Source: https://divicake.com/blog/5-reasons-might-choose-extra-divi/ [Blog](https://divicake.com/blog/)/[Tips & Tricks](https://divicake.com/category/tips-tricks/) # 5 Reasons You Might Choose Extra over Divi By Divi Cake·23 August 2017·Updated 5 September 2026·4 min read 5 Reasons You Might Choose Extra over Divi We may earn a commission from affiliate links in this post. [Disclosure policy](https://divicake.com/affiliate-disclosure-policy/) On this page - [1. Category Builder](https://divicake.com#1-category-builder) - [2. Blog Post Features](https://divicake.com#2-blog-post-features) - [Review Box](https://divicake.com#review-box) - [Share and Rate](https://divicake.com#share-and-rate) - [Next and Previous Links](https://divicake.com#next-and-previous-links) - [Author Box](https://divicake.com#author-box) - [Related Posts](https://divicake.com#related-posts) - [Extra Settings for Posts and Pages](https://divicake.com#extra-settings-for-posts-and-pages) - [3. Header Elements](https://divicake.com#3-header-elements) - [4. Mega Menu](https://divicake.com#4-mega-menu) - [5. Custom Widgets](https://divicake.com#5-custom-widgets) - [What About Divi Child Themes, Plugins, and Layouts?](https://divicake.com#what-about-divi-child-themes-plugins-and-layouts) - [Ending Thoughts](https://divicake.com#ending-thoughts) [Divi](https://divicake.com/go/divi/) is an excellent theme that can build practically any type of website you could ever need, but Elegant Themes has another theme called [Extra](https://divicake.com/go/divi-extra-theme-for-magazine/) that is often overlooked. Divi and Extra both use the Divi Builder, but Extra has a few additional features that might make you choose it instead. In this article we’ll take a look at 5 reasons you might choose Extra over Divi. 5 Reasons You Might Choose Extra over Divi: the key points at a glance Images for the examples were taken from Unsplash.com. ## 1. Category Builder The Category Builder lets you build your homepage using specialized category modules. This is great for magazine or blog layouts, or any type of layout where you want to display blocks of posts with specific categories. Just as with any page or post, you can display the sidebar on the right, left, or choose no sidebar. Category Builder modules include posts, blog feed masonry, blog feed standard, featured posts slider, posts carousel, tabbed posts, ads, images, text, and code. Multiple modules can be used within your layouts with specific categories chosen for each, creating some interesting magazine and blog layouts. Lots of pre-made layouts are included to help you get started. Just like using the standard Divi Builder you can easily rearrange the modules, duplicate them, change the columns in a row, etc. It can also display specialty sections. Comparison of Divi and Extra themes for WordPress, highlighting Extra’s specialized features for blogs and magazines. Extra offers unique benefits over the Divi Theme for those focused on content-rich sites This is one of the built-in layouts. Simply choose your categories and you’re done. Of course you can easily modify the layout to make it your own. The default category for the Category Builder is optimized for blogging and creates an elegant blog homepage. ## 2. Blog Post Features Extra has several blog post features to make your posts stand out and look great, including the standard Divi post formats plus a new one for maps, sharing buttons, navigation, author box, related posts, and a review system for product reviews. Here’s a look at each of the blogging features. These features appear on each post by default unless you choose the disable them on a specific post. ### Review Box The Review Box allows you to create your own review structure and include a score for each element of the structure. This displays under the text of the post. It gives an overall score from the individual scores you’ve provided. It adds a score to the featured image. The score includes a line that works as a bar graph, providing the number and a visual indication of the product’s score. ### Share and Rate The bottom of the post (or under the Review Box if you’re using it) includes social sharing buttons and star ratings where readers can share and rate your posts. The ratings are displayed within the post’s meta on both the homepage and within the post itself. ### Next and Previous Links Next and Previous buttons display under the share and rate links. They provide the names of the posts as well as buttons with arrows and labels. ### Author Box Next is an Author Box. The content for the Author Box comes from the user’s profile. ### Related Posts Divi and Extra themes both use Divi Builder; Extra includes additional unique features Related posts are displayed under the Author Box in each post. It displays the featured image, title, and publish date. ### Extra Settings for Posts and Pages You can customize the sidebars for each post and page individually. Post settings let you choose the sidebar location (right, left, or no sidebar), the sidebar/widget area to display, set as featured post, and select features to hide. Page settings include a sidebar location for right, left, or none, which sidebar to display, and hide meta. Other features include redesigned WooCommerce integration for nicer product pages, 8 page templates, and more. ## 3. Header Elements Header Elements add a bar across the top and includes social icons, search bar, and a trending bar. You can enable or disable them individually. The menu for your pages is added to this top bar if you choose to use the bar. ## 4. Mega Menu Easily create a mega menu to display recent or featured posts. It includes the featured image, meta, large images for the two latest posts, and thumbnails for the others. ## 5. Custom Widgets Extra includes 9 custom widgets for displaying ads, authors, login, recent comments, post, reviews, tweets, videos, and social follows. Most are standard (recent comments), but some are highly specialized (recent videos or tweets). ## What About Divi Child Themes, Plugins, and Layouts? Divi does have the advantage of having lots of [third-party child themes](https://divicake.com/products/category/divi-child-themes/) and [plugins](https://divicake.com/products/category/divi-plugins/), but Extra has more out of the box and any customizations you can make to Divi can be made to Extra. [Divi layouts](https://divicake.com/products/category/divi-layouts/) that only require the Divi Builder also work with Extra, so a lot of third-party designs can be used with your Extra website. ## Ending Thoughts Divi is a great choice for an all-purpose theme, but Extra is more focused on blogs and magazines – providing features you don’t get with Divi. If you’re building a blog or magazine, these features alone might be enough to choose Extra over Divi. We’d like to hear from you. Do you use Extra instead of Divi? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. ## Written by Divi Cake Divi 5 tutorials, layouts and fixes from the team that builds Divi sites every week. - [About Divi Cake](https://divicake.com/about/) ## Get the Divi Cake newsletter New Divi tutorials and Divi Cake product news, by email. First name (optional)Email Company website SubscribeSubscribeSubscribe Unsubscribe any time. [Privacy policy](https://divicake.com/privacy/) The sign-up form needs JavaScript for its spam check. Almost done. Click the link in the email we just sent to confirm your subscription. If you are already subscribed, there is nothing more to do. ## Submit a comment Comments are read before they appear. Your email is not published. 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