10 Best Free WordPress Themes in 2023

WordPress is an open-source content management system (CMS) that runs on various devices. WordPress themes are the very first thing that visitors see on your site. They are also an important part of your design.

WordPress themes make it easy for users to create a website with minimal effort. However, choosing a suitable theme can be tricky, especially with many options available.

We have compiled a list of the best free WordPress themes for 2023. These themes are suitable for any type of website and offer powerful customization options, responsive designs, and support for plugins.

Whether you want to create a portfolio, blog, or online store, these free WordPress themes will help you get started quickly in 2023.

Astra Theme

Astra is a highly versatile and user-friendly theme that stands out for its lightweight yet fully customizable design. It offers a multitude of customization options, from background images to fonts, colors, and layouts, making it an ideal choice for any type of website.

Its pre-built websites are also a unique selling point, as they can be imported with just one click. This makes it easy for users who don’t know how to code or design to set up a site that looks professional quickly and easily.

Whether you’re building a personal blog, an e-commerce store, or a corporate website, Astra’s versatility and ease-of-use make it a top choice for many website builders.

Features

Some common features of Astra include:

• Self Hosted Google Fonts
• Less than 50 KB
• WordPress themes.
• Powerful Design Options
• Transparent Header
• Mobile Headers
• Mega Menu
• Dedicated Sidebar
• Header and Footer Options
• Sticky Header
• Page Headers
• Colors & Typography
• WooCommerce Ready
• Site Layouts
• Spacing Control
• Full Width
• Fluid Layout
• Default Container
• Typography
• Google Fonts
• Responsive Font Size
• Custom Fonts
• Text Transform

Pros

• Responsive Design: Astra is designed with a responsive layout, which looks great on any device or screen size. This makes it easier for users to access your website on a desktop, tablet, or mobile device.
• Wide range of Design and Layout Control: Use layout controls to change the look and feel of your website. With this feature, you can easily customize the default layout of your site to create a more attractive design.
• Easy to use and customize: Astra theme is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for users to customize their website without needing any coding knowledge.
• Variety of customization options: provides users with a variety of customization options, including font, color, and layout options, allowing them to personalize their website to their specific needs.
• Compatible with the most popular WordPress plugins: compatible with the most popular WordPress plugins, including WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and Gravity Forms, among others, making it easy for users to add these features to their website.

Cons

• The free version is limited: The Astra theme has a free version that has certain limitations. The free version of Astra theme may not have all the features and customization options that are available in the premium version. 

Some of the features that may not be available in the free version include additional layouts, color options, font options, and more advanced customization options.

Neve Theme

Unlock the next level of website design and user experience with this theme – it comes packed with starter sites, proven performance enhancements, and extraordinary customizability.

Neve is a WordPress theme designed to help you create stunning websites quickly and easily. It is fully responsive, which means your website will look great on any device. It also offers a clean, modern design and is optimized for speed and SEO.

Features

Neve has various features that make it stand out from other WordPress themes.

• Fast and lightweight
• Easy setup and sleek designs
• Reliable updates
• Quality code and full support
• Custom Design of Header and Footer
• Global color palettes
• Blog layouts PRO
• Header and Footer Builder
• Elementor Booster
• Enhanced WooCommerce
• Custom Layout

Pros

• Flexible and Easy to Use: Neve has a built-in drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy to customize the look and feel of your website. You can also create custom layouts for each page.
• Mobile Responsive Design: Designed to look great on any device. It automatically adjusts to the size of your screen, so your website will look great on tablets, phones, and desktop computers.
• Optimized for Speed and SEO: The theme is designed in a way that is optimized for speed and SEO, so your website will load quickly and rank well in search engines.
• Pre-Built Demos: With the demos, you can quickly get started with your website. Simply choose from one of the pre-built demos and customize it to fit your needs.
• Neve has several pre-built demos, so you can quickly create a professional-looking website without coding knowledge.
• Support for Multilingual Sites: Neve is fully compatible with WordPress Multilingual Plugin (WPML), so you can easily create a multilingual website.

Cons

• Some features may require additional plugins or payment: Some features that may be available in other themes may not be included in Neve theme. Users may have to purchase additional plugins or pay for premium upgrades to access these features. This can increase the cost of using the theme and may make it less accessible to users who are on a budget.

Hello Elementor

With over 5 million active installs, Hello Elementor is one of the most popular free WordPress themes available today. This theme is designed to work with the popular Elementor page builder plugin and has various features to help you quickly and easily create a stunning website.

