Bricks Builder vs Oxygen Builder: Side-by-Side Comparison

Overview

Choosing between Bricks Builder and Oxygen Builder is a common question for WordPress developers and agency owners. Both are powerful, developer-focused page builders known for fast performance and flexibility. In this detailed comparison, we examine key factors – performance, ease of use, support, design flexibility, and WooCommerce integration – to see how they stack up. We’ll also highlight considerations for agency owners. (If you want to try Oxygen Builder, you can get it here via my affiliate link.) Ultimately, the best choice depends on your priorities: raw speed and stability, or cutting-edge features and rapid updates.

Performance

Both builders emphasize clean, lean code and high-speed output. Oxygen Builder is famous for its “bloat eliminator” and selective loading of assets. It only loads the elements a page needs, offers built-in lazy-loading for galleries and video, and lets you disable unnecessary scripts (WordPress embeds, emojis, etc.). It even provides CDN-friendly optimizations. Bricks Builder, built on the modern Vue.js framework, likewise produces minimal code. Bricks automatically disables extra scripts and only loads fonts and assets that are used. Its unique Smart Lazy Asset Loader ensures images and videos are only loaded when in the browser viewport.

In practice, both perform exceptionally well. One review notes you can “run PageSpeed Insights on a blank install” of Oxygen and be “dumbfounded” by the scores, while Bricks-enabled sites also achieve top marks. In fact, comparative tests by users have found little noticeable difference in page speed between the two. That said, benchmarking by experts found that Oxygen-built sites sometimes score slightly higher on PageSpeed (especially mobile), whereas Bricks offers a snappier backend editor interface.

Both builders output semantic, minimal HTML/CSS with essentially no shortcodes or hidden wrappers, which is a huge performance win.
Oxygen’s legacy (React/older tech) interface is a bit slower to load, but its front-end output is extremely optimized.
Bricks’ interface feels very fast (thanks to Vue.js), so designing in the editor can be quicker.
Conclusion: If raw performance and PageSpeed scores are your top priority, Oxygen has a slight edge on the front end. But Bricks is highly optimized as well, and the difference is minimal in real-world sites.

Ease of Use

In terms of usability, Oxygen and Bricks take different approaches. Oxygen uses a classic “sections, columns, divs” model (with flexbox layout), global style sheets, and a template-based workflow. Many users find Oxygen’s interface fairly intuitive, especially for those with some web design background. One developer noted that Oxygen is “a lot simpler than Bricks” and that beginners often find it more approachable. Oxygen does lack some convenience features (for example it has no built-in form element), but its overall workflow is logical for most designers.

Bricks, by contrast, is packed with advanced features (dynamic data, query loops, conditional logic, global classes/variables, a built-in form builder, etc). While this makes Bricks very powerful, it also means a steeper learning curve. Many non-technical users find Bricks “quite difficult and confusing” without coding knowledge. Bricks relies heavily on CSS classes and a more developer-centric UI. For example, someone reported that even with coding experience, they find Bricks overwhelming in places. In short, Bricks assumes you’re comfortable with HTML/CSS/PHP, whereas Oxygen holds your hand a bit more.

Bricks Pros: Very granular control via classes/variables and conditionals; has native form builder and modern UI.
Bricks Cons: Steep learning curve; some users call it “not so beginner-friendly”.
Oxygen Pros: Familiar drag-and-drop with clear sections/columns; considered more beginner-friendly by some.
Oxygen Cons: Lacks built-in form element (requires third-party plugin); template creation can feel more complex than Bricks.

In summary, Oxygen is generally easier for new users to pick up, while Bricks rewards the time spent learning its advanced features. One expert recommends Bricks only if you have at least some technical skills, whereas Oxygen is a safer bet for novices.

Support & Community

Support and community resources matter, especially for agencies handling client work. Oxygen has been around longer, so it benefits from a larger, more established ecosystem. For example, the official Oxygen Facebook group has roughly 40,000 members compared to Bricks’ ~20,000. This means more third-party tutorials, plugins/add-ons, and answers to common questions are available for Oxygen. Oxygen’s lead developer (Louis) is also active in the community, and the company provides official ticket support for issues.

Bricks is newer but rapidly growing. Its development is very community-driven: the Bricks team maintains an open roadmap and releases frequent major updates (e.g. 2.0 with features like mobile/mega menus). There is an active Bricks forum and Facebook group for support and feature requests. According to users, Bricks’ support has been responsive, and the company often incorporates user feedback.

