Since the introduction of Gutenberg as the new WordPress Editor and Page Builder, it has become apparent to me that the future of WordPress Page Builders will be around Gutenberg and that the other options will adopt it or die.
I have used a lot of page builders and I even started against most of them because of the amount of unnecessary stuff that they loaded to work. However, that has changed and improved drastically. The only issue is that the compatibility among those page builders was very low. That is the reason I think that having Gutenberg as north and building around it is more future-proof and recommended for any WordPress site from now on.
This brings me to a new approach to WordPress design using Gutenberg: MaxiBlocks. This plugin has a lot of features for free that are always going to be free except the pro version of the plugin which allows you to download a lot of pre-made blocks, templates, and pages. With the free version, you could even recreate all the blocks they have in the pro version. But, it would be time-consuming and I would suggest upgrading to a pro version if you are serious and like the project.
Before I continue, I would like to mention that I was not paid to make this review. I got the deal from AppSumo and I paid the asking price. Therefore, everything I mention here is based on my experience and not some notes given by someone else. This is a short review of MaxiBlocks and I hope it encourages you to give it a try.
Advantages of MaxiBlocks
Here are some of the main features of this new page builder and why you might find it attractive for your next project:
Great Support
I asked one question about MaxiBlocks and I got a response from the co-founder in a matter of hours. This is very important because engagement, listening to customers, and solving their problems are key to success in any product.
Style Cards
There are more than 100 style cards that serve as an initial style guide for your WordPress project. You can choose any of the cards and modify it to meet the needs of your project. I start with a style card because it makes the site consistent and it is applied to the entire project and not just one page. This saves a lot of time and by starting with the style card you have a better vision of your project.
Icons for Everything
MaxiBlocks has over 13k icons available and their colors and styles can be changed to adapt to your design or style cards. This is fantastic because searching for relevant icons that have the same style is one of the most difficult and time-consuming parts of design. You might find a good icon but finding a group of them that are relevant is difficult. But, with MaxiBlocks that problem is gone.
Premade Patterns and Pages
The way MaxiBlocks wants to make money is by having a subscription for Pro development that allows you to use almost 2k patterns and over 130 pages premade that can be included directly to your pages. Just by one click you can have a great look and feel for your page that can be modified in every way you want. These pages and patterns are already fully responsive and tested for performance.
Allows Full Control
At first, this plugin might be overwhelming because there are a lot of options available. Nevertheless, I think it is necessary if you want full control over every component available. I think it was some learning time for new designers or even developers, but by the third page, you are feeling comfortable with the application and start taking full advantage of all the options available. I consider this a pro instead of a con because a serious developer always needs to make changes. One of these advantages functionality is the style repeater which lets you style multiple elements at once by modifying one. This cuts development time and makes it easier to make changes to a block.
Unlimited Usage
Unlimited is unlimited with this project. There are no license keys or limitations to the number of websites or projects that you can create. If you have a pro account, you are free to go. The only difference between pro accounts is the number of accounts (users) per plan. The Solo Pro version only allows one user, Double Pro allows two, and the Team Pro allows up to three accounts—no limitation on anything else.
Disadvantages
Missing Theme
The real limitation at the moment is that I cannot take full advantage of the plugin because headers and navigation blocks are missing. Thus, for now, the plugin must be used with other themes. The good news is that the MaxiBlocks theme is going to be released soon which includes a lot of options for headers and navigation that makes this a full pack for all web design needs. Once the theme is released, the gates are open for more creative freedom and using MaxiBlocks to the max.
Tutorials and Documentation
As this is a relatively new plugin, there is a lack of in-depth documentation and tutorials. However, they are slowly adding tutorials to their YouTube channel and I expect to see more shortly considering that they will have the theme ready to use as the base for all the examples. In addition, if the community embraces this page builder, we might see a lot of tutorials around the web that will feature it. I hope that the documentation will improve in the next year and I could see more information around MaxiBlocks to master this tool.
Conclusion
As soon as the new theme is released, I will be working on several projects with this awesome plugin. I am excited about the future of WordPress and this plugin. I started with the Solo Pro version and upgraded to the Team Pro so I could work with some of the designers on my team. The development experience is fantastic and I hope it continues to improve in the future. Good luck to the MaxiBlocks team and I hope you become one of the big players on the market.