It features a modern design optimized for speed, SEO, and usability. The theme is also WooCommerce-ready and comes with multiple page templates, a custom header and footer, and a blog layout.

Features

Common features include:

• 100+ Ready-Made Designs
• Headers & Footers
• WooCommerce Builder
• High Speed Performance
• Responsive Design
• SEO Friendly
• RTL Ready
• Fully Compatible
• 1+ Million Active Installs

Pros

• Responsive Design: A lightweight and responsive theme that looks great on any device or screen size. Hello elementor, Utilize this feature to make your website accessible on any device, including desktops, tablets, and mobile phones – making it user-friendly for everyone.
• Custom Header and Footer: Create custom header and footer designs with ease, thanks to the built-in header and footer builder. This feature allows you to create a unique look for your website and make it stand out from the competition.
• Easy to use page builder compatibility: The theme is compatible with the most popular page builders, including Divi, SiteOrigin, Elementor Beaver Builder, and Visual Composer. This makes it easy to create complex layouts and designs without any coding knowledge.
• SEO Friendly: for optimal page speed and performance, Hello improves your search engine ranking.
• Free to download: One major pro of Hello Elementor theme is that it is free to download, which means that users can try out the theme and see if it meets their needs before committing to a paid version. This can be especially helpful for those who are new to website building and want to explore their options before investing in a paid solution.

Cons

• Limited customization options: While the Hello Elementor theme is designed to work well with the Elementor website builder plugin, it does have some limitations in terms of customization options. Some users may find that the theme does not provide enough flexibility for their specific needs and may need to look for a more advanced theme.
• Limited support: As a free theme, Hello Elementor may not provide as much support as a paid theme. Users may need to rely on community forums or documentation to troubleshoot issues or get assistance with customization, which can be time-consuming and may not provide the level of support needed.

Kadence

Kadence Themes is a WordPress theme and plugin shop specializing in creating modern and beautiful themes for the WordPress platform. Their themes provide a range of features and customization options that make it easy to create a unique and professional website for any purpose.

Features

• Drag & Drop
• Live Editing
• Design Options
• Custom Layouts
• Typography
• Header Builder
• Footer Builder
• Custom Layouts
• Custom Post Type Support
• Global Color Palette
• Color Options
• Global Typography
• Global Button Settings
• Scroll To Top
• Social Links
• CSS Pre-loading
• Transparent Header
• Sticky Header
• Responsive Controls
• Breadcrumbs
• SEO Optimized

Pros

• User-friendly Interface: Kadence has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to customize your website. You can adjust settings, change fonts, add plugins, and more with just a few clicks.
• Responsive design and optimized for mobile devices: These themes are designed to be fully responsive, making them look great on any device or screen size. This ensures that all your visitors have a great experience browsing your website.
• WooCommerce Ready: They are built to be fully compatible with the popular WooCommerce plugin, so you can easily create an online store for your business.
• Customizable Layout Options: You can customize the layout of your website with Kadence’s easy-to-use drag and drop page builder. This allows you to create complex layouts quickly and easily without any coding knowledge.
• Lightning-fast Speed: Kadence themes are designed to be lightning-fast, so your website will load quickly and efficiently on any device. This helps keep visitors engaged and coming back for more.

Cons

• Fewer customization options: Kadence theme also has some limitation in terms of customization options. Some users may find that the theme does not provide enough flexibility for their specific needs and may need to look for a more advanced theme.
• Not as feature-rich as some other themes: Kadence theme may not include as many features as some other themes, which means that users may have to rely on third-party plugins to add certain functionality to their website.

Colorlib

Colorlib Themes is a collection of free, high-quality WordPress themes designed to help you create beautiful websites quickly and easily. Colorlib Themes provides a wide variety of themes for various types of websites, including blogs, businesses, e-commerce, and more. Each theme is fully responsive and includes various features, such as sliders, social media integration, Google Fonts, and more.

Features

• Feature Slider
• WooCommerce Ready
• Unlimited Colour Options
• Comes with Fonts & Awesome Icon packs
• Retina Ready
• Responsive & Flat Design
• Easy To Customise
• WPML Support

Pros

• Easy-to-use customization panel: The Colorib theme has a user-friendly customization panel that allows users to easily change the look and feel of their website without needing advanced technical skills.
• Built-in SEO features: The theme comes with built-in SEO features that help users to optimize their website for search engines. This can help to improve the visibility of their website in search engine results pages, which can lead to more traffic and higher search engine rankings.
• Optimized for speed and performance: The Colorib theme is optimized for speed and performance, which means that it loads quickly and runs smoothly on all devices. This can help to improve the user experience and reduce bounce rates.
• Responsive design works well on any device: The theme has a responsive design that adapts to the screen size of any device, ensuring that the website looks great and is easy to navigate on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.
• Wide selection of themes to choose from: The Colorib theme offers a wide selection of themes to choose from, which allows users to find a design that matches their brand and style.
• Compatible with popular plugins and tools: The theme is compatible with popular plugins and tools, which makes it easy for users to add additional functionality to their website and expand its capabilities.

