No matter your industry or business goals, there is a WordPress theme designed to meet your needs. In this guide, we highlight the 35 best WordPress themes of 2025, helping you identify the ideal option for your website.
WordPress themes power millions of websites worldwide, offering a vast selection of both free and premium options. While custom-built websites provide greater uniqueness and performance, WordPress themes serve as an excellent starting point—particularly for those without web development expertise or those seeking a reliable, pre-designed solution with dedicated support.
With over 12,000 free themes available on WordPress.org and nearly 18,000 premium themes listed on ThemeForest, selecting the right theme can be overwhelming. To simplify your decision-making process, we have curated a list of the 35 best WordPress themes of the year, covering both free and paid options across various categories.
How to Select the Best WordPress Theme
Choosing the ideal WordPress theme for your website or online store requires careful consideration of how well it aligns with your brand’s objectives, functionality requirements, and technical constraints.
Key factors to evaluate include:
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Features: WordPress themes offer a wide range of functionalities, from intuitive site management tools to pre-designed layouts and components. Identify the essential features your website needs and select a theme that meets those requirements.
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Compatibility: Ensure the theme integrates seamlessly with your existing tools, such as analytics platforms, SEO plugins, and other essential WordPress extensions.
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Usability: Some themes provide user-friendly, drag-and-drop customization, while others require coding expertise for advanced design and functionality. Choose a theme that aligns with your team’s technical capabilities.
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Cost: WordPress themes are available at various price points, from free options suited for startups to premium themes ranging from $13 to over $1,000 for enterprises. Evaluate both the initial purchase price and any additional costs for essential features or support.
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Reputation & Reviews: Highly-rated themes with a significant number of downloads are often more reliable and well-maintained. However, widespread use may result in a less distinctive design, so consider customization options to differentiate your site.
10 Best Free WordPress Themes
For startups and budget-conscious users, free and freemium WordPress themes offer a cost-effective solution without compromising on quality.
1. GeneratePress
GeneratePress is a widely respected freemium, open-source WordPress theme renowned for its lightweight design, speed, and user-friendly customization.
Key Features:
- Block-based page builder
- 100% PageSpeed scores
- Seamless third-party plugin integration
- Fully customizable layout options
- Available in 25+ languages
Pricing:
- Free Version: $0
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Premium Version: $59 per year
User Reviews:
- 5/5 rating
- 600,000+ active installations
2. Albatross
Albatross is a specialized WordPress theme tailored for property management and hotel bookings. It is powered by the MotoPress Hotel Booking Lite plugin, offering seamless booking functionality.
Key Features:
- Full compatibility with Elementor page builder
- Interactive animations, maps, and galleries powered by Stratum
- Customizable theme accent colors
- One-click demo import for easy setup
- Integrated property management, booking, and payment solutions
Pricing:
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Free WordPress theme
Reviews:
- Rated 5/5
- Over 22,000+ active installations
3. Blocksy
Blocksy is a versatile and modern WordPress theme designed for Gutenberg and WooCommerce, offering extensive customization options powered by React components.
Key Features:
- Seamless compatibility with page builders
- Fully customizable layout options
- Built-in dark mode
- Advanced color and typography settings
- Integrated WooCommerce support
Pricing:
Blocksy is available as a free download, with premium plans offering additional features:
- Free: $0
- Personal: $69 per year
- Professional: $99 per year
- Agency: $149 per year
Reviews:
- Rated 5/5
- Over 300,000+ active installations
4. Kadence
Kadence is a high-performance WordPress theme featuring an intuitive header builder and seamless integration with popular plugins, making website creation both engaging and efficient.
Key Features:
- AI-powered Kadence Starter Templates for effortless website design
- Compatibility with leading plugins such as WooCommerce and LearnDash
- Fully customizable header and footer builders
- Global color and typography settings for consistent branding
- Responsive layouts for an optimized user experience across all devices
Pricing:
- Free: $0 per year
- Essentials Package: $149 per year
- Full Package: $219 per year
User Reviews:
- 5/5 (Based on 300,000+ active installations)
5. Vantage
Vantage is a versatile, free WordPress theme designed around the SiteOrigin Page Builder, providing users with a seamless drag-and-drop interface for complete control over page layouts.
Key Features:
- Boxed or full-width layout options
- Multiple header configurations
- Built-in CSS editor
- Extensive widget bundle
- WooCommerce compatibility
Pricing:
- Vantage is available at no cost.
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Active Installations: 50,000+
6. Ashe
Ashe is a free WordPress theme designed for bloggers and online store owners, offering a clean and modern layout.
