There is an abundant number of choices available to website designers and developers who are searching for a WordPress theme. However, most of these designers even the ones who are experienced often wonder whether they should settle for free WordPress themes or invest in premium themes. If you are unable to decide which one of these categories of themes are ideal for you, do not worry because we are here to help you.
The rich features and striking design of premium WordPress themes has urged several users to opt for them. However, the major issue with paid WordPress themes is that they can be quite expensive. This is particularly true for premium themes that are packed with attractive features. On the other hand, budget shoppers usually choose free themes over paid ones, as they are trying to save money.
Points to Remember
If you are new to the world of WordPress themes or if you do not know a lot about free and paid WordPress themes, then you will surely struggle to make a buying decision. The good news is that you will be easily able to avoid such hassles if you are willing to learn about the pros and cons of both these types of WordPress themes.
In addition to that, you must learn about the difference between free and premium WordPress themes. This is because it will also help you to make an informed buying decision that you will not end up regretting in the future. Below are a few crucial factors that will help you to know about the major different between premium and free WordPress themes.
Quality
You can find plenty of free themes in the official website of WordPress. Almost all of these themes undergo rigorous testing processes to ensure their quality and standards. This means that you can choose a free theme from WordPress’ official website without any second thoughts, as they will surely be of superior quality.
On the other hand, most of the WordPress premium themes do not undergo any sort of testing. So, in some rare cases, you may end up spending money on a theme with poor code. If you wish to avoid such issues, it is best to check the review posted by existing users, as it will help you to know more about the product.
Price
Millions of users from all over the world invest in free WordPress themes because they are available for free. This means that you can start a blog or website without any investment if you choose a free WordPress theme. However, it is crucial to note that the number of features and tools that are available in a free theme will be less when compared to a premium one.
If you are ready to spend a quality amount of your time on research, then you will be able to find plenty of affordable premium WordPress themes. Most of these themes will be packed with excellent features and other components that will help you to build a flawless website.
Features and Functionality
As mentioned above, the number of features that are available with free themes will be relatively less when compared to their premium counterparts. It is crucial to take note of the fact that free themes do not contains essential features that are required for a web design or development project. Moreover, you will need access to several customization plugins and utilities of WordPress if you want to extend the functionalities and features of a free theme.
That’s not the case with premium WordPress themes, as they usually come with an abundant collection of advanced features and functionalities. These components will enable you to easily design a good-looking website. The easy to customizability of premium WordPress themes will also come in handy during a web design project.
Design
Almost all elements of premium WordPress themes are better than free WordPress themes when it comes to design and flexibility. The backend admin areas, menus, web page templates, and all other design elements looks great in most of the premium WordPress themes. The design of these elements will not be that impressive in some free WordPress themes.
If you are building a new website for your business, then it is best to opt for a premium theme that comes with a stunning design. This is mainly because such themes possess the ability to instantly capture the attention of internet users. In fact, the stunning design of the theme may even urge site visitors to spend more time on your website.
Support
One of the major downfalls of free WordPress themes is that the support offered by the developers of these themes is not that impressive. In fact, the support team might even refuse to reply to some of your queries if you face any issues or errors. So, if anything goes wrong with your free WordPress theme, then you will find it really hard to fix the issue.
The good news is that you will be able to stay free from such issues by selecting a premium WordPress theme. For instance, most premium WordPress theme vendors offer great support to their customer base. In fact, there will be a dedicated team of expert support engineers who will be able to answer all your queries and instantly offer solutions if you encounter any issues.
Security
Free WordPress themes are more susceptible to security issues when compared to their premium counterparts. This is mainly due to the fact that the WordPress platform do not regularly update free themes. This in turn put the security and privacy of free WordPress themes at greater risk.
On the other hand, most of the premium WordPress themes get regular updates. If there are any issues that have been bothering customers, then developers will also put in extra efforts to fix the issue in the latest update of the theme. This in turn increases security and also ensures a smooth user experience to website visitors.