The Best WordPress Themes in 2026: I Tested All 8 Myself

You know why you’re here. I know why you’re here. So let’s jump into it.

You’re here because you either have a theme in mind and this article will be the one to sway you (to push your opinion over the finish line) or you’re trying to figure out whether the theme you’re considering is actually as good as people say it is.

Can I call myself an expert?

Yes, because I’ve been working with WordPress for more than eight years. I’ve worked with multiple tools and themes. I’ve used WordPress.org, and I’ve set up different types of websites for clients across industries like fitness, health, personal coaching, etc.

And that was me as a freelancer.

For the past four years, I’ve also been working with Thrive Themes to help business owners and website owners like you create the best online platform possible to meet their needs, connect with their audience and make sales.

So this article is more than a promotional pitch, because you don’t need another promotional pitch. You’ve probably seen enough of them.

This is my raw, unfiltered experience with every single WordPress theme on this list.

I’ve used every single one of them and set them up on the same site so I could experience them the way you would.

And I’m writing this assuming you’re either a first-time user trying to find the right WordPress theme or website builder, or you’re a busy professional looking for something that will help you build your business site quickly, easily and professionally.

You’ve come to the right place.

The Quick Answer: All 8 Themes at a Glance

Quick word on the order before you scan. In the reviews, I saved our tool for last so it has to earn its place. In this table, it goes first, because a comparison table is for skimmers, and hiding my actual pick in row five would just be fake modesty. Every tool here wins a real category. Find the row that sounds like you.

What I Was Looking for in a WordPress Theme

Before we get into the individual reviews, let me explain what I was actually looking for.

Almost every WordPress theme on this list can technically help you build a website. They all have templates, customization options and enough features to create something decent.

That isn’t really the question.

The question is: how much work will it take you to get there?

So, as you can see, I’m not only looking for the theme with the longest feature list. I’m looking at whether a first-time user or busy professional can get a professional-looking website online without turning website design into their new full-time job.

There isn’t one theme here that will be perfect for everybody.

But by the end of this breakdown, you should have a much clearer idea of which one makes sense for you.

FSE vs. Traditional Themes (A Quick Guide)

WordPress has shifted a lot in the past few years. Traditional themes still work beautifully, but Full Site Editing (FSE) is clearly the platform’s long-term direction. The good news: you don’t have to pick a “right” side. You just need the one that matches how you like to build.

In simple terms:

FSE vs. Traditional Themes: Quick Comparison

So, what should you choose?

If you want the quickest path to a beautiful, functional website, I’d say a traditional theme or a visual theme builder will feel more natural. You’ll get up and running with less fuss. (But be warned, there are some things they don’t tell you about no-code website building that you should definitely know.)

If you’re somewhere between the two, don’t overthink it. Pick the theme that lets you build without friction. The goal is momentum, not complexity.

Here's My In-Depth Breakdown of the Best WordPress Themes in 2026

Before you dive in: this is not a ranked list. The reviews below run in the order I tested each theme, not from best to worst. Every theme was set up on the same website, with the same expectations, so the comparisons stay fair. (And yes, our own tool comes last. You know why by now.)

Each review walks through what it was actually like to use the theme: getting started, the templates, the editor, and who I'd honestly recommend it to. Read them all if you're serious about this decision, or jump straight to the ones that sound like your situation.

Astra

Fun fact: I’m pretty sure when I started getting into WordPress.org about seven or eight-odd years ago, Astra was actually the first WordPress theme I installed.

It was in the Themes section in the WordPress backend. It looked good, and when I went through the preview, it showed me all these templates. I installed it and started messing around with it until it told me I needed to use a page builder called Elementor.

Another fun fact: Elementor was actually the very first page builder I used on WordPress. It led me down the road of page builders, which completely transformed my experience. (More on that later)

So, returning to Astra for a guide like this, I was curious to see how it fared. It was still boasting templates, AI features, etc., and it looked impressive.

Installing it and hooking it up to a license was pretty quick. I was using Astra Pro, and this is important. I wanted to see what I would get from the paid experience rather than only testing the free theme.

Getting Started Wasn’t Immediately Obvious

Once I installed it, I noticed a bit of friction with getting started. I had to move around and figure out, okay, where am I actually supposed to go?

The dashboard showed me a wide array of options. When I clicked “Customize,” it took me to the WordPress Customizer, which, full disclosure, I’m not the biggest fan of.

That is because I’m someone who likes something quick, convenient, and instant. The WordPress Customizer and block editor work well, but they require a level of time and granular focus that I don’t feel busy professionals necessarily have the patience for.

Eventually, I found the site builder option, which is where Astra helps you build the website.

You start by picking a template. Astra has a wide variety of templates (like, wide), which is great for agencies and freelancers. But if you’re someone walking into this looking for a simple template to get your website started, you might experience some intense overwhelm.

I kept it simple and picked a coaching template. After I went through the setup wizard, Astra told me I had built my site in 1.5 minutes, which was great, until I visited the site and saw that it was still the template.

I still needed to customize it. I could use the WordPress block editor with Spectra, Astra’s block-based page builder, or choose Elementor instead.

