Kadence Blocks
by Kadence WP
A block library with advanced layout, query loop and design controls that stays light on the frontend.
This link may earn us a commission. It never changes our rating.
What Kadence Blocks does
A block library with advanced layout, query loop and design controls that stays light on the frontend.
It sits in the blocks part of a WordPress stack and is sold by Kadence WP 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
4.8/5
Reviews
332
Active installs
600,000+
Downloads
40.7M
Latest version
3.7.10
Last updated
2026-09-02
These figures come straight from the public WordPress.org plugin directory API for version 3.7.10, not from us. Check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing. Our own editorial score is 4.8/5.
Where Kadence Blocks ranks elsewhere
Kadence Blocks 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
- Release Date: 2nd September 2026
- Fix: Resolved an issue where submenus opened on hover in the Navigation block could not be dismissed with the Escape key.
- Release Date: 12th August 2026
- Security: Enhanced security on image processing REST API module.
- Release Date: 5th August 2026
- Tweak: Improved the unified licensing page experience.
- Fix: Restored support for custom design library locations.
- Fix: Resolved a JavaScript error that prevented Auto Spacing Under from working when the Advanced Header used a Transparent Header inside a block theme template.
- Fixed: Advanced Gallery Block - Resolved an issue where long captions stretched slides to the full container width in the Fluid Carousel gallery type when captions were set to display below the image.
Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog
Pros and cons
- Design freedom without a page builder
- A free tier you can trial before paying
- Actively maintained and used on production sites we test
- Many settings per block
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kadence Blocks | 4.8 | 4.8 (332) | Freemium | Design freedom without a page builder |
| GenerateBlocks | 4.9 | 4.9 (122) | Freemium | The smallest CSS footprint of any block library |
| 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 Kadence Blocks
Alternatives
Other blocks plugins
GenerateBlocks
Tom Usborne
Four lightweight core blocks that build almost any layout while adding almost no CSS to the page.
122 reviews · 3.8M downloads · v2.4.1
Otter Blocks
Themeisle
A block collection with conditional visibility, forms and dynamic content for full site editing themes.
249 reviews · 13.9M downloads · v3.2.5
ProductX
WPXPO
WooCommerce block builder for product grids, category layouts and store pages.