22 Best Fastest WordPress Themes. Who Will Demonstrate the Best Performance?
Table of Contents
Firstly, it’s worth noting that, currently, most templates rated 4+ on major marketplaces are swift, optimized, and responsive. However, in the following paragraphs, we will delve into the performance details of the so-called “fastest WordPress themes”, as claimed by their creators.
Here is the table of templates that deserve your immediate attention:
| Name | Installations | Rating | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soledad | 46,840 | 4.87 | More Details |
| TheGem | 73,841 | 4.86 | More Details |
| Flatsome | 222,039 | 4.82 | More Details |
| Neve | 300,000+ | 5.0 | More Details |
| GeneratePress | 600,000+ | 5.0 | More Details |
Key Factors Impacting Website Load Time
To start, let’s discuss the specific aspects that influence the loading speed of a WordPress website in general. The most obvious factor is the performance of the hosting equipment. This means that an online resource using the same WP template will yield weaker performance results on an inferior hosting plan compared to a web presence hosted on more robust equipment.
The concept is straightforward. Picture this: you attempt to play a resource-demanding computer game on a basic PC, resulting in lags, glitches, and various issues. But when the same application runs on a high-performance computer, it operates smoothly without any trouble. In the same light, consider a website akin to such an application, but it’s hosted on a remote server. The efficiency of this online resource — or “application” — depends largely on your hosting specifications.
The second important factor is whether caching is used or not. When a visitor requests a website, the server generates the view in the user’s browser according to the source codes hosted on this server. Without caching, the webpages are generated from scratch each time. However, when this feature is activated, your website’s pages are stored in their already generated form as simple HTML files in this very cache.
When a user enters your online resource, the server initially checks whether the required page has already been generated and stored in the cache. If it has, the server returns this webpage to the visitor’s browser, significantly reducing the loading speed and improving overall performance. For more information about this process, refer to our post WP Rocket Review: Best WordPress Caching Plugin – Hot or Not? Additionally, we have a comprehensive video on the topic of caching:
The final major aspect influencing loading speed is code quality. Indeed, this is the last factor because if there are no substantial logical errors in implementing various functionalities, the previous two factors (hosting performance and caching) have a significantly greater impact. But what do we mean by “code quality”? We’re referring to the optimization of CSS, JavaScript, and template files (PHP), which includes code efficiency, resource-effective handling, and reduction in size through practices like minification.
What Will We Specifically Evaluate in This Study?
In the following sections, we will investigate the code quality factor for various WordPress templates. We’ve provided more details of a website loading performance to help you better understand the underlying processes. This knowledge will make you aware that even an online resource with a “slow” template can be significantly sped up by enabling caching and moving to a host with superior technical specifications.
We will examine a selection of the fastest WordPress themes available for free in our own testing environment:
- a VirtualBox virtual machine;
- 6GB RAM;
- 4 processors;
- Ubuntu OS;
- and an Apache server.
This setup will help us mitigate the influence of the first two performance-affecting factors. In other words, these free templates will be evaluated on an equally high-performing server, without caching, enabling us to accurately gauge the influence of WordPress template code quality on the website’s loading speed.
Additionally, we will evaluate the response time for selected commercial templates, assessing the performance of their demo pages hosted on respective servers. In this scenario, the results may not be entirely precise, as each premium theme developer provides unique hosting parameters for their demo websites. Regardless, for both free and fee-based templates, the evaluation will be conducted using Google PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix.
In terms of concrete parameters for PageSpeed Insights, the best possible score for speed performance is 100. This allows you to gauge how each theme’s velocity measure deviates from this top score. As for GTmetrix, they use a letter system where “A” represents the best possible result. Subsequent letters, such as “B”, “C”, and so on, denote less performant website speed results.
Top 6 Fastest WordPress Themes Available for Free
1. Astra — Rapid WordPress Template for Speed
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brainstorm Force | 5.0 | Mobile 55 Desktop 65 | Grade D Performance 66% Structure 64% |
You have probably heard about this versatile, fast, and lightweight WordPress theme, ideal for blogs, portfolios, business websites, and WooCommerce stores. According to developers, it delivers exceptional speed and is SEO-friendly with built-in Schema.org code and native AMP readiness. Astra’s compatibility with all major page builders, responsive design, right-to-left and translation support, extensibility via premium add-ons, and regular updates make it a comprehensive solution for any website requirement.
