5 Epic WordPress Themes: Free, Fast & Customizable (2024)
Finding a free WordPress theme that is fully functional can be super frustrating. There are thousands of “free” WordPress themes and trying to find one that works can be a pain in the butt.
I’ve been blogging with WordPress for a decade, and faced this issue several times. It’s annoying to see a push to buy the premium version even for using basic functionality like font and color customization.
I’ll show you 5 WordPress themes that are FREE, fast and easy to customize. The free version has good functionality to build your blog, business website, or portfolio website.
Benefits of using these free themes
Lightweight and Fast: Known for its lightweight structure, which ensures fast loading times, crucial for improving user experience and SEO.
Customization Options: Despite being free, it offers a wide range of customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and feel of their sites without needing to know how to code.
Responsive Design: The theme is fully responsive, meaning it adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, from desktops to mobile devices.
SEO Friendly: Designed with best SEO practices in mind, helping your website to rank better in search engine results.
WooCommerce Compatibility: For those interested in e-commerce, theme works well with WooCommerce, making it easy to set up an online store.
Accessibility-Ready: The theme adheres to accessibility guidelines, ensuring your site is usable by people with varying degrees of ability.
Regular Updates: The theme receives regular updates for security and features, keeping your site safe and up-to-date.
Extensive Documentation and Support: Even for the free version, theme provides comprehensive documentation and a supportive community forum.
Integration with Popular Page Builders: It integrates smoothly with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder, enhancing its customization capabilities.
Gutenberg Ready: Built to be fully compatible with the Gutenberg editor, enhancing the block-editing experience in WordPress.
Header and Footer Builder: The theme includes a flexible header and footer builder, giving you creative control over these key areas of your site.
Plugin Compatibility: It works well with many popular WordPress plugins, including page builders, enhancing its versatility.
1. Kadence theme
First up is Kadence, a versatile WordPress theme known for its lightweight design and exceptional performance.
Kadence stands out for its extensive customization options and user-friendly interface, making it an ideal choice for bloggers who value both aesthetics and functionality.
Number of people using Kadence theme: 200,000+
Pros:
- Very easy to set up and customize
- Free version contains a lot of features
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Limited starter templates
2. Astra theme
Next, we have Astra, one of the most popular WordPress themes on the market. Astra is celebrated for its speed and efficiency, offering a range of pre-built websites and seamless integration with various page builders. It’s a perfect fit for bloggers looking for a blend of performance and ease of use.
Number of people using Astra theme: 1+ million
Pros:
- Most used theme with 1+ million users. So you know it’s stable and all you’ll find solutions to any questions you have.
- Prebuilt layouts available for fast website creation.
Cons:
- Has a bit of learning curve for new users.
- Support can feel a bit slow sometimes.
3. GeneratePress theme
GeneratePress is a theme that prioritizes performance and usability. Known for its minimalist design, it is incredibly lightweight, ensuring fast loading times. GeneratePress is a great option for bloggers who need a simple, yet highly effective and SEO-friendly WordPress theme.
Number of people using GeneratePress theme: 600,000+
Pros:
- Just 7.5KB size makes this the most lightweight and fastest FREE theme you’ll find.
- Good support in the forums as lots of users.
Cons:
- Free version lacks demo sites or templates to use.
- It’s more tedious to customize than the other themes.
4. OceanWP theme
OceanWP is a feature-rich WordPress theme that offers deep customization capabilities. It’s particularly known for its e-commerce features and professional designs. This theme is ideal for bloggers who plan to incorporate an online store or need versatile design options.
Number of people using OceanWP theme: 700,000+
Pros:
- Free WordPress theme with most features and customization options.
Cons:
- Slow compared to the other themes in this list
- Demo sites and styling can appear dated
5. Blocksy theme
Lastly, we have Blocksy, a modern and innovative WordPress theme. It’s designed to be fast, lightweight, and fully compatible with the Gutenberg editor. Blocksy is an excellent choice for bloggers who are looking for a cutting-edge, adaptable theme that’s easy to manage
Number of people using Blocksy theme: 100,000+
Pros:
- Free WordPress theme compatible with major page builders and has a lot of customization options.
- Easy to customize options.
Cons:
- Might have some integration issues with third-party plugins
Which theme should you pick?
You can’t go wrong if you pick any of the themes that we saw. They are great for any beginner to build a website whether for blogging, portfolio, or affiliate marketing.
But I think the best of these 5 themes is the FREE Kadence theme. I like it because it’s fast, looks great, and is very easy to customize for a beginner.
So, if you’re struggling to make a choice, I would suggest just picking Kadence for your website.