Oxygen Support: Official help desk (ticket/email) exists; a veteran community and many experienced developers. Good documentation and numerous add-ons exist for extending it.
Bricks Support: Open forums, Slack/Discord, and public roadmaps. The team is attentive to users and pushes regular updates. Community is smaller but very enthusiastic.
Despite its younger age, Bricks’ “open roadmap” approach means features often arrive quickly. Wicked Pixel notes Bricks updates almost monthly and that its future looks bright.

Both builders have active support channels and communities, but Oxygen’s 5+ year head start gives it a larger user base, while Bricks’ development is very transparent and agile.

Design Flexibility & Features

When it comes to design flexibility, both are extremely capable, but with different strengths.

Custom Layouts: Oxygen uses a flexible grid with Sections, Columns, and Divs (flexbox). Bricks similarly has Sections, Containers, Blocks, and Divs (flexbox combined). Both let you deeply customize layouts. Oxygen emphasizes Div wrappers, while Bricks groups elements into logical blocks. Either way, both builders can handle complex responsive layouts with ease.
Global Styles & Classes: Oxygen has a Global Styles system and a custom Stylesheet manager for setting fonts, colors, etc. Bricks uses a theme styles panel and allows unlimited CSS classes/variables for fine-grained control. You can assign classes to groups of elements in Bricks or Oxygen and change styles globally. Both also allow custom HTML attributes and code injection for advanced tweaking.
Templates and Reusability: Bricks has a Remote Templates feature that lets you pull in templates from another Bricks site directly. Oxygen lacks that exact feature, though it does allow copying JSON styling between pages. Both have header/footer builders and full-site editing capabilities. One key difference: Oxygen disables the normal WordPress theme layer (it outputs pages entirely through its own system), whereas Bricks itself is a WordPress theme integrated with its builder. In practice, that means Bricks sites behave more like normal WP sites with a theme, while Oxygen sites rely wholly on the builder’s framework.
Language and Accessibility: Bricks supports over 20 languages out of the box, making it more international-friendly, while Oxygen’s admin is English-only. Both generate clean, semantic code (e.g. proper heading levels, alt attributes, no extra shortcodes).
Unique Features: Bricks stands out with its built-in form builder, dynamic data binding, and class/variable system. Oxygen lacks a native form element, but provides a built-in CSS sheet manager and a robust repeater (query loop) system. In general, both builders allow dynamic ACF fields, custom code blocks, and deep customization.

Overall, Design Flexibility is a draw. Bricks arguably has a slight edge in raw feature count (it has more ready-made elements: ~30 vs Oxygen’s ~25) and modern perks like remote templates and multi-language support. Oxygen’s strength is in stability and developer comfort (clean code, ACF integration, easily editable attributes). As one review summarizes: “Bricks Builder is gaining popularity for its design flexibility and conditional logic features, while Oxygen is celebrated for its clean code and developer focus”.

WooCommerce Integration

Many agencies build e-commerce sites, so WooCommerce support is critical. Both Bricks and Oxygen offer full WooCommerce builders, but with different approaches.

Oxygen WooCommerce: Oxygen provides a dedicated WooCommerce Builder plugin (included in its higher-tier license) that gives you elements for product pages, shop loops, cart, checkout, etc. These elements are well-polished and comprehensive. Wicked Pixel notes that Oxygen’s WooCommerce integration “is still more polished”. However, Oxygen requires purchasing the mid-tier “WooCo” plan to unlock these features (the basic plan does not include Woo support).
Bricks WooCommerce: Bricks includes a WooCommerce builder in its core, even on the basic plan. It offers over 30 different Woo elements (slightly more than Oxygen’s ~25). You can design custom product templates, archives, checkout pages, etc., directly in Bricks. The integration is newer but very capable, and Bricks is actively improving its Woo tools.

In practice, both builders let you craft beautiful, customized shop pages without coding. Oxygen’s advantage is maturity (its Woo tools have been around longer and many developers find them robust). Bricks’ advantage is that its Woo features come built-in (no extra plugin needed) and there are even more Woo-specific elements out of the box. Agencies working on Woo projects may prefer the flexibility and bundled nature of Bricks, but Oxygen’s tried-and-tested Woo components have a loyal following.

