Choosing the right theme is one of the most important steps in building a WordPress website. A good theme shapes your brand, improves performance, and enhances SEO.

There are thousands of high-quality, free WordPress themes that rival premium ones in design, speed, and features. Whether you’re creating a business site, blog, portfolio, or online shop, this guide will explore the best free WordPress themes.

Are free WordPress themes worth considering?

Free themes give you flexibility to design and experiment without upfront costs. Many are developed by trusted creators and updated regularly for security and compatibility.

Here’s why they’re a smart choice:

  • Cost-effective: Start strong without premium fees
  • Fast setup: One-click installation through the WordPress directory
  • SEO-friendly: Many include built-in schema and fast-loading templates
  • Mobile-ready: Modern themes are fully responsive and lightweight

At Fasthosts, we recommend using free themes from verified developers on WordPress.org to ensure performance, stability, and support.

To learn more about WordPress themes, check out our beginners guide.

9 of the best free WordPress themes

Each theme below has been selected for reliability, customisation options, and clean performance.

1. Astra 

Astra is one of the most popular free themes on WordPress.org. It’s fast, flexible, and works perfectly with popular page builders like Elementor and Gutenberg.

Best for: Small businesses, bloggers, and beginners who want a clean base to customise

Key features:

  • Optimised for speed and SEO
  • Starter templates for quick setup
  • Lightweight (less than 50KB on front end)

Why we recommend it: Astra is a reliable, performance-first theme that scales well as your site grows.

2. OceanWP

OceanWP offers deep customisation options while remaining easy to use. It supports WooCommerce, making it ideal for online stores or service websites.

Best for: Entrepreneurs and creatives who need flexibility

Key features:

  • WooCommerce integration
  • Responsive and RTL-ready
  • Extendable with free and premium add-ons

Why we recommend it: OceanWP is flexible, WooCommerce-ready, and fully customisable. Fasthosts Hosting for WordPress ensures your site runs fast and looks professional.

3. Neve 

Neve combines speed, simplicity, and mobile optimisation. It loads in under a second and is compatible with AMP, making it one of the best free responsive WordPress themes available.

Best for: Agencies, freelancers, and performance-focused sites

Key features:

  • SEO-optimised design
  • Mobile-first structure
  • Starter templates library

Why we recommend it: Neve’s minimal code ensures fast load times, and it’s great for SEO and user experience.

4. Zakra

Zakra is a modern, multipurpose theme with clean layouts suited for business, corporate, and startup websites.

Best for: Corporate websites and digital agencies

Key features:

  • 65+ demo templates
  • Compatible with Elementor and Gutenberg
  • Responsive and lightweight

Why we recommend it: Zakra combines professionalism with speed, perfect for brands that want a polished look.

5. Storefront 

Designed by the creators of WooCommerce, Storefront is the official theme for WordPress ecommerce sites, making it one of the best free ecommerce WordPress themes.

Best for: Online stores and product-based businesses

Key features:

  • Deep WooCommerce integration
  • Accessibility-ready
  • Customisable homepage layouts

Why we recommend it: Storefront is built for sales – it’s stable, SEO-friendly, and fully compatible with all WooCommerce extensions.

6. GeneratePress 

GeneratePress focuses on speed and accessibility, offering a clean codebase that helps improve SEO performance.

Best for: Developers, SEO agencies, and minimalist designs

Key features:

  • Validated HTML and schema markup
  • Page builder compatibility
  • Lightweight and secure

Why we recommend it: GeneratePress is one of the best free SEO WordPress themes, ideal for ranking-focused projects.

7. Hestia 

Hestia features a sleek, modern single-page design perfect for landing pages and small businesses.

Best for: Startups, portfolios, and landing pages

Key features:

  • One-page layout with smooth scrolling
  • WooCommerce-ready
  • Customisable homepage sections

Why we recommend it: Hestia balances design flexibility with performance. It’s great for conversion-focused sites.

8. Blocksy 

Blocksy is a next-generation theme built for the Gutenberg block editor. It’s fast, flexible, and future-proof.

Best for: Designers using WordPress’ native block editor

Key features:

  • Full-site editing support
  • Real-time visual customiser
  • Modern block-based templates

Why we recommend it: Ideal for users embracing WordPress’ evolving block architecture.

9. Inspiro 

Inspiro showcases videos and photography beautifully. It’s responsive and integrates easily with WooCommerce and Elementor.

Best for: Photographers, artists, and content creators

Key features:

  • Video background support
  • Clean gallery layouts
  • WooCommerce compatibility

Why we recommend it: Inspiro combines elegance with performance. It’s a solid choice for portfolios and creative sites.

How to choose the best free WordPress theme

When selecting your theme, we recommend considering the following:

  • Purpose: Choose a design that aligns with your website goals.
  • Performance: Prioritise lightweight themes for faster load times.
  • Support: Look for regular updates and active developer support.
  • SEO-readiness: Ensure schema, metadata, and mobile compatibility.

The best free WordPress themes give you everything you need to create a professional website without paying for a licence. From Astra for speed to Hestia for landing pages and Storefront for ecommerce, there’s a theme for every project.

At Fasthosts, our Hosting for WordPress is fast, secure, and fully compatible with every theme listed above, making building a WordPress website simple. Start your site today and bring your vision to life with the perfect free WordPress theme.