Enfold
Elementor Classic Theme One-time Purchase
Author: Kriesi | Last Updated: 22.08.2025

Enfold

Quick Verdict

Enfold is a long-standing, stable theme with excellent support and a one-time purchase model, making it a reliable choice for developers familiar with its ecosystem. However, it suffers from significant vendor lock-in due to its shortcode-based builder, poor performance scores, and complete incompatibility with modern page builders like Elementor.

Analysis

Enfold is one of ThemeForest’s all-time best-selling themes, a veteran product that has built a reputation for stability, comprehensive features, and highly-rated customer support. It operates on a one-time purchase model, which is a significant draw for users looking to avoid recurring subscription fees. Its proprietary backend page builder, the Advanced Layout Builder, is powerful and has been the foundation of hundreds of thousands of websites. The theme also boasts excellent compatibility with the popular WPML plugin, making it a reliable choice for multilingual projects.

However, Enfold’s age is apparent in its core architecture, which presents major modern challenges. The theme’s reliance on a shortcode-based builder creates severe vendor lock-in, making it incredibly difficult to migrate a site to another theme without a complete rebuild. It is completely incompatible with modern page builders like Elementor, and its backend-only editing experience feels dated compared to the live, front-end interfaces of its competitors. Furthermore, the theme consistently struggles with performance, with both lab tests and user reports indicating poor PageSpeed scores and failures to meet Core Web Vitals standards.

Ultimately, Enfold is a theme of two extremes. For developers who are already deeply invested in its ecosystem and prioritize its proven support and stability for long-term projects they manage themselves, it can still be a viable option. However, for new projects, especially those requiring high performance, a modern and intuitive editing experience for clients, or the flexibility to change tools in the future, Enfold is a difficult choice to recommend. Its architectural limitations and poor performance place it at a significant disadvantage against more modern, flexible, and faster alternatives.

Elementor
Multipurpose
Classic Theme
✅ Pros
• Excellent and responsive support
• One-time purchase model (no subscription)
• Full WPML compatibility for multilingual sites
❌ Cons
• Severe vendor lock-in via shortcodes
• Poor performance and Core Web Vitals scores
• Incompatible with Elementor and other builders
Plugin Compatibility
Will my plugins work?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
Enfold is a very safe and reliable choice for building multilingual websites, as it maintains full, officially-endorsed compatibility with the WPML plugin, ensuring seamless integration for translation management [4, 18].
Check before purchase
Exercise caution when using Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) with Enfold, because the theme only offers partial support and may not correctly render advanced field types like multi-selects without custom developer workarounds [6].
Avoid if
Absolutely avoid Enfold if you plan to use Elementor or any other third-party page builder, as the theme's proprietary Advanced Layout Builder is fundamentally incompatible and will lead to critical errors and conflicts [1, 3].

Community Quotes

"Enfold is not designed to work with other custom editors like Elementor, so we can not predict any errors or support them."

— ThemeForest [1]

"Multi-select fields and some advanced options are not supported, requiring developers to implement custom workarounds."

— freshvanroot.com [6]

Client Handoff
Can the client manage it?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
This theme is a safe choice for developers who are already experienced with Enfold's backend builder and value its long-term stability for projects that do not require client-facing content editing.
Check before purchase
Exercise caution when planning to hand off an Enfold-built website to clients, as the backend-only, wireframe-style editor is not intuitive and can cause confusion, particularly with its CSS caching features [16].
Avoid if
Avoid Enfold if you or your clients expect a modern, front-end, drag-and-drop editing experience, as its workflow requires saving and previewing to see changes, which is far less efficient than contemporary builders [15].
Panel Difficulty
Complex
Documentation
Good
Learning Curve
Days

Community Quotes

"Users describe the workflow as 'wireframe-like blocks and then have to save and view before you can see what the page will really look like.'"

— Kriesi Support [15]

"Freelancers report client confusion when CSS changes don't appear immediately. The issue stems from Enfold's CSS merging and caching options..."

— Kriesi Support [16]

Freelancer Recommendation
Enfold is suitable for developers building sites they will maintain themselves. For projects requiring easy client handoff, a theme with a modern front-end builder or block editor support is a much better option.
Alternatives: Avada, Divi, Kadence
Performance & SEO
Will the site be fast?
Research Confidence: High
Check before purchase
Use Enfold with caution on projects where performance is a secondary concern, as multiple users report their sites consistently failing Core Web Vitals and experiencing slow baseline speeds even on optimized hosting environments [8, 16].
Avoid if
Avoid using Enfold for any website where passing Core Web Vitals or achieving high performance scores is a critical requirement, as both automated tests and extensive user reports indicate significant, persistent optimization issues [9, 10].
40
Mobile
Benchmark: 90+
74
Desktop
Benchmark: 90+
3.03s
LCP Mobile
Benchmark: <2.5s
3.42s
LCP Desktop
Benchmark: <2.5s
0.040
CLS Desktop
Benchmark: <0.1
Overall Performance Rating
66/100
Test Information
Test Date: 2026-02-22
Tested URL: https://kriesi.at/themes/enfold-2017/

Code Observation (demo):

The theme's demo site scored a poor 40/100 on Google PageSpeed Insights for mobile, with a Largest Contentful Paint of 3.03 seconds, which falls into the 'Needs Improvement' range. Community feedback corroborates these findings, with users frequently reporting failing Core Web Vitals scores and slow load times [8, 10, 16].

