/handbook/developing-for-block-editor-and-site-editor/when-to-choose-block-libraries/
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Resources Developing for Block Editor and Site Editor Three ways to build blocks When to choose block libraries
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Most Popular Block Libraries in Gutenberg
1. Kadence Blocks
2. Stackable
3. CoBlocks
4. Spectra (by Astra)
5. Greenshift
6. PublishPress Blocks
7. Getwid
Most Popular Block Libraries for Common Design Elements
Last updated on Mar 31, 2026
When to choose block libraries?
While custom blocks provide flexibility and unique functionality, block libraries offer pre-built solutions that can speed up development and provide reliable, feature-rich blocks for common tasks. Here’s when and why block libraries can be a smart choice for your WordPress projects.
1. Rapid Development Needs
If your project must be completed within a short period, block libraries make it possible to develop complex features without ‘reinventing the wheel.’ All block libraries contain thousands of pre-built blocks that can significantly reduce development time.
Example: You can add sliders, accordions, or testimonials on a client’s website rapidly. When ready-to-use block libraries are available, you know you will have a faster option to style it to match the project design.
2. Specific Feature Requirements
Sometimes projects require functionality too labor-intensive to implement from the ground up. Block libraries often provide specific blocks that are either hard or time-consuming to build on your own.
Example: Need to add a carousel, popover, or pricing table? Popular block libraries include optimized, responsive versions of such components, ready to be styled and customized. They can also contain other configuration options such as responsive breakpoints or custom animations that otherwise would require a huge amount of custom development work.
Most Popular Block Libraries in Gutenberg
Let’s break down the top options in the market and assess their strengths in terms of features, performance, and design.
Here are some of the most popular Gutenberg block libraries
1. Kadence Blocks
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Best for: Versatility and performance
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Blocks: 24 blocks (Free + Pro), including Row Layout, Advanced Gallery, Table of Contents, and Modal
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Designers:
- Pre-designed section layouts for quick setup
- Global color and typography control for consistency across the site
- Predefined responsive design settings for mobile, tablet, and desktop
- Deep customization options for galleries and forms without coding
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Developers:
- Conditional loading of CSS and JS for optimized performance
- Support for dynamic content (integration with custom post types and ACF)
- Option to add custom icons and typography through Google Fonts
- Compatible with Kadence theme and other Kadence products, making it ideal for larger Kadence ecosystems
- The pro version includes advanced blocks like Post Carousels and Countdown timers for more complex functionalities
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Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $89/year
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Check out Kadence Blocks
2. Stackable
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Best for: Advanced design customization
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Blocks: 35+ blocks, including Advanced Columns, Feature Grid, Pricing Box, and Testimonials
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Designers:
- 400+ pre-designed templates (Pro) for rapid layout creation
- Animation options for creating engaging visual effects on scroll and hover
- Global design control for typography, colors, and styles for consistency
- Dynamic background effects (gradients, parallax, image overlays) for modern designs
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Developers:
- Supports conditional display based on user role, page type, etc., ideal for custom user experiences
- Dynamic content options for pulling in data from custom fields or database
- Flexbox-based layout controls for precise positioning and responsiveness
- Rollback feature for easily undoing changes to blocks, ensuring design flexibility during iteration
- Compatible with Full Site Editing (FSE) themes, supporting modern WordPress workflows
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Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $49/year for a single site, $149 for unlimited sites
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Check out Stackable
3. CoBlocks
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Best for: Simplicity and performance
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Blocks: 30+ blocks, including Hero Section, Accordion, Carousel, and Services Block
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Designers:
- Typography control with a built-in typography panel for easy font adjustments
- Block-level padding and margin controls for precise spacing without extra CSS
- Hero block with image and text overlay options for impactful headers
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Developers:
- Lightweight and fast, with a focus on keeping the site optimized even with multiple blocks
- Shape divider blocks and Dynamic block support for interactive design elements
- Compatible with custom CSS for developers needing deeper styling flexibility
- Controlled loading of block assets, ensuring fast page speed for all devices
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Pricing: Free
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Check out CoBlocks
4. Spectra (by Astra)
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Best for: General block variety with responsive features
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Blocks: 20+ blocks, including Star Ratings, Content Timeline, and Post Grid
