JetEngine is a worth trying plugin for anyone looking to create a dynamic website with WordPress. It is especially a suited option if you are an Elementor user although it is also compatible with Gutenberg and Bricks Builder.
With JetEngine, you can create custom dynamic content on your WordPress website. Be it custom fields or custom post types. You can then display the content on a page using dedicated elements it offers. JetEngine comes with several modules in which with them you can create dynamic calendar, custom profile, and more.
I have tried JetEngine and wanted to share with you my experience with it in this review post. JetEngine itself is compatible with Elementor, Gutenberg, and Bricks Builder. I didn’t test it on Bricks Builder, though. What I want to share here is based on my experience of trying JetEngine on Elementor.
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🤔 What is JetEngine? A Brief Intro
JetEngine is a WordPress plugin from Crocoblock. It is a plugin that allows you to create custom content on your WordPress website, much like ACF.
However, JetEngine comes with more features. Including a feature to create a dynamic calendar which you can implement on a website that displays event schedules.
JetEngine is a module-based plugin. The default setting of the plugin only allows you to create both custom post type and custom field.
To be able to create other dynamic content types, including dynamic calendar, you need to enable associated modules first.
There are 13 available modules you can enable, as you can use on the following screenshot.
You can simply enable a module you need to add a certain feature. Enabling a module is not necessary if you want to create a custom post type and custom field, though.
The ability to create custom post type and custom field are the core functionality of JetEngine so these features are mandatory instead of optional.
⏱️ When Was JetEngine Released?
The first version of JetEngine (version 1.1.0) was released on August 2018. Its initial release was only compatible with Elementor. But today, you can also use JetEngine on Gutenberg and Bricks Builder.
You can check the changelog of JetEngine on the official Crocoblock website here.
📚 What Features that JetEngine Offers?
JetEngine is a great plugin to create a dynamic website with WordPress. Mainly because it allows you to create and add dynamic content other than the default dynamic content of WordPress.
When when you pair it with Elementor — although you can also use it on Gutengberg and Bricks Builder — JetEngine can be a great no-code building tool. You don’t need to have programming background at all. You just need to understand basic concept in WordPress system such as custom field, post type, taxonomy, and so on.
As I mentioned above, the core functionality of JetEngine is to create both custom post type and custom field. After installing and activating the plugin, you can create either a custom post type or custom field without making any setting first.
Here are the notable features available in JetEngine.
1️⃣ Custom Post Type
In case you didn’t know it yet. In the context of WordPress, the term “custom post type” refers to a type of content that is not available in WordPress by default. As you know, there are only two content types you can create in WordPress by default:
- Post (blog post more precisely)
- Page
If you need to add other content types, product, for instance. You need to create a custom post type first.
In WordPress itself, there are always two options to achieve a thing: the manual way (requires programming knowledge, of course) and the plugin way. JetEngine is a plugin you can use for the latter option.
To create a new post type, you can go to JetEngine -> Post Types on your WordPress dashboard and click the Add New button. The process of creating a custom post type itself is quite easy if you have ever used a similar plugin like ACF and CPT UT before.
On the General Settings block, you can set basic settings such as post type name and post type slug. While on the Labels block, you can set the texts/labels you wish to see on the on the WordPress menus.
To add some advanced features to your custom post type, you can open the Advanced Settings block. From this block, you can set which components you want to add to your content editor.
There are other settings you can apply as well. Such as the menu position of the custom post type, menu icon, and more.
To better organize the content of your custom post types, JetEngine also allows you to create custom taxomonies (categories and tags). You can access this feature from JetEngine -> Taxonomies on your WordPress dashboard.
2️⃣ Custom Field
Still not familiar with the term “custom field”?
In the context of WordPress, a field refers to a part of content. Featured image, meta data (post date, author, etc.), and content body are example of fields.
What if you want to add a certain field that is not available in WordPress by default?
Already know the answer? Correct. You can create a custom field.
When you create a new custom post type in JetEngine, you can add custom fields by opening the Meta fields block.
What if you want to add custom fields to an existing post type? You can go to JetEngine -> Meta Boxes on your WordPress dashboard. From here, you can edit the existing fields and a new one one. To assign a custom field group to a certain post type, you can do it from the Visibility Conditions block.
