20+ Best Free WordPress Themes in 2025

Themes play a crucial role in WordPress (WP) sites. They can make or break a website. So, your choice is really important, especially from the SEO, speed, and user experience perspectives.

However, the issue with the best WordPress themes is that most of them are paid. To solve this problem, we decided to dig deep into the depths of the web. Fortunately, we ended up with 20+ options. So, today, we are documenting our findings here.

In this blog post, we’ll share a detailed list of 20+ best free WordPress themes. With each option, we’ll mention its forte and why it’s considered a top choice in its category. So, with that in mind, let’s dive in!

Things to Check Before Downloading a Free WordPress Theme

Before getting to the free-of-cost list of the best themes for WordPress, you should know ‘what to look for’ in an available option. This will make the selection easier. So, consider the following factors before finalizing your choice:

• Compatibility

WordPress does not design all themes. Some are created by private agencies and organizations.  So, they do not all work perfectly with the most recent version of WordPress and its plugins. For this reason, you should examine a theme’s compatibility before using it.

• Customization Options

A theme seems perfect at first, but its elements are not fully customizable. This happens a lot with beginner WordPress developers. So, check whether your choice offers all the personalization options you need or not.

• Mobile Responsiveness

According to a 2025 study, mobile devices account for 64.35% of worldwide online traffic. So, there is no point in selecting a WordPress theme that can’t make your website operable on mobile phones.

• Performance and Speed

Some themes elevate the look of your website. However, they have lots of animations, which ruin the overall performance and speed of the site. And since these are crucial SEO factors, you should avoid such options as well.

• Regular Updates and Support

Even integrating the most awesome WordPress themes sometimes requires contacting the support team. So, make sure that whatever option you choose has a reliable support staff. Plus, also check whether a theme is getting regular updates or not.

• Security Features

You don’t want to risk the safety of your site’s visitors by selecting something that offers no security. So, always select a theme that is totally secure against all sorts of vulnerabilities.

• SEO Friendliness

What’s the point of creating a website if it’s not SEO-friendly? So, make sure that the WordPress theme you choose ticks all the points in the SEO checklist. 

• User Reviews and Ratings

When it comes to selecting something, there is nothing better than the opinion of a real user. So, always check the reviews and ratings of WordPress themes before deciding whether it’s worth using or not.

What Are the Top Free WordPress Themes Available in 2025?

Now that you’ve understood the selection criteria of the best free WordPress themes, it’s time to talk about the actual matter. So, the following list contains the top free choices of 2025:

1) OceanWP — Free WordPress Theme for Customization

OceanWP is a highly expandable theme, as it supports various add-ons and extensions. It comes packed with lots of demo templates that help set up sites with a single click. Whether you need to change the header, sidebar, or width, you can do all that and much more with precision.

Pros

• Fine-grained layout controls.
• Highly flexible.
• WooCommerce compatibility.

Perfect For

Multipurpose websites, like online shopping stores, portfolios, etc.

2) Neve — Lightweight Option for Speed

Neve is a fast AMP-friendly theme that integrates flawlessly with all page builder elements. Like OceanWP, it also features pre-built demo site templates. So, you can use them to create a professional website in no time.

Highlights

• Effortless demo importing.
• Lightweight and therefore, fast.
• Compatible with the Accelerated Mobile Pages framework.

Best For

Mobile-friendly blogs and small business sites.

3) Astra — Multipurpose Theme for Any WordPress Site

Astra is another free wordpress theme that leaves a minimal footprint. That’s how it maintains a fast page loading speed. It also has lots of starter templates that are fully customizable without needing any coding knowledge.

Fortes

• Exceptionally fast.
• Huge library of built-in templates.
• Impressive page builder integration.

Ideal For

Blogging platforms, online stores, and portfolio sites.

4) Sydney — Best Free WordPress Theme for Professional Websites

Sydney is one of the most polished themes that features everything needed to build professional sites. It offers quick visual building, especially when combined with Elementor.

Pros

• Elementor-ready.
• Parallax scrolling effect.
• Highly responsive.

Best For

Agency and corporate websites.

5) Hestia — A Perfect Free-of-Cost Choice for One-Page Sites

If you want a one-page site that offers a modern feel, do not look past Hestia. It features Material Design touches for a sleek vibe. You will also find live customizer and WooCommerce support, which makes it perfect for the e-commerce niche.