Now, the free version of Spectra is pretty good. It gives you more blocks and design options than the native WordPress editor alone, so you may be able to build the website you want without paying for another tool.

But it still means installing and learning another plugin. And if you eventually want some of Spectra’s more advanced features, those sit inside Spectra Pro.

The Tool Stack Starts Growing Quickly

Listen, if Astra was a free theme and I needed to add Spectra or another page builder to enhance it, no problem. But I was already paying for an Astra plan, and now I potentially needed another tool to get the visual design experience I wanted.

That tool could be Spectra, Elementor or something else. The free version may be enough for you, but depending on the features you need, you could eventually run into another paid upgrade.

So this constraint of needing to get A to do B was already a little frustrating to me.

When you use Astra’s site builder, you’re also given the option to add other features. You can add forms, bookings, a page builder, etc. Some of these require you to install additional plugins, which is understandable.

I just tend to (and this may be a personal preference, but it’s something I say to people I work with) avoid building a wide stack of tools from the beginning. You don’t necessarily know what that stack is going to look like in the long run.

A lot of these tools also come with their own upgrade requirements. Yes, they have basic features, but if you want to get the most out of them, especially as a business owner, you may eventually have to pay more.

So imagine I’ve already paid for Astra Pro. I don’t want to use the block editor, so I decide to use Elementor. Now I may need an Elementor plan, which currently costs around $60 a year for one basic website.

That price is fair. But do you see how many things are going into simply setting up the website?

Before I’ve even really started customizing it, I have to consider the theme, the page builder, the form plugin, the booking plugin and which of those tools might eventually require paid upgrades. That can be a little frustrating, I’m not going to lie.

My Overall Experience With Astra

Overall, Astra is a good theme. I can see why it is one of the most popular WordPress themes and why so many people recommend it.

The templates look good. There is a lot of variety. You have the freedom to use Spectra, Elementor or another builder, depending on how you prefer to work.

But I think that flexibility can also be where some of the confusion comes in.

When I got started, I had already paid for Astra Pro, gone through the Site Builder and been told that my website was ready. But I was still sitting there thinking, okay, what do I use now?

Do I stick with the native block editor? Do I install Spectra? Do I use Elementor? Which features are free, and which ones might require another upgrade later?

That is the main thing I would want someone to understand before choosing Astra.

It gives you a strong foundation, but depending on the experience you want, Astra may only be one part of the website-building stack.

If you are comfortable using the block editor with Spectra, you may be able to create a solid website without paying for another builder. The free version of Spectra is good, even if some of its more advanced features are limited to Spectra Pro.

If you prefer something like Elementor, that is also an option. Just keep in mind that you may eventually end up managing and possibly paying for more than one tool.

And again, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. People have built excellent websites with Astra.

But if you are a beginner or a busy business owner who wants one completely streamlined website-building experience, you may find the number of decisions a little frustrating.

So would I recommend Astra?

Yes, particularly if you want flexibility, a wide selection of templates and the freedom to choose your own page-building setup.

But I would recommend going into it with a clear idea of how you want to build your pages and which additional tools you may need.

The templates are great. The theme is flexible. The setup just may not be as all-in-one as it first appears.

Hello Elementor

As I said earlier, Elementor was actually my introduction to WordPress page builders.

Before that, I was very much a Wix, Squarespace, heck, even ClickFunnels kind of person when setting up websites and funnels for clients during my freelance days.

At some point, one of my clients was like, “Look, this pricing for ClickFunnels is a bit much. Do we not have another alternative?”

And I was just like, “Well, I mean, you could use WordPress.”

I had limited knowledge of WordPress at the time, but I set up hosting, installed WordPress and ended up at Elementor. It was one of the page builders that was recommended.

I was able to replicate a ClickFunnels funnel right there in WordPress. Did it take me a lot of time? Yes. I was a beginner. But it goes to show you the power that is in the Elementor page builder.

Hello Elementor Is More of a Blank Canvas

For a while, I knew Elementor mainly as the go-to supporting page builder for themes like Astra, Kadence, etc. But Elementor now has its own theme called Hello Elementor.

And it really is a minimalistic theme. It serves more as, I would say, a canvas. You’re not going to get a lot of bells and whistles out of the theme alone, because it’s designed to work with the Elementor page builder. That is also how Elementor describes it: a lightweight, minimal foundation that gives you a blank canvas for building the rest of the site.

This means that if you choose Elementor, you don’t necessarily have to go and look for a separate premium theme.

Remember the problem I mentioned before? If you pay for a premium theme that works with Elementor, you could end up paying for two plans: one for Elementor Pro and another for the Pro version of the theme, its templates and whatever else it includes.

Hello Elementor removes part of that problem because the theme itself is free and is specifically designed to work with Elementor.

You’ll Get More From It With the Elementor Builder

You can technically use Hello Elementor with the WordPress Block Editor and its limited theme settings, if you have the patience to do so.

Again, the WordPress Block Editor and Customizer have made leaps and bounds, but I still find them quite limited compared to using a dedicated page builder. And that’s especially the case here, because Hello Elementor is intentionally very minimal.

You’ll get way more out of it by using the Elementor builder and, depending on what you need from the website, probably an Elementor Pro plan.