🧩 What Field Types That Engine Supports?
JetEngine supports 18 custom field types as follows:
| Text | Media |
| Date | Gallery |
| Time | Radio |
| Date time | Repeater |
| Text area | Select |
| WYSIWYG | Number |
| Switcher | Colorpicker |
| Checkbox | Posts |
| Icon picker | HTML |
To keep your editor screen uncluttered, you can display a field only when the previous field is filled. You can apply this user experience as JetEngine comes with conditional logic feature.
3️⃣ Listing Builder
Since version 3.8, the pro version of Elementor already has a native loop builder feature which you can use to create a listing page. Before the feature is available, JetEngine was the go-to solution for anyone wanting to create a listing website with Elementor.
Still, Elementor’s native loop builder feature can’t completely replace JetEngine in this context as you still need to install an extra plugin to add custom fields to your listing item.
Listing builder itself is one of the default features in JetEngine. No need to enable a module to use it. If you use Elementor, you will find a Listing Grid widget on the widget panel. You can use it to pull the listing items you have added.
The process of creating a listing page with JetEngine involves three steps as follow:
- Creating a custom post type
- Creating a listing template
- Displaying the listing items
4️⃣ Dynamic Calendar
This feature is not enabled by default. You need to enable its module first to be able to use the feature. With the feature, you can create a dynamic calendar page on your website.
A calendar page is basically a listing page that is displayed in a calendar style. The process of creating a calendar page is no different to creating the listing page. First, you need to create a custom post type, complete with related fields such as date, time, location, etc.
Second, you need to create template for the calendar item. Lastly, you can display the calendar items using a dedicated Elementor widget (or block if you use Gutenberg).
After enabling the module, you will see a new widget called Calendar on your Elementor widget panel.
5️⃣ Maps Listing
Same as dynamic calendar above, map listing is also available as a module. In other words, you need to enable the module first before you can use it. The map listing feature is super useful if you want to create a property listing website with JetEngine.
After enabling the feature, you will see a new menu item on the JetEngine dashboard. From here, you can select a map provider and connect your website with it via API key.
While to display your listing items to a page, you have a widget called Map Listing.
The Map Listing module will display your listing item as a popup when you click the marker on the map.
The process of creating map listing itself is no different to calendar. First, you need to create the custom post type as well as the custom fields.
Then, you need to create the listing template. However, since the map is provided a third-party service, you need to connect it with your website first.
The map provider that JetEngine supports are:
- Google Maps
- Leaflet Maps
- Mapbox
6️⃣ Dynamic Visibility
Dynamic Visibility is the feature you can use to show or hide a certain element on your page. In Elementor, this feature works on all elements. From widget, column, section, to container if you use it.
You need to enable the Dynamic Visibility module inside the JetEngine dashboard before you can use the feature. After doing it, you will see a new settings block called Dynamic Visibility on the Advanced tab on the Elementor settings panel.
When you enable the Dynamic Visibility option, you can then select a condition type you want to apply (you can apply multiple conditions).
There are a bunch of conditions that JetEngine supports. From a basic condition like login status to advanced ones such as custom field value, post id, and WooCommerce product stock status. The last mentioned condition is useful to hide the add to chart button when the product is out of stock.
7️⃣ Profile Builder
The Profile Builder feature of JetEngine is super useful to create a user-generated content website with WordPress. With the feature, you can create a custom dashboard for your users in which they can take actions according what you allow. Such as adding new content, editing their profile, and so on.
Profile Builder is available as a module. So, you need to enable the module first before you can create a custom dashboard. The dashboard itself can be created with Elementor. You can incorporate this feature with custom fields.
To be honest, I haven’t further tried this feature. You can visit the official documentation from Crocoblock to learn more about it.
🎁 Other Features
In addition to the main features as I have elaborated above, there are also some handy features that JetEngine offers.
- Data Stores
This is a great feature to improve user experience on the website you are building. With the features, you can add a feature whereby your users or visitors can bookmark or like content on your website.
- QR Code
This feature allows you to convert a text placed to meta field into a QR code.
- Fullwidh Block Editor
If you build your website with Gutenberg, you can enable this feature to add an option to make a block fullwidth. This feature is especially useful if you use a theme that has no feature to add a fullwidth block.