Cons

• Lack of detailed documentation: Without detailed documentation, it may be more difficult for users to understand how to use the theme and customize it to fit their needs, especially for those who are new to website building. Users may have to rely on community forums or contact the support team for help, which can be time-consuming and may not provide the level of support needed.

Divi Theme

Divi is a popular WordPress theme developed by Elegant Themes. It is a multi-purpose theme with an intuitive drag and drop page builder, making it easy to customize your website. Divi also has pre-designed templates and modules that can be used to create stunning websites in minutes.

Features

• Drag & Drop Builder
• True Visual Editing
• Custom CSS Control
• Responsive Editing
• Design Options Galore
• Inline Text Editing
• Global Elements & Styles
• Save & Manage Your Designs
• Undo, Redo, & Revisions
• Hover State Styling
• Transform Controls & Effects
• Advanced Code Editing
• Filters & Effects
• Background Masks And Patterns

Pros

• Customizable Design: This theme has a wide range of customization options for design, allowing you to create a unique look for your website. You can change each page’s font, colors, and layout and upload custom logos and background images.
• Fully Responsive Design: Divi is fully responsive, meaning it looks great on any device from desktop computers to tablets and smartphones. This ensures your website looks great no matter how it is viewed.
• Extensive library of modules and layouts: Packed with over 40 modules and 20+ pre-made layouts, allowing you to quickly build pages with just a few clicks. You can also save your custom layouts for reuse on other pages.
• SEO friendly and translation ready: Specifically optimized for search engines, making it easier for your website to be found in search engine results.

Cons

• Issues with page load times: Divi, like any other website building platform, can experience issues with page load times if the website is not optimized properly. This can occur if there are too many large images or videos on the page, too many plugins or scripts running, or if the hosting is not powerful enough to handle the traffic.

GeneratePress

GeneratePress is a lightweight WordPress theme built with a focus on speed and usability. It is very customizable and easy to use, making it ideal for creating any kind of website. GeneratePress also comes with a powerful page builder, allowing you to create stunning layouts easily. With a wide range of features and customization options, GeneratePress is a great choice for any website.

Features

• PageSpeed Scores
• Unrivaled Support
• Responsive Design
• Easy Customization
• Free & open source
• RTL Ready

Pros

• Lightweight & Fast theme: GeneratePress is a lightweight and fast theme that won’t slow down your website.
• Highly Customizable: GeneratePress is highly customizable, allowing you to customize it to fit your specific needs.
• SEO Optimized: It’s optimized for SEO so that it will help your website rank better in search engines.
• Compatibility with WordPress Plugins: It’s compatible with the most popular WordPress plugins and tools.

Cons

• Limited Features: GeneratePress doesn’t have many features, so if you’re looking for a more feature-rich theme, this may not be the best option.
• No Support for Free theme: GeneratePress free theme doesn’t offer as much support as a Generate premium theme would.

Blocksy

Blocksy is a WordPress theme created by CoBlocks that focuses on creating a powerful and flexible website building experience. It combines the power of the WordPress block editor, Gutenberg, with a lightweight and modular design to create a compelling and customizable website experience. 

Blocksy comes with a wide selection of starter sites, page templates, and blocks to help you get started building your site quickly and easily. Blocksy also supports WooCommerce, giving you the power to create a fully-functioning online store.

Features

• Block Editor Styles
• Custom Colors
• Footer Widgets
• Full Width Template
• Grid Layout
• Left Sidebar and Right Sidebar
• RTL Language Support
• Theme Options
• Translation Ready
• Responsive Design
• Pre-Built Pages
• Customizable Header & Footer
• Theme Options Panel

Pros

• Lightweight and Fast Theme: A lightweight and fast WordPress theme that does not rely on large libraries of third-party scripts or code.
• Modern Web Technologies: Built with modern web technologies such as React and CSS Grid, allowing for greater flexibility in design and customization.
• Extensible Plugins: Highly extensible, with a wide range of plugins and themes available to extend its functionality.
• Drag and Drop Page builder: It has an easy-to-use drag-and-drop page builder, making it a great choice for developers who want to create complex layouts quickly and easily.
• Open-source and Free to use: Blocksy is open-source and free to use, making it a great choice for developers on a budget.

