So you are looking for a new WordPress theme. Chances are, you've been frustrated by the sheer number of sites on the market and the bewildering variety of themes to choose from. Where to start?
Rest easy as we've taken the work out of narrowing down your options to help you make an informed decision on where to buy your WordPress theme. There are many factors at play here and we will guide you through all of them.
Are you concerned about which market or theme store has the best customer service? Where are the best prices? What sites specialize in specific industry topics? We'll cover all of this and more with our journey through the most popular WordPress theme markets and stores. Let's go!
Themed markets and thematic forest
Theme marketplaces like Envato's Themeforest provide a place for theme developers to sell their products online. With over 20,000 themes available on Theme Forest, you will find product offerings for every project, website format, and style.
On the plus side, Envato quality checks every topic. They tell you if future updates are included in the purchase price and if the theme author is actively supporting the theme online (very important for beginner and intermediate WordPress users!) Expect higher priced themes to include substantial support better than the least expensive items.
Searching for topics is easy. The site provides a range of filters that allow you to view WordPress themes:
- In a particular category
- In a specific price range
- Based on customer rating
- Based on dollars in sales
- and much more
Filter options in Theme Forest
The results or theme listings at the same time include a hover snapshot as well as a short summary that tells you if the theme is high resolution and widget ready, which browser versions it supports, and which frameworks are supported . If you plan to use your theme with a specific solution like Underlined, WPML or Ear, this information is quite useful.
Some of the useful demos of Total Theme
Themeforest at the same time has become the leader in all-in-one multipurpose WordPress themes. You've certainly seen a topic mentioned on one blog or another, and even though these types of topics aren't everyone's cup of tea, you can't worry about the options and flexibility they provide. Just take a look at any of the best selling themes, like the Total WordPress theme, and you'll see that although a multipurpose theme comes with a lot of options (which is good!), they usually come with easy-to-use sample demos at the same time with all the options already selected for you.
Beyond the industry leader, other markets at the same time are helpful in tracking down the perfect topic. Even though the smaller markets have fewer themes available, they make up for it with a range of other attractive features. One of our best options is Creative Market. Since authors can set their own prices in this market, you can find an affordable theme for any budget. At the same time, they have amazing gifts every week, so don't forget to sign up for their newsletter!
StudioPress and elegant themes
Within the theme stores on the Internet, there are perhaps two standouts that have really made a name for themselves. The first is StudioPress, creators of the Genesis framework. Ren did a great review of the Genesis framework, but for now we'll touch on the key points here: fast load times, excellent support, SEO, affordability, and security are just a few of them.
The Genesis framework for StudioPress.
If you are using the Genesis framework to power your WordPress site, we recommend StudioPress, as it is the leading provider of Genesis themes. Why? Well, because they done Genesis. Using a Genesis child theme written by another developer could cause compatibility issues, as even expert theme developers don't always know all the details about the framework. Software authors have a natural advantage in this regard. At the same time, their clean, professional designs are swoon-worthy.
StudioPress Cafe and Daily Dish Themes
StudioPress at the same time offers the Genesis Pro Framework package which gives you access to all available child themes for one low price. If you're using Genesis, buying their StudioPress child theme is a sensible option, but they're not the only game in town - Creative Market, ZigZagPress, and Web Savvy Marketing all offer Genesis-based options at the same time.
The second theme store is Elegant Themes, which should come as no surprise, since its Divi theme is a clear success. This theme store has carved out a great place in the WordPress marketplace offering tons of great themes for a low bundle price.
The massively popular Divi theme
Niche theme stores and bespoke designs
If you are looking for a theme that suits a specific industry, Templatic is a great place to start your search. They offer more than 80 themes for specific industries like hotels, auto shops, restaurants, hair salons, and more. They are especially useful for directory topics for company listings. Below is a sample of their most useful topics and at the same time it is worth noting to take a look at the Templatic Showcase.
Templatic themes
The themes offered on Templatic range from $ 29 to $ 79 and at the same time they have a Premium Theme Club that gives you access to all the templates for $ 299. Whether you choose a single theme or the club option, Templatic offers unlimited support and theme updates for one year. At the same time you get access to topic guides and a community forum.
ThemeIsle Bestsellers
Another site worth mentioning is ThemeIsle. They created the most popular free theme on WordPress.com, and at the same time they have some pretty impressive premium themes. On this site you will find perfect topics for business, photography, book reviews, construction, and more. You can choose just one theme or you can get access to all of them for just $ 99 (which includes 2 years of priority support).
And there are literally hundreds of more themed stores, these are just a few we've used and trusted.
Bespoke (or custom) themes
Custom theme stores tend to be thinner since most developers choose to work directly with clients on custom sites. There are some professional sites willing to accommodate absolutely custom jobs, regardless, if that's an option you want to pursue. Just keep in mind that custom themes will cost more than templates because they were created just for you and you will spend a lot of time with the developer, so make sure you pick someone you like.
Lack of choice is not the problem when it comes to choosing a WordPress theme. Even with the few markets and theme shops we've mentioned here, you have thousands of options available.
Each business and site is ultimately unique, so we cannot choose a solution that meets all needs. The theme you choose should be based on your preferences, your level of knowledge when working with PHP, WordPress, CSS, and other frameworks, as well as your budget. Hopefully our breakdown of the most popular topic sources will point you in the right direction. The final decision is definitely yours.
We do our best to find the perfect theme for your site and we'd love to know which market or theme store you ended up choosing and why. Get in touch through the comments and let us know!
