Make sure you choose your WordPress theme BEFORE you start creating your site. Here’s why…
Are you getting ready to create a website?
The biggest mistake you can make is choosing the wrong WordPress theme 😱
If you make this mistake, here’s what will happen:
- You build your WordPress site with the wrong theme (without realizing it)
- Oops! After several days of work, you change your mind…
- You think you can change the WordPress theme with just a few clicks!?
- Oh no! The dream becomes a nightmare… EVERYTHING has to be redone because your site is completely broken due to residual data from the previous theme (WordPress shortcodes, etc…) 😮
Your time is valuable…
So it’s vital to take the time necessary to choose the best WordPress theme from the get go! This is exactly why I’ve put together this list of the Top 25 Best WordPress Themes.
This ranking is the most detailed one you’ll find:
- genuine ranking by global popularity (data from the WPTD)
- real detailed opinions (no copy-pasted descriptions)
- Top 25 constantly updated (to reflect reality in 2022)
Here you’ll find the actual 25 most-used WordPress themes in the world, and those most beloved among the community of WordPress users.
Most of these themes are « multi-purpose »!
« Multi-purpose » means « multi-use ». In other words, most of the suggested themes below adapt to your project’s topic, as they include dozens (or even hundreds) of different designs, that can be imported with just a click, like in Divi… lovely, isn’t it? 🙂
What are the 25 best WordPress themes?
Top 25 WordPress themes ranked by popularity, with my detailed reviews…
1. Genesis
My review of Genesis from StudioPress
The Genesis framework is primarily intended for Web integrators who are experts in personalizing child themes, PHP, CSS, etc. It allows web designers to create customized WordPress themes that are very lightweight (rapid), while still adhering to WordPress standards.
While their full-option package includes a dozen sober and professional child themes, it’s not a ‘theme’ in the graphic sense of the word (in my opinion). Instead of including an advanced page builder like Divi or Elementor, it instead provides a block editor, Genesis Blocks Pro, which is more comparable to Gutenberg, WordPress’ new default editor (as of WordPress 5.0, early 2019).
Genesis is more a good base for doing custom work. This WordPress framework is ideal for you if you have high performance standards, and are skilled in CSS, PHP and WordPress Codex.
Pros of Genesis
If you have good web development skills, this will be a fairly solid theme that will adapt to all your projects.
Cons of Genesis
More of a framework than a WordPress theme, Genesis is fairly complex to get the hang of. Plus, it comes with a fairly high price tag.
2. Divi
My review of Divi by Elegant Themes
A theme that’s complete, modern, simple and powerful!
Each of us needs a functional and reliable theme, that we can count on in the long run.
Thanks to its page builder, Divi Builder, this theme is also accessible for beginner webmasters who aren’t necessarily skilled in web design (CSS, HTML, JavaScript, etc.).
Divi allows you to create modern sites and pages that can be edited using click-and-drag. Everything can be done using a simple, powerful, and visual graphic interface:
- configuration of theme options
- page building (Page Builder)
- customization of post page/template headers/footers (Theme builder)
Thanks to a WordPress code perfectly written by the Divi team (Elegant Themes), this theme (and the child theme) is also a breeze to personalize for Web integrators, and web designers experienced in PHP, WordPress Codex, etc.
Something I know a little about 🙂
With a simple Google search, you can find a snippet of PHP code for even the most specific need, that you can simply copy-paste into your functions.php file… Piece of cake!
Thanks to Divi, it’s been a very long time since I’ve had to break my teeth on WordPress themes that don’t adhere to WordPress standards.
Pros of Divi
This theme is extremely easy to get a handle of over time. Divi is the ideal solution for beginners. It contains hundreds of designs that can be adapted to all types of websites.
Cons of Divi
Getting started with Divi can be a bit bewildering for Web integrators who are used to ThemeForest. You’ll have to keep an open mind to get used to Divi’s structure.
Still not convinced?
Take a look at over 230 magnificent page layouts that are included with Divi for free, then come and tell me these graphic templates aren’t incredible! 😀
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Divi for free
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3. Newspaper tagDiv
My review of Newspaper by tagDiv
This is a theme to strongly consider for a blog or news magazine. It’s a direct competitor of the Extra theme by Elegant Themes (which is included with the Divi license). It’s the best seller of all time in ThemeForest’s Blog and Magazines themes category.
This theme was created in 2013 and is regularly updated. Over 120 prepackaged “demo” web designs are included in this theme, as well as some original functionalities such as the Opt-in Builder with Locked Content. This function allows you to create articles that are only visible to your e-mail list subscribers.
Newspaper‘s page builder is called the “tagDiv composer” and the team has also integrated the WPBakery builder. I can’t really recommend these solutions over a Divi Builder or an Elementor. But maybe for a news site, you don’t need a landing page builder?
The Newspaper theme is sometimes labelled “too complex” and issues of slowness have sometimes been raised by the community, even with high-performing web hosting solutions.
Nevertheless, it remains a good theme with lots of functionalities and detailed documentation that must be read in order to master all the functionalities.
Pros of Newspaper
Newspaper is a rapid theme that’s SEO-friendly and compatible with WooCommerce, and offers excellent technical support.
Cons of Newspaper
Some clients have complained about the tagDiv Composer’s lack of flexibility on ThemeForest.
4. Avada
My review of Avada by ThemeFusion
Avada is one of the most popular themes on the Envato marketplace, with over 730,000 sales on ThemeForest.
Avada is intended to be extremely flexible, even without a knowledge of code (lots of settings).
It includes over 120 prepackaged “design” demos, and dozens (hundreds? thousands? millions?) of graphics customization options 😀 You just have to click on your interface to change the appearance of your site.
Alas, all of this makes the theme very heavy, at all levels, despite Avada’s recent efforts to mitigate this. In other words, it’s difficult to create a minimalist site based on Avada.
Another difficulty often raised with this theme is that just to change a font size, color, etc., it takes 10 minutes of searching for the right setting.
That being said, the very affordable price tag may be enough to win you over.
Pros of Avada
Thanks to its variety of pre-packaged templates, this theme works for almost any kind of website.
Cons of Avada
Avada’s vast number of options makes it a more complex theme to get the hang of.
5. Astra
My review of Astra by Brainstorm Force
This theme deserves your full attention.
