Kadence Blocks vs GenerateBlocks vs Otter: Which Is Better?

What to look for in a WordPress blocks plugin

There are a few things to consider before we get into the individual plugins:

• Block variety. The number and types of additional blocks that the plugin adds to the Gutenberg editor.
• Block customization options. How much you can customize the blocks created by the plugin you’re using. Some block plugins for WordPress also provide advanced customization options for existing blocks like the image gallery block.
• Page builder compatibility. If you want to use a page builder like Elementor, you’ll need to make sure the blocks plugin you choose is compatible with it.
• Impact on loading speed. You want to choose a lightweight plugin that won’t slow your site down—loading speed is one of the most important factors in a website’s overall performance! Luckily, none of the plugins we’ve looked at in this article have a major impact on loading speed, so you won’t have to worry about slowing your site down if you stick with one of these options.
• Price. Many WordPress block plugins offer a free version. If you want to spring for the paid version, make sure that the cost fits within your budget.

Now let’s take a look at the plugins themselves!

Here’s our full comparison…

Kadence Blocks vs GenerateBlocks vs Otter Blocks: in-depth review

Kadence Blocks review

Notable blocks 🚧

Kadence Blocks currently lists 20+ custom blocks in its free version, including:

• Row Layout
• Design Library with lots of pre-built patterns and pages
• Advanced Gallery
• Advanced Form
• Advanced Text – now with an Inline AI editor
• Advanced Button
• Accordion
• Tabs for horizontal and vertical layouts
• Testimonials
• Countdown (and count up)
• Progress Bar
• Info Box
• Icon and Icon List, with 1,500+ SVG icons
• Table of Contents
• Show More
• Spacer / Divider
• Lottie Animations

Of these blocks, the most interesting are the pre-made layout patterns in the Design Library. These patterns provide full section layouts for your content, including pre-selected colors and stock imagery. Some even provide formatting for a full page, like this event promo section:

Overview ⌛

Kadence Blocks offers a wide variety of blocks you won’t get in the regular Gutenberg editor, including specialty blocks for things like photo gallery displays and displaying testimonials. Each block also comes with a variety of features to enhance performance and increase customization opportunities. Some of the most notable are:

• Intelligent Load – Kadence only loads CSS/JavaScript when needed, and only for the blocks used on a given page. That helps your site maintain fast loading times.
• Responsive Controls.
• Typography Controls – 900+ Google fonts to customize your typography.
• Color & Background Controls – Gradients, overlays, parallax backgrounds, borders, etc.
• Configurable Defaults.
• Setting Visibility Controls – Hide block settings from certain user roles.

These options make it easy to create a fully customized WordPress site that loads quickly and looks good on all devices.

How it works ⚙️

There are a couple of different ways to use Kadence Blocks:

The first is to click on the Design Library button that appears in the top bar of the block editor when editing a page. This opens a searchable database of pre-designed patterns:

To use a pattern, simply click on it and Kadence will set it up on your page. You can then click on any element of the pattern to customize it:

You can also add Kadence blocks one by one using the same process you use for any other block: click the + icon up top, and search for the appropriate block. If you’re not sure what block you want, you can open the regular block menu and look through the Kadence blocks in that area.

All in all, Kadence Blocks is quite easy to use, especially if you’re already comfortable with the regular block editor.

Pricing 💸

The core Kadence Blocks plugin is free. For extra Pro blocks (such as Advanced Query Loop, Advanced Slider, Modal, Video Popup, etc.), and also dynamic content, custom fonts, plus full access to the huge Design Library, you can upgrade to a paid Kadence plan. The entry-level option, Essentials, starts at $99 per year.

Who Kadence Blocks is best for 🔌

Kadence Blocks is a brilliant choice for anyone who wants highly stylized blocks that come with pre-formatted designs and diverse customization options.

GenerateBlocks review

Notable blocks 🚧

GenerateBlocks offers the following blocks:

• Container block for organizing content into rows and sections
• Grid block for creating flexible layouts
• Text block with advanced typography controls for headings and paragraphs
• Button block
• Query block for building a list of posts from any post type
• Image block
• Shape block for adding custom SVG shapes to your pages

GenerateBlocks also includes dynamic tags, so you can display dynamic content like post titles, excerpts, featured images, dates, and author info inside your blocks.

You’ll note that this list is quite short when compared to the block lists for Kadence and later Otter. This is because GenerateBlocks focuses on a handful of flexible blocks you can use to build almost anything. Things like pre-designed blocks (called patterns), accordion blocks, and other advanced blocks are restricted to the paid version.

Overview ⌛

GenerateBlocks is a blocks plugin built primarily to cooperate with the main GeneratePress theme. However, it can be used in combination with any theme actually. You can use it to take full control of your text with advanced typography, create complex page layouts with container and grid blocks, add images and SVG shapes, and build a list of posts from any post type with the query loop block.

GenerateBlocks does have some notable limitations, however. You won’t get access to specialized blocks, like pricing tables or forms, and you’ll have to pay for things like accordion blocks.

Still, the plugin is extremely lightweight that generates minimal CSS only for the blocks you actually use. This makes it a great fit for pairing with a highly customizable theme like GeneratePress or, even better yet, Neve.

How it works ⚙️

Using GenerateBlocks is easy. All you need to do is click the + icon in the block editor and search for the block you want to use. You can also choose Browse All to open the block menu and view the full GenerateBlocks category:

If you want to build more complex layouts, you best start with a Container block, since this one can hold other blocks inside of it. For example, with the Container block, you can add a Grid or another layout block inside it to set where different parts of your content fit within your layout:

Once you’ve selected a block, you can customize it by clicking on the area you want to change.

