Beaver Builder is a stable, beginner-friendly builder that works with any theme, and many freelancers and agencies rely on it. Canvasly Web Studio keeps that freedom from theme lock-in and adds freehand layout, motion effects and static export.
Desktop app that exports static sites, WordPress, React, Astro or Payload CMS
WordPress page builder plugin
Layout
Freehand: place elements anywhere, plus grids and columns
Rows, columns and modules
Works with any theme
Yes, pages use their own template
Yes
How pages are stored
Plain HTML in a Custom HTML block
Beaver Builder's own layout data
If you stop using it
Content stays HTML; the small Canvasly plugin keeps the styling
Pages fall back to plain HTML without their styling
Outside WordPress
Static export to any host
WordPress only
Based on each product's own documentation in October 2026. Products change; check the current version before you decide.
Why switch from Beaver Builder to Canvasly
Freeform design. Place and size elements anywhere on the canvas instead of only stacking rows and columns.
Pages are HTML from the start. There is no separate layout data to fall back from.
More built in. 143 units, including sliders, hotspots, pricing tables, countdowns, forms and payments.
Motion. Entrance animations, hover and cursor effects, scroll effects and sticky sections, all respecting reduced motion.
Also publish outside WordPress to FTP, SFTP, GitHub Pages, Netlify or Vercel.
When Beaver Builder is the better choice
Beaver Builder is the better fit if clients edit their own layouts inside WordPress and you want the simplest possible editing experience for them. Canvasly is built for designed pages that should load fast, look the same with any theme and publish to WordPress or any host.
Moving pages from Beaver Builder to Canvasly
Open the published page with Import → URL, or save it and use File → Open HTML File. Canvasly turns it into an editable project and copies its images, stylesheets and fonts.
Refine the design in the editor, or ask the AI assistant to restyle a section.
Export as WordPress, install the small Canvasly plugin and import the pages with Tools → Import → WordPress.
Check the new pages, then retire the old ones.
Questions
Is Canvasly as easy as Beaver Builder?
Canvasly is drag-and-drop too, with a library of ready-made units and an AI assistant that can build or restyle a section from a sentence. The difference is that you design in a desktop app, then import.
Can my clients edit Canvasly pages?
They can change text and links in the page's Custom HTML block in WordPress. Layout changes are done in Canvasly and exported again.
Will Canvasly pages work with my current theme?
Yes. They show through their own template, so they look the same with any theme.
