Free vs Premium WordPress Themes: Which Is Best for You?
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Free vs Premium WordPress themes. There are many many free WordPress themes which are lovely and can definitely suit your needs, but that of course depends on what your needs are. I’ve had both on various blogs and hands down I prefer the flexibility of the paid/premium themes, but I had many years of joy out of free themes also. So which is right for you?
Which Is Right For Me?
Anyone can use either type of theme, but from experience, here’s how I’d break down whether a free or premium theme is better for you:
Free:
So… Free vs Premium WordPress Themes
On the surface it may not look like there is a huge amount of difference between a site with a free theme as opposed to a paid theme, and for some websites this is true! Your budget it something to think about. What I love is that you can get incredible themes for very affordable prices! There is a huge range in prices in the Premium themes also from just £20/$30 way up into the hundreds if you were after a completely custom built theme. Free themes are (in a way) simpler. Similar to when we talked about blogs themselves and the differences between the free vs paid platforms. With the free themes there is a lot less choice in terms of layouts/fonts/colours and a lot of other settings. As an example you may get a choice of 10 different fonts with your free theme but a premium one may give the choice of 200. I have used both paid and free themes for years and adore my paid theme. I enjoy being able to completely customise the aesthetic of my website for that small one off price. The theme I’m loving that fits my blog perfectly and lets me customise things to get it exactly as I want it is the Ashe Pro Theme. Literally only cost me around $30, one off payment – beautiful website forever – win! If you like the look/layout of my website then you can get the Ashe Pro theme here: Ashe Pro (correct on October 2022).What Is The Purpose of Your Blog?
You probably already have a good idea of the main purpose of your blog. If not, take a minute to think about the purpose of your blog. Everyone has a different purpose to their blog. If your blog (paid or free) is just as your own online diary/journal or to have a place to brain dump, then (unless you want something more customisable), then honestly all you need is a free theme. If your purpose (be it now or down the line), is to make an income from your blog, to work with brands, and grow a large audience, then I would absolutely recommend a paid theme. The paid themes often look a little cleaner, more well presented and that extra personalisation can make such a difference.
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Which Is Right For Me?
Anyone can use either type of theme, but from experience, here’s how I’d break down whether a free or premium theme is better for you:
Free:
- Journal/diary type blog
- Blogging purely for fun – where your blog is more of a hobby than a business
- Brand new bloggers – before you have worked out if blogging is right for you and something you want to do longer term, you can try the free themes as these will be more than suitable while you find your feet.
- If you want a more professional/polished look to your website
- You are looking to be able to customise as many different features and elements as you like (dependant on the premium theme of course)
- If you want your blog to have more of a “website” feel to it than a blog
- You feel you want to be taken more seriously as your own brand
- If you are a newer blogger but don’t want to worry or think about having to change/upgrade to a premium theme down the line
Can You Change Theme?
You can of course. As with anything, you can always change your mind. Nothing is ever set in stone forever. You can upgrade to a premium theme at any point. Changing from a free to a premium theme is simple, as it’s similar in that you just need to customise and readjust your settings and widgets etc to get it all looking and functioning how you like it. You’ll find most time consuming bit is playing about with all of those settings and personalising your website to look exactly how you want it. (Too many people – myself included! – spend waaaaaaaaaay too long on this. But it’s hard not to when you want it to look all pretty and have the aesthetic that you always imagined for it.) On the flip side of this, taking that time at the start/early on, to set up all the wee bits and pieces and get the layout just so, means that once it’s done, it’s done. I mean there will always be things to update and things you want to change or move, but the majority should then be all set up and ready to share that amazing content with the world!Which Will Help Monetise Your Blog?
You can absolutely monetise your blog with either a free or a paid theme on your WordPress website. Unlike free or paid BLOGS, where a different company owns your blog, having a free THEME, just means you have chosen a free theme/template for your website. A free theme won’t stop you being able to make an income from your blog, be it from ads, affiliate marketing, working with brands etc, butttttt, if your website doesn’t look as professional as others, this may hold you back a little. People do have good success with free themes don’t get me wrong, but you absolutely give yourself a good ground to start on if people can see that you have a beautiful paid theme on your website. From experience, if you are serious about wanting to make money from your blog and you’re struggling between the choice of a free vs premium wordpress themes – always choose the premium one. If you are serious about blogging as a business in any way then I would definitely always recommend a premium theme. I’m all about keeping things on a budget and not over-spending on your blog – especially at the start before you have fully decided if blogging is right for you – but buying a premium theme is one of the ways you definitely should invest that little bit of money.Where To Buy Premium Themes?
There are quite a few places to get premium themes, one of my favourite ways is through wordpress itself! That then takes you to that companies website to purchase the theme, as with the Ashe Pro theme here. A lot of the free themes are like a sample/basic version of that person’s/company’s paid version. This way if you are using a free theme and like it but want more features or more scope to be able to customise and personalise things that bit more, you can often upgrade to their paid version. You can have a look at other websites/blogs that have the sort of look you would want and often at the bottom or listed on their website will be the name of the theme they are using and you can then search this. I’ve personally never bought one from Etsy but you can get some really beautiful ones on there too – from what I’ve seen!
To Sum Up…
The choice between free vs premium wordpress themes is completely personal preference. There are pros and cons to both! I would always opt for a premium theme now, even for a small blog, the whole point of a blog is that it’s yours. Your space to talk about whatever topics you fancy. So why would you not want to make it look exactly how you want it to look too? I would ever really recommend not buying yourself a lovely premium theme are if your blog is purely to get your own thoughts out, where it isn’t quite as important what the website looks like, or if you are a brand new blogger and haven’t decided at all if blogging is even right for you – in this case you should pick a free theme and blog away, and if/when you decide you really do love it, you can then upgrade! Speak Soon!Katherine
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Debbie
Really great advice. The look and presentation of a website really matters. Thank you for showing some great options!
Katherine McLee
Thank you Debbie! I’m so glad you liked it!
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Literally Laurie
I’ve been considering upgrading my theme from the free to premium for $49. I am using Polite and I still like it, but I find it can be too restrictive. I like your template, too; I looked it up. Somthing I’ll mull over, but I’m thinking in the long run it’ll save me time. Thanks for your posts. They’re very helpful.
Katherine McLee
A premiumn theme is honestly so worth it. The difference in level of customisation is world’s apart! Thank you I’m glad you find them helpful!