Highlights

• Live customizer and WooCommerce compatibility.
• One page design with a sleek look.

Perfect For

Single-page sites, like portfolios.

6) GeneratePress — Flexible and Free WP Theme for Developers

GeneratePress is a unique theme that focuses on performance while being lightweight. For that, it relies on a modular structure that enables only those features of your website that you need. So, it stays lean while offering optimal performance.

Fortes

• Modular structure.
• Stability + Speed.

Ideal For

Performance-minded individuals.

7) Blocksy — Best Free WordPress Theme for Modern Layouts and Gutenberg

If you want a visually-driven website using Gutenberg, Blocksy is the perfect choice. It is a block-friendly theme choice that works flawlessly with modern WordPress workflows.

Pros

• Dynamic headers, layout options.
• Live customizer controls.

Best For

Gutenberg users.

8) Kadence — Top Free-of-Cost Choice for Advanced Customization and Design Control

Kadence is one of the few themes that allows deep design control without the need for heavy tools. For instance, its free version comes packed with a header/footer builder, solid WooCommerce support, and starter templates. So, it provides you with enough power to create a fully-functional site.

Highlights

• Drag-and-drop header/footer.
• Exceptional speed.
• WooCommerce ready.

Perfect For

Advanced users who need to build sophisticated agency and e-commerce websites.

9) Zakra — Lightweight WordPress Theme for Multi-Niche Websites

Zakra is another lightweight category of this list. However, what truly makes it stand out is its highly compatible nature with major page builders. So, you will hardly experience compatibility issues here.

Fortes

• Extensive library of ready-to-use templates.
• Responsive and clean design.
• Built-in SEO friendly nature.
• Compatible with Elementor and Gutenberg.

Ideal For

Multi-niche blogs and websites.

10) Storefront — Most Awesome Free WordPress Theme for WooCommerce Stores

As the name indicates, the Storefront theme is suitable for e-commerce websites. It is the official theme from WooCommerce. Therefore, it is flawlessly compatible with all the features of WooCommerce.

Pros

• Highly stable.
• Easily expandable.

Best For

Online stores and WooCommerce shops.

11) Vantage — Top Free WordPress Theme for Business and Portfolio Sites

If you want to build a portfolio or company site, try Vantage. It has one of the solid bases that we’ve ever seen in a WordPress theme, as it works exceptionally well with SiteOrigin Page Builder.

Highlights

• Flexible layout choices.
• Widget support.
• Availability of WooCommerce support as well.

Perfect For

Business, freelancer, and portfolio websites.

12) Ashe — A Handy User-Friendly Option for Lifestyle Bloggers

Ashe is an elegant and minimalistic theme that has been specifically designed for blogs of food, lifestyle, and travel niches. What’s even more interesting is that it offers various e-commerce features and the support of social media integration.

Fortes

• Easy to set up.
• Imagery and readability.
• Mobile-friendly.

Ideal For

Personal, lifestyle, and travel bloggers.

13) Inspiro — Top Choice for Portfolios Related to Photography and Video

Inspiro, as the name suggests, aims to inspire. Therefore, it focuses highly on visual presentation through galleries, gallery sliders, and video backgrounds.

Pros

• Gallery support.
• Modern layout.
• Videographic backgrounds.

Best For

Photographers and videographers who want to showcase their portfolios.

14) Hello Elementor — Best Option for Page Builder Customization

Hello Elementor is one of the most famous WordPress themes, mainly due to its ultra-minimal nature. It has been designed as a blank canvas for Elementor. Therefore, you get maximum flexibility when building pages using Elementor’s page builder.

Highlights

• Lightweight.
• Fast.
• Optimized for Elementor.

Perfect For

Custom site builds and Elementor web designers.

15) Phlox — Perfect Free WordPress Theme for Creative Portfolios

If you want to attract visitors, Phlox is the best choice, mainly due to its deep Elementor integration. It has lots of visually rich templates that make it a popular choice among agencies, designers, and even photographers.

Fortes

• Visually appealing built-in templates.
• Elementor compatible.
• Multipurpose.

Ideal For

Creative and small portfolio sites.

