The Fastest WordPress Themes – The Ultimate List
Does Speed Matter?
Why are the fastest WordPress themes so important? Experts say that if a site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, more than half (53% to be precise) of the people press the back button. Besides, this is the statistic for mobile phones, now imagine what users are expecting while using computers.
Pinterest is a great example of a site using loading speed optimization to boost the quality of user experience. By reducing their loading times by 40%, they got a 15% increase in both sign-ups and traffic.
Loading speed doesn’t only affect user experience. In recent years, Google started considering it in their search engines ranking algorithm.
So in this article, we will consider:
What Affects My Speed?
A few things could be the factor here, and not all of them are the fault of the site owner. Let’s review the usual culprits.
Web Host
Your hosting provider can be one of the first problems. If you are using a cheap WordPress hosting service (shared hosting especially), then there is a possibility that the speed won’t be so great. This is something you can’t change, aside from paying more for a better one.
If you are looking for suggestions, check our list.
Plugins
If one or a couple of your plugins are not coded or optimized well, a problem can occur. As a result, it can affect your site’s appearance and performance, with one aspect being loading speed. This can also be the case with the plugins you did not update. So, update frequently!
The Size Of Your Page
It goes without saying that the more data you put on a page, the more time it will take for someone to download it. This includes images, videos, music, and similar media. To go around this limitation, optimize all your files to use as little space as possible. Many plugins can help you with that.
External Code
Scripts responsible for ads, external google fonts, and similar add-ons can have a huge impact on your site’s performance. Make sure you have configured/coded everything properly!
Themes
If you are a novice in the land of WordPress and web programming in general, this could confuse you. Themes are comprised of HTML, CSS, PHP and JavaScript code, and are not there for appearance only. All that programming is directly connected to the functionality and speed performance of your site.
In this article, we’ll go through some of the fastest WordPress themes so you wouldn’t have to worry about that being the cause of your concern.
Fastest WordPress Themes – How Can I Check My Website Speed?
You have multiples choices when it comes to website speed testing. They mostly provide the same service, but some offer more information about your site.
The procedure is simple, write your site’s URL in the text box and start the test. A big portion of the speed test results information will be of more use to advanced users. All you have to focus on is the overall site’s speed.
Testing with Pingdom is one of the more popular ways of assessing site speed. Aside from the free speed test, Pingdom also provides premium services. Their client list includes big names like Netflix, Twitter, Amazon, etc.
GTmetrix is another example of a more common tool. When it comes to functionalities, it is similar to Pingdom.
There is also Google PageSpeed Insight. It shows less information, but it is suitable for developers. Finally, you can also use dotcom-tools. This tool is great because it checks loading speed on servers in different cities around the world. For example, you can get the test results both in the USA and Japan at the same time.
Here Come The Fastest WordPress Themes
Finally, what you were waiting for, here are the fastest WordPress themes for this year. There is no particular order here, we are just listing the greats.
Astra
This theme is one of the fastest loading and fastest-growing themes of all time. 400000+ users are smiling at how good the decision to download this theme was. Brainstorm Force team is at its prime.
This theme offers a clear and elegant look. You can use it for literally anything, whether you need it for a personal or a business website. There is no doubt you will have fun using it, Brainstorm Force most definitely had making it.
- Less than 50KB installation, which is very light indeed.
- Coded with vanilla javascript in contrast to jQuery.
- Superfast, and we mean it.
- It follows the WCAG 2.0 rules.
- Also follows all the latest coding standards.
- Compatible with all of the standard plugins.
- SEO-friendly.
Depending on whether you need more templates and some premium plugins or not, there is a free and premium version with a couple of payment plans.
With $47 you will get all Astra pro features including 20+ free starter sites. $169 will get you both the Astra Pro, 55+ agency site templates and WP Portfolio plugin. Finally, $249 is the price for everything we mentioned, Convert Pro, Schema Pro and all future plugins from the developer’s team.
You will have a massive amount of possibilities to alter the performance or make a custom layout, with the elements each theme provides. So, lets start!
Newspaper
Developed eight years ago, the Newspaper theme is a reputable template with over 109,000 sales and happy customers all over the world. Constantly improved, this theme is the best solution for online publishers, magazines, and any news-related websites.
The latest update, Newspaper 10, brings a new way to create a website in no time, with no coding skills. The theme’s default demo loads instantly, and scores over 97% on page speed testing tools. Newspaper is a well-designed WordPress theme, optimized to perform at high speed while making your site look modern.
