Best Free WordPress Themes to Launch Your Website (2024 Review)

Ready to get a stunning WordPress design without breaking the bank?

When I launched my first WordPress site, I honestly didn’t want to spend much because it was all so new to me and I didn’t know if it was going to be a good investment or not.

Back then, free themes were often clunky, poorly coded, and about as customizable as a brick wall.

But times have changed, and free themes have come a long way. These days, some free themes rival their premium counterparts in terms of design, functionality, and flexibility.

I’ve used dozens of them on my own projects and client sites, and I’m continually amazed at what you can achieve without spending a dime.

Of course, not all free themes are created equal. Some are bloated with unnecessary features, others are abandoned and haven’t seen an update in years. And let’s not even talk about the security nightmares you can encounter with some poorly coded options.

That’s why I’ve put together this list of the best free WordPress themes. Let’s get started and help you find the best WordPress theme for your site.

How I Test and Review WordPress Themes

My goal with this guide is simple: to recommend themes that not only look great but also provide a solid foundation for your website’s growth.

At WP101, we recommend products we’ve used and have hands-on experience with. We also test themes and plugins regularly to find the best ones for you to build, grow, and manage your site.

We even review them for design, performance, and, user-friendliness.

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Before we dive in, if you’ve seen a site with a theme you like and you want to find out what theme they’re using, you can use free tools like WPBeginner’s Theme Detector or IsItWP. Simply enter the website’s URL and the tool will tell you which theme they’re using.

Let’s take a look at the best free themes available for WordPress.

1. Astra

Astra was actually the first free WordPress theme that I absolutely loved.

In the 2010s, Brainstorm Force (the company behind this theme) was developing WordPress sites for businesses and individuals. They found that there was just no free theme which was great! So they launched Astra in 2017 and it has since been one of the most reliable, lightning-fast themes that offers easy customization options and versatility to suit all kinds of websites.

When you install Astra’s Starter Template plugin, you can import premade demo sites that have all the right pages already set up. There are plenty of free and premium options to choose from.

You can use most popular page builders like Elementor, SeedProd, Beaver Builder, and more. These page builders will give you drag and drop functionality so customization becomes easy.

Astra is great for beginners who want a beautiful website without knowing too much about the ins and outs of WordPress design.

2. SeedProd

SeedProd was my go-to coming soon and maintenance mode plugin but it has grown into the best drag and drop website builder for WordPress.

It comes with 300+ premade theme kits as well as page templates that you can use to create a stunning website.

Once you choose your theme kit, you can customize it to your liking using readymade blocks and sections. You just have to edit the demo content and images and you can publish your site.

The free version is great for setting up one-page websites like portfolios and simple sites to create an online presence for your business. You can always create more landing pages as you need.

The premium version lets you import an entire premade website in one click.

3. Neve

Neve is a fast, lightweight, and highly customizable WordPress theme. It’s designed to work well with page builders and the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg).

Developed by ThemeIsle, this theme stands out for its exceptional speed, loading in mere seconds, and its highly customizable nature.

Despite its lightweight and minimalist design, Neve is highly extendable, allowing users to create unique and feature-rich websites. Its code is optimized for SEO, helping websites achieve top rankings in Google search results.

4. OceanWP

OceanWP is a true multipurpose theme. I’ve used it for blogs, business sites, portfolios, and even eCommerce stores. It easily adapts to whatever your site needs.

There’s a theme customizer to tweak almost every aspect of your site’s appearance without touching code.

Like Astra, OceanWP is built with performance in mind. It’s lightweight and optimized for speed, which means your site visitors won’t be left waiting.

While the core theme is free, some of the more advanced features are locked behind the pro version. But for many sites, the free version offers more than enough. Plus, OceanWP offers several free extensions that add extra functionality. So you get bonus features without paying extra.

5. Kadence

Kadence offers a feature-rich free WordPress theme that’s more than enough to create a stunning and fast-loading website.

From within your WordPress site, you can install the Starter Templates by Kadence WP to get started for free!

There are starter kits for all sorts of websites including online stores, single-product stores, small businesses, freelancers, restaurants, and so much more.

6. Hestia

Hestia excels at creating beautiful one-page websites. If you’re looking to create a striking landing page or a compact business site, this theme is a great choice. Its customization options are impressive for a free theme. The live customizer lets you see changes in real-time, which is always a plus in my book.