Agency Perspective

For agency owners and professional web designers, the choice often comes down to workflow needs and client requirements. Both builders are popular in agency circles because they produce clean, fast sites and avoid the “Divi-style” bloat of some others. However, some general advice emerges:

Agencies often prefer Bricks as their primary builder because of its all-in-one features. Bricks includes most tools (theme, builder, Woo, forms) by default and is rapidly adding new capabilities. As one expert puts it: “If you are a web designer or agency owner, it would make sense to go with something like Bricks as your primary go-to builder, simply because it has everything.”. This makes Bricks a “one-stop shop” for complex client sites.
Oxygen remains in many agencies’ toolkits for its stability and familiarity. Some agencies stick with Oxygen for projects where they need maximum control and peak performance, or when clients already have Oxygen-based sites. Oxygen’s large ecosystem of add-ons and community support is also appealing. It’s often recommended as a good secondary option for non-technical clients or simpler sites.
Pricing & licensing also matter for agencies doing many sites. Oxygen’s license (even its basic plan) covers unlimited sites, which is very attractive for multiple client projects. Bricks’ lower-tier licenses are limited (e.g. Starter = 1 site, Business = 3 sites, agency unlimited), so an agency might pay more up front if managing many sites. On the other hand, Bricks’ all-in-one nature can reduce costs on add-ons.

In summary, agency owners should weigh the builders’ strengths: Bricks for its cutting-edge features and rapid development cadence (it’s packed with everything agencies need); Oxygen for its proven performance, larger support network, and straightforward multi-site licensing. Many agencies end up using both: Bricks for the latest feature-rich projects, and Oxygen for clients needing rock-solid performance or legacy compatibility.

Conclusion

Both Bricks Builder and Oxygen Builder are top-tier WordPress page builders for professionals. They share many strengths – clean code output, flexible templates, and fast performance – but differ in emphasis. Oxygen is battle-tested and performance-oriented, while Bricks is newer, feature-rich, and rapidly evolving.

As one comparison summarized: “if layout flexibility and promising future updates are important, Bricks might be the better choice. However, if performance is the most critical factor, Oxygen may be the way to go.”. In other words, pick Bricks if you want cutting-edge features and don’t mind a learning curve; pick Oxygen if you value a solid, mature builder with a slight performance edge.

For example, an agency focusing on SEO and raw speed might lean toward Oxygen, whereas a team building highly dynamic or customized sites might choose Bricks. Either way, both builders are excellent; try both if possible and see which aligns with your projects. (If you’re curious about Oxygen, you can check it out here.)

FAQ

Q: Which builder produces faster websites?

A: In real-world use, both produce very fast sites. Oxygen has extensive bloat-removal features (lazy loading, script control) and often earns higher PageSpeed scores. Bricks also outputs lean code and disables unused scripts, so most speed tests show little difference. In short, both are among the fastest page builders available.

Q: Is Bricks or Oxygen easier to use?

A: Oxygen is generally considered easier for beginners. It uses familiar sections/columns and fewer advanced features, making its interface more straightforward. Bricks offers more advanced capabilities (classes, conditions, dynamic data), but that comes with a steeper learning curve. Many users say Bricks “is not so beginner-friendly” and requires some coding knowledge.

Q: Which is better for WooCommerce?

A: Both support full WooCommerce customization. Oxygen provides a polished WooBuilder in its higher-tier plan, giving 20+ shop/cart/checkout elements. Bricks includes its own WooBuilder by default (with ~30+ Woo elements). Oxygen’s integration is mature and “more polished” according to some reviews, but Bricks’ built-in Woo tools are very robust as well. Choose based on which interface you prefer or how the licensing works for your project.

Q: How do the builders compare in community support?

A: Oxygen has a larger community (its Facebook group has ~40k members vs Bricks ~20k) and many third-party plugins. It offers official support tickets and an active founder. Bricks’ community is smaller but very engaged; the team frequently updates the builder based on user input. Both have active forums and documentation. If having lots of tutorials and third-party add-ons is important, Oxygen currently has the lead, but Bricks is catching up quickly.

Q: Are there differences in pricing/licensing?

A: Both use one-time pricing models. Oxygen’s entry license covers unlimited sites, which is great for agencies. Bricks’ basic license covers fewer sites (and the “Agency” plan is needed for unlimited sites). Neither offers a free version. Also, to unlock WooCommerce support, Oxygen requires the mid-tier “WooCo” plan, whereas Bricks includes Woo support by default.

Q: Which builder do experts recommend?

A: There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Some experts now favor Bricks for its modern tech stack and rapid innovation, while others praise Oxygen’s stability and performance. Agencies often keep both in their toolkit. Consider the factors above – performance, features, learning curve, client needs – when deciding which is better for your projects.