Finding the fastest WordPress theme can feel like a fool’s errand. Do you compare the page load time differences in milliseconds? How do you account for changes in hosting speeds between hosting providers or network variability? How do you account for the performance boost a CDN will provide when the site is deployed to production? What if the testing tools produce conflicting results? What if the results are not statistically significant? How do you interpret data?
Over the course of building Selldash, my team has tested virtually every major WordPress theme using a standard set of criteria and using the same hardware / network settings across the board. We shielded the demo sites from the vagaries of the internet, and performed 100s of test runs to ensure a statistically significant (and relevant) outcome.
We will be posting the full results on the Selldash website but meanwhile here is a quick summary of our findings. Keep in mind though that raw performance is not the only criteria when evaluating WordPress themes (or any kind of software for that matter). All of the themes below will fulfill your performance needs, so the final choice might very well depend on the theme functionality, demos, pricing, customer support, etc. Take a look at each theme’s website to learn more.
1. GeneratePress
GeneratePress ended up as one of the fastest WordPress theme options. It’s a versatile theme in a sleek little package, boasting integrations with multiple page builders, excellent WooCommerce support, and various UX customization options.
Notable Features:
- The theme has fast speeds and small file sizes according to our testing.
- It’s compatible with a wide range of third-party plugins like WooCommerce and page builders.
- It has a wide range of theme colors and typography options for customization.
- Hooks and filters are available for extending the functionality of your site.
- The theme is translation-ready for over 20 languages.
- Make an advanced site menu with the help of mobile headers, sticky navigation, and more.
- The blogging is more advanced than other themes, as it uses infinite scrolling, column controls, and image adjustment settings.
- You can add backgrounds to several parts of your theme.
- Import and export all theme options with the click of a button.
2. Hello / Elementor
If you’re familiar with the Elementor Page Builder, you know how fast and easy it can be to build a WordPress site without using any code. Elementor is a top favorite pick in the world of drag and drop builders, and the same developers have produced a theme that’s fast and versatile – called Hello Elementor.
Notable Features:
- The Hello Elementor theme integrates with Elementor, one of the easiest to use page builders out there.
- The base design and theme files are minimalistic and simple, allowing for incredibly fast speeds and an overall clean interface.
- With the Elementor integration, you can make any type of website with the theme and page builder.
- Some of the page builder elements that come with Hello Elementor include modules for video, headings, spacers, posts, and many more.
- The theme integrates with several popular plugins like WooCommerce, Yoast, and TruInbox.
- Create multi-lingual and translated sites with help from RTL support.
- Hello Elementor has a strong following and solid support resources, making it easy for you to find the support and help you need during development.
3. Neve from ThemeIsle
The ThemeIsle company is known for its creation of speedy and flexible themes and plugins, many of which are free with premium upgrades. During our tests, the Neve theme stood out as the fastest from ThemeIsle, with its multipurpose design and easily customizable layout. We also like Neve since it works well with WooCommerce, and runs natively on Selldash Kubernetes.
Notable Features:
- The Neve theme focuses on mobile interfaces for faster loading and stronger experiences on phones and tablets.
- The theme is compatible with AMP for generating a user-first interface.
- Testing and file size shows that the theme is lightweight and fast.
- Custom designing is provided in the header and footer areas.
- You can adjust your site layout with settings for full-width and contained versions.
- Neve has a library of custom-made demos to launch a beautiful website within minutes. The categories include ecommerce, minimal, blog, entertainment, travel, and more.
- Some of the demos are made just for certain page builders.
- The WooCommerce Booster tool implements additional ecommerce elements like mobile optimized cart, checkout modules, and billing details.
- The Blog Booster feature expands your blogging options with elements for layouts, and metadata.
- The Header Booster is great for adding items like social buttons, contact information, and links to essential legal pages.
- You can generate custom layouts with white labeling if you are on the Agency plan.
4. Astra and OceanWP
Both Astra and OceanWP are speedy themes in their own right. While they did not make it to the very top of the performance ladder in our testing, both themes have some great features that any WordPress developer will love. Check out their respective websites to learn more.
WP Astra – https://wpastra.com/
OceanWP – https://oceanwp.org/
OceanWP in particular has excellent support for WooCommerce. WooCommerce features that come with OceanWP include a native cart popup, a floating cart bar, and a quick view. The theme also plays nice with popular page builders like King Composer, Elementor, and Beaver Builder.
Conclusion
As mentioned earlier, raw performance is not the only criteria when evaluating WordPress themes (or any kind of software for that matter). All of the themes listed above will fulfill your performance needs, so the final choice might very well depend on the theme’s functionality, the built-in demos, pricing, customer support, etc. Take a look at each theme’s website to learn more.
Now it’s your turn: when it comes to speed, what’s your preferred theme? We’d like to see your recommendations! Have you ever tested one (or more) themes from this list? If so, we’d also love to hear more about your experience. Leave your comments on this post!