If you’re after a modern theme that’s easy to use and looks great out of the box, Hestia is definitely worth considering.

7. SiteOrigin

SiteOrigin is known for their excellent Page Builder plugin, but they also offer a selection of free themes that are worth checking out.

They include Corp, Vantage, and North. Each has its own style, but they all share a clean, professional look.

In my experience, SiteOrigin themes offer a good balance of built-in options and customization potential.

8. Go

Go is a versatile and user-friendly option for those looking to create a website with a modern and professional appearance.

You can use this theme for a wide range of websites, including business sites, portfolios, and blogs.

The theme comes with an intuitive theme options panel that allows you to quickly and easily adjust various aspects of your site’s appearance without touching a line of code.

Go is also built with performance in mind. Its lightweight and optimized design ensures that your site will load quickly and smoothly, providing a positive user experience.

9. Sydney

Sydney is a business-oriented WordPress theme created by aThemes. It’s designed to be flexible and customizable, suitable for various types of businesses and organizations.

There’a free version that comes with fully responsive design, multiple layout options, customizable colors, and more. c

The pro version includes additional features like extra Elementor widgets, more demo sites, premium support, and advanced customization options.

There are website demos for different business websites, portfolios, blogs, or eCommerce sites.

10. Blocksy

Blocksy is a lightweight and highly customizable WordPress theme. It’s designed to work seamlessly with page builders and the WordPress block editor (Gutenberg).

It also offers integration with popular plugins like Elementor, Brizy, Beaver Builder, and various caching plugins.

What stands out about this theme is its fast loading times, high performance, dark mode option, multiple color schemes and typography options.

Blocksy is actively maintained, with regular updates to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and to add new features.

The free theme is translation-ready and supports RTL (Right-to-Left) languages.

11. Hueman

Hueman is a responsive WordPress theme designed for blogs, magazines, and business websites. It’s developed by Nikeo and is available for free.

This free WordPress theme focuses on customization, responsiveness, and user-friendly features. You’ll get a customizable layout with 2 sidebars, unlimited accent colors, light and dark color schemes, featured posts slider, and so much more.

It also offers built-in social sharing buttons and is optimized for search engines (SEO-friendly).

12. Poseidon

Poseidon is a great choice for those looking to create a magazine-style website with WordPress, offering a good balance of features and ease of use in its free version.

It offers a clean, modern design that’s both attractive and functional. The magazine-styled homepage with various widget areas to display your content in an organized manner.

It includes editor styles for a better editing experience in the WordPress editor.

13. Maxwell

Maxwell is another free WordPress theme developed by ThemeZee, designed primarily for magazines and news websites.

It offers a clean, modern design with a strong focus on typography and readability. I love that it includes a featured post slider to highlight important or recent content.

14. Phlox

Phlox is a versatile and modern WordPress theme suitable for a wide range of websites. It comes with a library of pre-built demos that you can easily import and customize, making it simple to get your site up and running quickly.

The theme offers deep integration with popular page builders like Elementor, allowing for extensive customization without coding. Phlox is also WooCommerce compatible and includes features like portfolio showcases and blog layouts.

With its responsive design and focus on performance, Phlox provides a solid foundation for creating professional and visually appealing websites across various niches.

15. Inspiro

Inspiro developed by WPZOOM, is a visually striking theme designed for photographers, videographers, and creative professionals.

It features a full-screen homepage with video or image background options, excellent portfolio showcases, and strong support for video content.

Inspiro is fully responsive, WooCommerce compatible, and offers extensive customization options through the WordPress Customizer. This theme is ideal for visual artists looking to create a powerful online presence that puts their work front and center.

16. Lovecraft

Lovecraft is an elegant and sophisticated theme perfect for personal blogs and simple websites.

It features a classic two-column layout, large featured images, and custom accent colors to help your content stand out. With its clean typography and minimalist design, Lovecraft is ideal for writers, bloggers, and anyone who wants to present their content in a refined, distraction-free environment.

The theme is also responsive and retina-ready, ensuring your site looks great on all devices.

17. Baskerville

Baskerville is a versatile and visually striking theme designed for content-rich websites.