⚠️ Based on DevTools inspection of demo, not a production audit

Community Quotes

"I use Enfold for a number of my sites and while they score well they always get Core Web Vitals failed on google..."

— WordPress.org Forums [8]

"A documented case showed a user experiencing 10-15 second load times exclusively with Enfold."

— zse.glogow.pl [10]

Freelancer Recommendation

Due to the poor performance metrics and negative community feedback, users should be prepared to invest significant time and resources into optimization. For performance-critical projects, consider a more lightweight, modern theme.

Alternatives: GeneratePress, Blocksy, Kadence
Update Safety
Will updates break the site?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
Enfold is safe for developers who are comfortable with its two-tiered update process, which includes maintaining an Envato API token for routine updates and performing manual FTP uploads for major version changes [12].
Check before purchase
Proceed with caution if you are not technically proficient, as major version updates require a complex and error-prone manual FTP procedure that poses a significant risk of site downtime if not executed perfectly [12, 17].
Avoid if
Avoid Enfold if your workflow demands a simple, reliable, one-click update process for all theme versions, as its reliance on manual FTP for major updates is an outdated practice that introduces unnecessary risk [20, 25].

Community Quotes

"For major version updates, developers must follow a complex FTP procedure... This is error-prone and creates downtime risk..."

— Reddit [12]

"Tried updating it but it's saying I need a token.. Problem is the developer who created the website is almost impossible to get a hold of..."

— WordPress.org Forums [11]

Freelancer Recommendation

While the theme is actively maintained [7, 23], the cumbersome update process for major versions is a significant drawback. Users should ensure they have a reliable backup and staging environment before attempting any major update.

Alternatives: Avada, Divi, Flatsome
Scalability
Can I use it for multiple projects?
Research Confidence: Medium

Community Quotes

"The Advanced Layout Builder is not a plugin in the Enfold theme, it is the core of the theme... there is not a way to do this [convert shortcodes to HTML]."

— WPML [17]

"Broken Access Control vulnerability (missing authorization check)"

— WordPress.com Forums [24]

Costs
Pricing breakdown
Explicit Costs
  • Regular License $59
  • Support (6) Included
  • Regular License $59
  • Extended License $2799
Hidden Costs (Community)
No hidden costs reported.
Demo Gallery
10 example sites
Enfold Parallax
Enfold Parallax
Enfold Construction Demo
Enfold Construction Demo
Enfold Shop Demo
Enfold Shop Demo
Enfold Medical
Enfold Medical
Enfold Law
Enfold Law
Enfold Gym
Enfold Gym
Enfold Startup Business Demo
Enfold Startup Business Demo
Enfold One Page Portfolio Demo
Enfold One Page Portfolio Demo
Enfold Elegant Portfolio
Enfold Elegant Portfolio
Enfold Flat Business Demo
Enfold Flat Business Demo
View all 10 demos →
Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions from community

Is Enfold compatible with the Elementor page builder?

Plugin Compatibility

No, Enfold is not compatible with Elementor. The theme's author states that its proprietary Advanced Layout Builder is not designed to work with other page builders, and they do not offer support for any conflicts that arise [1, 3].

Sources: 1,3

Can I easily migrate an Enfold-built website to a different WordPress theme?

Client Handoff

Migrating away from Enfold is extremely difficult. Its Advanced Layout Builder relies heavily on shortcodes that are embedded directly into your content. If you switch themes, these shortcodes will become visible on the front end, breaking your site's layout and requiring a complete manual rebuild of every page [17].

Sources: 18

How does Enfold perform in terms of page speed and Core Web Vitals?

Performance & Speed

Enfold's performance is generally poor. Automated tests on its demo site show a mobile PageSpeed score of 40/100, and users frequently report that their sites fail Google's Core Web Vitals assessments due to slow load times [8, 10].

Sources: 8,10

Is Enfold still actively maintained and updated?

Updates & Stability

Yes, Enfold is actively maintained. The developers regularly release updates to ensure compatibility with the latest versions of WordPress and PHP, and the theme's changelog shows consistent development activity [7, 23].

Sources: 7,23

What is the process for updating the Enfold theme?

Updates & Stability

Enfold uses a two-part update process. Minor updates can be done through the WordPress dashboard with an Envato API token. However, major version updates require a complex and risky manual update via FTP, which is a significant drawback compared to modern themes [12].

Sources: 12

Is Enfold a good choice for building a multilingual website with WPML?

Plugin Compatibility

Yes, Enfold is an excellent choice for multilingual sites using WPML. The theme is officially certified as fully compatible by the WPML team, ensuring a stable and reliable integration [4, 18].

Sources: 4,18

What are the main drawbacks of Enfold's Advanced Layout Builder?

Client Handoff

The primary drawbacks are its backend-only, 'wireframe-like' editing experience which is not intuitive [15], and its reliance on shortcodes which creates severe vendor lock-in, making it nearly impossible to switch themes later [17].

Sources: 16,18

Does Enfold have a subscription fee?

Pricing & Licensing

No, Enfold is sold on ThemeForest with a one-time purchase model for a single-site license. This is often cited as a major advantage over competitors like Elementor Pro that require annual subscriptions [23].

Sources: 24
Sources & Methodology
26 sources indexed

Timeframe

Last 12 months

Analysis Date

January 18, 2026

Confidence Assessment

Data confidence: HIGH (26 analytical sources, 26 total)

Methodology Note

This analysis is based on a combination of official documentation, marketplace data, automated performance tests, and a comprehensive review of user discussions across various online forums and social media platforms.

Referenced Sources 26