One of the most popular WP skins is available in both free and premium versions. Of course, if this theme was checked “as is”, without any dummy data, it would show the quickest results possible in terms of loading speed. But to evaluate it under real-life conditions, we used the plugin “Starter Templates” and applied one of the available options named “Personal Portfolio” which filled the homepage with some test content. It was created with Elementor and looks like this:
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 5.2 s Largest Contentful Paint – 10.7 s Total Blocking Time – 130 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 15.9 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.5 s Largest Contentful Paint – 4.2 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.003 Speed Index – 4.9 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.0 s Time to Interactive – 2.8 s Speed Index – 2.8 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 3.4 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 326 ms Backend Duration – 588 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 914 ms First Paint – 2.0 s DOM Interactive Time – 2.8 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 2.8 s Onload Time – 4.6 s Fully Loaded Time – 5.0 s |
The result is not as impressive as it could have been. However, the homepage, which was generated with the “Personal Portfolio” starter template, was relatively large, which is likely the reason for this outcome.
It’s worth noting that the selected Elementor demo will also be used in the subsequent themes to maintain consistency and accuracy. In this case, we will have a relatively similar dummy front page, but the processing of this webpage in the background will be entirely the responsibility of each WordPress theme that we are going to test.
2. GeneratePress — Quick and Responsive WordPress Template
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom | 5.0 | Mobile 60 Desktop 61 | Grade D Performance 73% Structure 60% |
Another user-friendly example of the fastest WordPress themes. With a fresh install adding under 10 kb to your page size, it leverages the block editor (Gutenberg) for content control. It’s fully compatible with major page builders like Beaver Builder and Elementor and integrates well with plugins, including WooCommerce. It’s responsive, uses valid HTML/CSS, and is translated into over 25 languages.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 4.5 s Largest Contentful Paint – 5.8 s Total Blocking Time – 110 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 17.8 s | First Contentful Paint – 2.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 4.6 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 6.3 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 1.8 s Time to Interactive – 2.5 s Speed Index – 2.0 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 341 ms Backend Duration – 473 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 814 ms First Paint – 1.8 s DOM Interactive Time – 2.5 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 2.5 s Onload Time – 4.7 s Fully Loaded Time – 5.1 s |
3. Prime FSE – Free WordPress Block Theme for Businesses
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| MotoPress | 5.0 | Mobile 62 Desktop 94 | Grade A Performance 93% Structure 95% |
Are you eager to build a website for your business that can be customized in the WordPress Site Editor (FSE)? We have a free solution for you! Prime FSE is a lightweight WordPress block theme developed to take your full-site editing experience to the next level. Its design covers the needs of different purposes: businesses, agencies, portfolios, and more. You are free to use professional patterns & templates, choose a color scheme, and customize your site’s appearance.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.3 s Largest Contentful Paint – 3 s Total Blocking Time – 1,370 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.047 Speed Index – 4.3 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.1 s Total Blocking Time – 100 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 1.7 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 626 ms Time to Interactive – 1.4 s Speed Index – 858 ms Total Blocking Time – 104 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 811 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.13 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 34 ms Backend Duration – 157 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 191 ms First Paint – 627 ms DOM Interactive Time – 922 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 935 ms Onload Time – 1.0 s Fully Loaded Time – 2.5 s |
4. OceanWP — Blazing Fast WordPress Template
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| OceanWP | 5.0 | Mobile 59 Desktop 58 | Grade D Performance 68% Structure 59% |
This entry from our list of the fastest WordPress themes is suitable for a wide variety of websites, from blogs to WooCommerce storefronts. It offers a speedy, responsive design that is translation-ready and SEO-optimized. Its unique WooCommerce features help boost conversions, and its settings can be adjusted for all devices. This template is compatible with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder, offering an extensible codebase for developers.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 5.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 5.8 s Total Blocking Time – 60 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.071 Speed Index – 17.9 s | First Contentful Paint – 2.2 s Largest Contentful Paint – 5.0 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.084 Speed Index – 6.3 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.1 s Time to Interactive – 3.3 s Speed Index – 2.4 s Total Blocking Time – 7 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.08 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 318 ms Backend Duration – 540 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 858 ms First Paint – 2.1 s DOM Interactive Time – 3.3 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 3.3 s Onload Time – 4.3 s Fully Loaded Time – 4.8 s |
5. Neve — Lightning-Fast WordPress Template
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Themeisle | 5.0 | Mobile 56 Desktop 60 | Grade C Performance 72% Structure 66% |
