Divi Essential is a third-party add-on by Divi Next that bolts 109+ extra modules onto the Divi builder. The headline feature in the current release is a Vertical Menu module with four distinct layouts — the kind of navigation that normally means custom CSS and a bad afternoon.
The full count: 109+ modules, 28+ extensions, 720+ layouts and 40+ templates. Those numbers are impressive and also slightly beside the point, which I'll get to.
TL;DR: Divi Essential adds 109+ modules and 28+ extensions to Divi 5, headlined by a Vertical Menu module with Classic List, Accordion, Collapsible Sidebar and Flyout layouts, plus Max Depth and ARIA Label controls. $79 for an Unlimited license. Worth it if you repeatedly need modules Divi lacks — not worth it for module count alone.
The Vertical Menu Module: Four Layouts
This is the piece doing the heavy lifting, because vertical navigation in stock Divi is genuinely fiddly.
| Layout | Best for |
|---|---|
| Classic List | Simple stacked links, sidebars, footers |
| Accordion | Deep hierarchies where sections expand in place |
| Collapsible Sidebar | Documentation and app-style navigation |
| Flyout | Compact menus where submenus slide out on demand |
The controls that matter:
- Max Depth — limits how many hierarchy levels render, so a sprawling WordPress menu doesn't dump five levels into a sidebar
- Trigger and Open Behavior — click or hover, and whether opening one section closes the others
- Default State — which items start open on page load
- ARIA Label — an actual accessibility field, which is more than a lot of menu plugins bother with
That last one deserves credit. A vertical menu without a proper accessible name is a navigation region that screen reader users have to guess at. Including the field by default is the right call.
What Else Is in the Box
The 28+ extensions cover the usual add-on territory: animation and interaction helpers, shape and divider tools, tooltip and popup behaviour, and assorted display conditions. The 720+ layouts and 40+ templates are the starter-content side of the package.
Pricing: the Unlimited license is $79, covering unlimited sites. That's set by Divi Next, not Elegant Themes — worth noting if you're comparing it against Divi's own pricing tiers, which are a separate purchase entirely.
Who Actually Needs a Divi Add-On
Be honest about which group you're in.
Buy it if:
- You build sites with complex vertical or app-style navigation regularly
- You keep writing the same custom CSS to fake a module Divi doesn't ship
- You want starter layouts as a jumping-off point rather than a blank canvas
- You bill for the time you'd otherwise spend rebuilding the same component
Skip it if:
- You build a handful of fairly standard sites a year
- You haven't yet learned what Divi 5 does natively
- You're buying it because 109 sounds better than 40
Don't Install Divi Essential If…
Here's my one strong opinion: module count is the worst possible reason to buy a Divi add-on.
I've built over 100 Divi sites, and across all of them I've used maybe fifteen distinct module types. Fifteen. Section, Row, Text, Heading, Image, Button, Blurb, Accordion, Tabs, Gallery, Contact Form, Menu, Slider, Video, Code. That's a full portfolio site, a full ecommerce site, and a full documentation site.
So when a plugin advertises 109 modules, what it's really offering is 94 modules you will never place on a page — plus the two or three you'll place on every page. The maths only works if you know which two or three you need before you pay.
The honest test: name the module you're buying it for. Out loud. If the answer is "advanced vertical navigation, because I've hand-coded it three times this year," that's a $79 purchase that pays for itself on the next project. If the answer is "it looks comprehensive," close the tab.
And the performance note, since nobody selling add-ons leads with it: every add-on adds code. Install what you use, benchmark afterwards, and uninstall plugins whose modules aren't on any page. That's not a knock on Divi Essential specifically — it's true of every builder extension, including the ones I do install. Run a speed pass after adding anything, not before.
Third-Party Modules and Long-Term Maintenance
One more thing to weigh: a page built with third-party modules depends on that third party continuing to exist and continuing to support new Divi releases.
Divi Essential is built for Divi 5 and its modules appear in the Divi 5 Visual Builder alongside native ones, so compatibility today is fine. But if you build a client's entire navigation on a third-party module, you've handed part of that site's future to another company's roadmap.
My rule: use third-party modules freely for decoration, cautiously for structure, and think hard before using them for navigation — because navigation is the one thing that can't degrade gracefully.
Straight Answers
What is Divi Essential? A Divi Next add-on adding 109+ modules, 28+ extensions, 720+ layouts and 40+ templates to Divi.
Is it compatible with Divi 5? Yes — the modules appear in the Divi 5 Visual Builder alongside native ones.
What does the Vertical Menu module do? Vertical navigation in four layouts (Classic List, Accordion, Collapsible Sidebar, Flyout) with Max Depth, trigger, open behavior and ARIA Label controls.
How much is it? $79 for the Unlimited license, covering unlimited sites. Priced by Divi Next.
Do I need it if I have Divi 5? Not necessarily. Divi 5 covers most layout needs. Add-ons pay off when you repeatedly need a module Divi lacks.
Do third-party modules slow a site down? They add code. Install only what you use and audit performance afterwards.
The Last Word
Divi Essential is a solid add-on, and the Vertical Menu module is a genuinely useful piece of engineering with accessibility taken seriously. If vertical navigation is a recurring problem in your work, $79 is cheap.
Just buy it for the module you can name, not for the number on the sales page. Divi 5 already does more natively than most people have explored, and the cheapest add-on is the one you didn't need.
If you're not sure whether your build needs an add-on or just needs restructuring, ask me — I'll usually tell you to skip the plugin, which is a terrible business model and an excellent answer.
This is a summary of Elegant Themes' original post, "Divi 5 Product Highlight: Divi Essential". All credit for the original content goes to Elegant Themes.