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Designers:
- Built-in responsive design options for mobile, tablet, and desktop views
- Pre-built content sections and templates for quicker design workflows
- Ability to adjust typography and spacing at a block level, allowing for total control over layout aesthetics
- Multiple layout options for each block, giving you flexibility without needing to code
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Developers:
- Optimized for performance, ensuring fast load times for heavy content sites
- WooCommerce integration for building online stores with product listings, testimonials, and review sections
- Compatible with Astra theme and integrates seamlessly into its ecosystem
- Dynamic post grids with filtering, perfect for developers building content-heavy websites
- Conditional block loading for keeping the site performance-focused
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Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $39/year
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Check out Spectra
5. Greenshift
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Best for: Advanced animations and CSS grid controls
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Blocks: 40+ blocks, including 3D FlipBox, 3D Model, and Advanced Counter
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Designers:
- Advanced animations (scrolling effects, hover effects) for dynamic and interactive websites
- CSS grid support for complex layouts without breaking responsiveness
- Offers shape dividers, icons, and content toggles for highly engaging UI design
- Ready-made templates that can be imported directly into the block editor
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Developers:
- Uses conditional loading for blocks, ensuring performance remains high
- Paid add-ons for SEO, marketing, and animations, expanding developer control over complex sites
- Supports custom CSS and JS for developers needing further customization beyond what’s available in the editor
- Advanced grid controls and queries for developers creating dynamic sections based on content
- WooCommerce integration for building e-commerce product listings with animations
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Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $39/year
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Check out Greenshift
6. PublishPress Blocks
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Best for: Content display and customization
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Blocks: 20+ blocks, including Content Display, Count Up, and Testimonial
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Designers:
- Google Fonts integration for buttons, headings, and content blocks
- Advanced customization for content display blocks, allowing designers to arrange content in any layout
- Testimonial sliders and pricing tables for sales pages
- Image sliders with autoplay and customizable transition speeds
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Developers:
- Dynamic block support with custom post types and ACF integration
- Role-based block visibility controls, useful for sites with multiple contributors
- Custom anchor and tab order settings, allowing developers to create seamless navigation experiences
- Code-friendly for extending blocks or integrating with third-party solutions
- Lightbox, map, and video blocks for more dynamic content display
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Pricing: Free, Pro starts at $69/year
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Check out PublishPress Blocks
7. Getwid
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Best for: Lightweight performance with a broad block range
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Blocks: 40+ blocks, including Image Slider, Banner, and Testimonial
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Designers:
- Pre-built templates for headers, content sections, and footers for quick page assembly
- Flexible grid and gallery blocks with hover effects for image-heavy designs
- Slider block with autoplay and transition speed options for engaging lightweight carousels
- Full integration with core WordPress block themes, ideal for modern theme design
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Developers:
- Clean code and lightweight, ensuring no unnecessary bloat on performance-critical sites
- Dynamic post grid blocks with custom queries for developers building content-heavy pages
- Full support for custom CSS, allowing developers to adjust each block as needed
- Works seamlessly with Gutenberg editor, making it highly extendable for custom projects
- Custom form blocks for gathering user data, complete with email integrations
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Pricing: Free
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Check out Getwid
Here’s an updated table of the most popular Gutenberg block libraries with their best use cases and pricing:
#PluginBest For****Pricing1Kadence BlocksVersatile blocks with strong performance, ideal for dynamic content (carousels, sliders, etc.)Free, Pro: $89/year2StackableSleek, modern design with advanced customization and responsive layoutsFree, Pro: $49/year for 1 site, $149 for unlimited sites, Lifetime: $4993CoBlocksLightweight and fast for simple blocks like accordions, galleries, and hero sectionsFree4SpectraExcellent for a wide range of blocks, from sliders to post grids and timelinesFree, Pro: $39/year5GreenshiftAdvanced animations, page builder blocks, and CSS grid controlsFree, Pro: Starting at $39/year6PublishPress BlocksInteractive elements like sliders, maps, buttons, and advanced content display blocksFree, Pro: Starting at $69/year7GetwidPerformance-oriented, offering 40+ free blocks like image sliders, banners, and accordionsFree
These libraries provide a wide range of blocks suited for different purposes—from complex layouts and dynamic content to simple, performance-oriented blocks.