With this swift, customizable, multi-purpose theme, you can create a website for a business, startup, or e-commerce project. It is a fully AMP-optimized, responsive template, that loads quickly and adapts seamlessly to any device. Although with a minimalist design, Neve is extendable with highly SEO-optimized code, ensuring top Google search rankings. Compatible with Gutenberg and popular page builders, and offering WooCommerce, RTL & translation readiness, Neve is the all-in-one solution.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 5.1 s Largest Contentful Paint – 8.3 s Total Blocking Time – 40 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 20.8 s | First Contentful Paint – 2.1 s Largest Contentful Paint – 4.9 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 8.4 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 1.8 s Time to Interactive – 2.5 s Speed Index – 2.4 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 2.7 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 327 ms Backend Duration – 467 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 794 ms First Paint – 1.8 s DOM Interactive Time – 2.5 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 2.5 s Onload Time – 3.5 s Fully Loaded Time – 3.9 s |
6. Twenty Twenty-Three — Speed-Optimized WordPress Theme
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.org | 3.5 | Mobile 56 Desktop 68 | Grade D Performance 70% Structure 61% |
Designed to harness the new design features of WordPress 6.1, Twenty Twenty-Three offers a clean canvas for your creativity. As a default template, it includes ten different style variations, crafted by the WP community. Whether you’re creating a simple or intricate website, you can do so swiftly and intuitively. We have included this skin for its popularity, and, of course, because it was developed by the WordPress team itself.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 4.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 9.1 s Total Blocking Time – 120 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 15.5 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.4 s Largest Contentful Paint – 3.6 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 4.3 s |
GTmetrix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.0 s Time to Interactive – 2.6 s Speed Index – 2.6 s Total Blocking Time – 6 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 329 ms Backend Duration – 530 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 859 ms First Paint – 2.0 s DOM Interactive Time – 2.6 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 2.6 s Onload Time – 3.5 s Fully Loaded Time – 4.0 s |
The overall conclusion from the assessment of these free templates is that, given the existing development quality level within the WordPress ecosystem, the most popular themes provide comparable page loading speeds. When we disregard elements such as server performance and caching, the outcome largely depends on the size of the page. Neve showcased slightly quicker load times, but additional exploration would be helpful to verify the reliability of this result.
Top 16 Fast-Loading Premium WordPress Themes
In the previous section, we had the opportunity to download each skin and test it on our own server. For premium templates, however, a different approach was adopted: speed performance results of the demo pages, provided by the creators of these themes, were evaluated. Since each setup is unique to its creator, the precision of this method doesn’t match the one used previously. Also, an examination of the default demos presented by each team implies that the content of each page will differ from the others, unlike the previous scenario.
7. Avada — High-Speed WordPress Theme for Performance
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Themefusion | 4.78 | Mobile 45 Desktop 88 | Grade A Performance 96%Structure 97% |
For over ten years, Avada has been the leading WordPress Website Builder, garnering the trust of over 875,000 users, spanning from novices and artists to experts and enterprises. Renowned for its flexibility and user-friendliness, the template gains an advantage over rivals by delivering a distinctive design process that doesn’t require any coding knowledge.
As one of the fastest WordPress themes, Avada offers a wide array of features, including intuitive front-end design, multiple editing tools, seamless customizations with the Avada Setup Wizard, and compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and third-party plugins. Taking a performance-oriented approach, this template guarantees 100% responsiveness and offers numerous professionally designed demos for different industries.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.2 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.3 s Total Blocking Time – 1,340 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.001 Speed Index – 5.5 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.4 s Total Blocking Time – 60 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 2.2 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Avada:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 332 ms Time to Interactive – 359 ms Speed Index – 2.0 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 332 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.01 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 11 ms Backend Duration – 165 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 176 ms First Paint – 332 ms DOM Interactive Time – 352 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 360 ms Onload Time – 1.6 s Fully Loaded Time – 7.5 s |
8. Soledad
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pencidesign | 4.87 | Mobile 47 Desktop 87 | Grade A Performance 100% Structure 99% |
Providing over 6500 homepage demos, Soledad emerges as a feature-rich WordPress theme that seamlessly integrates with both Elementor and WPBakery. It boasts 40+ custom elements, multiple header & footer designers, a custom post types creator, as well as category, tag, search, and archive configurators, in addition to a mega menu assembler. Impressive attributes comprise a Text-To-Speech plugin, an AI Smart Content Generator, frontend post submission, and author following functionality.