Cons

• Not compatible with all WordPress plugins: you may need to purchase additional plugins or purchase the Blocksy Pro version to get the full functionality you need.
• Not popular: Not as well-known as some WordPress themes, you may need help finding support if you have any issues with the theme.

Zakra

Zakra is a modern, flexible, multipurpose, and lightweight WordPress theme. It is a perfect platform to create any type of website such as a business, corporate, portfolio, blog, or WooCommerce storefront. Zakra is SEO friendly and has powerful features and options to make your website look amazing and perform better. 

It is also optimized for Gutenberg and provides tons of color options. Zakra is easy to customize and comes with ready-to-use starter sites to help you quickly build a website.

Features

• No jQuery
• WP Coding Standards
• Optimized for SEO
• AMP Ready
• 1s Load Time
• Secure Code
• HTML Title Tag
• Variety In Header Design
• Flexible Menu Design
• Various Blog Design
• Multiple Footer Layouts

Pros

• Compatible with SEO Plugins: Compatible with popular SEO plugins such as Yoast. This allows you to optimize your website for search engine visibility easily.
• Fully Responsive Design: Responsive Design is an essential feature of any modern website. It allows the pages of your website to be viewed on any device, regardless of size or shape. With responsive design, websites will automatically adjust and adapt to fit the screen size of the device they are being viewed on. This ensures that all content is easily accessible and viewable.
• Pre-Built Pages: It comes with various pre-built pages that can be easily customized and tailored to your needs.
• AMP Ready: The theme is ready to be used with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) for faster loading times on mobile devices. This can help improve the user experience of your website and also help to boost search engine rankings.
• 24/7 Customer Support: Excellent support for customizing your website’s design, allowing you to create a unique look and feel

Cons

• Limited Customization: Although Zakra is compatible with popular page builders, it does not come with its page builder. This can make customization more difficult for beginners.

Qi Theme

Qi theme is a modern and responsive WordPress theme that has been built to create a beautiful and unique online presence for your business or blog. It is easy to use and highly customizable, so you can create a unique website to suit your needs.

The Qi theme includes features such as a responsive design, custom widgets, unlimited color options, numerous fonts, and a powerful theme options panel.

Features

• Customizable
• Multiple Page Templates
• SEO Friendly
• Cross-browser Compatible
• Social Media Integration
• Google Fonts

Pros

• Wide Range of Options: Easily customizable with a wide range of options for customizing your website.
• Fully Responsive Design: Responsive design, making it suitable for viewing on any device.
• Compatible with SEO Plugin: SEO friendly, which will help you rank higher in search engine results.
• Compatible with Popular Plugin: Compatible with many popular plugins, allowing you to add additional features to your website.
• Support from the developers means you can get help with any issues.

Cons

• Limited documentation, meaning you may have to search for help elsewhere
• Not as many options for customizing as some other themes
• It can be slow to load if you are not using a good hosting provider.

Methodology for Choosing Best WordPress Theme

To choose the best WordPress theme for your website, you need to think carefully about a number of things, such as your website’s purpose, your design preferences, its functionality needs, and your budget. The following are some essential steps we take when choosing a WordPress theme:

• Website’s Goal: Figure out what your website’s main goals are, such as showing off a portfolio, promoting products or services, or providing educational content.
• Design preferences: Decide how you want your website to look and feel in general, including the colors, layout, fonts, and graphics.
• Functionality Needs: Figure out what features and functions your website needs, like e-commerce, contact forms, social media integration, or mobile responsiveness.
• Evaluate Theme Quality and Support: Check the quality of the theme’s code, responsiveness, and speed, as well as the level of support and documentation provided by the theme’s developers.

What to Look For in Choosing a Best WordPress Theme

To make the process easier, it’s essential to consider several key factors when selecting a theme. These factors include the purpose and functionality of your website, design and customization options, quality and support, user experience, compatibility with plugins and the latest version of WordPress, security features, and price.

By taking the time to carefully evaluate each of these factors, you can find the best WordPress theme that meets your website’s specific needs and goals.

• Compare Purpose and Functionality
• Compare Design and Customization
• Compare Quality and Support
• Compare User Experience
• Compare Compatibility and Security

Best for Purpose and Fuctionality

All of the above themes are free to download and use, but some of them have premium versions with additional features and functionality.