The free version is good. You get the visual drag-and-drop builder and enough features to create basic pages, add images and get a simple website going. But when you want more advanced features, such as building parts of the theme, adding forms or accessing more professional tools, you may need to upgrade.

Elementor also has a good selection of templates. I wouldn’t say it’s an overwhelming amount. I feel like it gives you enough variety without making you feel too overwhelmed.

And because of the strength of the Elementor page builder, you can basically take any template and customize it.

Where Elementor Started to Feel... A Little Janky

My only gripe with Elementor, and one of the reasons I eventually started looking for alternatives, was that while I could build my websites, it sometimes felt like the website was being held together by duct tape.

My first personal website was actually an Elementor website. The features would work, but they sometimes required a workaround, or the builder wouldn’t really let me express my fullest creativity.

If you’re just looking for a plain website (“I just want a website, a basic page builder to set it up and get it going”), you can absolutely get that out of Elementor.

But if you want more customization, you may need to spend more time with it. The more granular you get, the more it can start to feel a little janky, especially if you’re not experienced with WordPress.

Not every business owner has the time to learn how to build everything. Sometimes, you kind of just want a tool that lets you get it done, you know?

My Overall Experience With Hello Elementor

Compared to some other tools, where you have to go through the Customizer or spend time figuring out where everything lives, Hello Elementor and the Elementor page builder provide a pretty straightforward, in-depth offering of templates, customization and ease of use.

I would say it’s up there in terms of ease of use. It’s pretty straightforward. You know where to go, you know where to get started and there’s minimal friction.

So I would actually put Hello Elementor as one of my more up-there themes.

Divi

I’m going to keep it 100 with you: Divi is not one of my favorite WordPress themes or tools to use.

I know it’s one of the bigger names in WordPress. It comes with templates, layouts, design elements, forms, pop-ups and a wide variety of functionality. It’s popular for a reason.

But in my opinion (and this is an opinion you’ll probably find consistently in some of my other reviews on this website), I’ve always felt like Divi was doing too much for the average personal user.

Not too long ago, though, someone said to me, “Hey, Divi has upgraded. There’s Divi 5 now, and it’s so much better.”

So I went into this review with a slightly fresher perspective. I wanted to see whether Divi 5 could change my mind.

How Easy Is It to Get Started?

Listen, I’m really strict about how easy it is to get started.

In my head, I should be able to click on the dashboard and immediately know where to go. But I’ve noticed that quite a few WordPress themes and plugins don’t work like that. They may give you a dashboard, but you still have to look around and figure out where everything lives.

And if I’m going through that with more than eight years of WordPress experience, someone with less experience, or someone who simply doesn’t have time to search, is probably not going to enjoy it.

Divi was a bit better in that regard. I was able to use Quick Sites to get a starter website set up relatively quickly.

Quick Sites and Layout Packs Can Feel Disconnected

Where I experienced some confusion was in the relationship between Quick Sites and Divi’s layout packs.

Quick Sites helps you generate the structure of a complete website. Then, when you open or create an individual page, you can access Divi’s broader library of layouts and layout packs.

The layout packs include coordinated designs for different pages and website types. The selection is wide, which gives you plenty of options to work with.

That wide selection can be a blessing or a curse, depending on which side of the WordPress-user spectrum you belong to.

If you’re an agency or freelancer building websites for multiple clients, this is great. You have a huge variety of designs, and they’re fully customizable.

But if you’re a business owner who only wants to build one website, the number of choices can feel overwhelming. I also wish the transition between setting up a Quick Site, editing its pages and bringing in additional layouts felt a little more cohesive.

I prefer tools where the path from setting up the website to customizing it is completely straightforward. I don’t want to go up, down and all around the corners trying to understand which part of the tool I should be using.

The Divi Editor Is Heavy Machinery

In terms of customization and features, the Divi editor is heavy machinery, in my opinion.

It has a point-and-click system. If you want to edit a particular item, such as a heading or image, you select it and then use the panel on the right to find the content and design settings you need.

It’s intricate.

Compared to when I used Divi in late 2024 or early 2025, it felt smoother this time around. I didn’t experience as much frustration while trying to set everything up in 2026.

But it’s still a lot to deal with.

Having to select and customize every individual element works well if you’re a web designer who does this for a living. It gives you granular control over what you’re creating.

But if you’re a busy professional or a beginner who’s just trying to get something solid set up, you might find it frustrating.

I don’t think the editor is bad. I just think it’s different.

Compared to Elementor, for example, the drag-and-drop process and its settings feel easier to work with. The same applies to Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect, where you drag, drop and customize elements in a way that feels pretty straightforward.

Divi is more intricate and, I would say, slightly more complex.

My Overall Experience With Divi

When I compare Divi 5 to my previous experiences with Divi, I can see the difference.

The interface feels smoother and more user-friendly to an extent. I didn’t feel as much frustration while setting things up, and there is clearly a lot you can build with it.

I still wish there were more cohesiveness between Quick Sites, layout packs and the process of customizing the individual pages. I also still feel like Divi may be doing too much for the average personal user.

But overall, it’s decent. You get value for money, and the theme gives you a wide array of features for building a custom website.

You’ll just need the time and patience to really learn how it works.

