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Free WordPress themes can be a life-saver when you do not have website and coding technical skills. Starting an online business is challenging enough, without having to incur unnecessary expenses, so even for a personal website, professionally designed free WordPress themes are designed to help make it easier for you.
Your website is the first impression you make on users and potential customers. Having a fantastic looking site that runs smoothly and represents your brand is a must. In this blog, we’re going to share our top 10 picks of the free WordPress themes available to help you create a professional, great looking website without the cost. These best free WordPress themes cater to a variety of industries, and website types so you can find one that will resonate with your customers and keep them coming back.
Why Use a Free WordPress Theme for Your Website?
First and most obviously, they allow you to create a professional-looking website without having to spend money on having a website designed. This is especially useful for small businesses or beginners needing personal sites.
Next, they are a fantastic way for beginners to learn how WordPress works and experiment with building and managing your website without the cost. From there, users can look at using a premium (paid) theme with more features as they become more proficient and need the extra functionality.
Lastly, many of the themes work for multiple website types while offering a range of design options and functions for blogs, e-commerce sites, and more. You can also find industry-specific themes to fit your niche such as health & wellness, food, design, podcasts and more.
Choosing a Free WordPress Theme for Your Website
There are thousands of free WordPress themes available. With so many to choose from, you need to choose what is best for your website and brand. Even though they don’t cost anything and are generally easy to use, you should still consider the time it takes to get your chosen theme up and running.
If you choose one that doesn’t suit your needs correctly, you’ll have to start all over again. This can lead to delays getting your site live and potentially lost traffic and sales. Your theme should have key features, balance functionality and aesthetics and give a seamless user experience.
Here are some factors to consider when selecting your theme:
Functionality
The theme should have the features and functionality that you need for your website and be compatible with the necessary plugins. For example, if you’re creating an online store, you’ll need a theme that supports e-commerce functionality and plugins like WooCommerce. You also need to ensure it is not outdated and compatible with the latest version of WordPress.
Design
The design of the theme should be visually appealing, customizable and match the content of your website and your brand. Additionally, your theme should be responsive and display correctly on multiple devices.
Speed
The theme should be lightweight and load quickly. Having a slow website can deter users and they may leave your site before it loads. Search engines also penalize slow websites, causing your site to potentially appear lower in search rankings.
Security and Credibility
Choose a theme from a trusted source. The themes available on the WordPress theme directory are tested and reviewed to make sure they are well coded and secure. This will help keep your website safe from hacking, data theft and malware. Lastly, it is always a good idea to look at the ratings and user reviews of a theme before you decide on it.
Support
The theme should have good support. If you encounter any issues, you should be able to get them resolved quickly by contacting the developer or through troubleshooting documents.
Where to Find Free WordPress Themes
The official WordPress Theme Directory is the most reliable source for free themes.
All the themes are reviewed and rigorously assessed by WordPress’s review team. They ensure themes meet WordPress’s strict coding standards and guidelines and support standard WordPress functionality.
Before they can get added to the directory they are checked for security and privacy and monitored for updates to remain compatible
You can also find themes directly from their developers. However, always use a theme from a reputable source to keep your website and users’ data secure.
Top 10 Free WordPress Themes
Neve
An excellent choice for those wanting a lightweight, easy to use and customize multi-purpose theme. It is responsive and performance optimized. It integrates well with WooCommerce and is perfect for e-commerce sites. Additionally, because of its versatility, it’s also ideal for blogs, small businesses and startups thanks to its versatility.
GeneratePress
A lightweight, mobile-first theme that focuses on performance, speed, and user-experience. It offers a wide variety of layout and design options. Perfect for those just starting out and looking for a fast, versatile website that delivers.
Spectra One
Another great all-rounder. Spectra One is a block theme fully compatible with WordPress’s new Site Editor. Its drag & drop functionality allows for quick, easy websites with a modern, professional look and feel.
Astra
Another amazing theme from the team at Brainstorm Force. Astra offers super-fast speeds and built-in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) coding to help with search engine visibility. A huge library of templates, in addition to its versatility and functionality makes it an ideal choice for everything from blogs to business sites.
