When it comes to building fast, flexible websites, every second counts — especially in a mobile-first world. At 212 Creative, we put Divi 5 (Alpha) and Bricks 1.12.4 to the test in a real-world build-off using identical page designs. No caching. No optimization. Just a straight-up comparison of how each builder performs out of the box.
🔨 The Test Page
We built the exact same layout using both builders:
- Full-width hero with a background image
- A styled text section
- A dynamic post slider
- Four blurb modules with images and copy
No plugins, no performance tweaks — just default themes running on a Hostinger site.
⚡ Performance: Bricks Pulls Ahead
Bricks came out on top in almost every key metric. While Divi 5 made noticeable gains over earlier versions, Bricks still had the edge — especially on mobile, where Divi’s Largest Contentful Paint hit 8.9s, compared to 2.7s for Bricks.
| Metric | Bricks | Divi 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Google PSI Desktop | 98 | 93 |
| Google PSI Mobile | 94 | 73 |
| GTMetrix LCP | 2.7s | 4.4s |
| Total Page Size | 600KB | 2.77MB |
If you’re chasing performance right out of the box, Bricks is the clear winner.
🧰 Ease of Use: Depends on Your Style
Divi has long been loved for its intuitive visual builder — and Divi 5 takes big strides in modernizing the experience. It’s smoother, faster, and far more usable than the classic version. For users coming from previous Divi versions, the learning curve is almost zero.
Bricks, on the other hand, leans more toward developers and advanced users. It’s incredibly fast, deeply customizable, and has native features power users dream of — but beginners might find the interface a little less guided.
✅ Divi 5 Pros:
- Familiar interface
- Highly visual editing
- Huge ecosystem and support
✅ Bricks Pros:
- Snappy UI
- Clean code output
- Built for performance
🔧 Developer Flexibility: Bricks Still Reigns
If you’re a developer, Bricks continues to offer the cleanest workflow. CSS classes, container queries, and fluid typography are handled beautifully. Divi 5 is moving in the right direction, but it still carries some baggage in output markup and builder bloat.
🏁 Final Verdict
Divi 5 is finally feeling modern — and it’s a huge step forward for long-time Divi users. But in a clean, unoptimized head-to-head test, Bricks delivers better performance, smaller page size, and faster load times.
Bricks is the better choice if performance and lean code matter most.
Divi is still a great pick if you value visual design and ease of use.
Want help picking the right builder for your next website?
👉 Let’s talk — we build fast, beautiful websites with the right tools for your goals.