Bricks

I think it’s still fair to describe Bricks as one of the newer kids on the WordPress block, even though it has actually been around for a few years now.

I started hearing about Bricks when I joined Reddit at the beginning of 2025. I was spending more time in WordPress communities, trying to keep up with what was going on and what people were saying, and I kept seeing people recommend it.

Yes, give or take, we know that sometimes people promote tools for their own reasons. Maybe they work for the company or have some other incentive. Oops, can I say that?

Anyway, I had heard that Bricks was pretty impressive, so I thought, you know what? It belongs on this list.

It has developed a fairly enthusiastic following, and after using it, I can see why.

Getting Started Took a Little Familiarization

Familiarizing myself with Bricks was a little touch and go in the beginning.

But for the first time in a while, I actually read the getting started guide, and honestly, shout-out to them for that. It was easy to find, included screenshots and was simple to go through. I could quickly understand the gist of what I was supposed to do.

Bricks works a little differently from a traditional WordPress theme. Bricks itself is both the theme and the visual site builder. There is also an optional child theme available if you need to make more advanced modifications.

It’s still very canvas-like, kind of like Hello Elementor. The theme gives you the foundation, but the magic happens when you start adding templates and building out the website.

And, I suppose, it’s in the name: you build your website brick by brick. You get it?

For a regular page, you create the page in WordPress, click “Edit with Bricks,” choose a template or start from scratch, and build from there.

There is a bit of back and forth involved when creating multiple individual pages, which can feel slightly janky in 2026. But I’ll kind of let it slide because the process itself really isn’t that difficult.

Bricks also lets you create reusable templates for things like headers, footers, blog posts and other parts of the site, so you don’t necessarily have to rebuild every repeated section manually.

Wireframes and Design Sets Make It Easier

Once you get into the editor, things are pretty straightforward.

You can start from scratch or open the template library from the toolbar. From there, you’ll see options including wireframes and design sets.

Wireframes are more like individual blocks or layouts that you can add to a page. They focus on the structure rather than giving you a completely finished design. You’ll find sections for things like headlines, testimonials, cards, grids and other areas of a page.

Then there are the design sets, which are more complete, fully designed templates. They come with coordinated pages, colors and design elements that make it easier to get started without building everything from nothing.

The only gripe I had was that I spent quite a bit of time scrolling through the options to see what was available.

It would be cool if the collections felt slightly easier to browse, where you could click into one design set and immediately see everything included inside it instead of moving through so many different templates and wireframes.

But overall, they look good. They’re high quality, easy to add to a page and the process is pretty straightforward compared with some of the other tools I’ve used.

So I can definitely see the appeal.

The Editor Is Clear, but the Menus Take Time

The editor itself is pretty clear.

I like big writing, good spacing and an interface that’s easy to click through and drag and drop.

The menus do get a little complicated, especially once you start clicking on individual elements. I appreciated having the Structure panel, where you can click through the different parts of the page rather than trying to select everything directly on the canvas.

But I struggled to get back to the original Elements panel on the left with the different items you can add.

I feel like, with a bit more time, it would become easier to navigate. That felt more like a learning-curve issue than something fundamentally wrong with the editor.

Overall, I think the editor works. I can see that it’s trying to cater to different types of users.

If you like the template, you can simply change the writing and images, and voilà.

If you want more customization, you can drag and drop additional elements. And if you want to get more advanced, you can add custom CSS, code and more detailed design systems.

You can really turn it into what you want it to be.

GeneratePress

GeneratePress is another well-known theme that I’ve known about for a while. I’ve played around with it and taken a look at it before, but while doing my research for this breakdown, I saw its name come up a lot. So I felt it was necessary to include it in these theme reviews.

To keep things fair, since I’ve used the Pro or premium version for most of these reviews, I decided to use GeneratePress Premium.

I wasn’t 100% sure who GeneratePress was for when I hopped in. And, if I’m being honest, I’m still not 100% sure who I would say this is for.

But anyway, let’s get into it.

Getting Started Was Relatively Simple

Getting started was relatively simple. I got the theme and plugin set up, and GeneratePress appeared in the left sidebar.

What I did notice was that the dashboard gives you a variety of features or modules that you can choose to activate.

Knowing most beginners (or honestly, knowing most people), you’ll probably choose to activate everything, because they seem like the standard things you would need to build a website.

I’m a bit curious as to why GeneratePress thought leaving that decision to the user would be a good idea.

I would have assumed that, like most themes, plugins and builders, it would just activate everything you need for you. Leaving that decision there might be a little confusing, especially if you don’t really know what each option does yet.

It also took me a second to realize that this was where the setup was.

That could be because I tend to be more of an “I’ll ask for directions later” kind of person, so I’m not going to put all of that on GeneratePress.

The Starter Sites Look Great

GeneratePress has a decent selection of starter sites. There’s enough variety without it feeling like you have to scroll through 700 different options just to pick one website.

They look great.

You click on one, you can preview the style and see how it’s supposed to look on a live website, and then you’re given the option to import it.

Depending on the starter site you choose, you may also need to install a few other plugins or tools.

I went ahead and imported one. Then GeneratePress told me my site was ready, so I went to the website and, voilà.

Except what I saw was not what I was promised.