Key Features:
- Featured blog slider for enhanced content presentation
- Seamless WooCommerce integration for eCommerce functionality
- Fully responsive design for optimal display across all devices
- Translation-ready code to support multiple languages
- Built-in SEO optimization features to enhance search engine visibility
Pricing:
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Free
User Reviews:
- 5/5 (Based on 30,000+ active installations)
7. Bard
Bard is a contemporary WordPress theme designed for both personal and multi-author blogs, featuring built-in storefront capabilities.
Key Features:
- Seamless WooCommerce integration
- Unlimited widget areas for enhanced customization
- Live preview for real-time customization
- Fully responsive design for optimal user experience across devices
Pricing:
- Bard is available as a free WordPress theme.
User Reviews:
- 5/5 rating
- 11,000+ active installations
8. PopularFX
PopularFX is a versatile WordPress theme that simplifies website creation through its intuitive visual page builder.
Key Features:
- 500+ professionally designed templates
- 1,000+ pre-built content sections
- Drag-and-drop functionality with real-time editing
- A range of basic and pro widgets for enhanced customization
Pricing:
PopularFX offers a free version alongside premium plans:
- Free: $0
- Personal: $59
- Professional: $89
- Business: $249
Reviews & Popularity:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Active Installations: 100,000+
9. Go
Go is a versatile WordPress theme optimized for the Gutenberg editor and CoBlocks plugin, offering a user-friendly and customizable experience.
Key Features:
- Customizable color schemes and menu options
- Block editor compatibility for seamless content creation
- Built-in eCommerce support
- Translation-ready code for multilingual websites
Pricing:
- Go is available as a free WordPress theme.
User Reviews:
- 5/5 rating
- 50,000+ active installations
10. Neve
Neve is a mobile-first WordPress theme designed to accommodate businesses of all types. It offers over 100 starter templates, enabling users to quickly create professional websites.
Key Features:
- Multiple website layout options
- Customizable header and footer settings
- Seamless compatibility with page builders such as Gutenberg and Elementor
- Global color palette customization
- Access to 100+ downloadable demo sites
Pricing:
Neve follows a freemium model, providing both free and premium plans:
- Free: $0 per year
- Personal: $69 per year
- Business: $149 per year
- Agency: $249 per year
Reviews & Popularity:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Active Installations: 300,000+
Top 10 Multipurpose WordPress Themes
Multipurpose WordPress themes, whether free or premium, offer a wide range of features and customization options to accommodate businesses across various industries.
1. Astra
Astra is a highly flexible and lightweight WordPress theme, featuring built-in schema markup to enhance search engine visibility and an optimized frontend for an intuitive user experience.
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with page builders such as Elementor and Beaver Builder
- Lightning-fast loading speed (0.5 seconds)
- Predefined site layouts, design elements, and typography settings
- Advanced WooCommerce customization options
- Customizable header and footer builder
Pricing:
Astra is available in both free and premium versions:
- Free: $0/year
- Pro: $49/year
- Essential Toolkit: $79/year
- Business Toolkit: $149/year
User Reviews:
- Rating: 5/5
- Active Installations: 2+ million
2. Hestia
Hestia, developed by Themeisle, is a modern multipurpose WordPress theme designed with a sleek one-page layout, making it ideal for businesses and professional websites.
Key Features:
- Compatible with popular page builders, including Elementor
- Two distinct WooCommerce design options
- Extensive starter site template library
Pricing:
While Hestia offers a free version, its core functionalities are available through paid plans:
- Free Plan: $0 per year
- Personal Plan: $139 per year
- Business Plan: $199 per year
- Agency Plan: $599 per year
Reviews:
- 5/5
- 100,000+ active installations
3. OceanWP
OceanWP is a versatile and feature-rich WordPress theme, available for free download. It caters to both beginners, with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality, and experienced developers, offering an extensive codebase for advanced customization.
Key Features:
- Built-in responsive design settings
- Regularly updated accessibility features
- Dedicated support for premium users
- Three distinct website layout options
- Over 1,500 global fonts and typography styles
Pricing:
- OceanWP is free to use, with optional premium features available for purchase.
Reviews:
- Rated 5/5
- Over 600,000 active installations
4. Sydney
Sydney is a professional WordPress theme designed for lightweight business and personal websites. It offers seamless customization options and compatibility with modern page builders.
Key Features:
- Full compatibility with popular page builders
- Customizable header design options
- Predefined color schemes and typography presets
- Extensive starter site template library
- Integrated WooCommerce support for eCommerce functionality
Pricing:
Sydney is available as both a free and premium theme, with the following pricing options:
- Free: $0 per year
- Personal: $79 per year
- Professional: $149 per year
- Agency: $249 per year
Reviews:
- Rated 5/5
- Over 100,000 active installations
5. Zakra
Zakra is a versatile WordPress theme that provides a comprehensive selection of downloadable templates, catering to various needs such as e-commerce stores, blogs, and portfolios.
