Best WordPress Themes [2023]

Having a website is the first step in building a solid presence in the online space. That said, simply having a website is not enough. Nobody will engage with your site if you have a poor layout. Hence, when designing your site, you need to ensure it offers the best user experience possible.

And in doing so, your site must be user-friendly and attractive. Does that sound strange? Of course not. Many users would rather opt for the services of a brand whose website is more appealing to them. And this is so even if you offer better services. Worst case scenario is that you may end up getting a low amount of traffic, leading to a low ranking on SERPs.

So, in the end, it all boils down to making your site attractive to users. Fortunately, WordPress themes have helped tackle this case. As a WordPress user, you no doubt know that WordPress themes can offer you that perfect layout and with no coding skill at all. So which WordPress themes should you choose? This article discusses the best WordPress themes for 2023. But before we delve into that, let's see what WordPress themes are.

What are WordPress themes?

WordPress themes are designed to help users personalize their site's layout. Yes, with WordPress themes, you can get that layout that perfectly suits your niche. However, it doesn't stop there. WordPress themes go as far as influencing the overall appearance of your website, from your layout to the color of your hyperlinks.

Simply put, WordPress themes are a set of files, codes, stylesheets, and graphics which dictate the appearance of your site. And as mentioned earlier, they help attract visitors. But that is just one benefit of having a good WordPress theme. Let's see, in detail, the benefits of using WordPress themes.

Benefits of using WordPress themes

There are lots of benefits of using WordPress themes. Surprising isn't it? How can a theme help you and your brand? To answer that, here are three main pros WordPress themes offer to users.

1. Customization

Without a doubt, this is one of the main benefits of using a WordPress theme. You may find that strange because many users may opt for a particular theme. However, most WordPress themes allow for customization. Yes, you can tweak the theme to suit your needs. You can also choose to have a custom theme built specifically for you by hiring the services of a designer. By customizing your theme, your website can stand out amongst others.

2. Beginner-friendly

WordPress is priceless in the web design community. Why? Naturally, customizing a website requires coding skills, not to talk of developing it. And this makes it difficult for beginners in the whole web design process. However, WordPress allows users to perform several tasks without advanced technical know-how.

Since WordPress is easy to use, it is only natural for WordPress themes to be beginner-friendly. You do not need to have a programming degree to customize your site. You can easily install any WordPress theme of your choice as fast as possible.

3. Brand identity

As seen above, customizing your theme can help your brand stand out. And this is a very effective way to beat your competition. By having a unique theme, people will be able to easily identify your site amongst others. Furthermore, WordPress themes can also help you boost awareness of, not only your brand but of your business as a whole.

Tips for selecting your WordPress theme

You no doubt want to get started in using WordPress themes as soon as possible. But before proceeding, it is important to keep in mind several things when selecting your WordPress theme. Here are a few of them.

Since your theme helps to boost brand awareness, you should choose a theme that reflects your business as a whole. Are you offering any service? If so, your WordPress theme should be able to reflect that naturally.
Color is vital as it helps people identify you. Hence, choose a theme that matches your brand's color, as well as your logo.
Aim for originality. How many websites have similar layouts? Are your competitors using the same theme? These are questions you need to carefully consider when selecting your theme. If you opt for a commonly used WordPress theme, you will not make much of an impact on visitors. Therefore, you need a theme that will help users differentiate you from others.
All that said, your theme ultimately depends on you. Hence, select a theme that you feel comfortable with. So you need to be creative and choose a WordPress theme that won't hinder you.

With all that in mind, it is time to select a theme that well suits your needs. However, this poses a challenge as there are various kinds of themes offered by WordPress. So back to our question - which WordPress themes should you choose?

The Best WordPress themes 2023

As a WordPress user, you may be familiar with some themes. However, it is necessary to broaden your knowledge of the various WordPress themes available for use. The following are some of the best WordPress themes for 2023 in no particular order.

1. Ultra

2. OceanWP

3. Divi

4. Neve

5. Astra

Ultra

Without any doubt, Ultra sits amongst the best WordPress themes at this point in time. It offers an impressive drag and drop interface that allows users to edit designs. And what's more, it is suitable for all websites. As a result, it is considered the most flexible WordPress theme out there.

But that's not all. Ultra also uses a responsive design, thereby making it suitable for all devices. Unfortunately, like every other theme, Ultra has its downside. Here are the major pros and cons of the ultra WordPress theme.

Pros

Easy to use.
Suitable for both pros and newbies alike.
Very flexible.

Cons

It is a bit expensive.
Slow to respond.

Pricing

Ultra's page builder, Themify offers the ultra WordPress theme in different package plans. These includes:

Single themes. Here, you can access a single theme for $59 along with one year of support and update.
Master Club plan. Here, Themify offers Ultra along with all other themes for $89. You also get access to eleven plugins, Photoshop files, and many more, along with one-year support and updates.
Lifetime package plan. Here, you'll have lifetime access to all themes, plugins, support, add-ons, and updates for $249.

Considering the benefits of the Ultra theme, you'll see that it is worth the cost. What's more, Themify offers a thirty-day refund if, for any reason, you dislike their services.

