Gutenberg Block Plugins: Compared

Does this sound at all familiar? You’ve begun the process of designing an amazing WordPress website, and it’s really coming together nicely. Nevertheless, you have one specific layout in mind for a section of a page, and you aren’t sure how to achieve that with the core Gutenberg blocks. That’s the moment you realize that adding an advanced Gutenberg block plugin to your site can help you create that state-of-the-art layout you’ve imagined.

But which one will work best for the applications and design you have in mind? Choosing a block plugin can be overwhelming — each one has a unique set of features and targets a different audience.

Help is on the way! We’ve done the hard work for you; our chart-based comparison of the top ten block library plugins will guide you to the one that has the features you need. As a bonus, we’ve also included a second chart of three specialty block extension plugins. Note that our comparisons are based on features available at the time of publication — new functionality is added regularly as they grow and adapt to user needs and wants.

The 10 Gutenberg Block Library Plugins

Consult our comparison chart below to get an at-a-glance view of how Gutenberg advanced block plugins stack up. Be sure to consider:

• Cost: Some plugins offer extra functionality and support for an additional fee.
• Number of blocks: More blocks mean more functionality but could add unnecessary weight and slow down your site.
• Pre-built templates: These can jump-start your building process by providing finished, fill-in-the-blank-style layouts.

Need more info? Take a deeper look at our top choices below.

1. CoBlocks

Created by major website player GoDaddy, CoBlocks targets business owners who want to build their own site by providing excellent blocks for displaying services and pricing. 

Feature highlights:

• Easy design options for services, pricing tables, hero images, “as seen in” logo blocks, and map blocks.
• Excellent social media promotional support, with social share, social links, and “click to Tweet” blocks.
• Unique typography controls for all blocks with fine-tuned control over every page or post section.

Note:

• No option to selectively load blocks, which may add to the overhead of your site.

2. Genesis Blocks (formerly known as Atomic Blocks)

This plugin is an excellent choice for eCommerce sites that want to create custom product blocks and build interaction. It’s also a good option for sites with multiple authors, as it helps keep your site on-brand between different users.

Feature highlights:

• Product features, product pricing, and product layout blocks.
• Newsletter and call to action blocks that engage customers and create sales.
• Advanced settings for multiple authors like author profile blocks, advanced permissions, and reusable blocks. This keeps branding consistent across users.
• A framework for quickly and easily building your own custom blocks that help beginner developers create fully custom solutions.

Note:

• The pro version primarily provides extra block options and layouts rather than extra blocks.

3. Getwid

Ideal for sites with lots of information, you’ll find blocks here that help organize many different types of content and provide extensive customization options.

Feature highlights:

• Unique blocks allow for popular dynamic features, like countdowns, progress bars, timelines, and anchor links.
• Image hotspot block (allows overlaying animated markers onto an infographic), table of contents block, and advanced tables that make organizing and managing data a breeze.
• Slider and carousel blocks for custom post types to easily build pages around common plugins like WooCommerce and Advanced Custom Fields.
• Pre-built block templates that help you hit the ground running when creating a website from scratch.

Note:

• Having many customization options is powerful but results in a learning curve that may intimidate new WordPress users.

4. Gutentor

Gutentor makes it easy for service-based businesses and magazine/news-style websites to showcase their content and build a client base. 

Feature highlights:

• Opening hours block, menu block, testimonial block with star ratings, and a map block that are perfect for restaurants and other service-based businesses.
• Extremely flexible slider and carousel displays for news and magazine sites. It also integrates with Easy Digital Downloads for paid articles and content.
• Super lightweight. Code is only loaded to power blocks actually in use, meaning your site remains speedy and SEO friendly.

Note:

• This is a newer plugin that is still building its reputation.

5. Kadence

Kadence is a great choice for people who want to get their brand new website up and running quickly. They have a free set of templates that you can import to create a whole suite of beautiful pages for you.

Feature highlights:

• Pre-built templates and customizable blocks that help you build a brand new website in minutes.
• Gallery blocks and icon-based info blocks that up the beauty factor.
• Fine-tuned responsive control for all screen sizes and shapes with the desktop/tablet/mobile-based customization settings.
• Dynamic content blocks that can pull in custom fields, available in the pro version.

Note:

• The block library is small at this time, compared to other plugins.

6. Kioken

Do you love design? The Kioken Gutenberg block extension is perfect for adding a little flair to a website. 

Feature highlights:

• Core block extensions that allow you to fully customize any paragraph or heading, creating unique looks on every page.
• Unique graphic design blocks for rotated text, animated headings, a wide variety of divider graphics, and shaped dividers.
• An OpenTable block that’s perfect for restaurants who want to add a reservation tool to their site.
• Support for custom post types, which adds key flexibility to the WordPress core blocks.