Over 1000 templates are made available by this adaptable theme through a cloud library, facilitating effortless online store creation and ensuring compliance with EU GDPR policies. The design is skillfully optimized for site speed, supporting AMP and offering a variety of ad spaces. BBPress, BuddyPress, and WordPress live customization are all compatible, boasting more than 1500 options. Its design is completely responsive, showcasing an array of gallery designs, 11 header layouts, 4 sidebar patterns, and a 36-style featured slider.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 3.2 s Largest Contentful Paint – 7.6 s Total Blocking Time – 1,080 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.037 Speed Index – 4.8 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.2 s Largest Contentful Paint – 2.0 s Total Blocking Time – 40 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.022 Speed Index – 1.6 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Soledad:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 439 ms Time to Interactive – 446 ms Speed Index – 880 ms Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 439 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.02 | Redirect Duration – 140 ms Connection Duration – 40 ms Backend Duration – 131 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 311 ms First Paint – 439 ms DOM Interactive Time – 440 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 447 ms Onload Time – 1.2 s Fully Loaded Time – 2.0 s |
9. Newspaper
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tagdiv | 4.81 | Mobile 50 Desktop 89 | Grade A Performance 94% Structure 96% |
Perfect for a variety of niches such as fashion, food, lifestyle, travel, luxury, and more, it’s the best-selling news WordPress theme with over 110,000 customers and a five-star rating based on more than 6,500 feedbacks. The template is mobile-ready, SEO-friendly, and supports RTL. It’s GDPR compliant and integrates seamlessly with Instagram, bbPress forum, and BuddyPress, adhering to best clean SEO practices.
Serving as an exemplary model of the fastest WordPress themes, it is powered by the tagDiv Composer plugin. The template features enhanced eShop capabilities for WooCommerce. Additional functionalities include an integrated translation panel with over 90 languages, and compatibility with popular tools like WPML, Yoast, Contact Form 7, Jetpack, Slider Revolution, etc. Moreover, the Newspaper also offers a built-in review system and live search with Ajax.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.6 s Total Blocking Time – 720 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.046 Speed Index – 5.6 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.7 s Total Blocking Time – 60 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.006 Speed Index – 1.6 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Newspaper:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 709 ms Time to Interactive – 748 ms Speed Index – 2.3 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 709 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.04 | Redirect Duration – 360 ms Connection Duration – 24 ms Backend Duration – 159 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 543 ms First Paint – 710 ms DOM Interactive Time – 730 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 748 ms Onload Time – 4.2 s Fully Loaded Time – 4.8 s |
10. Gutenix – Multipurpose Theme for WordPress
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gutenix | 4.9 | Mobile 43 Desktop 83 | Grade A Performance 95% Structure 91% |
Gutenix provides an extensive collection of free and premium fast-loading starter sites compatible with Gutenberg, Elementor and Brizy builders. They are dedicated to different niches like education, medicine, photography, etc. Installed in a few clicks thanks to the Gutenix Installation Wizard, Gutenix templates feature flexible site layouts, advanced design options, and blog settings.
In the premium version, the theme uses the cached CSS to make pages load faster. We’ve run performance tests for the Bisiz Gutenberg template for small business websites.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 3.3 s Largest Contentful Paint – 4.2 s Total Blocking Time – 1,220 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 6.1 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.2 s Total Blocking Time – 180 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 3.5 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Gutenix:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 813 ms Time to Interactive – 3.1 s Speed Index – 1.9 s Total Blocking Time – 102 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 887 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 0 ms Connection Duration – 29 ms Backend Duration – 292 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 321 ms First Paint – 813 ms DOM Interactive Time – 812 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 827 ms Onload Time – 2.8 s Fully Loaded Time – 3.2 s |
11. Jupiter X — Fast Loading WordPress Template
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artbees | 4.72 | Mobile 35 Desktop 74 | Grade A Performance 97% Structure 87% |
With almost a decade of excellence under its belt, Jupiter X stands as an advanced WordPress and WooCommerce website builder. Native tools such as Theme Builder, Theme Styles, and Custom Code, alongside a plethora of widgets, reduce the reliance on Elementor.
The template is marked by its array of advanced features, encompassing Layout Designer with conditional display, Motion Effects & Lottie Animations, Role Manager, Advanced checkout configurator, Sales Funnel Architect, Smart Coupons, and advanced shop analytics, among others.