Developed by Brainstorm, a highly-skilled team of Indian developers… Astra, is the upstart no one saw coming!
With the first version launched barely 4 years ago (September, 2017), the then-unknown WP theme blew all previous growth records out of the water. It’s unstoppable… it’s now reached 5th place! 😮
Like GeneratePress, it’s a “freemium” theme, with both free and paid options. As a result, it now has over 1 MILLION active installations! 😮
Lacking inspiration for your web design? No worries, the theme allows you to import over 180 pre-packaged templates.
And as if this isn’t impressive enough… you can install your favorite Page Builder, such as BeaverBuilder, Brizy, Divi, Elementor or Gutenberg. But above all, this theme is truly lightweight, especially if you stick with WordPress’ basic builder, Gutenberg.
Pros of Astra
The free version of Astra has exploded over the last 3 years, making it one of the most popular themes. Over 1 million people can’t be wrong.
Cons of Astra
The paid version of this theme is a bit more expensive than the other themes in this list.
6. Flatsome
My review of Flatsome by UX-themes
This one is a bit of a dinosaur… The theme was created back in 2013, and has seen fewer updates than the themes above. However its age automatically means it’s proven to be a reliable and durable solution over the long-term.
Flatsome is a theme specializing in e-commerce, and ranks highest on ThemeForest. Many of its functionalities are synced to WooCommerce: live search engine, add to card, favorite products, etc. This allows you to create an online shop that rivals even the largest e-commerce sites.
While all the themes above are compatible with and optimized for WooCommerce, this theme in particular should interest you if you intend to launch an online shop.
You can install a number of different styles (demo content) with a single click, including over 300 pre-packaged sections and layouts.
Flatsome has its own builder… Its front-end page builder is fairly simple to use, though I personally tend to prefer Divi Builder 🙂 But keep in mind that if you choose this theme, you’ll be stuck with this Page Builder (lock-in effect). It’s not an interchangeable builder like Divi or Elementor. So think carefully before you decide to build your entire site with Flatsome, but remember it is an excellent e-commerce (WooCommerce) theme, with over 170,000 sales and counting on ThemeForest!
Pros of Flatsome
Flatsome includes some beautiful designs that allow you to personalize each section of your site (header, footer, contact form, CTA, etc.).
Cons of Flatsome
This theme is specifically designed for online shops, so it isn’t really suitable for showcase sites.
7. Enfold
My review of Enfold by Kriesi.at
Up until 2016, this was my second-favorite theme, simply due to its simplicity and lightness. But today, I only use Divi.
Enfold has really earned its position in 7th place of the most popular WordPress themes.
It includes several simplistic but excellent demos. Remember that this theme’s primary feature is remaining simple and lightweight. Created in 2013, the theme is still actively maintained and supported by its team. And its popularity has remained stable over the years.
The support forum is very responsive and already chock-full of super insightful information.
Enfold is particularly useful if you’re looking to create clean, very lightweight sites! The sites load very rapidly.
Enfold is much easier to get the hang of than its big brother, Avada, for example. It’s also priced lower than Divi if you start out with WordPress, which many will find attractive…
Pros of Enfold
Enfold is a lightweight theme that guarantees high performance on your site.
Cons of Enfold
Enfold’s pre-built templates are fairly simplistic and the theme has no built-in page builder.
8. Betheme
My review of Betheme by Muffin Group
Probably one of the themes with the most graphic demos included (over 600!!). This would be useful for freelancers creating websites for clients across a variety of industries, for example.
No web design knowledge or even inspiration is required to create a wide variety of site designs 🙂 And it’s easy to personalize little details with this theme.
The theme was created in 2014, and is regularly updated, with efficient, responsive customer support.
BeTheme is fully compatible with the Elementor page builder.
This theme could easily be ranked higher in this list, if we weren’t ranking by popularity.
If you enjoy Elementor, give BeTheme a try, it deserves it!
Pros of BeTheme
If you plan to create an online shop, BeTheme includes a large number of very advanced functionalities that allow you to take your e-commerce to the next level.
Cons of BeTheme
Some clients have lamented that it can be a bit difficult to get the hang of BeTheme as a beginner.
9. Sahifa
My review of Sahifa by TieLabs
This theme was created in 2012, and it’s still around! Come on! I have to admit I was shocked at its ranking given the competition it has.
Sahifa is a clean, modern, ergonomic, quick-loading, customizable, flexible, and functional theme for news sites, magazines and blogs.
The theme is updated a few times a year.
Many (too many?) settings are accessible via the WordPress dashboard.
The theme has its own dedicated WordPress widgets.
The theme also has its own Page Builder (watch out for the lock-in effect, choose carefully). The page builder is not particularly advanced. The theme is compatible with WooCommerce, but offers a fairly limited number of “graphic styles”.
Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that the development team does seem to be responsive and efficient.
This theme’s strength seems to be the ability to easily create blogs and e-magazines in different alphabets & scripts (such as Arabic).
Pros of Sahifa
This theme is compatible with the Arabic script, which is a feature rare enough to be worth highlighting.
Cons of Sahifa
Sahifa has almost no pre-packaged designs included.
10. OceanWP
My review of OceanWP by Nicolas Lecocq (a French developer based near Geneva)
You’ve probably heard of OceanWP. It’s a theme that’s grown and grown in popularity, year after year.
The theme is fairly recent (2017) and its popularity is mainly due to being a freemium. A free version is offered on WordPress.org. Of course, for professional use, you’ll need to purchase the premium version.
The theme is easy to install (built-in setup wizard) and easily customizable via the WordPress dashboard. It loads rapidly and is nicely optimized for SEO. It is frequently updated, well-documented, and comes with strong technical support for premium clients.
As with Divi, premium clients receive a lifetime license (paid for once, for life), which is a big improvement over recurring payments.
Pros of OceanWP
What makes OceanWP unique is that it’s compatible with almost any page builder.
Cons of OceanWP
Based on some client reviews, it seems that a number of premium extensions are required for the theme to function properly, even with the free version.
11. Salient
My review of Salient by ThemeNectar
Salient is also an excellent theme, very visual, and also ideal for online WooCommerce shops.
It includes a number of great demos.
It is, without a doubt, one of the best WordPress themes out there.