Note:

• There aren’t many blocks with advanced features. This is best for simpler websites with basic content.
• It hasn’t been updated in a while, so check with the developer to make sure it is still safe to use.

7. PublishPress Blocks

PublishPress Blocks is all about beautiful, powerful content layouts. Their extended suite of plugins provides additional features for multiple authors working in a collaborative environment. 

Feature highlights:

• A content display block that’s extremely powerful and flexible, allowing users to showcase their posts or WooCommerce products in grid, slider, list, or full newspaper layout. This is also customizable for desktop, tablet, and mobile screens.
• Additional plugins that help with content management. Create to-do checklists before publication, build complex publishing schedules, and attribute articles to multiple authors.
• The ability to set user permissions for each individual block. 

Note:

• Additional PublishPress plugins for author management require a paid subscription.

8. Qubely

Qubely is a more basic Gutenberg Block extender for those who don’t want to spend a month learning how to extend WordPress. 

Feature highlights:

• Columns that can be adjusted just by dragging dividers with your mouse, making custom column sizes intuitive and easy for everyone.
• Core blocks (like paragraphs and headers) that can be customized with a vast range of colors, text effects, and fonts.
• Features that help teams showcase their progress on projects, with a combination of blocks like team members, progress bars, timelines, and pie charts.
• Pre-designed sections and blocks for quick startup.

Note:

• There’s minimal support for advanced content types or layouts.

9. Stackable

Elegant, clean, and lightweight, Stackable is a great choice for those interested in putting a bit of development work into building a site that really stands out.

Feature highlights:

• Unique divider block styles that make every page look custom-designed.
• Integration with advanced plugins like Advanced Custom Fields and WPML that allows for easy customization and language support.
• A CSS customizer on every block that’s perfect for designers who want fine control over each content area.
• Included UI kits that get pages up and running quickly, with attractive and varied designs.
• Strong online community and documentation to help build the site you want.

Note:

• This plugin is best for those with some knowledge of CSS. 
• The pro version primarily provides extra block options and layouts rather than extra blocks.

10. Ultimate Addons

Love the popular WordPress theme, Astra? Then Ultimate Addons is definitely your Gutenberg block plugin of choice. 

Feature highlights:

• Starter designs for many different industries and business types — integrated with Astra — that can help you easily create a full-fledged site from scratch.
• SEO-optimized blocks for FAQs, how-to pages, and reviews.
• Custom design layout options for the popular Contact Form 7 plugin.
• Full integration with WooCommerce and LearnDash.
• Lottie animation block that adds unique and charming animations to your site.

Note:

• These blocks are best showcased with Astra, so this plugin is great for those who want to use that theme.

Three Specialty Block Extension Plugins

If you need to extend the core features of the Gutenberg editor, consider several plugins which add block functionality and provide the editor with bonus features. 

As with the advanced block plugins, consider the cost (free or paid), targeted functionality, and whether or not the plugin includes templates to get you up and running quickly.

For a quick comparison, see our chart below! It showcases three of the most popular block editor extensions:

• EditorsKit. Quickly create, customize, and duplicate your content. Add special characters or superscripts, add estimated reading times, and control display options based on screen size or user account settings. Copy and paste completed blocks between pages with ease.
• GenerateBlocks. Aimed at developers, GenerateBlocks is a four-block tool that acts as a base for custom-coded content. Although it works with any theme, its full potential can be unlocked when used with the GeneratePress theme. There’s also a pro version that provides additional block options and layout templates.
• PostX. Showcase your news and magazine-style content with this super flexible block plugin. Show your posts as a grid, slider, or carousel, and display content based on categories, tags, or more advanced queries.

Gutenberg Single-Block Plugins

If you just need a single feature, or if your general Gutenberg plugin of choice is missing one type of block, you can often find what you need with a specific-use plugin.

For example, you might need:

• A street locations map. The Out Of The Block: OpenStreetMap plugin creates a powerful, super simple map block. You can embed it into any page and mark locations with a simple, drag-and-drop interface
• Fancy images to fire up your design. The Image Hover Effects Block plugin creates image blocks that are way beyond basic. Images can float in, slide in, hinge up and down, or even zoom.
• An automatically-generated table of contents. Boost your SEO with the GutenTOC Advanced Table of Contents Block, which scans your posts and creates a dynamic table of contents that’s ready to capture Google’s attention.

Got something else in mind? The chances are good that there’s a plugin for that! Have a look at the WordPress directory, and soon you’ll be using Gutenberg blocks to build a fast, friendly website that has all the features you’ve dreamed of.