It features a dynamic grid layout on the homepage, showcasing your latest posts with large featured images. The theme includes five custom widgets, a responsive design, and support for post formats, making it suitable for blogs, online magazines, and portfolio sites.

Baskerville’s bold typography and clean aesthetics make it an excellent choice for bloggers and creatives who want to present their content in a modern, eye-catching way.

18. Ashe

Ashe is a popular and versatile WordPress theme developed by WP Royal.

It offers a clean, elegant design with a focus on blogs, personal websites, and lifestyle content.

The theme features a full-width Instagram feed, multiple layout options, and WooCommerce compatibility for those looking to add e-commerce functionality.

With its responsive design, customizable color schemes, and various post formats, Ashe is well-suited for bloggers, influencers, and small businesses looking for a visually appealing and flexible website solution.

19. Tracks

Tracks is a minimalist WordPress theme designed for bloggers and writers.

It features a clean, content-focused layout with large featured images and a unique side-by-side post format on the homepage.

The theme offers customizable colors, a responsive design, and social media integration. If you’re a blogger or writer looking for a sleek, distraction-free platform to showcase your content, Tracks could be an excellent choice for your website.

20. Fascinate

Fascinate is a modern and versatile WordPress theme ideal for bloggers and online magazines. It offers multiple homepage layouts, customizable color options, and a responsive design that looks great on all devices.

The theme includes built-in social media integration and supports WooCommerce for e-commerce functionality.

With its clean design and focus on readability, Fascinate helps your content shine while providing the flexibility to create a unique look for your site.

21. Blogier

Blogieris a clean and minimalist WordPress theme designed with bloggers in mind. It features a responsive layout, customizable colors, and support for the WordPress block editor. The theme offers a distraction-free reading experience with its focus on typography and whitespace. If you’re looking to start a personal blog or a simple content-focused website, Blogier provides a straightforward and elegant solution that puts your writing front and center.

22. Storefront

Storefront developed by Automattic, is the official WooCommerce theme designed specifically for e-commerce websites. The Automattic team are also the same people behind WordPress.com.

The theme offers seamless integration with WooCommerce and its extensions, providing a solid foundation for your online store. The theme features a clean, professional design that’s fully responsive and customizable.

With its focus on speed and SEO optimization, Storefront helps ensure your products are displayed effectively and your store performs well in search rankings.

Whether you’re setting up a small boutique or a large online marketplace, Storefront provides the tools you need to create a successful e-commerce site.

23. eStore

eStore, created by ThemeGrill, is a versatile WordPress theme tailored for online shops and e-commerce websites. It offers deep integration with WooCommerce, allowing you to set up your store quickly and easily.

The theme features a clean, modern design with multiple layout options and a customizable homepage. eStore includes product showcase widgets, a responsive design, and built-in SEO optimization.

If you’re looking to launch an online store with a professional look and robust functionality, eStore provides a comprehensive solution that’s both user-friendly and visually appealing.

 24. Idyllic

Idyllic developed by ThemeHorse, is a versatile multipurpose WordPress theme suitable for businesses, portfolios, and blogs. It features a clean, modern design with a full-width slider and multiple layout options. The theme offers extensive customization capabilities through the WordPress Customizer, allowing you to easily adjust colors, fonts, and layouts.

Idyllic is also WooCommerce compatible, making it a good choice if you’re planning to add eCommerce functionality to your site. With its responsive design and focus on user experience, Idyllic provides a solid foundation for a wide range of website projects.

25. Mesmerize

Mesmerize is a flexible and feature-rich WordPress theme designed for various types of websites. It offers a drag-and-drop page builder, allowing you to create custom layouts without coding knowledge.

The theme includes pre-designed sections, multiple header styles, and a wide range of customization options. Mesmerize is fully responsive and optimized for speed, ensuring your site looks great and performs well on all devices.

Whether you’re building a business website, a portfolio, or a blog, Mesmerize provides the tools to create a professional and unique online presence.

That’s the list of the best free WordPress themes that the team and I have curated for you.

To help you launch your site for free, we’ve also put together lists of the Best Free Web Hosting Companies and Ultimate Guide: 40+ Top WordPress Plugins You Need.

Also, you’ll want to read our Ultimate WordPress Toolkit: Everything You Need For Your Website.