- Best selling news and magazine theme, counting 109,000 sales
- Over 100 one-click demos with any subject
- Frontend page builder – tagDiv Composer
- It has 800+ pre-made designs for sections, pages, and articles
- Infinite loading option for posts and articles
- Header Builder
- Social network friendly
- eCommerce ready
- Translation panel with 90 languages
- Responsive Google Ads, AdSense and banner ads
- SEO ready
- WPML compatible
- Also AMP ready
- GDPR compliant
You can get creative with thousands of pre-made design templates for pages and posts. Also, you make the tweaks on the frontend of your site with the flexible tagDiv Composer builder and drag and drop functionality. Newspaper 10 shows you a new user interface of the builder, with search functions on blocks so you can easily find what you need.
Newspaper is a template with a great and responsive support team. Also, recently tagDiv author started to offer customization services for customers who need advanced modifications on their websites. Newspaper theme is definitely an item you should try out!
GeneratePress
This is an all-around great magazine WordPress theme. With 3,371,424+ downloads, it proves itself of being at the top of the class. It was made by Tom Usborne(@tomusborne).
Firstly, the general look of this theme is modern, professional and mostly minimal. The colors it uses are very mellow and easy on the eyes. We could see it being used for anything from a creative portfolio or a blog to news or a real estate site.
Seeing how smooth its performance is, you could clearly see it was made with care and noble intent. Above all, mixing different elements the theme offers will most definitely make your site unique.
- The installation itself is less than 10KB, so it practically takes no space.
- The code is stable and follows all the latest coding standards.
- Offers options panel with lots of choices.
- Very fast WordPress theme.
- It uses vanilla javascript in contrast to jQuery.
- Compatible with all of the standard plugins.
- Includes schema by default.
- And it follows the WCAG 2.0 rules so accessibility won’t be a problem.
There is a free version, and a premium version costing $59. It comes with a lot of premade templates that will satisfy any niche you desire.
The Gem
Another example of fabulous multipurpose themes. 56,628 satisfied customers are good enough evidence that you are getting an exceptional deal here. The CodexThemes team did a great job with this one.
The gem incorporates darker colors in such a pleasing way, that it calms the viewer with even the first glance. Obviously, there is no limitation on what its use could be. It looks very business-oriented and you will not make a mistake choosing it. Like GeneratePress, this theme also gives excellent efficiency.
- It is light-weight.
- SEO friendly code.
- It delivers high performance.
- 100% compatible with WooCommerce!
- It is retina ready and looks great on any device.
- Includes WPBakery Drag And Drop Page Builder. (live customizer)
- The price also incorporates Slider Revolution and LayerSlider. (both premium plugins)
It comes with 80 pre-made websites and 400 demo pages. You can also adjust anything with 250+ easily adaptive styles. There is only a premium version, but this gem will only cost you $59.
Publisher WP – Fastest WordPress Themes
This is a fast loading multipurpose WordPress theme, most suitable for creative agencies, online magazine, news, and personal blog sites. It was the best selling theme on ThemeForest for 2 years, with 15000+ sales before they chose to move on from that site. The theme shows BetterStudio really knows what they are doing!
The layout, colors, widgets, and everything else about this theme screams press. Whatever news outlet is your inspiration, you are one step closer to creating it if you buy this. That, of course, doesn’t mean you can’t use it to come up with a different look. It also runs fast as you would expect from it, being on this list.
- 20 premium plugins included in the deal.
- Google AMP and Facebook Instant Article Support.
- Highly optimized for speed.
- AdSense optimized.
- Compatible with both Yoast SEO and other SEO plugins.
- Includes Financial Pack Pro, for those who need financial custom widgets.
- It has a push notification theme option, so you can increase engagement.
- Give you the ability to embed any document format to posts.
- It has smart cropping for thumbnails so you don’t need to use external software.
- This theme also contains BetterAds plugin, so you can easily monetize your content.
It has 97 different demos which is good enough for a start. The cost depends on what you need it for. “Starter Club” is $44 and it leaves out some of the services. However, the “Pro Club” ($69) is the most popular option. It gives you all that you would require for running WordPress sites.
“Agency Club” is for companies having multiple websites (5 is maximum with this choice) and it costs $149. There is also a $399 “Lifetime Access” version for those in a need of more than 5 websites and unlimited premium support.
H-Code
If you are searching for a beautiful and fast WordPress theme, the theme coming 4th on our list is a great choice for you. 4990 convinced buyers can’t be wrong. We must congratulate ThemeZaa on this one.