OceanWP
Known for its fast loading time, features and customization options and SEO-friendliness, OceanWP helps create stunning, responsive websites. It offers seamless integration with plugins like WooCommerce and Elementor and is also great for developers thanks to its additional advanced features.
Hestia
A sleek one-page theme that is versatile enough for any type of website that comes with a vast selection of customization options. It boasts high performance while being easy to use thanks to its dashboard, live editing, and centralized customization.
Storefront
Created by the team behind WooCommerce, this is the ideal choice for an e-commerce site thanks to its seamless WooCommerce integration. It comes with a range of color and layout options, widgets, and responsive design. A great starting point for WordPress and WooCommerce beginners.
Sydney
A business-oriented theme offering premium features for free. Sydney is fast and fully compatible with Elementor and offers plenty of customization possibilities including: all Google Fonts, intuitive layout presets and flexible controls, and more.
Ashe
Our choice for the best blog theme. Its’ beautiful layout, powerful customization, and host of features usually not available in other blog themes make this one a must for bloggers looking for a website that will keep users reading and coming back for more.
Blocksy
We saved the best for last. Blocksy has a near perfect review score thanks to its powerful features and user-friendly interface. It offers a wide range of customization and layout options giving you complete control of your site’s look and feel. It is responsive, adaptable, SEO-optimized with WooCommerce built in making it ideal for any type of website.
Themes and WordPress Hosting
Even the best WordPress website theme needs somewhere to live. For your website to be accessible on the internet, it needs to be hosted on a server. WordPress Hosting is specifically designed and optimized for the needs of WordPress sites, which can lead to better performance and loading speeds.
Hosted.com’s WordPress Hosting servers have been optimized for the WordPress platform to ensure that your website loads quickly, stays up, and your data is secure.
When it comes to changing your theme, you need a way to keep your site live while you work in the background.
Included in our Managed WordPress Hosting Plans is a Staging Environment*. While you experiment with customizing your theme you can duplicate your WordPress website to a staging area. Here you can change and update your site without worrying about your site being down or having technical issues. When you’re done, clone your staging environment back to your live site.
If you choose an e-commerce or business theme, our servers are tuned to give you and your customers a seamless WooCommerce experience. Finally, we take care of the back end for you, from theme and plugin updates, server maintenance, backups, and a free SSL Certificate*. Contact your Sales Team to find out more about Hosted.com’s WordPress Hosting Plans.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Free WordPress themes are great for designing and managing several types of websites without upfront investment for beginners and small businesses.
- Consider all the aspects of what your website needs before choosing a theme. Take function, design, performance, and security into account.
- Our Top 10 WordPress themes list can help you see what options available and which theme is best for your site.
- Using dedicated WordPress hosting will help your website and chosen theme run at its best. Using a WordPress Staging Area lets you make changes safely without affecting a live site.
How Do I Download Free WordPress Themes?
What is the Difference Between WordPress Themes and Templates?
How Do I Install a WordPress Theme?
Can I Customize My WordPress Theme?
Do WordPress Themes Need Coding?
How Many Themes Can You Use in WordPress?
Other Blogs of Interest:
– What Is WordPress Hosting? Definition, Features & Benefits
– A Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Hosting – Part 1
– A Beginner’s Guide to WordPress Hosting – Part 2
– How Long Does It Take To Build A Website With WordPress
– Web Hosting for WordPress Website – 6 Helpful Tips
DISCLAIMER: Any opinions expressed herein, are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the website, the company, or its employees and affiliates. E&OE
- About the Author
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Rhett isn’t just a writer at Hosted.com – he’s our resident WordPress content guru. With over 6 years of experience as a content writer, with a background in copywriting, journalism, research, and SEO, and a passion for websites.
Rhett authors informative blogs, articles, and Knowledgebase guides that simplify the complexities of WordPress, website builders, domains, and cPanel hosting. Rhett’s clear explanations and practical tips provide valuable resources for anyone wanting to own and build a website. Just don’t ask him about coding before he’s had coffee.