Most Popular Block Libraries for Common Design Elements
When building with Gutenberg, certain common design elements such as carousels, popovers, accordions, and galleries are often required. Below is a comparison of how various block libraries handle these elements:
Block TypeKadence BlocksStackableCoBlocksSpectra (by Astra)GreenshiftPublishPress BlocksGetwidCarousel/SliderAdvanced customization for posts and productsSmooth, responsive sliders with deep stylingSimple image carouselsInteractive sliders for images and postsHigh-performance sliders with animation controlsImage slider with autoplay and custom speedBasic image sliders with lightbox optionsPopoversModal popups with customizable triggersPopovers with hover/click animationsLacks popover supportPopovers with flexible stylingAdvanced hover and modal popupsAdvanced popups with Google Maps integrationNo popover supportAccordionSmooth, fast accordion with customizationHighly customizable with animation optionsLightweight and easy to styleFully responsive with animationAdvanced accordions with CSS controlsAnchor links and theme presets for accordionSimple accordion with basic settingsTabsFull control over tab layout, color, and animationResponsive, customizable tabs with design settingsNo dedicated tab blockAdvanced tab settings with animationsHigh-performance tabs with transitions and hover effectsReorderable tabs with custom anchorsSimple tab layout with flexible stylingTestimonialCustom testimonial blocks with slidersMultiple layout options, customizable stylesSimple testimonial layoutsTestimonial sliders with image supportDynamic testimonials with animations and CSS controlTestimonial slider with customizable avatarsBasic testimonial block with flexible layoutsPricing TableHighly customizable pricing tablesDetailed pricing tables with column optionsLimited pricing table supportResponsive pricing tables with hover effectsAdvanced pricing tables with CSS grid controlPricing tables with flexible column settingsSimple but customizable pricing tablesGallery/MasonryAdvanced galleries with carousel, grid layoutsMasonry/grid layouts with hover animationsSimple gallery blockInteractive gallery with hover effectsCSS grid gallery with full control over layout and animationsEnhanced galleries with lightbox displaysFlexible image galleries with hover effectsFormsBasic forms with advanced stylingContact forms with customizable fieldsNo dedicated form blockAdvanced form builder with deep integrationsAdvanced forms with WooCommerce supportContact and newsletter forms with customizationNo form blockHero SectionFlexible hero sections with typography and backgroundsCustom hero sections with full layout controlSimplified hero sectionsDynamic hero sections with responsive textAdvanced hero sections with CSS animationsNo dedicated hero section blockSimple hero block with image and text fieldsCall-to-Action (CTA)Custom CTA buttons with hover statesCTA blocks with customizable layoutsBasic CTA buttons with limited customizationCTA with animations and form integrationHigh-performance CTA blocks with animationsNo dedicated CTA blockSimple CTA block with basic stylingCountdown TimerAdvanced countdown blocks with evergreen optionsResponsive countdown timers with flexible stylingLacks countdown timer supportFully responsive countdown timers with animationsCSS-controlled countdown timers with animationsNo countdown timer blockNo countdown timer blockPost Grid/ArchiveDynamic post grids with filtering optionsAdvanced post grids with pagination optionsSimple post grid optionsPost grids with dynamic filtering and paginationFull grid control with dynamic contentCustomizable post grid with column controlsBasic post grid block with responsive designTable of ContentsFull table of contents with dynamic updatesDynamic table of contents with custom anchorsNo table of contents blockResponsive table of contents with animationsAdvanced table of contents with CSS customizationCustomizable table of contents with anchor linksNo table of contents block
When to choose custom blocks
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Shreya Agarwal
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Shreya Agarwal is a Growth Engineer at rtCamp, she brings active, hands-on WordPress development credentials to everything she writes and reviews. A WordPress Core Contributor with merged pull requ…
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