At first sight, the theme’s palettes are quite different from one demo site to another. Still, it has a similar soothing characteristic that the Gem has. You are obviously going to have an awesome site, aren’t you? You lucky person, you! This theme is easy to use, and it saves you some loading time by being very efficient.
- Responsive design.
- Ready for retina display.
- Easy to use admin panel.
- This WordPress theme loads fast.
- Compatible with Yoast SEO and other SEO WordPress plugins.
- It comes with the WPBakery Page Builder plugin.
- Very adaptable.
- It has lots of pre-built shortcodes so you can get the maximum customization options.
- WooCommerce compatible.
- The theme also contains the Revolution Slider WordPress plugin.
The theme comes with a $60 tag, and it’s totally worth it. In addition, it has 50+ superb templates you can play around with!
Aerious
Its slogan is “It is not just a fast theme, but a new way to deliver ideas”, and we agree. It doesn’t have as many sales as other themes, but that does not mean it won’t satisfy your needs. TBS-Coders did a great job on this one.
Its colors come from a light portion of the color spectrum. In addition, it offers a strict and straight to the point kind of look – ideal for a personal or company one-page site. Being air-light also makes its performance grand.
- Super light.
- Has what its developers call “super aerious speed” aka its extremely fast.
- Retina ready.
- Maintains the latest coding standards.
- SEO optimized.
- A free visual composer comes with the price.
- Slider Revolution too.
- Compatible with WooCommerce.
With 9 different demos and 40+ pre-made sliders, you can start doing some magic. Currently, the price is $69.
Avada – Fastest WordPress Themes
#1 selling theme of all time… need we say more? 683,900+ users from both the beginner and professional background are currently using it. ThemeFusion is undeniably at the top of their game.
It wouldn’t be fair to assign this theme just 1 color scheme. It ranges from dark to light and many in between. Avada leans more on the business side, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for a personal site. It has “magical” performance and is certainly one of the fastest loading WordPress themes.
- Highly flexible.
- Looks great and works on any device.
- SEO optimized.
- Compatible with modern plugins.
- Included in the price is Fusion Builder, Slider Revolution, and Layer Slider.
- There is also FWLB, Convert Plus, and ACF Pro.
The theme has 49 pre-built website examples you can use in their entirety or in parts. All things considered, $60 for such a great item is a bargain.
Okab
Just like Aerius, this premium theme is maybe not as popular as the other ones, but don’t mind that. 1700+ sales are still a great amount! Kudos to the PixelDima team!
Okab offers a simple, yet efficient design, mostly aiming for personal use and one-pagers. The arrangement is pretty standard for a modern site, so go check them out if that is what you are looking for. Furthermore, it loads very quickly.
- SEO-friendly.
- Fast loading WordPress theme.
- Compatible with Contact Form 7, Yoast SEO, WooCommerce and more.
- Included in the price is Visual Composer, Revolution Slider.
- Optimized for retina displays.
- Works great on different devices.
The price is $59; the demo website includes 25 templates.
Sober
If you need a great and quick loading WooCommerce WordPress theme, search no more. 7100 e-commerce businesses are already using it. UixThemes really wants your site to be the best it can be.
Being very stylish and youthful, this theme will make your shop look so warm and welcoming. It has both a very precise and effective design with relaxing colors. We promise you will not change your mind after buying it, it will be a “sober” decision.
- Full WooCommerce compatibility.
- Design optimized for mobiles.
- Uses Visual Composer.
- Fastest WooCommerce theme.
- SEO ready.
- Minimalistic and modern design.
- Compatible with caching plugins.
This theme only covers 12+ predefined homepages. Although this is so, you can use parts of the theme separately to expand that number infinitely. The value is $59.
Pillar
Is Pillar the fastest theme of all time? Well, it certainly is one of them. Having 2330 sales, you should be confident about buying this item. TommusRhodus(@tommusrhodus) made it just for you!
It is a multipurpose theme, with contemporary being the word that specifically describes it. Quite pleasant-looking, perfect for new-age developers. This theme will show others you are not here to waste time. The same goes for its performance.
- It contains Visual Composer Page Builder and Slider Revolution. (premium WordPress plugins)
- Speed optimized.
- Includes a premium icon kit with 2k+ beautiful icons.
- Works great on mobiles and computers.
- Compatible with most of the common plugins.
- It is also SEO-friendly.
100+ demo pages are plenty, wouldn’t you agree? The regular license is the usual $59.
