The Fastest WordPress Themes

The average site visitor will give you all of 8 seconds in which they’ll decide whether they’ll stay on your site or continue their search elsewhere. Slow site load times and render speeds can actually cause them to make up their mind even quicker than that. This is the main reason why the speed of most sites is actually measured in fractions of a second.

While the majority of the blame for slow site load times can be levied towards the hosting provider’s servers, the theme that the site is using actually plays a much bigger role that a lot of people would assume.

Luckily, there are some excellent themes available that anyone can get and boost their site speed exponentially.

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How Do Themes Affect Website Speed

There are essentially 3 ways in which the themes themselves affect the loading speed of a website.

CSS

A lot of themes are built from the ground up using CSS specifically in order to be as light-weight as possible. This dramatically influences the page load times, which is why most themes will immediately draw attention if they’re built with CSS.

Javascript

The reason why the majority of themes contain a lot of JS in their script is in order to enable a lot of different features to run properly. That being said, the problem isn’t JavaScript itself, but rather Jquery, which is essentially the JS library.

Jquery is used so it can code the more complex elements of a particular theme more quickly and efficiently. However, the themes that use Jquery are generally noticeably slower in terms of load times than the themes that don’t.

Features that are Permanently ON

Most sites have features like video players, gifs, and even Google maps constantly enabled. This can really slow down the page load times of the site due to the difficulty that comes with quickly trying to load these multi-media options.

The good thing is that a lot of themes have the option to toggle these functions off when the site traffic gets too big for the site to be able to reliably process all of the requests from the visitors.

However, themes that don’t have such an option and simply have all of these functions permanently turned on, will drastically impede the speed of the site.

Our List of the Fastest WordPress Themes

We put a large emphasis on the “our” part of the title of this section because that’s just what this list is – our opinion.

There are far too many great themes that are currently available for us to count, let alone rank, so we’ve done our best in order to collect the ones which we thought deserved the most attention and provided the best boost to site speed.

12. Elementor Hello Theme

Elementor Hello's landing page

We’ll just go ahead and say this – while this is a fast theme in it’s own right, there are undeniably much faster themes that are available. Since we’re starting off our list with this choice, there are obviously going to be better options further down the lineup.

That being said, there are a lot of good points that Elementor Hello has in its favour.

For example, the theme itself is incredibly light-weight. Additionally, as you might have guessed by the name, anyone will have a really easy time building their site by using Elementor in tandem with this theme.

Pros:

  • Allows the use to customise the search page
  • Easy to use
  • Has an available WooCommerce builder
  • Good customer support
  • Available customization options for the header and footer

Cons:

  • Really lacking when it comes to a few major customization options

Prices:

The Elementor Hello Theme only has annual payment plans available. There are 3 plans to choose from. The initial plan costs $49, the second one is $99, and you can get the final one for $199.

11. Hestia Pro

Hestiapro's landing page

Hestia Pro is an SEO-friendly theme that can be used to optimize pretty much any site for speed and efficiency. You have a selection of pre-made starter sites you can choose from, as well as a variety of different customization functions that are available through both the live customizer and the mega menu.

The theme is compatible with pretty much all of the major page builders, and it’s also translation and RTL ready. Pair all of those features with the one-click updates and quick custom support, and you get a great choice of themes for almost any company.

Pros:

  • Gutenberg ready
  • Good WooCommerce integration
  • Over 200 available video tutorials
  • Over 300 available product docs
  • Good customer support via email

Cons:

  • A limited selection of templates in the site library

Prices:

The annual prices for the Hestia Pro theme start at $69 for 1 site, then jump to $99 for 3 sites, and finally finish at $199 for an unlimited number of sites. As for the lifetime prices, they start out at $199 for the Personal plan, then go up to $299 for the Business plan and finally finish at $599 for the Agency plan. The number of sites that the theme can be used for doesn’t change between the plans in the annual and lifetime payment packages.

10. Beaver Builder

BeaverBuilder's landing page

One of the best things about this theme is that, once purchased, it can be used on an unlimited number of sites. While this might not seem like that much of an interesting feature, most themes either don’t provide such an option, or they only include it in their most expensive plans.

The brand is also quite popular due to their money back guarantee, as well as the regular discount that they provide upon charging the renewal fees.

This popularity among their user base also comes as a result of the satisfaction with the premium modules and templates that come with every plan, as well as the intuitive page builder plugin and the large assortment of flexible page customization options.

Pros:

  • Easy to use drag-and-drop page building features
  • A good number of unique page templates
  • Multisite network settings
  • Provides both control and flexibility when it comes to site design
  • Great customer support

Cons:

  • The theme has a limited module library

Prices:

The pricing structure of Beaver BUilder is divided into 3 plans. The Standard plan will cost you $99, the Pro plan goes for $199, and the Agency plan will set you back $399. All of these are yearly payment plans.