However, the page builder and installation of “demo styles” remain fairly complex. You have to meticulously follow the documentation provided, and get used to the Salient universe. But when you see the finished product of sites created with Salient, the effort will likely seem worth it… 🙂
The theme’s popularity has dipped a bit this year compared to its competitors, but it is very well supported and updated by its development team.
If you manage to immerse yourself in the Salient universe, you’ll come out with beautiful, highly graphical sites, and you’ll likely be won over for life.
Pros of Salient
Salient includes pre-packaged designs that are highly-advanced visually.
Cons of Salient
However, Salient’s prebuilt templates are quite difficult to import and get the hang of.
12. Bridge
My review of Bridge by QODE
Created in 2014, Bridge is a Retina Ready theme, suitable for all WordPress site types. It is based on the powerful (and flexible) framework developed by QODE.
Like Avada, some will say its number of theme options make it too complex, especially with regard to initial installation. It’s important to consult the documentation carefully.
The theme is compatible with the WPBakery (Visual Composer) and Elementor page builders.
The Bridge theme is still regularly updated by its team.
Check out the demos available for import to see if one of them corresponds to your WordPress project.
Pros of Bridge
This WordPress theme comes with very detailed documentation and responsive, efficient technical support. A great way to get started with WordPress.
Cons of Bridge
Based on the reviews on ThemeForest, some clients seem somewhat disappointed with the theme’s user experience. It would seem it can be a bit more complex to get the hang of compared to other themes.
13. The7
My review of The7 by Dream Theme
This theme used to use “Visual Composer” as its page builder. But alas, it’s a difficult page builder to master.
However, like many others, The7 has adapted to be perfectly compatible with Elementor and Gutenberg.
It has a few too many “technical” options, but this flaw is easily mitigated by simply launching the built-in “design assistant”, which will help you personalize your site.
The theme was launched in 2013, and has been quite well-maintained so far. However some users have complained about the slowness of theme when it comes to loading pages. So test it out first.
Pros of The7
The7 is a very popular theme with an affordable price tag, which makes it perfect for your first digital project.
Cons of The7
Some clients on ThemeForest have complained of a certain lack of flexibility with this theme.
14. Hello Elementor
My review of Hello Elementor
This is by far the WordPress theme with the highest market penetration… In other words, Hello Elementor made the greatest leap in this ranking of best WordPress themes of 2022. Last year (in early 2021), this theme didn’t even appear among the official ranking of the top 25 most popular themes! So to jump straight to the number 14 spot, ahead of hundreds of other well-established themes, is no ordinary feat! For example, Elegant Themes‘ Extra magazine theme tops out at the #45 spot (so it doesn’t even appear in the ranking). And yet it’s the theme I’ve used for this blog for years, and I can vouch for its high quality.
Of course, Hello Elementor’s phenomenal success is due to the page builder of the same name. In fact, the Elementor page builder is the 2nd most popular one on the market, right after Divi.
So to what does Elementor owe its success? Of course, it’s thanks to its high-quality page builder, but it’s also because it’s a Freemium. Ever since Elementor arrived on the market, WordPress users have access to an excellent page builder for free, whereas previously, page builders of this quality were always paid.
Of course, Elementor’s developers aren’t here for free handouts, and you will be encouraged to switch to the Pro (paid) version to enjoy all of the tool’s functionalities.
As you can see, the Hello Elementor theme is mainly reserved for fans of the Elementor page builder. It’s ultra-light and minimalist, and above all, it’s free and open source. Which is likely what attracted the thousands of developers who have been won over by Elementor.
Pros of Elementor
Very rapid theme, ideal for fans of the Elementor page builder.
Cons of Elementor
Elementor PRO drastically increased its prices in March of 2021, which caused quite a stir on TrustPilot.
15. Jupiter
My review of Jupiter by Artbees
This WordPress theme offers gorgeous, modern effects that will leave you spellbound, yet remains clean, professional, sober, and readable.
Originally, its “Visual Composer” page builder was fairly difficult to get the hang of, especially compared to competitors like Divi Builder. Jupiter was really geared towards experienced Web integrators, not beginners.
Today, the theme has been updated. It is 100% compatible with the Elementor page builder, and it is fairly regularly updated on ThemeForest.
Impressively, this theme offers over 450 graphic styles for importing into WordPress.
But be careful, I’ve noticed several responsive design bugs on my end (mainly mobile compatibility) with certain imported designs.
Pros of Jupiter
Jupiter includes tons of premium plugins, pre-packaged templates, and shines as a theme that allows you to create a perfect site, down the last pixel.
Cons of Jupiter
Some clients on ThemeForest have complained of bugs that the technical support team is taking their time fixing.
16. The X Theme
My review of X by Themeco
Like many of the themes in this list, X was created in 2013, but remains regularly updated. Thanks to this steady maintenance, the X theme is another modern WordPress theme with eye-catching designs, that’s earned its place in this ranking.
X Theme’s success comes from its many premium plugins (included “for free” in its package): ACF Pro, Content Dock, ConvertPlus, Custom 404, Disqus Comments, Email Forms, Envira Gallery, Essential Grid, Estimation & Payment Forms, Facebook Comments, Google Analytics, LayerSlider, Modern Events Calendar, Olark Integration, Slider Revolution, Smooth Scroll, Exclusive!, Snippet and Soliloquy! 😮
Not to mention a very good front-end visual page builder.
Some will say this makes it a ‘gas guzzler’ (it’s not exactly a minimalist theme), but others will enjoy the wide variety of free premium plugins 😉
Pros of X
The X theme includes a certain number of premium plugins that let you create a top-notch site in terms of functionalities (popups, sliders, etc.)
Cons of X
This theme is harder to get the hang of if you’re a beginner with WordPress.
17. Twenty Seventeen
My review of Twenty Seventeen by WordPress.org
Well, well, WordPress’ default theme makes an appearance in the ranking.
As its name indicates, this theme was born in 2017 (“Twenty Seventeen”) 🙂 but of course it is actively updated by the community of WordPress.org developers to remain compatible with the new versions at the core of WordPress.
If you’re a good web designer (CSS, PHP, WordPress Codex coder), Twenty Seventeen is a good starter theme.
Here you’ll need to prove yourself in doing from-scratch custom development. So if you want to show off your PHP and WordPress Codex & CSS skills, this might currently be one of the best foundations to work with.
Pros of Twenty Seventeen
This is a great starter theme for doing WordPress development.