- Rest API Listings
You can use this feature to display information from third-party REST API using the Listing Grid widget.
🦶🏻Legacy Feature
JetEngine comes with a super handy form builder feature. However, the feature is no longer updated. Crocoblock will only update this feature only if cricical bugs are found. Instead of updating this feature, Crocoblock decided to build another form builder plugin called JetFormBuilder. Sadly, the plugin only works on Gutenberg.
The legacy Form Builder feature of JetEngine itself is super handy to be incorporated with its Profile Builder. You can pair them to create features like front-end content submission, create a registration page, and so on.
Also, you can create an email opt-in form as it supports integration with email marketing platforms like MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, and GetResponse.
The feature itself supports the following form field types:
| Text | Date time |
| Text area | Calculated |
| Hidden | Media |
| Check boxes | WYSIWYG |
| Radio | Range |
| Number | Heading |
| Date | Ground break |
| Time |
While for the form action, the feature support the following:
- Send email
- Insert/update post
- Register new user
- Update user
- Update options
- Call a hook
- Call a webhook
- Redirect to page
- Send to Mailchimp
- Send to ActiveCampaign
- GetResponse
🔌 External Modules
In addition to the features I have mentioned above, JetEngine also offers other handy features such as dynamic table builder, dynamic chart builder, and so on. These features are available as an external modules.
A new plugin will be installed on your website for every external module you enable.
There are six external modules that JetEngine support as follows:
- Dynamic table builder
- Dynamic charts builder
- Attachment file link by ID
- Custom visibility conditions
- Trim string callback
- Post expiration period
👍🏻👎🏻 JetEngine Pros and Cons
From my perspective, JetEngine is a great plugin to create an advanced dynamic website with WordPress. There are multiple functionalities it offers in a single product. JetEngine — when paired with Elementor — can be a solution for those who want to develop a complex website yet have no programming background.
JetEngine, however, requires a purchase before you can use it. It doesn’t even offer free trial. It is probably the main reason why most WordPress users still prefer ACF if they need to add custom dynamic content to their website.
Here are some pros and cons of JetEngine I found.
👍🏻 Pros
As I have just said above. JetEngine is a great plugin to create a dynamic website. With it, you can create a complex website like a listing website, directory website, to membership website. No need to have programming background.
You just need to undersand some basic concept like custom fields, custom post type, custom taxonomies, and so on.
You can definitely use ACF — for free — to create the custom dynamic content like mentioned above. But there are some features in JetEngine that are not available in ACF. From profile builder, map listing, dynamic calendar, and more. Plus, you can create a form although the feature is no longer updated.
So, here are some JetEngine pros I found:
- Easy enough to learn
- Multiple functioanalities in a single product
- Super useful for no-code site building
- Extensive dynamic content support
👎🏻 Cons
I don’t use JetEngine these days as I prefer to use Divi for my new projects. JetEngine, as I mentioned in the opening section, only supports Elementor, Gutenberg, and Bricks Builder. I found it as a huge miss as Divi a popular enough page builder widely used by WordPress professionals. Including me, of course.
It would be great if Crocoblock extend the JetEngine support with more page builder plugins.
So, here are some JetEngine cons I found:
- Lack of page builder support
- Form builder feature is no longer update
💰 Pricing
There are two options you can choose to get JetEngine. First, you can use get as a separate plugin. Second, you can get it as a bundle. The separate plugin costs you $43 per year. While for the bundle option, you need to at least spend $199 per year. Depending on the plan you choose.
Whichever the option you coose, there is no different in terms of feature.
$43 per year itself is relatively low when compared to ACF or Toolset. For your information, the pro version of ACF costs you $49 per year, while Toolset costs you about $75 per year.
📝 The Verdict – Is JetEngine Worth Buying?
A quick answer to the above question is, yes. JetEngine is completely worth buying. But, I only recommend it if you plan to create a dynamic website that requires a specific page such as event calendar page and dynamic map. Also, I can recommend JetEngine if you need to create a custom dashboard or custom profile page on your website.
For basic custom content such as custom field and custom post type, the free version of ACF is more than enough. But keep in mind, if you use Elementor, you can only add custom field if you use the pro version.
On the other hand, you can add dynamic content — including custom fields — with JetEngine without needing to upgrade to Elementor Pro.