You can also style your blocks for different screen sizes, with built-in responsive controls for desktop, tablet, and mobile views.

Once you’re satisfied with your layout, you can publish your page the same way you would publish any other.

All in all, the process of using GenerateBlocks is simple and intuitive for anyone familiar with the WordPress block editor. The focused block list can even be a benefit here, as it means you’ll always have an easy time choosing the block you need.

Pricing 💸

The core GenerateBlocks plugin is free. You can get GenerateBlocks Pro for $99 per year.

Who this plugin is best for 🔌

GenerateBlocks is an ideal choice if you mainly want blocks for altering the visual layout of your site. GenerateBlocks is also a great lightweight plugin for pairing with a highly customizable WordPress theme.

Otter Blocks review

Notable blocks 🚧

Otter offers 30+ blocks, including:

• Section Gutenberg block
• Advanced heading
• Button group
• Slider
• Content Slider
• Accordion
• Tabs for horizontal organization of content
• Countdown
• Services block for displaying your services
• Pricing & pricing section
• Product reviews
• Testimonials
• About the author
• AI Block (generate content)

You’ll notice that Otter offers a very similar list of blocks to Kadence Blocks. However, the free version of Otter offers more blocks than the free version of Kadence Blocks, including a slider block and an about the author block. It also features more specialized options for displaying your services, pricing, and pricing tables. The new AI Block also gives Otter the ability to generate entire sections and pages from a simple text prompt.

Overview ⌛

Depending on your point of view, Otter Blocks is either a heavy-duty blocks plugin or a lightweight page builder plugin. There are an enormous number of blocks available on the free version, including Section Gutenberg blocks that can help you create a unique layout for every page. You’ll even get access to specialized blocks for business owners, including a pricing block that can be displayed on product landing pages. You can access even more specialty business blocks, including a business hours block.

The latest major update, Otter 3.2, added AI tools that go far beyond simple text editing. The new AI Block can build anything from single sections to complete pages based on your description, and it automatically matches your theme colors.

Otter also introduced a completely rebuilt Design Library with 150+ ready-made templates. 50 of those templates are free. These can be really helpful to kickstart any web page project – especially if you have some specific landing page in mind.

Otter Blocks also offers something called Block Conditions. It allows you to control who sees the block. For example, you might choose to hide newsletter signup forms from users who are already logged into your site.

There’s actually a wider set of block tools that Otter puts on top of standard WordPress blocks. From the sidebar, you can do things like add animations, turn any block into a “sticky” one, and more. You can even use Otter to add CSS customization options to individual blocks.

How it works ⚙️

You can add blocks from Otter Blocks to your page in much the same way you would add any other block: click the + icon in the editor and search for the block you want. If you want to see the options available, click Browse All to see all of the custom blocks provided.

You can create a custom column layout in a couple of clicks thanks to the Section block. Just drag and drop other blocks inside it.

To use the new AI features, add the AI Block and describe what you want to build. Within seconds, Otter creates real, editable blocks that appear on the page. You can then adjust anything by hand, just like blocks you built yourself.

Otter also added an upgraded AI writing toolbar. You can use it to rewrite, summarize, expand, shorten, translate, or change the tone of any text.

For the Design Library, click the library button in the top bar of the editor, browse or search the templates, and click to insert the one you want.

This hits on what has become a recurring theme in this debate of Kadence Blocks vs GenerateBlocks vs Otter Blocks: all of these plugins integrate well with the existing block editor. If you’re at all familiar with WordPress, you’ll find that using Otter is simple and intuitive, even when you’re setting up more complicated blocks, like the Countdown block.

Pricing 💸

The core Otter Blocks plugin is free. For access to even more blocks and advanced customization features, you can invest in Otter Pro starting at $69.00 per year.

Who this plugin is best for 🔌

Otter Blocks is an ideal choice for anyone who wants to build a fully customized WordPress site from the ground up. The AI tools and the Design Library also make it a strong pick if you want to get pages built fast without starting from a blank screen. It’s an especially powerful tool for business and ecommerce sites.

Final verdict 🏁

So, what is the best blocks plugin for WordPress? Before we make any decisions, let’s review what we’ve learned about these plugins so far:

Plugin	Most notable blocks	Customization options	Limitations	Cost
Kadence Blocks	Row Layout, Design Library, Advanced Gallery, Advanced Form, Advanced Text with Inline AI editor, Accordion, Tabs, Testimonials	Full typography and color & background controls	Advanced Pro blocks, dynamic content, and full Design Library access require a paid plan	Free or $99 per year
GenerateBlocks	Container, Grid, Text, Button, Query, Image, Shape	Advanced typography controls, responsive controls, dynamic tags	No specialized blocks like pricing tables or forms, accordion blocks require Pro	Free or $99 per year
Otter Blocks	Section, Tabs, Accordion, Slider, Pricing, Testimonials, AI Block, and more	Typography and color & background controls, block tools, AI features	No notable limitations	Free or $69.00 per year

In the end, all three of these block plugins offer content blocks you won’t get with the regular Gutenberg editor. They’re also all extremely simple to use.

This means that the winner in the debate of Kadence Blocks vs GenerateBlocks vs Otter Blocks depends on your needs:

• 👉 If you want ecommerce and business blocks plus an AI builder and a 150+ template Design Library, choose Otter Blocks.
• 👉 If you want access to good pre-made layout blocks with numerous advanced customization options, choose Kadence Blocks.
• 👉 For a lightweight blocks plugin with options for custom visual layouts, choose GenerateBlocks.

Which plugin sounds best to you in our debate of Kadence Blocks vs GenerateBlocks vs Otter Blocks? Let us know in the comments section below!