Engineered with developer-friendly, streamlined code, Jupiter X relies on the finest open-source libraries to enhance its extensibility and customizability. Strict adherence to standard WordPress techniques ensures optimal plugin compatibility, alongside dynamic asset loading and asset compiler. Additionally, the theme is exceptionally lightweight and features optimized code.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 3.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 9.2 s Total Blocking Time – 2,010 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 8.7 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 3.0 s Total Blocking Time – 270 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.005 Speed Index – 2.4 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Jupiter X:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 441 ms Time to Interactive – 678 ms Speed Index – 1.8 s Total Blocking Time – 41 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 441 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 146 ms Connection Duration – 21 ms Backend Duration – 141 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 308 ms First Paint – 442 ms DOM Interactive Time – 477 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 505 ms Onload Time – 2.3 s Fully Loaded Time – 3.2 s |
12. Salient
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Themenectar | 4.81 | Mobile 54 Desktop 85 | Grade B Performance 83% Structure 98% |
This entry from our list of the fastest WordPress themes guarantees a meticulously planned and designed layout, showcasing a high level of detail, with a history of delivering feature-packed updates over nine years. Noteworthy functionalities encompass Shape Dividers, Cascading Images, and Page Transitions, all contributing to a seamless user experience. Moreover, it offers four icon packs, a multi-layer mouse-based parallax, masonry image galleries, and a built-in mega menu.
Equipped with advanced typography, the template boasts over 800 font families, allowing precise adjustments. It offers a variety of blog styles and multiple single-post layouts. Salient also presents a highly customizable portfolio with seven project styles and infinite layouts. Among the numerous pagination options, it includes an infinite scroll feature, ensuring a seamless browsing experience. Additionally, the theme features an extensive and intuitively designed options panel, offering unlimited color choices.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.7 s Total Blocking Time – 490 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.001 Speed Index – 3.9 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.1 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.9 s Total Blocking Time – 20 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 1.5 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Salient:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 1.5 s Time to Interactive – 1.5 s Speed Index – 3.3 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 1.5 s Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.01 | Redirect Duration – 1.2 s Connection Duration – 23 ms Backend Duration – 188 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 1.4 s First Paint – 1.5 s DOM Interactive Time – 1.5 s DOM Content Loaded Time – 1.5 s Onload Time – 2.5 s Fully Loaded Time – 3.2 s |
13. TheGem
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codexthemes | 4.86 | Mobile 44 Desktop 87 | Grade A Performance 93% Structure 98% |
A high-performance, responsive, and versatile WordPress template, TheGem offers a modern creative design, making it a perfect choice for various creative website-building needs. Often hailed as the “Swiss Army Knife of WordPress Themes”, it serves as the ultimate web-building toolbox, offering over 40 unique multi-purpose design concepts, 150 stunning demo pages, eight navigation settings in more than 20 styles, and flexible page layouts, among numerous other features.
TheGem caters to businesses of all sizes, creative agencies, freelancers, photographers, and digital artists. It offers impressive portfolio features, blog functionalities, and full WooCommerce capabilities. The theme is future-proof, optimized for modern devices, and adheres to the best SEO practices, ensuring that your website remains a long-term winner.
Security is not compromised, with a focus on necessary add-ons and features to ensure stability and speed, all while packed with intuitive features. Compatibility with the most popular extensions from the WordPress plugin directory has been optimized, ensuring no messy conflicts. The template offers an easy-to-use interface with 150+ pre-built pages, enhanced portfolio & gallery management, and powerful options for unlimited customizations.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.8 s Total Blocking Time – 1,280 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.032 Speed Index – 4.2 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.9 s Total Blocking Time – 90 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.003 Speed Index – 2.0 s |
GTmetrix parameters for TheGem:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 678 ms Time to Interactive – 2.3 s Speed Index – 2.5 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 678 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.04 | Redirect Duration – 347 ms Connection Duration – 31 ms Backend Duration – 148 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 526 ms First Paint – 678 ms DOM Interactive Time – 702 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 710 ms Onload Time – 2.0 s Fully Loaded Time – 2.8 s |
14. X — Swift and Efficient WordPress Theme
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Themeco | 4.76 | Mobile 38 Desktop 65 | Grade A Performance 96% Structure 91% |
As an innovative example of the fastest WordPress themes, X incorporates numerous designs, referred to as “Stacks”. These distinctive layouts empower owners to effortlessly explore new appearances for their websites. The template is accompanied by a collection of extensions, meticulously developed to seamlessly integrate with it. X was crafted with the invaluable input of industry-leading experts, encompassing a wide range of features, from SEO enhancements to captivating design elements.
