Hi everyone,

I’ve been struggling with a question lately, and I’d love to get some perspective from fellow developers, especially those working with agencies or high-end clients.

I can code. I can build a lightweight, highly optimized, secure WordPress site from scratch using pure PHP, custom OOP based plugins, custom themes, custom post types (CPT), ACF, hooks and filters, API's ... etc.

Yet, I see more and more companies (even larger ones) shifting towards Elementor.

From a developer’s perspective, it feels like building a house out of Lego when you have the tools to forge steel. To me, average Elementor sites look bloated, dependency-heavy, and frankly, like something ANYONE with a basic tutorial could patch together.

However, the job market right now feels incredibly frustrating. I’m having a hard time finding a job because I seem to fall into a weird trap: either companies look for high-end full-stack engineers and consider me "overqualified/too expensive" for standard WP jobs, OR they are specifically looking for an "Elementor/Page Builder" – a role I’ve been hesitant to take because it feels like a step backward.

On the other hand I understand the market side of it: it's cheaper, faster to deliver, and lowers the barrier to entry. But my questions to those who actually know how to code but still choose page builders are:

1. What is the long-term value for the client? Isn't maintaining a site with 15 plug-ins and constant elementor updates a ticking time bomb compared to a clean, custom theme?
2. Where is the line between a "developer" and a "page builder"? If general school kids can stack widgets together, what is our actual value-add if we adapt to this workflow?
3. Can Elementor actually be used on a truly high/enterprise level, or is it always just a cheap compromise for clients who don't want to pay for real dev work?

Change my mind. Why should a competent developer ever touch Elementor?