WordPress is one of the world’s most preferred content management systems (CMS) today, with a market share of over 42% of all active websites. 

However, choosing a reliable WordPress theme can be exhausting when starting a new brand or setting up an online store, mainly because many options exist. 

This article discusses the top free and paid WordPress themes for agencies and small businesses in 2024.

Astra

Astra is a popular freemium WordPress theme with over 1 million users. It is a fast and lightweight theme with a less than 50 KB page size. 

This multi-purpose theme offers more than 100 starter templates for a quick and easy website setup process. 

It supports landing page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Divi. Its pricing options include a lifetime license fee of $239 or a yearly subscription of $49.

GeneratePress

GeneratePress is a lightweight WordPress theme with more than 400,000 active users. 

The theme is optimized for stability and accessibility and is a reliable foundation for establishing a solid online presence. 

E-commerce brands, freelancers, and agencies make up most of the active users on GeneratePress. It is compatible with most WordPress plugins and page builders. The pricing options include a lifetime license for $249 or a $59/year subscription.

Neve

With over 300,000 active installations, Neve is one of the most popular WordPress themes. It is optimized for SEO and loading speed and is accessible with WordPress-accelerated mobile pages (AMP).

 It is a multi-purpose WordPress theme that developers use for online stores, professional portfolios, and blogs. It is compatible with Gutenberg and other page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder. 

It is a free WordPress theme with a $69/year subscription option for additional premium features.

OceanWP

OceanWP is a free multi-purpose WordPress theme with 700,000 active users. It is compatible with Gutenberg, WooCommerce, and Elementor, making it a reliable option for block-based development. 

Developers recommend this theme for e-commerce stores, professional portfolios, business websites, and blogs. 

This theme has an inbuilt featured slider, custom sidebar, social media icons, and seven free WordPress extensions. Its pricing options include a lifetime license for $177 and a yearly subscription of $43.

Elementor

While not necessarily a WordPress theme, Elementor is an effective block-based website builder that can be used to develop a complete and functioning website. 

Its subscription has ready-made templates, landing pages, and popups that can significantly shorten a website development project’s timeline. 

Elementor powers over 10 million active websites today and is among the top 5 WordPress plugins. It is open-source and fully expandable, so website developers can easily access the source code and program’s extra functionalities. 

The page builder is fully compliant with WordPress security standards and is regularly updated. Its pricing options start from $59/year for a basic website to $199/year for multi-site plans. 

Zakra

Zakra WordPress theme is an excellent option for website development that is fast and fully responsive. 

It comes with 80+ free starter theme templates and a quick demo importer to ensure a quick and easy start for developing a website. 

The theme is fast and secure and receives regular updates. It is optimized for Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), ensuring high website performance in mobile browsing.

It is compatible with Elementor and other landing page builders and plugins. The pricing options are $139.9 for a lifetime license or a $38.3/year subscription. 

Ground WP

GroundWP is a popular WordPress theme with over 60,000 active installations. Web developers can easily customize its sleek, lightweight, and minimalist design.

Developers can build different layouts for their websites using GroudWP, leveraging the power of WordPress blocks. It provides a great user experience for website visitors with fast page loading speeds. 

Its fluid typography and spacing allow it to scale dynamically to fit different device screen sizes, providing a balanced and visually appealing layout. 

It is free to download and provides additional resources and tutorials to aid in website development.

Genesis Framework 

Genesis is an open-source framework that is both responsive and SEO-friendly. It has numerous child theme options that web developers can easily customize to fit any website’s needs. 

Due to its steep learning curve, web developers recommend the Genesis framework for experienced professionals. For pricing, a pro version costs $360/year, and a free version.

Conclusion

A site’s appearance is an essential factor that largely influences how visitors perceive the brand. Expert developers recommend having a professional, responsive, and visually aesthetic website to attract and retain more website visitors. A visually appealing and well-designed website improves the brand’s credibility while increasing conversion rates.

These freemium WordPress themes come with starter templates that developers can customize according to the website’s needs. The WordPress theme you finally decide on should be fully compatible with the latest version of WordPress and other page builders.