What I Saw Wasn’t What I Got

You’ll see it in the screenshots.

Here, you see the starter site preview, and it looks great.

Then you see it on the actual website, and now it does not look the way it’s supposed to look.

Some of the blocks also didn’t appear properly and showed errors when I opened the page in the WordPress block editor.

Now, there could be a ton of reasons why that happened.

Maybe something went wrong during the import. Maybe one of the required plugins didn’t install properly. Maybe something was going on in my backend. Maybe I needed to contact support.

I’m not saying that everybody who uses GeneratePress is going to experience the same thing.

But I can only review what happened during my test. And ideally, in my head, when I hear “starter site,” I want to see the starter site.

I don’t want to see errors. I don’t want to see disconnects. I don’t want to immediately start investigating what went wrong before I’ve even started building the website.

I have seven or eight years of experience with WordPress (you know that by now), so it wasn’t something I couldn’t work around. I know I can replace a missing block, check the plugins or install something else from GeneratePress’s block selection.

But if you have less experience, you might not know what went wrong or what you’re supposed to do next.

And that can be a little off-putting.

You’re Still Working in the Block Editor

Once the starter site was imported, I was taken to the WordPress block editor to customize the pages.

And again, that is not my favorite place to edit, especially when it comes to full website pages.

I prefer something a bit more powerful because I want flexibility and results that look a bit more professional without having to spend ages working through individual blocks.

I’m more of a drag-and-drop, point-and-click kind of person.

That doesn’t mean you can’t create a professional-looking website using GeneratePress and the block editor. Clearly, people do.

But it doesn’t really suit how I prefer to build websites.

If you already like working with WordPress blocks, you may have a completely different experience. You might hop in and think, “What is she complaining about? This is perfect.”

Fair enough.

But for me, compared with a dedicated visual builder, it felt more limited and less immediate.

My Overall Experience With GeneratePress

Look, it’s a good tool, and I can see why it’s recommended. It boasts a lot of features, has good-looking starter sites and gives you plenty of room to build a custom website.

But my experience with the starter-site import was not very straightforward, and the block editor is not my preferred way to design full pages.

I also finished the review still not being 100% sure who I would recommend it to first.

Maybe it’s for someone who already enjoys the block editor and wants a lightweight theme to build on. Maybe it’s for a more experienced WordPress user who doesn’t mind piecing things together.

But compared with some of the other options on this list, would it be my first go-to?

I wouldn't say so.

SeedProd

I started learning more about SeedProd when Thrive Themes joined Awesome Motive.

I had known of SeedProd before then as a theme and page builder, but I had never really used it. And when I finally got to know the tool for myself, I was just like, okay, this is a really good tool.

Over the years, I’ve watched it go from being a tool that was good for beginners to one that can help you set up a pretty decent website for a blog, a business, etc.

And one of the things I really like about SeedProd is how easy it is to get started.

Everything Starts From One Dashboard

You get the plugin, set it up, and it appears right there in the left sidebar.

You click on it, and you’re given the option to configure everything from there.

You’ll notice that with some of the other themes, or even the theme-and-plugin combinations, you have to go to one place, then go to another place, then figure out which editor you’re supposed to be using now.

SeedProd seems to have navigated that by giving you one central dashboard to work from.

Once you choose to build your site with SeedProd, most of what you need is right there. You can work on the different parts of the theme, choose your template kit and open the editor without jumping between the WordPress Customizer, the block editor and three other places.

That is what ease of use means to me.

There Are Plenty of Template Kits

From the dashboard, you can go through the template kits and pick one for your website.

SeedProd has a wide variety of designs, which makes it a pretty good option for agencies that want to create solid websites (maybe not overly complex ones) and for someone who simply wants a lot of options.

Can you get overwhelmed?

Probably. It’s a lot of templates.

But I appreciate how each template kit is centered around a particular business, industry or focus. You really can find something that fits your niche.

That’s something Divi, Elementor and maybe Astra have also been able to do well, so I appreciate that SeedProd has kept that up and made the options relatively easy to navigate.

What You See Is Actually What You Get

When you hop into the editor, the experience is pretty seamless.

This is what I mean when I say I like an editor where I don’t have to jump between the WordPress Customizer, the block editor, etc.

I can easily drag, drop and edit everything from the template.

And when you select a template, what you see is truly what you get.

I selected a template. It’s here now. It’s on me to change the images, change the writing, change the colors or even elevate the template from where it is into something better.

You get options.

You can keep it as it is and simply switch things out, or you can really customize everything and make it look completely different.

There’s less of that horror of, “Oh my goodness, the template I selected is not what I’m seeing on my page. What am I supposed to do?”

Considering the experience I had with some of the other starter sites on this list, I appreciated that.

SeedProd Gives You a Lot of Blocks

SeedProd also offers a lot of blocks.

Like, a lot of blocks.

Keep in mind that I was using the highest-tier account I had access to for this test. So I had access to a wider selection of blocks, templates and features than someone using the free version or one of the lower-paid plans might have.

If you’re on a lower-tier premium plan, you might not have access to absolutely everything.

But depending on the plan, you should still have enough to customize your website without immediately feeling pressured to upgrade again.