Cons of Twenty Seventeen
A fairly basic theme with few functionalities.
18. Jannah
My reviews of Jannah by TieLabs
Jannah, by the TieLabs team, is a fairly recent theme whose first version was published in June of 2017, on the ThemeForest platform.
The observant among us may have noticed that it is a worthy successor to Sahifa, which currently ranks in 9th place. They share the same development team: TieLabs.
The reason this theme has been able to push its way into the top 25 WordPress themes is that it has managed to satisfy clients who gave it a chance! In fact, this ranking doesn’t only look at the number of sales across platforms, but also on “live” sites. So basically users who have retained the theme on their site in production, over the long-term.
This new theme from TieLabs specializes in magazine-type news blogs, just like Sahifa.
But Jannah brings something new to the table: it offers multiple graphic themes, with different visual universes (so do many of the multipurpose themes in this list, but its predecessor, Sahifa, does not).
Jannah is also very well-integrated with BuddyPress (the largest WordPress social networking plugin), which is quite useful, since BuddyPress is not an easy plugin to master, let alone integrate into a lambda WordPress theme! A great way to add a real social dimension to your news site, with member accounts, etc.
Jannah has also set itself apart by being 100% Google AMP compatible, which is noteworthy these days given that Google gives far more credit to sites in mobile-first version. Or at least much more credit than it used to a couple years ago.
Note that Jannah offers its own built-in page builder which you’ll have to familiarize yourself with. As such, it’s a completely different universe than a competitor like Extra, for example, which is perfectly integrated with a standard/popular page builder like Divi Builder.
Also, Jannah offers several additional functionalities (gadgets) such as its own Instagram/TikTok post integration plugin, as well as a Dark mode to allow readers to view your content without tiring their eyes.
If your goal is to power a full-blown ‘more-than-a-blog’ news media site, you may want to give this upstart in the WordPress themes marketplace a chance. The fact that it’s grown as much as it has in such a competitive market, is a clear sign of its high quality which deserves our attention.
Pros of Jannah
This is a mobile-friendly theme that allows you to obtain excellent referencing on Google Mobile.
Cons of Jannah
Jannah has very few prebuilt templates compared to other themes on this list.
19. Newsmag
My review of Newsmag by tagDiv
The Newsmag theme (not to be confused with the Newspaper theme developed by the same team) lets you create a professional blog for journaling, news, online magazines, fashion/yoga/fitness blogging, etc.
It was created in 2014 and is periodically updated by the team.
A major advantage of this theme is it integrates YouTube perfectly, which makes it ideal for vlogging!
It’s also very easy to integrate ads like Google AdSense, via the WordPress dashboard.
Great SEO optimization, it loads quickly and is known for being easy to get the hang of… however some complaints have emerged recently on ThemeForest about bugs and slightly longer response times from the support team.
Pros of Newsmag
This theme stands out for its integrated reviews system, which makes it ideal for a review site.
Cons of Newsmag
Since its creation in 2014, this theme has had relatively few sales.
20. Impreza
My review of Impreza by UpSolution
The popularity of the Impreza theme originated with its integrated Header Builder, which allows you to create a unique graphic site header without any programming knowledge.
This functionality is now available in Divi, since a Theme Builder has also been added to this theme.
However, Impreza has been criticized for its lack of options, producing limited web designs compared to its competitors, and for a lack of ergonomics in its dashboard.
Nevertheless, for my purposes, I’ve found it to be quite versatile and to offer very complex web designs – too complex some may say.
The theme is periodically updated.
In any case, it’s not for nothing that this theme has been adopted by tens of thousands of websites. It’s certainly worth taking a look at the handful of web designs it offers and forming your own opinion.
Pros of Impreza
Impreza is very flexible and allows for easy creation of a header and footer using its pre-packaged models and its footer builder.
Cons of Impreza
As far as page building, the theme developers are solely focused on being compatible with WP Bakery.
21. WoodMart
My review of WoodMart by XTemos
WoodMart is one of the most promising e-commerce (WooCommerce) themes of the last few years. Its first version made its appearance on ThemeForest in September of 2017. And with 35,000 sales to date, this e-commerce theme is already making good progress!
Page Builder:
WoodMart relies on Elementor and/or WPBakery… But if you want my opinion, stick with Elementor, honestly 😉
Like most of the themes on this list:
WoodMart is “multipurpose”, which means it offers a gallery of designs with a wide variety of colors and topics. WoodMart currently offers 70, versus 230+ for Divi, with over 2,000 pre-designed page models. If there’s one thing to be said for Elegant Themes, they constantly spoil us with all-new web designs.
As far as WoodMart goes, its main advantage is specializing 100% in e-commerce sites with very attractive web designs that rival those of a platform like Shopify, for example.
You’ll also enjoy its mobile-optimized version, its header & navigation menu customizer, and the sidebar of e-commerce filters.
Pros of WoodMart
WoodMart is a very easy WordPress theme to get the hang of thanks to its Setup Wizard that allows pre-packaged designs to be easily imported.
Cons of WoodMart
Not suitable for a simple showcase site, blog, or an Easy Digital Downloads sales site.
22. Publisher
My review of Publisher by BetterStudio
Publisher is a lovely WordPress theme developed by the BetterStudio team.
This is another great, advanced WordPress theme for creating online magazines, newspapers, and current events blogs.
Another one? Why not? 🙂 WordPress *was* originally designed for publishing blog posts. And blogs still remain one of the best ways to generate internet traffic to this day… when Google isn’t having indexing problems 😉
This theme is rapid and particularly well-optimized for SEO.
The Publisher theme has made steady progress in this ranking. It offers over 90 graphic styles, so there’s a little something for everyone. And as you can already see from the selected demos in this article, the designs are very sober and professional.
Pros of Publisher
Publisher is the perfect theme for creating your own online magazine. It’s optimized for Google referencing and comes with a large number of very useful pre-installed plugins.
Cons of Publisher
Some clients have mentioned on TrustPilot that customer support has been less than stellar and they’ve been unable to obtain a refund.
23. Hueman
My review of Hueman by Presscustomizr
This is a freemium theme (with free and paid versions) that specializes in blogs & magazines, and stands out thanks to its sober and minimalist appearance.
