Elementor Critical Error with Both Elementor and Elementor Pro

When both Elementor (free) and Elementor Pro are active and you see a critical error or white screen, it's usually a version mismatch between the two plugins. Elementor Pro requires a specific minimum version of the free Elementor plugin to function, and updating one without the other causes fatal PHP errors.

01. Why This Happens

Elementor's free and Pro versions are tightly coupled. Elementor Pro hooks into the free version's core classes and functions. When the free version is updated and Pro isn't (or vice versa), the Pro plugin tries to call functions that don't exist or have changed signatures, causing a PHP fatal error.

The WordPress error log will typically show something like:

PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined method
Elementor\Core\Experiments\Manager::get_features()
in /home/user/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro/...

This can also trigger WordPress's built-in recovery mode, which sends an email with a recovery link and displays "There has been a critical error on this website."

02. Quick Fix

If you can still access the WordPress admin dashboard:

1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
2. Update Elementor (free) first - Click "Update now" if an update is available
3. Update Elementor Pro - Update to the latest version that matches the free version
4. Clear any caching - If you use a caching plugin or Cloudflare, purge the cache

03. If You Can't Access WordPress Admin

If the critical error prevents you from logging in:

Method 1: Rename the Pro Plugin via File Manager

1. Open cPanel > File Manager
2. Navigate to public_html/wp-content/plugins/
3. Rename elementor-pro to elementor-pro.bak
4. Log in to WordPress admin - The site should load with just the free Elementor active
5. Update Elementor free to the latest version
6. Rename elementor-pro.bak back to elementor-pro
7. Activate Elementor Pro in the Plugins page and update it

Method 2: Via SSH

# Deactivate Pro
mv ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro.bak

# Log in to WP admin and update free Elementor, then:
mv ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro.bak ~/public_html/wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro

Method 3: WordPress Recovery Mode

WordPress may email you a recovery link. Click it to access the admin panel in recovery mode, where you can deactivate the conflicting plugin and update.

04. Memory and PHP Issues

Elementor with Pro is memory-intensive. If you're getting critical errors that aren't version-related, check your PHP memory limit:

# Check current memory limit in wp-config.php
grep "WP_MEMORY_LIMIT" ~/public_html/wp-config.php

If it's set to 64M or 128M, increase it:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');

Also increase the PHP memory_limit in cPanel > Select PHP Version > PHP Options to at least 256M (Ultra Web Hosting servers default to 384M).

For general WordPress performance optimization with page builders, see our performance guide.

05. Prevention

Always update both plugins together - When you see an Elementor update, update the free version and Pro at the same time.

Keep your license active - An expired Elementor Pro license won't receive updates, causing version drift.

Test updates on a staging site - If your site is business-critical, test plugin updates on a copy first.

Keep backups - Our backup guide covers how to take a snapshot before making changes.

Quick Recap: Elementor Critical Error

1. Update both plugins - Free Elementor and Pro must be at compatible versions
2. Rename Pro to recover - Rename elementor-pro to .bak via File Manager if locked out
3. Check PHP memory - Elementor needs at least 256M
4. Keep license active - Expired Pro licenses don't receive updates
5. Backup before updating - Always have a restore point

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all WordPress articles