If you’re on the free plan (because SeedProd does have a free version), you will run into more limitations.

You can probably get something decent set up, particularly if you want a basic landing page, coming-soon page or maintenance page.

But if you’re trying to create a complete business website, build more advanced lead-generation flows or design an online store, you’re probably going to need one of the premium plans and, depending on what you’re building, an ecommerce or payment plugin as well.

My Overall Experience With SeedProd

SeedProd, in my opinion, is a great drag and drop builder. You get everything you need to set up a website, without the overwhelm or design fatigue.

Though I would say SeedProd is a little more simplistic than something as powerful and intricate as themes/builders like Divi or Bricks.

But whether that’s a negative really depends on what kind of WordPress user you are.

Sometimes you don’t need the tool with the most settings, the most panels and the most complicated system.

Sometimes you just need the tool that helps you get the website built.

And I think SeedProd does that very well.

So yeah, that was my experience with SeedProd.

Worth checking out.

Ollie

It wouldn’t be an up-to-date “best WordPress themes” kind of review if I didn’t bring WordPress FSE into the conversation.

WordPress has had an overhaul (not that recently) to make its block-based editing and site customization much more effective.

Because, if we keep it real, that’s why a lot of page builders exist.

They filled the design gap for people who wanted to own their websites and didn’t want to use a third-party platform like Squarespace or Wix, but also wanted to fully design their sites without having to become developers.

But WordPress is starting to catch up.

FSE and block-based website building look a lot different now. And when I was looking for a good theme to represent that experience, one of the names that kept coming up was Ollie.

WordPress Has Come a Long Way

I will say that I probably still wouldn’t choose the WordPress Site Editor over a dedicated page builder.

But that’s because I’m very set in my ways. I like page builders. That’s my thing.

Still, I think WordPress definitely has something to be proud of here.

Any WordPress veteran will know how hard it used to be to customize a theme using only the Customizer, and maybe the block editor, if you even got there.

It was not very straightforward. There was a lot of friction.

With what WordPress has now, it is much easier to customize quite a few key elements of your website from one place.

I already knew mentally, okay, I’m using a block theme. I don’t need to go and find another plugin somewhere on the left side of the dashboard. I know I’m going straight into the Site Editor.

And I was happy to see that the experience was pretty straightforward.

Ollie Gives You a Simple Starting Point

Ollie is another theme that kind of provides a canvas, but it doesn’t leave you with absolutely nothing.

You get a selection of full-page designs and patterns that you can use to put the website together.

It isn’t an overwhelming selection, but I think that works in its favor. There’s enough there to help you build your pages without making you scroll through hundreds and hundreds of options before you can even decide what you want.

The patterns are the different parts of the website: calls to action, pricing sections, testimonials, headers and other sections you can insert into a page.

And I think the templates, patterns and Site Editor work together pretty cohesively.

The Global Editing Is Pretty Cool

One of the cool things about the Site Editor is that you can edit groups of design choices across the website in one go.

You can change your color scheme, typography, styles and broader layout settings without opening every individual page and changing them one by one.

You can also switch between the different style variations and see how the website changes.

It’s not very complex.

Compared with some of the top visual page builders and website-design tools, it does still have a way to go. You don’t necessarily get the same level of immediate drag-and-drop flexibility or granular control.

But I would say it’s heading in the right direction.

And depending on what you actually need from your website, the native WordPress tools may already be enough.

Who Is Ollie For?

Ollie makes sense for someone who wants to play around with WordPress’s native features and understand how block-based website building works.

Maybe you only want something really, really simple.

Maybe you’re working with a tight budget and can’t spend $80 or more on a page builder or premium theme setup.

You can always start with Ollie. You can always start with WordPress.

And you can get a pretty good website out there.

There are also plenty of tutorials available to help you understand the Site Editor, patterns and blocks if you get stuck.

For me, this is giving: we’ll give you the basics so you can create the magic.

It doesn’t lock you into an endless selection of templates, features and settings, although I wouldn’t be surprised if more options continue to appear over time.

It’s free, which makes it budget-friendly and potentially beginner-friendly, especially if you’re someone who wants to understand how WordPress itself works a little more deeply.

My Experience With the WordPress Site Editor

I’ve also had some experience with the Site Editor through WordPress.com, where I have a little personal blog.

I have my WordPress.org site, where I use my tools of choice. Then I have my WordPress.com blog for when I just want to quickly write something and edit it without doing too much.

I’ve used the Site Editor there as well, and it’s pretty good.

Obviously, the exact experience will depend on the theme, site and WordPress.com plan you’re using, but I’m getting beside the point.

The point is that this isn’t my first time seeing WordPress’s block-based site-building experience, and I do think it is improving.

My Overall Experience With Ollie

Ollie is a decent starter theme for someone who wants to use WordPress’s native Site Editor.

It gives you enough templates and patterns to start building, but it doesn’t overwhelm you with too many options. It also works well as a way to see what modern block-based WordPress can actually do.

Would I personally replace my preferred page builder with it?

Probably not. Again, I am set in my ways.

But would I recommend checking it out if you want something free, simple and native to WordPress?

Yeah, definitely. It’s worth trying.