Some themes are made to work with certain page builders, while others are made to be SEO-friendly and fast. Additionally, all themes offer pre-built templates, page builder compatibility, and WooCommerce integration to varying degrees. Ultimately, the best theme for a specific website will depend on the website’s purpose, content, and desired functionality.

Best Design and Customization

There are a lot of WordPress themes, and each one has its own design and options for making changes. However, some themes stand out more than others when it comes to design and customization. Here are a few popular themes that excel in these areas:

Divi Theme

Divi is a popular multipurpose WordPress theme with a powerful drag-and-drop page builder. With Divi, you can easily create custom designs for your website, without needing to know how to code. It offers a vast library of pre-made templates, modules, and layouts that make customization a breeze.

Astra Theme

Astra is a lightweight and customizable WordPress theme that offers a lot of design flexibility. It’s compatible with many popular page builders and allows you to customize every aspect of your website, including the header, footer, and sidebar.

In the end, what makes a theme “best” for your website depends on your own needs and tastes. But just based on design and customization options, Divi is the best WordPress theme in our opinion. Its drag-and-drop page builder and large library of ready-made templates and modules make it easy to make a unique website that looks professional even if you don’t know how to code.

Best Quality and Support

Based on this comparison, Kadence Theme and Divi Theme stand out as the two themes with the highest quality and support. 

Both themes have excellent support teams that are dedicated to resolving issues and answering questions, as well as comprehensive documentation and large user communities. Other themes such as Astra, GeneratePress, and Blocksy also have high quality and excellent support, but Kadence and Divi have an edge in terms of the speed and dedication of their support teams.

Best for User Experience

There are many WordPress themes available, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. When it comes to user experience, there are a few factors to consider, such as ease of navigation, visual appeal, and responsiveness. Here are three popular WordPress themes and how they compare in terms of user experience:

Divi

Divi is a popular and highly customizable WordPress theme that is known for its ease of use and versatility. It offers a drag-and-drop page builder that makes it easy to create unique layouts and designs.

Divi also includes a wide range of pre-designed templates that can be customized to match your brand or style. Additionally, Divi is responsive, which means that your website will look great on any device. Overall, Divi is an excellent choice for those who value ease of use and customization options.

Astra

Astra is a lightweight and fast WordPress theme that is designed to be highly customizable. It offers a range of pre-built templates and layouts that can be easily customized to match your brand or style. Astra is also responsive, which means that your website will look great on any device. One of the standout features of Astra is its focus on speed and performance, which can help improve your website’s user experience. If you prioritize speed and performance, Astra may be the best choice for you.

Based on these factors, Divi may be the best WordPress theme for user experience. Its ease of use, customization options, and responsive design make it an excellent choice for a wide range of websites. However, the best WordPress theme for you will depend on your specific needs and preferences.

Best Compatibility and Security

Choosing a WordPress theme that is compatible with the latest version of WordPress and provides adequate security measures is crucial for any website. 

However, with so many WordPress themes available, it can be challenging to determine which one to choose. In this comprehensive comparison table, we will analyze 10 popular WordPress themes – Astra, Neve, Hello Elementor, Kadence, ColorLib, Divi, GeneratePress, Blocksy, Zakra, and Qi – in terms of their compatibility with the latest version of WordPress, regular updates, compatibility with popular plugins, and security features. 

By examining these themes side-by-side, you can make an informed decision on which theme is best suited for your website’s specific needs.

All of the listed WordPress themes work with the most recent version of WordPress, get regular updates, and can be used with popular plugins. They also all offer security features to protect your website from threats.

When it comes to compatibility and security, these themes are all very similar. It is important to note that while these themes may be secure on their own, security is also dependent on the overall setup of your website, including the plugins you use, how you configure your hosting, and how you manage user access. It is always important to prioritize security measures for your website, regardless of the theme you choose.

FAQ for Best Free WordPress Themes

Final Thoughts

Themes are an essential part of any website, and a wide variety of free WordPress themes are available. While some may not be as feature-rich as premium themes, they can still give you the look and feel you desire for your site. Additionally, many of these free themes are optimized for speed, SEO friendly, and responsive, meaning they will look great on any device.

We have discussed some of the best free WordPress themes available. Depending on your business, you may choose from themes such as Astra, Hello Elementor, Zakra, GeneratePress, or Qi theme. These themes offer great features and customization options, making them perfect for any website.