Key Features:
- Seamless integration with page builders
- WooCommerce compatibility for online stores
- Extensive starter site template library
- Block-based customization options
Pricing:
Zakra offers both free and premium plans:
- Free Plan: $0 per year
- Pro Plan: $55 per year
- All Theme Plan: $103 per year
- ThemeGrill Agency Plan: $299 per year
Reviews:
- (5/5)
- 50,000+ active installations
6. Avada
Avada is a comprehensive WordPress theme and website builder designed to cater to beginners, marketers, and design professionals. It offers an extensive range of features to facilitate seamless website development.
Key Features:
- Over 100 pre-built website demos
- Intuitive page and section builder
- Seamless WooCommerce integration
- Advanced layout customization options
- Extensive color and styling controls
Pricing:
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One-time payment of $69
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.78/5
- Over 960,000 sales
7. Divi
Divi is a versatile WordPress theme and website builder designed for users of all skill levels. It offers an intuitive, visual interface that simplifies the website creation process, making it an ideal choice for individuals and businesses alike.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop website builder
- Advanced visual editor
- Custom CSS control for enhanced design flexibility
- Global elements and style settings
- Extensive layout library with pre-designed templates
Pricing:
Divi offers two subscription-based pricing plans:
- Divi: $89 per year
- Divi Pro: $277 per year
Reviews:
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Rating: 4.9/5
8. Oshine
Oshine is a highly visual and creative WordPress theme that caters to businesses across various industries. With its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options, it accommodates both beginners and experienced designers.
Key Features:
- 59 pre-built demos available for import
- Hundreds of pre-designed page templates
- Powerful visual builder for easy customization
- Six blog layout presets
- Parallax scrolling and full-screen section capabilities
Pricing:
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One-time payment: $69
Reviews:
- Rating: 4.83/5
- Total Sales: 36,000+
9. Hello Elementor
Hello Elementor is a lightweight and minimalist WordPress theme designed to integrate seamlessly with the Elementor page builder, offering an optimal user experience.
Key Features:
- Over 100 widgets
- 100+ pre-designed templates
- WooCommerce builder for eCommerce functionality
- Ultra-fast loading speed (0.25 seconds)
Pricing:
- Hello Elementor is available for free.
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- Active Installations: 2+ million
10. The7
The7 is a top-selling premium WordPress theme, optimized for integration with Elementor, WPBakery, and WooCommerce. It provides users with a versatile and highly customizable website-building experience.
Key Features:
- Full-featured website builder
- 60 pre-designed demo websites
- Dedicated premium support
Pricing:
- One-time payment of $39
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.76/5
- Over 300,000 sales
Top 5 Portfolio WordPress Themes
For individuals and agencies looking to showcase their work, the best portfolio WordPress themes offer intuitive backend management combined with visually engaging user interfaces.
1 . Inspiro
Inspiro is a modern, fully responsive WordPress theme tailored for showcasing photography and video portfolios.
Key Features:
- Demo content importer for easy setup
- Extensive starter site library
- Customizable typography, colors, and design elements
- Elementor templates for advanced page building
- Portfolio module with multiple layout options
- Integrated video support, including background video functionality
Pricing:
Inspiro offers flexible pricing options:
- Free Plan: $0 per year
- Premium Plan: $79 per year
- Premium Lifetime Plan: $239 (one-time payment)
Reviews:
- 4.5/5 rating
- 60,000+ active installations
2. Fotografie
Fotografie is a sleek and minimalist portfolio theme designed for photographers, bloggers, and graphic designers.
Key Features:
- Customizable theme options, including fonts, logos, and custom CSS
- Dedicated technical support team
- Hero portfolio content feature
Pricing:
Fotografie is available in both free and premium plans:
- Free Plan: $0 per year
- Pro Plan: $59 per year
Reviews:
- 5/5 rating
- 6,000+ active installations
3. Virtue
Virtue is a flexible, no-code WordPress theme designed for portfolio websites, featuring built-in eCommerce capabilities.
Key Features:
- Customizable header menu
- Boxed layout option
- WooCommerce integration
Pricing:
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Free version available with premium features
User Reviews:
- 5/5 (30,000+ active installations)
4. Hitchcock – Minimal Portfolio WordPress Theme
Hitchcock is a sleek, community-designed portfolio theme for WordPress, tailored for designers, photographers, and creative professionals.