For a longtime, this was the highest-ranking theme of its category on WordPress.org, with over 50,000 installations of its free version… However this number is starting to decrease.
Give the free version a try before switching to premium, and you’ll get a good feel for it.
Pros of Hueman
Hueman is an SEO-friendly theme created by a French developer.
Cons of Hueman
Because it’s a freemium theme, you will eventually have to upgrade to the PRO version.
24. Twenty Twelve
My review of Twenty Twelve by WordPress.org
Oh, another default WordPress theme, but this one is way older: Twenty Twelve is already 10 years old! 😮
Ditto to the review of Twenty Seventeen above. This starter theme is a favorite of WordPress developers thanks to the sobriety of both its code and web design. This is WordPress’ very first basic theme with a responsive design, which makes it the simplest most accessible default theme for playing around with WordPress code, while simultaneously creating minimalist, mobile-compatible sites.
Pros of Twenty Twelve
Twenty Twelve is an ideal default theme for getting started with WordPress development.
Cons of Twenty Twelve
This theme isn’t all that advanced, and won’t allow you create a modern site without development skills.
25. Voice
My review of Voice by Meks
This one just barely made it onto the list.
Not to be confused with the TV talent show The Voice…
The Voice Theme appeared on the market for the first time in 2014… but has been rarely updated.
This magazine-blog theme is less widespread than its competitors, but is beloved for its unique structure.
Like many of the other themes on this list, it is particularly suited to news sites and may be just what you’re looking for if the themes higher up on the list haven’t met your needs.
Pros of Voice
Voice is a very lightweight theme, so it can do wonders for your page loading time.
Cons of Voice
It has quite a few options which may be complicated to get the hang of.
26. Extra (bonus)
My review of Extra by Elegant Themes
This one’s off the books… 🙂 It actually comes in 45th place in the Best 100 WordPress themes, but since I use it for this blog and it has a special place in my heart (as does its developer, Elegant Themes 😍) so I’ll take the opportunity to promote it here.
Extra is an ultra-flexible and high-performing (rapid) magazine theme that includes an excellent page builder (the best on the market) …
the Divi Builder!
Extra is constantly evolving and is sure to meet all your blogging & magazine needs.
It has a fairly similar architecture to Divi since it’s developed and maintained by the same team of developers (Elegant Themes).
Plus, getting the Extra theme license will also give you access to Divi, as well as all of the Elegant Themes team’s plugins and themes (Bloom, Monarch, etc.).
Now you see why the Divi license is the best digital investment I’ve made in my life 😀 I use Divi for all of my sites and my clients’ sites, as well as the Extra theme for my blogs and “magazine” style sites (e.g. Waaaouh.pro).
You won’t regret joining the Elegant Themes family. In any case, they have a 100% satisfaction or your money back guarantee. So why not give this nugget a try? 🙂
Pros of Extra
Excellent for online blogs and magazines, and it shares quite a bit in common with the Divi theme concept.
Cons of Extra
Slightly less flexible in its structure than Divi, and currently slightly slower than Divi according to Google PageSpeed.
🏷 You can get an amazing discount through December 31, 2021, using my affiliate link:
FAQs about the best free and paid WordPress themes
How can you avoid picking the wrong WordPress theme in 2022?
I’ve been using and recommending this WordPress theme since 2015, and I still depend on Divi. The theme (and its entire ecosystem) continue to improve year-over-year, particularly since version 4.10, which saw a major improvement in loading speed and Google PageSpeed Insights/Core Web Vitals score, in order to keep up with Google Search’s new requirements for SEO referencing.
IMO, the Divi Builder remains the fastest, most reliable, modern and advanced solution for creating sales pages that will grab your visitors’ attention! And above all, increase sales.
Of course, your choice of WordPress theme is up to you. It all depends on your preferences and projects. For example, some developers don’t care for the Divi universe and philosophy, and prefer a solution like the Elementor page builder with its new open source theme, Hello Elementor.
Of course the best option, if you have the chance, is to do an in-depth test run of each solution.
How are the Top 25 best WordPress themes ranked?
WPTD uses its famous tool to record and save a history of all analyzed sites and themes, allowing it to establish a realistic popularity ranking.
This initiative comes to us from a Spanish developer. To find out more, visit WPThemeDetector.com.
Because WTPD’s ranking seems reliable IMO, I’ve taken the liberty of calling this list of the Top 25 Best WordPress Themes an Official Ranking, or at least a ranking of the most popular themes.
I’d like to acknowledge WP Theme Detector and congratulate them on this incredible resource that gives us more clarity into the vast array of WP themes available on the internet.
My favorite theme doesn't appear on this list, how can I find out its official ranking?
To find out the current ranking of your WordPress theme, visit WPThemeDetector.com and run an analysis of your site. You will then receive analysis results of the theme and plugins detected on your site. If your theme is among the 100 most popular WordPress themes on the market, you’ll find its ranking in WPTD’s database.
I personally use the Extra theme, which currently ranks in 45th place:
Extra is a theme that specializes in the creation of blogs and online magazines. At the time of this WPTD screenshot, you can see it was ranked 40th most popular theme in the world. It is published by ElegantThemes, as is Divi, the 2nd best theme in this ranking!
Why isn't GeneratePress on this list?
In the previous edition of this ranking, GeneratePress held 5th place. With 400,000 active installations, I assume it has earned its place here, but unfortunately, for reasons I’m unaware of, WPTD has removed GeneratePress from its ranking. As such, I have no way of integrating it in the right spot. However, here is my review of it from last year…
GeneratePress, the free WordPress theme that’s gaining traction!
GeneratePress is a responsive, rapid and lightweight WordPress theme (less than 1 MB compressed). It’s suitable for anyone wanting a rapid website with good SEO optimization and good usability.
GeneratePress can serve as a solid foundation for any WordPress site. Alas, it does not offer a page builder. You can install any of your favorite page builders or use WordPress’ default page builder, Gutenberg.
GeneratePress also offers a free, smaller builder named GenerateBlocks. It’s very practical for beginners, and integrated directly in Gutenberg.
The free version of GeneratePress on WordPress.org alone has over 300,000 installations! But to do more with this theme, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version.
What is the best free WordPress theme?