I’d say it’s decent. Not top, top tier, but I don’t think it was intended to compete in that way.

To me, this feels like WordPress saying, “We’re starting to catch up now, so keep an eye on us.”

Thrive Theme Builder

You’re probably surprised that Thrive Theme Builder is number eight on a Thrive Themes list.

Like, what? Do I not rate our tool?

No, actually, I rate it very much. That’s why I put it here as the last one.

Chances are, this isn’t the first post you’ve read about the best WordPress themes. You were probably expecting Thrive Theme Builder to be number one because almost every other company is going to put its own product first, which is fine.

But I wanted to use this article as a buildup.

One, if you’re still here by the end of the article, you’re very serious about what you’re looking for.

And two, the previous reviews will make more sense now.

Full disclosure: I was comparing every single tool on this list to Thrive Theme Builder.

Why?

Not just because I work for Thrive Themes. No, I actually use the tool.

The Site Wizard Makes Getting Started Easy

Thrive Theme Builder is one of the tools in the wider Thrive Themes ecosystem. And the purpose is right there in the name: it helps you build a cohesive, professional-looking WordPress website.

When I started using Thrive Theme Builder, that was actually when I stopped using Elementor for my personal website.

It gave me a level of cohesiveness and seamlessness that I wasn’t achieving with my previous tool.

When you first enter the Site Wizard, you’re taken through the key parts of setting up your website: your logo, main brand color, header, footer, homepage, blog post template, blog list, standard page template and menu.

You click through the steps, choose the designs you want and start putting the broader website together.

And that is what I mean when I talk about ease of use.

I don’t want to set up one part of the site, go somewhere else for another part and then start wondering where the footer lives now.

The Site Wizard gives you a clear path.

I would say you can get the bones of a cohesive, professional-looking website set up in less than 30 minutes. Obviously, replacing all the content, images and other details will take longer. Let’s keep it real.

But the starting point is there.

Fewer Themes, but More Quality Over Quantity

There aren’t that many companion themes compared with some of the other tools on this list. I will say that.

You get a selection, as you can see in the screenshot, but you are not going to open the library and find hundreds and hundreds of completely different theme kits.

What I appreciate, though, is that it feels more like quality over quantity.

It doesn’t necessarily matter what the theme is called or which niche it appears to represent.

You can use a template that says “Travel” to create a full-on personal blog. I’ve done it before.

You could take something that looks like a yoga theme and turn it into a wellness website, coaching website or something completely different.

The themes give you more than a blank canvas, but they also don’t lock you into the industry shown in the preview.

They give you a starting point, and then you decide where you want to take it.

Your Website Templates Work Together

This is one of the areas where Thrive Theme Builder works especially well for me.

You aren’t only designing one pretty homepage and then being left to figure out what the rest of the website is supposed to look like.

You have templates for your header, footer, standard pages, blog posts, blog list, archives and other parts of the site.

You can customize the templates you’ve assigned, create additional ones and decide where different designs should appear.

You can also make global changes to things like your typography and site color scheme instead of opening every page and changing the same thing again and again.

The point is cohesiveness.

Your blog posts still look like they belong to the same website as your homepage. Your header and footer work across the site. When you change the broader branding, you’re not hunting down every individual page.

That was one of the main things I felt I was missing with some of the other tools I had used before.

Thrive Theme Builder Is the Start; Architect Gets You Further

Now, I have said throughout this article that some tools require another tool if you want to get their fullest experience.

So I’m not going to suddenly change the rules because I’ve reached the Thrive Themes section.

You can use Thrive Theme Builder by itself. A standalone license includes Thrive Architect Lite, which gives you the visual editing needed to customize the theme and key pages.

But if you want the fullest Thrive website-building experience, you’re probably going to want the complete version of Thrive Architect too.

Thrive Theme Builder controls your broader website design: your templates, headers, footers, blog layouts and other site-wide elements.

Thrive Architect is what you use to customize the content inside your individual pages and posts, as well as build landing pages and more advanced layouts.

So I would say Thrive Theme Builder gives you the perfect starting block.

Thrive Architect is what gets you across the finish line, and probably in first place too.

That’s where you get the fuller selection of page-building elements, landing-page templates and the flexibility to turn the starting theme into a website that truly feels like yours.

And yes, that means you may end up buying two tools or choosing the bundle that includes both.

For some people, that might not be their first choice. You might not want more than one tool involved in building your website.

Fair enough.

But, I mean, if you look at almost every other theme on this list, you’re probably already doing something similar.

At least here, the two tools were specifically designed to work together.

I Actually Use It on My Own Website

I use Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect for my own personal website, and I have done so for the last few years.

It is my go-to place for showing people who I am and what I do.

And I designed the whole thing on my own.

That matters to me because I’m not recommending something I opened once for this review, clicked around for ten minutes and then closed.

I’ve built with it. I’ve maintained my website with it. I’ve used it to represent me online.

Again: I’m not new to this. I’m pretty true to this.

Yes, I work for Thrive Themes. You already know that.

But I also know what the tool feels like to use when the website is yours and you’re the person who has to keep working on it after launch.

My Overall Experience With Thrive Theme Builder

Thrive Theme Builder belongs on this list because it gives you a strong starting point without forcing you to stay at the starting point.