9. OptimizePress

OptimizePress' landing page

The OptimizePress theme provides you with premium templates and funnels, over 250 templates at your disposal, and access to more than one million free photos through the Unsplash integration option.

OptimizePress allows you to build an unlimited number of pages through the use of intuitive customization options. You’re also given full control over the design and the workings of their sites, meaning that the finished product will always come out faithful to the image that you had in mind when you started designing it.

Pros:

  • Integrated SEO features
  • A great option for sales pages
  • 30-day 100% no-risk money back guarantee
  • Regular product updates
  • Priority customer support via email

Cons:

  • Page layout creation might prove difficult for anyone that’s more used to the options available in front-end builders

Prices:

The prices for this theme are divided into three packages, all of which are an annual payment plan. The Essential plan is priced at $99, the Business plan at $149, and the Suite plan one is $199. Each plan also allows you to use the theme in tandem with a certain number of sites, the final plan allowing them to use it for 20 sites.

8. Bridge

Bridge's landing page

Among the many features that the Bridge theme brings to the table, some of the most notable would probably be the comprehensive admin panel, the social media integration, the integrated search functionality, and the smooth CSS3 animations.

In addition, you’ll also get a theme that’s fully SEO optimized, that has a beautiful font icon pack available, provides stunning infographic elements, and even has auto update functionality.

Bridge is also known for having a wide range of modules that enhance the customization process and offer more options for creativity. This makes it compatible with a wide variety of eCommerce stores, blogs and magazines.

Pros:

  • Over 500 available unique demos
  • Compatible with any WooCommerce site
  • Extremely flexible design and customization options
  • Comes bundled with a ton of premium plugins
  • Great customer support

Cons:

  • Difficult to learn, mostly due to the vague and confusing explanations in the tutorials

Prices:

The regular license for this theme will cost you $59. Additionally, if you want to gain access to any future updates, theme hosting offers, quality assurance, and a 6-month support plan from QODE, then you’ll have to add another $17.63 to the price.

7. Avada

Avada's landing page

This theme has managed to integrate some of the most popular plugins that are currently on the market. If you also add the multiple different customization options and available functions that the theme offers, then you’ll get a good picture as to why more than 600.000 people use this theme.

The theme also has a lot of privacy tools that will allow you to control third party embeds, control tracking code and contact form consent, create custom registration messages, and even customize your privacy banner.

Avada is also one of the best selling themes of all time, has more than 60 professionally designed demos that you can choose from, and over 400 pre built websites.

Pros:

  • Access to hundreds of od pre-built designs
  • All of the functions are easy to understand and simple to use
  • Compatible with a wide variety of different businesses and site designs
  • Gutenberg optimized
  • The updates are free for life

Cons:

  • The theme needs access to good servers in order to work to its full potential

Prices:

The regular license for this theme will cost you $60. Additionally, if you want to gain access to any future updates, theme hosting offers, quality assurance, and a 6-month support plan from ThemeFusion, then you’ll have to add another $18 to the price.

6. Divi

Divi's landing page

Divi is a very adaptable theme and can be used on everything from eCommerce sites to blogs. The available customization options can make this particular theme fit pretty much any business or portfolio.

Most of this is accomplished through the theme builder, which gives you free rein to customize everything on your site, from the header to the footer in any way that you prefer. The theme also offers access to a lot of premium pre-built websites, thousands of open-source photos, the Divi WooCommerce modules, and much more.

Pros:

  • A great choice for WooCommerce sites
  • Mobile responsive design that can be used in tandem with any device
  • Regular updates
  • Easy to use page-builder with plenty of options
  • More than 600,000 satisfied users worldwide

Cons:

  • Not as light-weight of quick as some of the other themes on this list

Prices:

If you want access to the Divi theme for just one year, then your fee will come to $89. If you, however, would like a lifetime membership, then you’ll have to pay the one-time $249 fee. Both plans offer an assortment of features, but the lifetime package will obviously have more available options.

5. Genesis

Genesis' landing page

True to its name, Genesis is one of the original themes on the market that actually managed to make an impact on the running speed of any site that used it. Age has only made this theme better and helped its creators develop better features that they can include in every package.

The Genesis pro package provides you with free hosting for 1 year, the ability to use the theme and all of the plugins on an unlimited number of sites, access to the Genesis Framework and all of the 35 StudioPress-made premium child themes, and much more.

Genesis is also Gutenberg ready, incredibly SEO friendly, and comes with a one-click demo import that’s quick and easy to use.

