GenerateBlocks
by Tom Usborne
Four lightweight core blocks that build almost any layout while adding almost no CSS to the page.
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What GenerateBlocks does
Four lightweight core blocks that build almost any layout while adding almost no CSS to the page.
It sits in the blocks part of a WordPress stack and is sold by Tom Usborne on a freemium basis. We recommend it in our blocks guides because it does that one job well without asking you to rebuild the rest of the site around it.
Every plugin adds work to a page request, so treat this as a decision with a cost. Record a speed test before you install it and run the same test afterwards, on the same page, so you know exactly what it charged you.
Real user ratings
Score
4.9/5
Reviews
122
Active installs
200,000+
Downloads
3.8M
Latest version
2.4.1
Last updated
2026-08-18
These figures come straight from the public WordPress.org plugin directory API for version 2.4.1, not from us. Check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing. Our own editorial score is 4.9/5.
Where GenerateBlocks ranks elsewhere
GenerateBlocks does not appear in the published "best of" lists we track from WPBeginner, TechRadar, Kinsta, Themeisle and similar sites. That is not a mark against it - those roundups are short and skew towards the biggest names.
What changed in the latest version
- Fix: Editor crash when opening the pattern library on WordPress 7.1 with cross-origin isolation enabled
- Security: Escape dynamic tag replacements inside HTML attributes
- Feature: Add block inspector slot support for the new Editor Access feature in GenerateBlocks Pro
- Feature: Add content-only and read-only support to our blocks
- Tweak: Users without dynamic data permissions can no longer add or save new dynamic data
- Tweak: Dynamic data no longer renders on pages last saved by a user without dynamic data permissions
- Tweak: Dynamic tags no longer resolve inside inline event handler attributes (onclick, onmouseover, etc.)
- Tweak: Add generateblocks_allow_dynamic_data_in_event_handlers filter
- Tweak: Add editor notices when a save disables or re-enables dynamic data
- Security: Harden legacy dynamic URL output
- Feature: Add support for new Dev Tools feature in Pro
- Feature: Add support for direct CSS editing feature in Pro
- Feature: Add Set/Replace media block toolbar button
- Tweak: Improve Image block selection behavior in editor
- Tweak: Disable core Additional CSS field on GenerateBlocks blocks
- Tweak: Add generateblocks_enable_core_additional_css filter
Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog
Pros and cons
- The smallest CSS footprint of any block library
- A free tier you can trial before paying
- Actively maintained and used on production sites we test
- You build from primitives, so there are no pretty presets
- The features most sites need sit in the paid tier
How to use it
- 1Install on a staging copy first if the site takes money.
- 2Work through the setup wizard and connect any external accounts it needs.
- 3Configure the one feature you installed it for, and leave the rest off.
- 4Test the result as a logged-out visitor on both mobile and desktop.
- 5Re-run our speed test to confirm the plugin has not cost you load time.
How it compares
Other blocks plugins we recommend, with their rating and pricing model.
| Plugin | Our rating | WordPress.org | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GenerateBlocks | 4.9 | 4.9 (122) | Freemium | The smallest CSS footprint of any block library |
| Kadence Blocks | 4.8 | 4.8 (332) | Freemium | Design freedom without a page builder |
| Otter Blocks | 4.7 | 4.7 (249) | Freemium | Conditional display rules on any block |
| ProductX | 4.4 | n/a | Freemium | Store layouts in the block editor |
| ShopEngine | 4.5 | 4.6 (212) | Freemium | Modules you can switch off |
| Spectra | 4.7 | 4.7 (1,870) | Freemium | Block-native, so pages stay much lighter than builders |
Guides that cover GenerateBlocks
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