OceanWP

OceanWP is yet another easy-to-use WordPress theme. You do not need to have any advanced skills to get started with it. You can understand it right from the get-go. Furthermore, OceanWP offers multiple layout options. And it also allows users to customize their brand logo. Yes, OceanWP is a multipurpose theme that offers tons of impressive features to users.

Pros

Easy to use.
It is super fast.
It has so many free super features.

Cons

Its page-building feature is not that great.

Pricing

As mentioned earlier, OceanWP offers many features to users for free. That said, it also has three premium packages.

Personal. This plan costs $54 per annum. However, you can have lifetime access to its features for $222
Business plan. Here, you unlock more features of OceanWP for $109/year and $445 under the lifetime plan.
Agency. Get access to all features of OceanWP for $179 per year and a one-time payment of $725.

Divi

Divi is a popular WordPress theme. And like OceanWp, it is an easy-to-use multipurpose theme. Divi is a one-of-a-kind theme that allows users to customize every bit of their WordPress site from the ground up. Here are some of its main pros, as well as cons.

Pros

Divi offers an easy-to-use drag and drop feature.
Unlike many other themes, you can make use of Divi for an unlimited number of WordPress sites.
Divi can be used without any advanced technical know-how. And with a knowledge of coding, you'll be able to perform more amazing functions.
It offers over a hundred impressive templates to select from.
It allows the user totally control and customize their designs.

Cons

It does not have a pop-up builder.
Divi tends to get slow when working with long pages.

Pricing

Divi's premium consists of two pricing packages. You can either purchase the premium version yearly or pay for lifetime access. The yearly plan is $89. And for $249, you can get lifetime access to the Divi WordPress theme.

Neve

Yet another impressive WordPress theme that deserves to be on this list is Neve. Neve is very easy to install. With a few clicks, you are on your way to creating a one-of-a-kind WordPress website. When it comes to speed, Neve is priceless. And this results from its fast code with Vanilla JavaScript. Does it end there? Of course not. The following are other pros of Neve along with its downside.

Pros

It is suitable for mobile devices.
It offers more customization options than many other WordPress themes.
It is incredibly fast.

Cons

The color customization options are limited in the free version.

Pricing

You can access Neve for free. However, if you opt for its premium version, you get access to more impressive features. Neve offers three package plans. And these are:

Personal. Here, you get access to Neve's features for $59 per year.
Business. This plan costs $148 per annum.
Agency. If you are an agency or a freelancer, you'll find this plan very helpful as it unlocks all Neve's features for $259 per year.

Take your time and make your decision. You do not need to rush. Like Ultra, Neve offers a thirty-day money-back guarantee. So, you can purchase it and see if it suits your niche.

Astra

Like Divi, Astra is a popular multipurpose theme with fast loading times. What is more, Astra has all the design options needed to fully customize your WordPress site. Of course, it does not stop there. Astra offers features to help users rank high on SERPs.

Pros

It is super fast.
It is designed to help SEO.
It works well with any page builder.
Easy to use.
It offers tons of impressive customization options.

Cons

Astra is not very suitable for beginners. If you are a newbie, you might feel lost at the start.

Pricing

Astra's premium price starts from $59 for the Astra pro plan to the growth bundle at $523 per year. Astra also offers the essential bundle at $276 per annum.

Astra also allows users to purchase a pricing plan by paying once. This is the lifetime plan. Here, Astra pro costs $249. The essential bundle costs $996 with many more features.

Lastly, the growth bundle costs $1,893. Here, you'll get lifetime access to all the features of the Astra theme. Too expensive? Don't worry. Astra allows users to split the payment. Hence, you can purchase this plan in installment for three months.

How to install WordPress themes

Once you've decided on the theme to use, the next step is to get started. So how do you install WordPress themes? Here's how you can do so in seven simple steps.

First, you’d have to access WordPress admin area.
Afterward, locate 'Appearance.' Then, navigate to the themes page.
Tap 'Add New'
Search for the theme you want. WordPress also allows you to search based on layouts, subjects, and features.
Once you've found your theme, click the 'install' icon.
Next, you have to activate the WordPress theme.
Also, you might need to install additional plugins to get your theme running. However, this depends on your theme.

That is all. Yes, installing a WordPress theme is as easy as that. However, the above steps are aimed at installing free themes in the WordPress repository. You may want to opt for premium themes from an external company. Or you may want to make use of a custom-made theme. If so, do not worry. Here's how to do so.

Search for the theme you want and download the zipped file.
Locate the theme page in the admin area as seen above.
Tap 'Add New.'
Instead of searching for a theme, you only need to click the upload icon found at the top of the screen.
Select the zip file and tap 'Install Now.'
All that is left is to activate your theme. Afterward, you are good to go.

There are yet other ways of installing WordPress themes. But the methods discussed above are the easiest ways of installing a WordPress theme. As a beginner, you'll no doubt find these steps helpful.

Wrapping Up

WordPress themes are very essential for any brand looking to establish a strong online presence. They help designers customize their site and help users easily identify a brand. Furthermore, they are a strong tool for search engine optimization.

So, are you ready to design your site? If so, you need to select a theme that suits you perfectly. The WordPress themes discussed in this article may not sound flashy. However, they are without a doubt, one of the best WordPress themes in 2023.