Since its release, Gutenberg has sparked debate in the WordPress community—especially among developers who have long relied on the Classic Editor. While both editors are functional, their approach to content creation and development is significantly different. So, which editor is better for developers in 2025? Let’s break it down.
1. Understanding the Editors
Classic Editor:
The Classic Editor is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface that closely resembles traditional word processors. Developers favored it for its simplicity and ease of integration with meta boxes and custom shortcodes.
Gutenberg (Block Editor):
Gutenberg is a block-based editor that allows users to create rich layouts using content blocks. It introduced JavaScript-heavy development using React, changing how themes and plugins are created.
2. Ease of Use for Developers
Classic Editor:
Faster to implement for basic content fields and meta boxes. PHP developers found it more accessible since it didn’t require a JavaScript-heavy stack.
Gutenberg:
Steeper learning curve due to React and JSX, but offers more flexibility, reusability, and UI control in the long run.
Verdict: Classic is easier for simple implementations, but Gutenberg provides more control for complex layouts and custom blocks.
3. Customizability and Extensibility
Classic Editor:
Relies heavily on shortcodes and meta boxes. Difficult to manage visually complex layouts without extra plugins or custom fields.
Gutenberg:
Supports custom blocks, block patterns, and reusable blocks. You can register dynamic blocks and even control full-page templates via Full Site Editing (FSE).
Verdict: Gutenberg wins here with its modular, component-based system.
4. Performance and Code Management
Classic Editor:
Less demanding on browser resources and server-side rendering. However, it often leads to spaghetti code with shortcodes and hardcoded HTML.
Gutenberg:
Cleaner separation of concerns. With React and block APIs, you get maintainable and scalable codebases, especially for large websites.
Verdict: Gutenberg is more future-proof, especially for performance-focused development.
5. Client Experience
Gutenberg allows clients to visually edit pages with live previews and drag-and-drop blocks, reducing reliance on developers for small updates.
Classic Editor, though simpler, often requires clients to remember shortcodes or rely on rigid layouts.
Verdict: Gutenberg enhances the client editing experience significantly.
6. Community and Ecosystem
By 2025, the WordPress ecosystem is increasingly Gutenberg-first. Themes, plugins, and tutorials are now built with the Block Editor in mind. Support for Classic Editor is waning, and future innovation will likely leave it behind.
Final Thoughts
While Classic Editor still works for basic use-cases and rapid prototyping, Gutenberg is undoubtedly the better option for modern WordPress development. Its block-based architecture aligns better with modern UI/UX expectations, and though it requires learning React, the long-term benefits for scalability and performance are worth it.
If you're transitioning to block-based development and need professional help setting up or creating custom blocks, partnering with a WordPress Development Company in Udaipur can ensure you stay ahead of the curve with clean, modern, and future-ready WordPress solutions.