- Astra
- Hello Elementor
- OceanWP
- PopularFX
- Neve (known for very fast loading times)
- Kadence
- GeneratePress
- and Go
However, if you’re looking for better functionalities, technical support, and lifespan, I highly recommend investing a few dollars in a solid solution like Divi, and you’ll see a return on your investment in no time. Divi is the best investment I’ve ever made in a digital product.
Where can I find free WordPress themes?
Free and open source WordPress themes can be downloaded from the WordPress.org site, or directly from your WordPress dashboard WordPress > Appearance > Themes > “Add new” button
Here you’ll find a search bar (highlighted in orange) that gives you access to all of WordPress.org’s free themes, with an automatic installation button for each of the search results.
Where can I find paid WordPress themes?
…or manually via FTP or your webhost’s file manager.
What is the most-used WordPress theme in the world?
What is a WordPress theme?
- The CMS core:
Can be downloaded from WordPress.org, and integrates a number of native functions that are common to all WordPress sites (such as article and page publication, user account management, or blog comments). - The theme:
Is responsible for page layout, the structure of displayed data, as well as the entire visual side including CSS style sheets and certain graphic resources such as images and icons. - The plugins:
Are extensions that allow you to add functions to the WordPress core, such as a contact form (e.g. Contact Form 7), or the ability to transform WP into an e-commerce site (e.g. WooCommerce).
Is WordPress free?
The open source WordPress CMS is downloadable for free at WordPress.org. However, it’s not to be confused with the online WordPress.com service, which offers paid functions, in addition to hosting.
It’s very important to distinguish between WordPress.org (open source and free) and WordPress.com (a proprietary online service). The latter offers a free trial version, but with very limited functionality.
Also, even though the open source CMS (WordPress.org) is free, many complementary resources from the WordPress ecosystem, are paid. For example, this applies to premium WordPress themes or certain advanced WordPress plugins, such as WPML, for rendering WordPress multilingual.
In any case, in order to launch a WordPress site via the open source CMS (WordPress.org), you’ll need to pay for a hosting plan and register a domain name, which will come with some annual fees.
How can I install a free or paid WordPress theme?
You have 2 methods available to install your WordPress theme: automatic installation and manual installation.
To automatically install a free (open source) WordPress theme, go to your WordPress dashboard > Appearance > Themes > “Add new” button, and use the search engine to find and activate your theme of choice (in orange).
To manually install a WordPress theme via the same interface, instead of using the search engine, click the “Upload a theme” button (in blue).
You can then upload the .zip archive of your free (downloaded from WordPress.org) or paid (downloaded from ThemeForest, Elegant Themes or elsewhere) WordPress theme.
You can also unzip your theme’s archive in the folder /wp-content/themes/ via FTP or your webhost’s file manager.
This post is also available in:
Français (French)
Past blog post about the best WordPress themes
If you choose the wrong WordPress theme 😱 you’re screwed:
You’re building your WordPress site (using the wrong theme, unbeknownst to you)
Oops! You change your mind, and decide to change your WordPress theme with a simple click?
Nope! The dream becomes a NIGHTMARE… EVERYTHING has to be done all over again, and even worse… your theme is completely ruined 😮
The best way to avoid this: take the time to choose the best WordPress theme for your needs!
That’s exactly why we’ve compiled this ranking of the best WordPress themes… to make your life easier! 🙂
What are the best and most popular WordPress themes? +reviews
You’re about to discover a ranking of WP themes that is FIRE…
You’ll see 😀
Our top 25 themes are pretty specific:
below you’ll find the 25 WordPress themes that are → the most popular, worldwide!
These 25 best WordPress themes are ranked in order of popularity as detected by the WP Theme Detector robots.
Ready to discover the TOP 25 ↓↓↓
Ranking of the 25 most-used WordPress themes (the best and most popular) +reviews
Here some archived themes
OptimizePress
Fairly easy to get the hang of. This one lets you create sales sites with ease thanks to a dedicated Landing Page builder.
OptimizePress is designed for marketers and for creating landing pages, sales pages, and subscription-based member portals: members-only spaces, private spaces, privileged (paying) members, sales funnels, launch pages, and so on. The theme includes dozens of prefabricated models (images, graphics, buttons, etc.).
In short, it’s WordPress’ alternative to solutions such as ClickFunnels, EasyHoster Tunnel or Systeme.io.
It is, however, decreasing in popularity due to the surge of competitors, such as Divi, that offer attractive sales page creation.
→ Download OptimizePress
FocusBlog
Are you a minimalist? 🙂
Here’s just the challenge for you if you’re looking to create a more pared-down blog with a sober design, and spend more time focusing on your articles and content.
If you’re a fan of purity and simplicity, take a look at this one.
Focus is one of ThriveThemes’ best-sellers. And the ThriveThemes license gives you access to numerous plug-ins and resources. You can visit their site to find out more.
→ Download FocusBlog
Here the pervious theme descriptions
1. Genesis
The Genesis framework is primarily designed for Web integrators with a mastery of child theme customization, PHP, CSS, etc. It allows web designers to create very lightweight (i.e. very rapid) custom WordPress sites, while meeting WordPress’ standards. Although their full-option package includes a lot of child themes, it’s not a theme in the graphics sense of the term IMO. It does not include a page builder. Rather, it’s a good base for doing custom work. This WordPress framework is ideal for you if you require high performance and are adept at CSS, PHP, and the WordPress Codex.
2. Divi
A complete theme: both simple and complex.
Thanks to its page builder (Divi Builder), it’s accessible to beginner webmasters who haven’t necessarily mastered web design (CSS, etc.). Modern sites and pages can be created by clicking and dragging. Theme option configuration or page building with the Divi Builder are accomplished using a simple and powerful interface.
Thanks to a WordPress code that’s been perfectly coded by the Divi team (Elegant Themes), this theme (and child theme) is also easily customizable for web integrators with experience in PHP, WordPress Codex, etc… Right up my alley. For even the smallest, most specific need, I can always find a bit of PHP code with a quick Google search that just needs to be copy-pasted into my functions.php file, and I’m good to go!
Thanks to Divi, it’s been ages since I’ve had to agonize for hours over WordPress themes that don’t meet WordPress standards (which are yet so simple and logical).
⭐️ As you can see, Divi is the best of the best IMO! I’ve been using it for over 5 years on all my sites, from the simplest to the most complex… and even for my sales funnels !
Still not convinced?