Key Features:
- Responsive Design – Ensures seamless display across all devices.
- Jetpack Infinite Scroll – Enhances user experience with continuous content loading.
- Social Icon Menu – Simplifies social media integration.
- Image Gallery Support – Optimized for showcasing visual content.
- Block Editor Compatibility – Fully supports WordPress’ modern block editor.
Pricing:
- Hitchcock is available as a free WordPress theme.
User Reviews:
- 4.5/5 rating
- 10,000+ active installations
5. Rife Free
Rife Free is a versatile theme tailored for portfolio and photography websites, with additional eCommerce and blogging functionalities.
Key Features:
- Over 40 pre-designed templates
- 30+ customizable page layouts
- 15+ header variations
- Dedicated support forum
- Drag-and-drop editing via Elementor
Pricing:
- Free plan: $0/month
- Standard: $10/month
- Full-service: $40/month
User Reviews:
- 5/5 (30,000+ active installations)
Top 5 WordPress eCommerce Themes
Selecting the right WordPress eCommerce theme is crucial for optimizing user experience, enhancing site performance, and driving conversions. The best themes integrate seamlessly with WooCommerce, eCommerce plugins, and third-party tools such as checkout and inventory management systems.
1. Flatsome
Flatsome is a versatile, WooCommerce-compatible theme featuring a codeless design, making it ideal for both e-commerce and non-eCommerce projects.
Key Features:
- Drag-and-drop page builder
- Real-time theme customization
- Pre-built theme demos with mix-and-match capability
- Extensive library of pre-designed layouts and sections
Pricing:
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One-time payment of $59
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.82/5
- 237,000+ sales
2. Shoptimizer
Shoptimizer is a WooCommerce theme specifically designed to enhance your e-commerce store’s loading speed and overall performance.
Key Features:
- Over 5,000 extensions
- Automatic and minified CSS generation
- Single-product FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) options
- Customizable product and checkout pages
- Mega menu functionality
Pricing:
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One-time payment of $39
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.9/5
- 20,000+ active installations
3. Woostify
Woostify is a lightweight and high-performance WooCommerce theme designed for SEO optimization and fast page loading speeds.
Key Features:
- Four product page presets
- Three listing page layouts
- Two multi-step checkout designs
- Elementor page builder compatibility
- Product wishlist gallery integrations
Pricing:
Woostify offers both free and premium subscription plans:
- Free: $0 per year
- Personal: $49 per year
- Professional: $79 per year
- Agency: $129 per year
User Reviews:
- Rating: 5/5
- Active Installations: 35,000+
4. Storefront
Developed by WooCommerce Core contributors, Storefront is a highly intuitive and flexible theme that offers seamless integration with WooCommerce.
Key Features:
- Native WooCommerce integration
- Responsive, nestable grid system
- Built-in SEO optimization
- Multiple widget areas for enhanced customization
- Extensible codebase for developers
Pricing:
-
Free to use
User Reviews:
- Rating: 4.5/5
- 100,000+ active installations
5. Botiga
Botiga is a mobile-optimized WooCommerce theme that provides a sleek and modern design for online stores.
Key Features:
- Multiple product card layouts
- Customizable header and footer builder
- Cart and checkout styling options
- Advanced product filters and live search functionality
- Pre-built starter site templates
Pricing:
Botiga is available in both free and premium versions:
- Free: $0 per year
- Personal: $69 per year
- Professional: $119 per year
- Agency: $199 per year
User Reviews:
- Rating: 5/5
- Active Installations: 20,000+
Top WordPress Themes for Blogging
WordPress was originally designed as a content management system (CMS) for bloggers. As a result, it offers a vast selection of high-quality themes tailored for blogs and news websites. Below are five of the best WordPress themes that combine functionality, design, and customization features.
1. Newspaper
Newspaper is a widely recognized WordPress theme designed for creating online publications across various industries, from dedicated magazines to eCommerce platforms with integrated blogs.
Key Features:
- Optimized for Gutenberg compatibility
- Seamless integrations with platforms such as Instagram and WooCommerce
- Intuitive, codeless page builder
- SEO-friendly with support for plugins like YOAST SEO
Pricing:
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One-time payment of $59
Reviews:
- Rated 4.81/5
- Over 140,000 sales
2. SmartMag
Developed by Theme Sphere, SmartMag is a feature-rich WordPress theme tailored for newspapers and online magazines. It offers a user-friendly, code-free customization experience while optimizing core web vitals.
