Whenever it comes to choosing a WordPress theme, users often get confused between free WordPress themes and premium WordPress themes. It is always very challenging to decide whether they should choose free themes or premium ones. Both of them have their own pros & cons. So if you are also struggling with choosing a WordPress theme, keep reading this article. Here we will help you understand the difference between free WordPress themes and premium WordPress themes. We also will discuss their pros & cons in this article. After reading this article, you will be able to decide whether you should choose a free WordPress theme or a premium one.
Free vs Premium WordPress Themes
WordPress users often ask how to choose between free themes and premium themes. What are the advantages of using free and premium WordPress themes? Well, we all know that WordPress provides two types of themes – free themes and premium themes, and both have their distinct advantages. Let’s start with the free WordPress themes.
Free WordPress Themes
As the name suggests, free WordPress themes are those themes that are available for free, i.e. you do not need to pay for them. They are often called basic or simple themes that are easy to use, perfect for WordPress beginners or non-coders. Let’s find out the advantages and disadvantages of free WordPress themes:
Advantages
- The best thing about free WordPress themes is that they are free, i.e. no need to pay for them. And that is why free WordPress themes are good for those individuals who are creating their first website, especially a blog.
- Free WordPress themes are less complex than the premium ones because they have a very basic design. Even a novice person can easily customize a free WordPress theme without requiring any prior coding knowledge.
- You get a very limited number of features in the free WordPress themes. They do not have premium features and widgets, and also they do not require additional plugins. As a result, free themes are quicker to load, and they can also boost your website speed.
- Free themes are ideal for beginners or individuals having less coding knowledge. They are also highly compatible with most of the WordPress plugins.
- Free themes are not only available in the WordPress theme directory but also on many other websites from where you can download them.
Note: You should never download and install free WordPress themes provided by unreliable sources.
Disadvantages
- Free WordPress themes offer very limited support, through WordPress forums only. They do not have any dedicated support team to get your queries resolved.
- Free themes provide you with very limited features and functionality, although they have most of the standard WordPress features.
- Free themes are not so unique, and they do not give your website a professional look. Besides, there are very limited options to customize your website design if you choose a free WordPress theme.
- Free WordPress themes come with no warranty so if anything goes wrong, you have to resolve it by yourself.
Now let’s see what a premium WordPress theme has to offer.
Premium WordPress Themes
The premium WordPress themes are paid themes, i.e. you have to pay for them. They are called premium because they offer premium features. Premium themes are the best choice for those who want to give their website a unique and more professional look without compromising the design. Let’s find out the advantages and disadvantages of premium WordPress themes:
Advantages
- Premium themes are not free. It may cost you between $30 – $100, but the features it has, make it worth the price.
- Unlike free WordPress themes, premium themes do not require to undergo an official review process before being available for use.
- Although free WordPress themes are quicker to load, they cannot match premium themes that are designed with speed in mind. Also, the build quality of premium WordPress themes is far superior to free themes.
- Whoever is providing you the premium WordPress themes, be it WordPress itself or any 3rd party vendor, you will get excellent support along with the documentation that will guide you through the setup process.
- Premium themes come with more advanced features, and also give you better customization options. Besides, they also enable you to integrate with 3rd party apps to improve your site’s functionality.
- Just like free themes, premium WordPress themes are also available in the WordPress theme directory as well as on other websites from where you can download them.
Note: You should never download and install premium WordPress themes provided by unreliable sources.
Disadvantages
- Although a premium theme looks good, it may have poor coding standards because premium WordPress themes do not have to go through a strict review process. Themes designed with poor coding standards might be incompatible with some plugins.
- A premium WordPress theme may have too many features, and many of them are not even necessary for you. If you use a theme overloaded with features, this will definitely make your website slow.
- For non-coders, it could be difficult to customize a premium WordPress theme because it has a complex design.
- Premium themes could be very expensive, depending upon the quality and features. Not everyone can afford to buy a premium theme.
Theme selection is not only about choosing a theme that looks good. In fact, it is all about choosing a theme that suits your content and meets your website goals.
Who Should Choose Free WordPress Themes?
Those users should choose a free WordPress theme who –
- Want to start a personal blog or a free blog
- Do not care if your website has the same design as most of the other websites
- Are happy with the basic functionality
- Can manage with little or almost no technical support
Who Should Choose Premium Premium Themes?
Those users should choose a premium WordPress theme who –
- Want to build a business website or an eCommerce store
- Want their websites to look unique and more professional
- Are looking for premium features
- Want to use plugins to add additional functionality to their websites
- Need a dedicated support team to get their issues (related to that particular premium theme) resolved
Conclusion
A free or premium theme has its own advantages and disadvantages. But choosing a theme between the free and premium ones completely depends on your website’s requirements, your budgets, and aesthetic preferences. In this article, we have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of free and premium WordPress themes. Hopefully, you can now choose the right WordPress theme for your next website.