Skylar – Fastest WordPress Themes
Another fast loading WordPress theme capable of creating stunning sites. 291 sales with 4.5 being the average rating. Not bad for a 2-year-old theme. UniqueDev is responsible for bringing you this theme.
Demos show a quite dynamic way of presenting the information. That is a great tactic if you want to aim your viewer’s eyes at distinct information. Great for tech, business, personal and any other site (blog, magazine) needing that in-your-face look. Check it out if this is what you are striving toward.
- Compatible with WooCommerce.
- Extremely fast loading WordPress theme.
- 90+ shortcodes.
- Very responsive on all devices.
- SEO-ready.
- Ready for Retina display.
You will only get 6 different demos, but still, sometimes less is more! At any rate, this theme will cost you $59.
Paperio – Fastest WordPress Themes
“New, fresh and awesome”, a lovely blogging theme. It’s only 2 years old, which is seen as pretty new in ThemeForest years. 568 sales and counting! ThemeZaa is at it again.
Be it fashion, lifestyle, beauty, travel or any other type of blog you desire, this is the right option for you. It is more personal-website-oriented, but using it for something else is also fair game. Judging by how it looks and runs, it was made by a team that unquestionably loves creating themes.
- Optimized for speed and SEO.
- Minimal but also flexible.
- Pretty fast.
- Retina ready so it will look exceptional on all devices.
- Compatible with Yoast SEO, All In One SEO and SEO WP.
- Built with Bootstrap, HTML5, and CSS3.
- Finally, the code respects all WordPress standards.
Even with just 7 gorgeous and unique demos, you will be instantly ahead of others! Meanwhile, this theme is a little cheaper than the aforementioned and costs $49.
Scalia – Fastest WordPress Themes
Whether you are making business, shop or a blog website, the Scalia WordPress theme is a great choice for you. 5746 people gave it almost a perfect score, it must mean something. Another excellent item from the CodexThemes team.
The color scheme is mainly light. The design consists of dynamic elements, which will both entertain your users, and focus them on specific information. Developers know what the crowd wants, and they deliver!
- It is equipped with Visual Composer.
- Optimized for WooCommerce.
- Moderately fast.
- Retina ready, and responsive on all devices.
- SEO-friendly.
- Also includes NivoSlider and LayerSlider plugins.
- The code is stable and follows all the latest coding standards.
With this purchase you get 150 demo templates, can you imagine?! That’s a whole lot of demo content. Likewise, it costs $59, so you are looking at a good deal.
Bridge
Voted #1 bestselling magazine theme. It was purchased 161,000 times, Woah!! QODE favors making quality products.
Fresh, vibrant palettes will lure your viewers/customers right where you want them to. It looks unquestionably modern and very engaging. Your blog/fashion store will flourish instantly. In addition, a huge number of WordPress templates will help you in that pursuit.
- Comes with the Visual Composer, Slider Revolution, Layer Slider, and Timetable Responsive Schedule plugins.
- Social media integration.
- It is not as fast as some, nevertheless it’s still a good pick.
- It has its own icon pack.
- Fully optimized for SEO.
- It also has an auto-update option.
- Lastly, it’s a retina screen ready.
Not only does it have the number one title, it also has a whopping 376+ demo web designs. That’s crazy! This great theme will cost you $59. Go get it now.
Divi – One of the Fastest WordPress Themes
The most popular WordPress theme title shows exactly what you are getting with this purchase. Divi theme is brought to you by Elegant Themes.
The demo pages show the kind of look and feel you get from this theme. Mostly it’s that “sterile” and commercial vibe, which is great if that’s what you are gunning for. Of course, you can use it for anything you fancy.
- It has its own visual editor.
- Custom CSS control.
- Very responsive.
- Very fast.
- It also comes with its own icon pack.
- Fully optimized for SEO
- And it respects all modern coding standards.
100+ landing page packs containing 800 pre-made layouts, what a deal! There are two payment plans, yearly and lifetime access. The first one will cost you $89/year, the second is the one-time payment of $249.
Conclusion – Fastest WordPress Themes
Whether you choose one of the premium WordPress themes or a free one, it is a great start to your website creation journey. Though, choosing a perfect theme for your WordPress websites shouldn’t only be based on its appearance. You should always look at how it will benefit performance. So for more WordPress Theme help, check our support pages for Enfold, Avada and Divi Themes.
All in all, this list of the fastest WordPress themes should give you a great starting point.
Lastly, if you are interested in more WordPress tutorials and lists check the rest of our WordPress blog. You can also comment below or share this post on social media.