Pros:

  • The theme is just under 30kb in size
  • Has a mobile-responsive design
  • A very intuitive theme customizer
  • Plenty of custom page templates
  • Mobile responsive design

Cons:

  • Certain child themes are pretty expensive

Prices:

Instead of an annual or a lifetime payment plan, the Genesis framework package is a simple one-time payment of $59.95. However, if you aren’t satisfied with the base package and are looking for something with a lot more features and options, then there is also the pro plus membership, which comes to a one-time payment of $499.95.

4. OceanWP

OceanWP's landing page

This theme comes equipped with features such as Elementor widgets, Sticky header, footer callout, and even an option for an integrated Instagram feed. You’ll also be able to access the 13 free demos and the 60 free pro demos, the popup login option, and even a responsive side panel that holds your preferred widgets.

All of the plans come with a 2-week money-back guarantee, as well as notifications for any future updates and modifications to the functions of the theme for the duration of your selected payment plan.

Pros:

  • eCommerce ready
  • Easy to navigate and easy to use mega menu
  • Fully responsive and fully customizable themes
  • A built-in SEO base
  • Remarkably quick and efficient customer support

Cons:

  • Not as light-weight as the other 2 themes that appear on this list

Prices:

The OceanWP theme will cost you $39 for the Personal plan which covers 1 site, $79 for the Business plan which covers 3 sites, and $129 for the Agency plan which covers 25 sites. These prices are for the annual payment plans. The lifetime payment plans charge $159 for 1 site, $319 for 3 sites, and $519 for 25 sites.

3. Neve by Themeisle

Neve's landing page

If you choose the Neve theme, you’ll be happy to know that you’re eligible for support and updates for unlimited sites. Both of these options will either be available for 1 year or a lifetime, depending on which payment plan was chosen.

Neve will also provide access to header, blog, and Elomentor boosters in all of the available payment plans, as well as options such as premium starter sites, WooCommerce boosters, and priority support options for any plan aside from the most basic annual one.

Pros:

  • Offers a large assortment of different templates
  • It isn’t dependent on jQuery
  • Provides AMP support
  • Considered to be a general-purpose plugin that’s compatible with any site
  • Easy download and setup

Cons:

  • The Themeisle plugin isn’t included in the paid package

Prices:

The cheapest plan that Neve provides you starts at the Personal plan for an annual payment of $59, and after that we jump to the Business plan which is $99 annually, and finally there’s the $159 Agency plan. As for the lifetime plans, they start at $189, then go up to $299, and finally reach an annual price of $499.

2. Astra

Astra's landing page

Asta has a great number of different customization options that allow you to mix and match the many different templates that are at their disposal in order to create something that fits their style and their company brand. 

The theme also includes free demo websites that were built using Brizy, Beaver Builder, Elementor, and Gutenberg. Additionally, you also get access to the full list of amazing features that the theme has to offer.

Pros:

  • The theme is just under 50kb in size
  • It isn’t dependent on jQuery
  • An incredible amount of freedom when it comes to customization options
  • Offers a selection of child themes
  • Large selection of demo sites from different page builders

Cons:

  • Some of the customization options are confusing to use until you get the hang of them

Prices:

The theme has a free version that anyone can try out before actually getting the premium plans. The prices for the paid version start at an annual fee of $47 for the Astra Pro plan, then jump to $169 for the Mini Agency Bundle and $249 for the Agency Bundle. You also have the option of choosing the lifetime purchase option that will set you back $249, $499, or $699, depending on which package you go with.

1. GeneratePress

GeneratePress's landing page

The theme itself is incredibly versatile when combined with the WordPress customization options, meaning that it can fit pretty much any sort of business.

The premium version also has an assortment of pre-built demo sites that can be imported at the drop of a hat, 1 year of updates and support, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Without question, this is one of the best and fastest themes that are currently available on the market.

Pros:

  • The theme is just under 30kb in size
  • It isn’t dependent on jQuery
  • Great WooCommerce integration
  • Reliable customer support
  • The theme is both light-weight and lightning-quick

Cons:

  • Lacking in terms of third-party integrations

Prices:

This theme actually has a free trial version that will allow you to get a better understanding of the way that it operates before you decide whether or not you would like to purchase the full version. After that, the price is an annual payment of $49.95.

Conclusion

There is a reason why the themes on our list appear in the order that they do. Meaning that if you wanted to know which one of these is the fastest theme, or even how all of them stack when they are compared to each other, then this list should answer both of those questions.

Please keep in mind that some of the themes will also have functions that the others will not. The usefulness of these functions will depend on what your requirements are or what you’re looking to incorporate into your company’s site.

However, going purely by the speed boost that the theme can provide for your site, your best choice is GeneratePress, followed by Astra and Neve.

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