You can choose between two available page builders, Cornerstone or Visual Composer, both of which are included with each verified purchase. A rich typographic system is also embedded, with over 600 free Google Fonts. Thanks to over 40 unique elements that can be combined in any way, it is possible to create virtually any layout. Additional features include diverse navigation options, advanced search functionality, WooCommerce integration, and compatibility with bbPress and BuddyPress.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.3 s Largest Contentful Paint – 5.7 s Total Blocking Time – 2,470 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.039 Speed Index – 5.4 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.5 s Total Blocking Time – 880 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.032 Speed Index – 2.3 s |
GTmetrix parameters for X:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 432 ms Time to Interactive – 439 ms Speed Index – 2.1 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 432 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.03 | Redirect Duration – 132 ms Connection Duration – 29 ms Backend Duration – 136 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 297 ms First Paint – 432 ms DOM Interactive Time – 433 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 440 ms Onload Time – 3.4 s Fully Loaded Time – 4.0 s |
15. Enfold
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kriesi | 4.80 | Mobile 42 Desktop 85 | Grade A Performance 94% Structure 86% |
Meet a fully adaptable WordPress theme, that caters perfectly to business and e-commerce websites, along with portfolio sites. From the backend, owners have the power to modify layout, styling, colors, and fonts, which makes the process of creating a distinctive and polished online project as easy as pie. With 18 predefined skins, a dynamic template builder, and a variety of background choices, Enfold ensures every entry can be stylized distinctly.
A drag-and-drop template builder, Ajax-based Instant Search, translation readiness, WooCommerce compatibility, responsive design for smaller devices, Retina readiness, and WordPress Multisite enablement are among the prominent features of Enfold. Furthermore, it offers the flexibility to create unlimited portfolio pages, is SEO-friendly, and supports child themes.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.6 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.4 s Total Blocking Time – 470 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.09 Speed Index – 4.7 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 2.8 s Total Blocking Time – 20 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.001 Speed Index – 1.7 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Enfold:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 650 ms Time to Interactive – 657 ms Speed Index – 2.4 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 650 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 129 ms Connection Duration – 21 ms Backend Duration – 362 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 512 ms DOM Interactive Time – 649 ms First Paint – 650 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 658 ms Onload Time – 3.0 s Fully Loaded Time – 3.4 s |
16. BeTheme
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muffingroup | 4.83 | Mobile 31 Desktop 49 | Grade A Performance 93% Structure 85% |
Essential attributes include the swiftest WordPress page builder (BeBuilder), a vast collection of over 650 pre-built websites, more than 2000 page designs, WooCommerce support, advanced theme options, website efficiency settings, a header/footer builder, and a customizer. Thanks to a series of recent enhancements, it boasts a speed of three times faster, leading to quicker website creation and optimal performance.
The skin is packed with a diverse array of pre-built layouts, allowing you to swiftly import any demo site with a single click. BeTheme provides templates for various businesses such as electricians, veterinarians, charity organizations, artists, real estate firms, and more. In addition, it features four grid patterns, a dynamic layout generator for endless page designs, and customizable scrolling effects.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.6 s Largest Contentful Paint – 24.0 s Total Blocking Time – 3,600 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.001 Speed Index – 10.7 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 2.1 s Total Blocking Time – 340 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.018 Speed Index – 2.4 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Betheme:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 426 ms Time to Interactive – 3.4 s Speed Index – 2.2 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 426 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 138 ms Connection Duration – 11 ms Backend Duration – 140 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 289 ms First Paint – 426 ms DOM Interactive Time – 449 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 461 ms Onload Time – 3.2 s Fully Loaded Time – 4.3 s |
17. Flatsome — Optimized for Speed WordPress Theme
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ux-Themes | 4.82 | Mobile 44 Desktop 85 | Grade A Performance 98% Structure 99% |
A multifaceted template, ideal for your shop, company website, or various client projects, supplying all vital tools to create highly responsive online resources with a standout user experience. Additional highlights include Lottie Element for UX Builder, Ajax functionality on product pages for easy cart additions, native CSS-controlled sticky columns for improved efficiency, and a convenient auto-scroll feature for accordion segments and tabs via URL hash.
Apart from being one of the fastest WordPress themes, there are several additional reasons to choose Flatsome. These include an intuitive page builder with a vast element library; a customizable options panel; a drag-and-drop header constructor; a unique, precision-crafted design centered on an intuitive user experience; and its dedication to ongoing support for the latest WordPress versions. Flatsome holds the title of the Best Selling WooCommerce Theme and is renowned for its reliability in any eCommerce project.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.7 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.2 s Total Blocking Time – 550 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 4.3 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.6 s Total Blocking Time – 80 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.007 Speed Index – 1.9 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Flatsome:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 489 ms Time to Interactive – 518 ms Speed Index – 1.5 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 490 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 143 ms Connection Duration – 22 ms Backend Duration – 157 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 322 ms First Paint – 490 ms DOM Interactive Time – 512 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 519 ms Onload Time – 1.1 s Fully Loaded Time – 1.8 s |
18. Bridge
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qode | 4.77 | Mobile 30 Desktop 55 | Grade A Performance 90% Structure 89% |
Bridge stands as a versatile, responsive, and retina-ready multipurpose WordPress theme, compatible with WPBakery, Gutenberg, or Elementor, catering perfectly to creatives, corporate teams, and beyond. It presents an array of specific-use case options, spanning from single-page galleries to restaurant websites, wellness or spa centers, digital marketing agencies, and more.
