The database cost builders hide: revision bloat
Builder data lives in the database, and builders generate revisions aggressively. A heavily-edited Elementor or Divi page can stack hundreds of full-page-data revisions in postmeta, ballooning the table.
This isn't front-end weight — it's slow autosaves, bloated backups, and laggy admin queries. Check wp_postmeta size; on old builder sites it's frequently the biggest table.
Pros (revision systems):
— Genuine undo safety net across sessions
Cons:
— Builders store full layout data per revision, not diffs
— Postmeta bloat slows backups and admin queries over time
Verdict: cap revisions in wp-config (WP_POST_REVISIONS) and clean periodically — builders won't do it for you.
Best for: long-lived sites where the database has quietly grown faster than the content justifies.
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The database cost builders hide: revision bloat
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