Key Features:
- One-click demo import with access to 50+ pre-designed templates
- Integrated Elementor page builder
- Smart Studio with pre-made blocks and design elements
- Three distinct mega menu layouts
- WooCommerce compatibility
Pricing:
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One-time payment of $59
Reviews:
- Rated 4.76/5
- Over 19,000 sales
3. Hemingway
Hemingway is a minimalist WordPress theme designed for bloggers, featuring a clean two-column layout. Developed by the WordPress community, it offers an elegant reading experience.
Key Features:
- Full compatibility with the Gutenberg block editor
- Fully responsive design
- Four post format options for enhanced content presentation
- Parallax scrolling effect for visual appeal
- Customizable accent colors
Pricing:
-
Hemingway is available as a free WordPress theme
Reviews:
- Rated 4.5/5
- Over 20,000 active installations
4. Hueman
Hueman is a feature-rich, eCommerce-ready theme ideal for blogs and digital magazines. It is regularly updated—typically twice a month—to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions.
Key Features:
- Seamless WooCommerce integration
- Unlimited widget areas
- Live customization with preview
- Fully responsive design
Pricing:
- Hueman is available for free.
User Reviews:
- 5/5 (35,000+ active installations)
5. Soledad
Soledad is a versatile theme designed for blogs, news sites, and online magazines. It includes a variety of exclusive plugins, layout styles, and demo content to create a fully customized blogging experience.
Key Features:
- Over 1,300 pre-built block templates
- Intuitive drag-and-drop header builder
- Integrated text-to-speech functionality
- Built-in podcast support
- eCommerce-ready
Pricing:
- A one-time payment of $59.
User Reviews:
- 4.87/5 (50,000+ sales)
WordPress Themes vs. Custom Web Design
The most effective WordPress themes present your products, services, and brand to your target audience through a well-optimized user experience (UX) and an engaging user interface (UI).
However, despite their advantages, themes come with inherent limitations that may impact your brand’s digital presence.
Key Limitations of WordPress Themes:
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Brand Identity: Your website’s color schemes, content hierarchy, and overall structure should align seamlessly with your brand identity. While themes offer customization options, they cannot provide the same level of control as custom coding, potentially forcing compromises on essential brand elements.
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Design Originality: Although many themes feature customizable layouts and design presets, the risk of creating a website that closely resembles a competitor’s remains high. Pre-made templates inherently limit the ability to achieve a truly unique design.
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Tailored Functionality: If your website requires specialized features, your selection of themes will be restricted to a limited pool of providers that either support the functionality natively or require integration with specific plugins.
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Tech Stack Compatibility: Not all themes integrate seamlessly with critical tools such as analytics platforms or SEO reporting software, leading to backend complexities that may affect performance and usability.
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Long-Term Performance: Many WordPress themes rely on code-heavy frameworks and pre-built templates, which can slow down site performance and introduce difficult-to-troubleshoot issues over time.
The Advantage of Custom Web Design
At Digital Silk, we prioritize custom web development to ensure complete control over your website’s design, functionality, and performance.
By developing a custom-coded website, you can:
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Maintain full creative control to align with your brand’s unique identity.
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Build a lightweight, high-performing site without unnecessary code bloat.
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Ensure seamless integration with your preferred tools and technologies.
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Adapt and scale efficiently as your business evolves.
Conclusion
Choosing the right WordPress theme is essential for creating a professional, high-performing website that aligns with your brand’s objectives. Whether you’re launching a blog, an eCommerce store, a business site, or a portfolio, there are countless options available to suit your needs.
For those on a budget, free themes like GeneratePress, Neve, and Blocksy offer excellent performance, flexibility, and customization. If you’re looking for more advanced features, premium themes such as Astra, Avada, and Divi provide powerful design tools, seamless integrations, and dedicated support.
Ultimately, the best WordPress theme depends on your specific requirements—consider factors such as speed, SEO optimization, responsiveness, and compatibility with essential plugins. By evaluating these aspects, you can confidently select a theme that enhances user experience, boosts engagement, and supports your website’s long-term success.
FAQ
1. What is the best free WordPress theme for beginners?
GeneratePress, Neve, and Astra are great options due to their ease of use, speed, and customization options.
2. Can I switch my WordPress theme later?
Yes, but changing themes may affect your website’s design and functionality, so it’s important to back up your site before switching.
3. What is the fastest WordPress theme?
GeneratePress, Astra, and Blocksy are among the fastest-loading WordPress themes due to their minimalistic and optimized coding.
4. How do I know if a WordPress theme is mobile-friendly?
Check the theme’s demo on different devices, look for “responsive design” in its description, or use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.
5. Are multipurpose themes better than niche-specific themes?
Multipurpose themes like Divi and Avada offer flexibility, while niche themes are tailored for specific industries, making them more efficient for targeted needs.