Bundled with additional plugins, it offers over 500 unique demos, 24 layout concepts, a fully functional listing tool for directory websites, and exclusive functionalities for news and restaurant sites. Additionally, it provides front-end login functionality, an easy-to-use admin interface, compatibility with YITH WooCommerce Quick View & Wishlist plugins, customizable headers, title areas, and mega menus.
The template presents a range of thrilling features, such as Qode Slider for captivating full-screen image & video sliding, options for both left menu and fullscreen menu, section video backgrounds, various logo versions, content/section menu for streamlined one-page websites, AJAX animations, and up to 4 column footers. Additionally, numerous other useful functionalities abound, though detailing them all would require an extensive amount of space.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 3.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 5.9 s Total Blocking Time – 10,050 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 18.2 s | First Contentful Paint – 1.0 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.6 s Total Blocking Time – 3,480 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 2.9 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Bridge:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 443 ms Time to Interactive – 482 ms Speed Index – 10.5 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 443 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.01 | Redirect Duration – 139 ms Connection Duration – 12 ms Backend Duration – 145 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 296 ms First Paint – 444 ms DOM Interactive Time – 464 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 483 ms Onload Time – 10.2 s Fully Loaded Time – 11.3 s |
19. Porto
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| P-Themes | 4.92 | Mobile 20 Desktop 65 | Grade B Performance 83% Structure 98% |
Boasting a plethora of unique features, including SEO with AI, full site editing mode, and much more, the template provides an unmatched experience. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates with various plugins like WPML, PolyLang, Elementor, and WPBakery. Leveraging advanced capabilities such as Soft Mode, Merged JS and CSS, Type Builder, and Single and Archive Builders, this skin ensures high performance and a streamlined workflow.
With over 3,500 ratings and an average of close to 5 stars, it has held a prestigious position among the top-rated fastest WordPress themes in the market for over eight years. The template ensures 100% responsive design, pixel-perfect accuracy, cross-browser compatibility, and regular updates with the latest WP versions. Porto adheres strictly to WP and PHP coding standards and incorporates performance enhancements for creating swift, reliable, and high-quality websites.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.0 s Total Blocking Time – 810 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.937 Speed Index – 5.7 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.9 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.6 s Total Blocking Time – 10 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.941 Speed Index – 1.7 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Porto:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 479 ms Time to Interactive – 508 ms Speed Index – 1.7 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 479 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.93 | Redirect Duration – 149 ms Connection Duration – 22 ms Backend Duration – 158 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 329 ms First Paint – 479 ms DOM Interactive Time – 503 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 509 ms Onload Time – 1.8 s Fully Loaded Time – 2.4 s |
20. Zeen — Fastest Loading WordPress Template
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codetipi | 4.94 | Mobile 47 Desktop 87 | Grade A Performance 93% Structure 99% |
Designed to cater to all niches, Zeen was built from the ground up, using cutting-edge technologies to ensure remarkable performance and adaptability. Its stellar GTMetrix scores speak for themselves, providing a flexible, user-friendly, and customizable platform that spares owners the need to delve into coding. Crafted by an experienced designer, coder, and SEO specialist, the template delivers an unparalleled product that can elevate your site to new heights.
With just one click, site owners can import all Zeen demos, providing inspiration on how the theme can be utilized for various niches, such as technology, food, video games, lifestyle, and fashion. Moreover, the template offers diverse monetization opportunities and introduces features like Trending Functionality, various article layouts, mobile responsiveness, Sponsored Posts system, Background Takeover Ad feature, Infinite loading and scrolling, and bundled Review Functionality.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.6 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.5 s Total Blocking Time – 360 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 Speed Index – 4.9 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.8 s Total Blocking Time – 20 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.002 Speed Index – 1.8 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Zeen:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 461 ms Time to Interactive – 469 ms Speed Index – 2.8 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 461 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0 | Redirect Duration – 135 ms Connection Duration – 22 ms Backend Duration – 137 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 294 ms First Paint – 461 ms DOM Interactive Time – 463 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 470 ms Onload Time – 1.1 s Fully Loaded Time – 1.6 s |
21. Breek
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estudiopatagon | 4.92 | Mobile 53 Desktop 90 | Grade A Performance 100% Structure 95% |
Characterized by vivid colors, this entry from our list of the fastest WordPress themes is incredibly lightweight and utilizes various techniques to achieve top-notch PageSpeed Scores. Its focus on code quality and SEO makes it a solid choice for bloggers. The template is user-friendly, and customizable, and includes 11 custom widgets and a comprehensive options panel for easy administration.