It helps you put together a cohesive website quickly. It is customizable, it works hand in hand with Thrive Architect, and it meets you at the level you’re at.

You can use the supplied designs and simply replace the content.

You can customize them further and make the site your own.

Or you can go deeper with Thrive Architect and the rest of the Thrive Suite if you’re building a full online business.

Would I put it at the top of my personal list?

Yes.

And now that you’ve read the other reviews, you can hopefully see why.

Not simply because I work for the company, but because it solves many of the specific issues I kept running into with the other tools: disconnected workflows, confusing setup processes, templates that don’t feel cohesive and needing to work out where everything lives.

For me, a good website builder shouldn’t only give you a lot of features.

It should give you a good start, help you understand what to do next and then give you enough flexibility to grow from there.

That is what Thrive Theme Builder does.

My Quick WordPress Theme Recommendations

So, after testing all eight themes, which ones would I actually recommend?

It depends on what kind of WordPress user you are and how much time, patience and control you want.

Here’s my quick roundup:

Would I personally reach for all of them?

No.

For my own website, I still prefer Thrive Theme Builder and Thrive Architect because they give me the cohesiveness and straightforward setup I kept looking for throughout this review.

SeedProd would also be high on my list if I wanted something easy to launch without too much friction.

But that doesn’t automatically make Divi, Bricks, Astra or the others bad tools. It just means they suit different people.

That is the main thing I want you to take away from this breakdown.

Don’t choose the theme with the longest feature list or the prettiest demo.

Choose the one that matches how you actually want to build and manage your website.

Other Themes You’ll Keep Seeing (My Quick Takes)

I kept the full reviews to the eight themes I actually installed and tested. But if you have been researching for a while, there are a few other names you will keep running into, so here is my quick take on each. The caveat: these did not go through the same hands-on test.

None of these are bad choices. They just were not the eight I would test first, and I would rather give you a real hands-on review than a rewritten feature list.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Themes

Before you go, here are quick, honest answers to the questions people ask most about choosing a WordPress theme, based on everything I just tested.

Which WordPress theme is best?

There is no single best WordPress theme for everyone, and I would be careful with any list that pretends there is. Based on my testing, Thrive Theme Builder is the best pick for a cohesive, conversion-focused business website, SeedProd is the easiest to get started with, and tools like Astra, Divi and Bricks make more sense for agencies, designers and developers. Start with what you are building and how you like to work, then pick the theme that matches.

What is the difference between a WordPress theme and a page builder?

A theme controls your website’s overall design: the headers, footers, layouts and styling that apply across the whole site. A page builder is the tool you use to visually create and edit the content on individual pages. In practice, the line has blurred. Some themes, like Thrive Theme Builder and Bricks, include their own visual building experience. Others, like Hello Elementor and Astra, are designed to be paired with a separate builder. That pairing is exactly why I say choosing a theme today usually means choosing a builder too.

Are free WordPress themes good enough?

Free themes are good enough to start with, but in my experience you usually hit a wall sooner than you expect. The free versions of themes like Astra and GeneratePress give you a real taste of the tool, but much of the design flexibility sits in the Pro upgrades or in a paid page builder. The exception is if you are happy building with the WordPress Site Editor, where a free block theme like Ollie can carry you surprisingly far. My advice: budget for a theme plus a builder from the start instead of expecting a free theme to do everything.

How do I pick the right WordPress theme?

Ignore the pretty demo for a second and ask five questions. How easy is it to get started? Does the imported template actually match the preview? Which editor will you really be using day to day? What extra tools or paid upgrades will the theme need? And is it built for someone like you, whether that is a beginner, a busy business owner, an agency or a developer? If you can, test the free version before you pay, and pay attention to how the setup feels. If the first hour is frustrating, the first month usually is too.

Is WordPress outdated in 2026?

No. WordPress still powers over 40% of the internet, and the building experience has matured a lot. The Site Editor keeps improving, as themes like Ollie show, and modern visual builders have removed most of the old friction that made WordPress feel technical. AI is becoming part of the workflow too, and I’ve covered using AI on WordPress the smart way separately. What has changed is the shape of the setup: today it is usually a theme plus a builder rather than a theme alone. If owning your website, your content and your growth matters to you, WordPress is still the platform I would build on.

Choose the Theme That Makes Building Easier for You

Look, there is no single WordPress theme that will be perfect for everybody.

Some people want hundreds of templates and control over every tiny detail. Other people just want to open the dashboard, know exactly where to go and get a professional-looking website online without fighting with the tool first.

Neither person is wrong.

The important thing is understanding what you’re actually signing up for: not just the theme, but the builder, the plugins, the potential upgrades and the amount of time you’ll need to learn how everything works.

Because the prettiest demo in the world means very little if you can’t comfortably turn it into your website.

Hopefully, this breakdown has helped you look beyond the feature lists and see what using each theme may actually feel like.

I’ve given you my experience, including the good parts, the frustrating parts and the moments where I was sitting there thinking, okay, where am I supposed to go now?

Now it comes down to what matters most to you.

Pick the tool that matches the way you want to build, gives you enough room to grow and, most importantly, doesn’t make creating your website harder than it needs to be.