugin stack you keep maintaining under your builder. That architecture is the risk. SGEN ships the same drag-and-drop building as one native module, with 23 modules, server-side rendering, and hosting, SSL, CDN, and a WAF included on every plan. One platform to maintain, not a stack to manage.
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