Check out the more than 180 page layout designs included in Divi for free: don’t tell me these graphics templates aren’t incredible! 😀
3. Newspaper tagDiv
A theme that’s comparable to Extra, and a great option for a blog or magazine project. It is the all-time best seller in the ThemeForest Blog and Magazine themes category.
This theme, created in 2013, is regularly updated.
The “tagDiv composer” (Newspaper’s page builder) is sometimes labelled “too complex” and the community often reports slowness issues with this theme, even with high-performing Web hosting.
However, it is a good theme with a lot of functionalities and detailed documentation worth taking the time to read.
Numerous “demo” web designs use this theme.
4. Avada
Avada is one of the most popular themes on the Envato marketplace, racking up nearly 500,000 sales on ThemeForest.
Avada is intended to be very too flexible, even without knowing any code (lots of settings).
It uses a very large number of prefabricated “design” demos and dozens (hundreds?) of graphical personalization options. All you have to do to change your site’s appearance is click on the interface.
Alas, this makes the theme very sluggish, at all levels.
Avada is often criticized because it takes 10 minutes of searching just to figure out where to change such-and-such color, font size, etc.
On the flip side, you may find yourself attracted by its very affordable price tag.
5. GeneratePress
GeneratePress is a free WordPress theme that’s quickly climbing the ranks!
GeneratePress is a responsive, rapid, and lightweight WordPress theme (less than 1 Mo when compressed). It meets the needs of those who need a rapid, well-SEO-optimized site with good ergonomics.
GeneratePress can serve as a solid foundation for any WordPress site, but alas, it does not offer a page builder. You can, however, install the favorite page builder of your choice or use WordPress’ default page builder, Gutenberg.
Its free version, available at WordPress.org, has been installed over 300,000 times! But to get more done with this theme, you’ll need to opt for the paid version.
6. Enfold
Up until 2016, this was my second-favorite theme, mainly for its simplicity and light weight.
Today I use nothing but Divi!
Enfold truly deserves its position in 6th place among the most popular WordPress themes.
It does have a few overly simplistic demos, but no biggie. Created in 2013, the theme is still actively maintained and supported by its team. The support forum is responsive and already loaded with useful information.
Enfold is particularly useful if you’re looking to create clean, lightweight sites, as it allows sites to load very rapidly.
Enfold is much easier to get the hang of than it’s older brother, Avada, for example. It also costs less than Divi, so that may be tempting as well if you’re just starting out with WordPress…
7. Astra
Developed by Brainstorm, a highly-skilled team of Indian developers, Astra is the new upstart that no one saw coming!
Though its first version was only launched 3 years ago, this previously-unknown WP theme has blown all past records out of the water, catapulting to unheard of success.
Just like GeneratePress, it uses a “freemium” model (a theme with both free and paid versions). As a result, it’s reached over 1 million active installations! 😮
Lacking inspiration? This theme gives you the option of importing prefabricated templates (from an extensive gallery). You can install your favorite page builder, such as Beaver Builder, Brizy, Divi or Elementor. But above all, this is very lightweight theme, especially if you’re sticking with WordPress’ basic builder, Gutenberg.
8. Flatsome
This is a well-ranked theme on ThemeForest, specializing in e-commerce.
While almost all of the aforementioned themes are compatible with and optimized for WooCommerce, if you’re looking to launch an online store, you may want to look into Flatsome.
You can install multiple styles (demo content) with a single click. The front-end page builder is relatively simple to use, though I do tend to prefer Divi Builder. Many of the functionalities are synchronized with WooCommerce (live search engine, add to cart, favorites, etc.).
This theme is starting to show its age, as it was created in 2013 and updates tend to be less supported than the other themes mentioned above.
Also keep in mind that if you choose this theme, you’ll be locked into this Page Builder, as it’s not interchangeable. So although it’s an excellent WooCommerce theme, you’ll want to be quite sure of your choice before building your entire site with Flatsome.
9. Sahifa
This theme was created in 2012 and is still around!
It’s a very clean, modern, ergonomic, fast-loading, customizable, flexible, and functional theme for news, magazine and blog sites.
It is updated several times a year, and has many (perhaps too many) settings accessible via the WordPress dashboard.
This theme also has its own dedicated WordPress widgets, as well as its own Page Builder (watch out again for the lock-in effect though, be sure of your choice). The page builder is not particularly advanced, though the theme is compatible with WooCommerce. Also, only a few “graphics styles” are offered.
Nevertheless, the team of developers seems to be quite responsive and efficient, which is noteworthy.
This theme’s strength seems to be the ease with which you can create blogs and magazines in languages with non-Latin alphabets (Arabic, etc.).
10. BeTheme
Probably one of the themes with the most graphics demos (over 500) This is particularly useful for those who want to create websites with lots of different topics but have no web design skills (or no inspiration 🙂 ). It’s also very easy to customize!
The theme was created in 2014 but is frequently updated, with good, responsive support.
BeTheme is completely compatible with Elementor‘s page builder.
This theme would easily be ranked higher in this list if sorted by quality rather than popularity.
If you like Elementor, then give BeTheme a try, they deserve it!
11. Salient
Also an excellent theme, very visual, and ideal for online WooCommerce stores.
Lots of very nice demos included.
Without a doubt one of the best WordPress themes around.
That being said, the page builder and installation of “demo styles” is fairly complex. You’ll have to read the documentation and get yourself used to the Salient universe. But when you see what a finalized Salient site look like, I’m sure you’ll find it worth the effort… 🙂
This theme has gone down a bit in popularity this year compared to its competitors, but it’s still very well supported and kept up-to-date by its developers.
If you immerse yourself in the Salient universe, you’ll be able to produce some gorgeous sites, very graphic, and will probably end up adopting this theme for good.
12. Bridge
Created in 2014, Bridge is a Retina Ready theme that’s suitable for all types of WordPress sites, and built on the powerful (and flexible) QODE framework.
Like Avada, it’s sometimes criticized for being too complex as far as theme options, particularly upon initial installation. You will need to read the documentation thoroughly.
This theme is compatible with the WPBakery (Visual Composer) and Elementor page builders.
The Bridge theme is regularly updated by its team.
Check out the demos available for importing to see if one of them fits with your WordPress project.
13. The7
This theme used to use “Visual Composer” as a page builder, which unfortunately is quite difficult to master as far as page builders go.
