Introduction
The Elementor Pro plugin extends the capabilities of the Elementor Core plugin. Here are some frequently asked questions about the need for both.
Frequently asked questions
Q: If I purchase Elementor Pro, should I delete the Free plugin after I install the Pro plugin?
A: You should not delete the Free plugin. Elementor Pro is an addon to the Free version. The Elementor Pro plugin cannot function without the Free plugin.
Q: I had a problem, and support advised me to deactivate or delete the Elementor plugin(s) and reactivate or reinstall them. Will that destroy all the hard work I did?
A: The work you did with Elementor will not be deleted when the plugin is deleted. When you reactivate or reinstall the Elementor plugin, all your designs will still be available just as they were before you deleted the plugin. Of course, we do recommend always having a recent backup of your site, in case anything ever goes wrong. This is best practice for any situation.
Q: What happens if I delete the Pro version but keep the Free version? Will my site lose any of the advanced designs I made using Pro features?
A: If you deactivate or delete Elementor Pro, your site will be unable to display the advanced designs you created with Elementor Pro. Any designs created with the standard free version of Elementor will still work. If you reactivate or reinstall Elementor Pro, however, your designs created with Pro will show up once again.
Note: There is a difference between deactivating the plugin and deactivating the license. As mentioned, deactivating the plugin will mean your site will no longer display the designs you created with the Pro plugin. So what happens if you deactivate or fail to renew just the Pro license, but keep the Pro plugin activated? See the next question for the answer.
Q: What happens if I don’t renew my license after one year? Will Elementor Pro still work?
A: Your existing project will remain intact, as is, for now, but you will no longer receive support, updates and access to premium templates which require renewal.
Note: Keep in mind, however, that your project will remain intact, as is, only as long as the versions of plugins stay the same. Naturally, if you update the free version of Elementor on an ongoing basis, but are no longer updating the Pro version, eventually the two versions may become incompatible with one another. You may also eventually see conflicts if you update other plugins or WordPress core, but don’t also keep up to date with updating Elementor Pro.