16) SeedProd — Best Free WordPress Theme for Drag-and-Drop Page Building

SeedProd is a WP theme that has lots of tools to assist small business owners and marketers in launching pages quickly. For instance, it has a visual drag-and-drop builder, which makes it a perfect choice for lightweight websites and landing pages.

Pros

• Built-in conversion-focused blocks.
• Easy to set up.
• Intuitive builder.

Best For

Marketers and business owners who need landing pages and small sites.

17) Hueman — Perfect Free-of-Cost WP Theme for Blog and Magazine Layouts

Some people want content-heavy sites. So, Hueman has been specifically designed for them. It has featured post-grids and multiple widget sections that provide a great mobile-friendly and readable experience.

Highlights

• Flexible sidebars.
• Readability-focused.
• Responsive on mobiles.

Perfect For

Content-rich platforms, like blogs and magazines.

18) Newsup— Top Free WordPress Theme for Magazine and News Websites

As the name highlights, Newsup is a WP theme that is suitable for news-like homepages and online publications. It offers ad-ready sections, category grids, and free magazine-style layouts.

Fortes

• Easier content organization.
• Magazine and news-friendly elements.

Ideal For

Editorial websites, news portals, and online magazines.

19) OnlineEducation— Best Free WP Theme for Education and LMS Sites

The free version of the Online Education WordPress theme has everything required to build educational sites. Whether you need the layout or integration of something related to courses, training, or tutor platforms, you’ll find all the essentials here.

Pros

• Demo content.
• Education-friendly layouts.
• Pairs nicely with free LMS plugins

Best For

Course creator, school, and tutor websites.

20) eStore — Best Free Choice for eCommerce Starter Websites

eStore is another WooCommerce-compatible WordPress theme. It provides various simple and free-of-cost options to beginners so they can build their basic online stores quickly.

Highlights

• Beginners-friendly.
• Clean product and store layouts.
• WooCommerce compatibility.

Perfect For

Basic eCommerce websites.

21) Spacious — Perfect Free WP Theme for Agencies and Businesses

Spacious is basically a business theme that serves various purposes. For instance, it provides customizer options, professional demos, and widget areas in a clean manner. Therefore, you can use it for any corporate-structure-related site.

Fortes

• Easy customization.
• Flexible widgets.
• Professional and ready-to-use templates.

Ideal For

Corporate platforms, like agency and business websites.

Conclusion

The top free WordPress theme isn’t just the most popular one. Actually, it is the one that fits your workflow, represents your brand, and keeps your visitors coming back. So, after going through the above-provided detailed list, if you’re still unsure where to start, look for themes that match your purpose first. Then, test how they perform with your favorite page builders and plugins.

Best Free WordPress Themes — FAQ’S

What are the best free WordPress themes available now?

Astra, Blocksy, GeneratePress, Hello Elementor, Kadence, Neve, and OceanWP are some of the best choices available in 2025. That’s simply due to their compatible, customizable, and lightweight characteristics.

How safe is it to download WordPress free themes?

If you use the official theme repository of WordPress or the verified website of a developer, it is completely safe to download a free WP theme.

Can a free WordPress theme look just as good as a premium one?

Absolutely! As a matter of fact, several modern options, such as the ones mentioned above, perform head-to-head with their premium counterparts.

What is the most awesome WordPress theme I can use for free?

The term ‘awesome’ is subjective. But if you want speed and versatility, Astra and Neve are the perfect free-of-cost choices. On the other hand, if you are more on the creative and eCommerce side, try Blocksy, Hello Elementor, OceanWP, and Storefront.

Where can I safely download free WordPress themes?

You can use the official theme directory of WordPress or the verified website of a developer to download free WP themes without any safety concerns.

How do I choose the best themes for WordPress for my site?

First of all, find out why you’re creating a website; whether it is to provide a service, showcase your work, or something else. Once the purpose is clear, go for lightweight, responsive, and SEO-friendly options.

Are there free website themes for WordPress optimized for SEO?

Yes! Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, and Neve are all free themes that have been optimized for search engine optimization. 

How often should free themes be updated?

A theme should be updated at least every few months to stay compatible with the core updates and security patches of WordPress.

Can I switch free WordPress themes later without losing content or SEO?

Absolutely! But you may lose custom layout or theme-specific settings. Therefore, keeping a backup of your site is always a good practice.