However, like many others, The7 has adapted and is now also completely compatible with both Elementor and Gutenberg.
It includes a few too many “technical” options, but makes up for this flaw with the presence of a Design Assistant that will help you start customizing your site with relative ease..
This theme was launched in 2013 and has been fairly well-maintained to date. However, some users complain that the theme can be slow in loading pages.
14. OceanWP
You’ve probably heard of OceanWP before. It’s the theme that just keeps getting more and more popular!
This theme is fairly recent (2017) and its popularity comes from its use of a freemium model. A free version is available at WordPress.org, but of course, for professional use, you’ll need to switch to the premium version.
The theme is easy to install (design assistant) and easy to customize using the WordPress dashboard. It loads rapidly and is well-optimized for SEO. It’s often updated, well-documented, and has good technical support for premium customers.
As with Divi, premium clients can purchase a lifetime license (one-time payment for life) which is a big plus for those looking to avoid recurring payments.
15. Jupiter
This WordPress theme offers absolutely dazzling modern effects.
Originally, its “Visual Composer” page builder was quite complicated to get the hang of, especially compared to competitors like Divi Builder. The theme was primarily oriented towards experienced web integrators rather than beginners.
But today, the theme has been updated to become 100% compatible with the Elementor page builder. Plus, the theme is regularly updated on ThemeForest.
One inconvenience however: you are restricted to 1 design style per domain, so make sure you choose your demo content carefully from the outset.
16. The Theme X
Like many of the themes on this list, X was created in 2013 but continues to be regularly updated.
X is another great, modern WordPress theme.
X’s success comes from its many premium plugins (included for “free” in its package): ACF Pro, Content Dock, ConvertPlus, Custom 404, Disqus Comments, Email Forms, Envira Gallery, Essential Grid, Estimation & Payment Forms, Facebook Comments, Google Analytics, LayerSlider, Modern Events Calendar, Olark Integration, Slider Revolution, Smooth Scroll, Exclusive!, Snippet and Soliloquy 😮
Not to mention a visual page builder in front end, which is not a bad deal at all.
Some may say this makes it far too bulky (this is no minimalist theme), but others find the wide variety of premium plugins attractive.
17. Newsmag
Newsmag allows you to create a professional newspaper or online magazine style blog, or a blog on just about any topic – fashion, yoga, fitness, etc.
It was created in 2014 and is periodically updated by the team.
Its advantage: it is fully integrated with YouTube, making it perfect for creating a video blog!
It’s also easy to integrate ads such as Google AdSense via the WordPress dashboard.
It has good SEO optimization, loads rapidly, and has a reputation for being easy to get the hang of. However, there have been some recent complaints on ThemeForest about bugs and longer response times than usual from support.
18. Twenty Seventeen
Well well, what do you know, WordPress’ default theme makes an appearance in the ranks.
As its name indicates, this theme was born in 2017 (Twenty Seventeen) 🙂 but of course it is actively updated by the WordPress.org developer community to remain compatible with newer versions of WordPress.
If you’re a talented web designer (CSS, PHP, WordPress Codex, etc.), Twenty Seventeen is a great starter theme.
You’ll need to be good at custom development from scratch, so if you’re looking to flex your PHP, WordPress codex and CSS muscles, this is probably currently the best choice to start with.
19. Hueman
This is a freemium theme that specializes in blogs & magazines. For a long time, it was the highest-ranked on WordPress.org with over 50,000 installations of its free version… however, this number is currently decreasing.
Don’t hesitate to give the free version a try before making a purchase, to get an idea of whether it’s the right fit for you.
20. Twenty Twelve
Oh, another default WordPress theme.
Same comments as those for Twenty Seventeen above.
21. Impreza
Impreza’s popularity is based mainly on its integrated Header Builder, which allows you to create a unique graphic header without any programming knowledge to speak of.
But this functionality is now available in the Divi theme as well, since a Theme Builder was added.
On the flip side, Impreza is sometimes criticized for its lack of options, its limitations, and for being somewhat behind its competitors as far as the web designs it generates and its dashboard ergonomics.
The theme is, however, periodically updated.
22. OptimizePress
See above.
23. Publisher
This is a great, advanced WordPress theme for creating online magazines, newspapers, and news blogs.
This theme has been gradually climbing the ranks in this list. It offers over 60 graphics styles (there’s something for everyone).
It is also quite fast with particularly good SEO optimization.
24. Voice
Second-to-last, this one just barely squeezed its way into the ranking.
The Voice theme was first introduced on the market in 2014, but updates are few and far between.
This blog-magazine theme is not as widespread as its competitors, but has garnered fans due to its unique structure.
It’s particularly suited to news sites and may interest you if you haven’t found what you’re looking for higher up the ladder.
25. FocusBlog
See above.
Official ranking of the best WordPress themes, updated in real-time
Did you find this list of best WordPress templates useful?
This one is based on a proven web-scraping technology created by WPTD (WP Theme Detector).
To find out more, you can visit WPThemeDetector.com.
I’d like to thank and congratulate WP Theme Detector for this exceptional resource!
“No fair, my theme didn’t make the list”
No worries, Mr. WP hasn’t forgotten you.
To find out how your own WordPress theme currently ranks, just drop us a note in the comments below with the name of your theme and what you thought of this list: ask me how your theme ranks compared to the 25 best WordPress themes and I’ll let you know 😉
Personally, I use the Extra theme which is currently in 49th place:
Extra is a theme that specializes in the creation of blogs and online magazines. You can see it ranks 49th most popular worldwide. It is produced by Elegant Themes, just like Divi, the 2nd best theme in this list!
Conclusion: which WordPress theme should you choose in 2020-2021?
To me, the answer seems obvious! 😀
The best option, whether you’re a beginner or a WordPress expert, is Divi!
I’ve been using and recommending this WordPress theme since 2015 and I always come back to it. The theme (and its entire ecosystem) is constantly improving, year after year.
Further, the Divi Builder remains the fastest, most reliable, modern, and developed solution for creating sales pages that will grab your visitors’ attention!
More like this:
Tell us in the comments which WordPress theme you’ve chosen and why!
If you have any questions about a given theme, I will most likely recommend Divi (it’s a good fit for 99.99% of specific cases), but who knows? Tell me what project you have in mind! 😀
This is great. Really helpful, thanks.