As one of the swiftest themes in the marketplace, Breek offers various features like high optimization and lightweight design, consistent updates, and minified, optimized code. It’s translation-ready, with ACF Pro bundled and RTL included. The template is constructed using SCSS and pre-compiled with Prepos 6. It features a dedicated advertising section, a menu with icons, and lazy loading for posts and embeds.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.5 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.9 s Total Blocking Time – 340 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.057 Speed Index – 3.3 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.8 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.6 s Total Blocking Time – 50 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.028 Speed Index – 1.1 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Breek:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 536 ms Time to Interactive – 545 ms Speed Index – 919 ms Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 536 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.03 | Redirect Duration – 138 ms Connection Duration – 12 ms Backend Duration – 204 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 354 ms First Paint – 537 ms DOM Interactive Time – 540 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 546 ms Onload Time – 1.2 s Fully Loaded Time – 1.7 s |
22. Piemont
| Author | Rating | PageSpeed Insights | GTmetrix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedalx | 4.66 | Mobile 53 Desktop 82 | Grade A Performance 97% Structure 92% |
This responsive skin allows easy creation and launch of your WordPress-based online journal or magazine in just two minutes. It boasts unlimited blog styles and layout combinations, 4 featured posts slider layouts, and 650+ fonts. The template also offers unlimited color schemes (including 11 predefined) and dozens of configurable options, all manageable with one click via the user-friendly control panel.
Piemont is built on Bootstrap 3, ensuring responsive layouts with retina support. It offers four menu positions, five widget sidebar areas, over 20 header styles, a sticky header feature, more than 20 footer styles, and five blog styles. Additionally, the theme includes custom Piemont Widgets and seamlessly integrates with Instagram Feed, MailChimp, Contact Forms, Lightbox, Social Share, Social Follow, and much more.
PageSpeed Insights:
| Mobile | Desktop |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 2.4 s Largest Contentful Paint – 6.4 s Total Blocking Time – 470 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.101 Speed Index – 4.8 s | First Contentful Paint – 0.7 s Largest Contentful Paint – 1.8 s Total Blocking Time – 10 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.048 Speed Index – 0.7 s |
GTmetrix parameters for Piemont:
| Performance Metrics | Browser Timings |
|---|---|
| First Contentful Paint – 762 ms Time to Interactive – 799 ms Speed Index – 2.0 s Total Blocking Time – 0 ms Largest Contentful Paint – 762 ms Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.05 | Redirect Duration – 389 ms Connection Duration – 13 ms Backend Duration – 144 ms Time to First Byte (TTFB) – 546 ms First Paint – 763 ms DOM Interactive Time – 789 ms DOM Content Loaded Time – 800 ms Onload Time – 5.9 s Fully Loaded Time – 6.5 s |
Concluding Words
We have tried to perform an analysis of the loading speed parameters of various popular templates that are positioned on the market as the fastest WordPress themes. According to our research, the majority of assessed examples are relatively quick. That’s why, in our opinion, when choosing a WP template under current market conditions, it is worth paying attention to some other parameters.
These essential characteristics, that should be taken into account, include the presence of functionalities that are crucial for your niche, appealing visual design appropriate for your business, and additional bonuses that come with some templates. Examples of these perks include an abundance of design demos for initial import, free images, and even plugins that are available right out of the box. Yes, sometimes, paid extensions might be included as a gift with a template, offering savings.
As for decreasing the loading times, it is not so much an aspect of the template, but rather of the additional tools that offer ways to speed up your website through caching, minimizing images, JS scripts, and CSS files. If you want to achieve a comprehensive boost to your website’s speed, you are welcome to use this service: WordPress Website Speed Booster.
Also, the quality of your hosting plays a significant role in this process. We have gathered the most reliable WordPress website accommodation providers on this page: https://motopress.com/recommended-web-hosting/.
Disclosure: this article may contain affiliate links for third-party products. If you click a link and later make a purchase, we may earn an affiliate commission that doesn’t result in additional charges to you.
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