The Freaky Blog

15 best free WordPress themes (with paid upgrades)

Themes you can start with for free and upgrade later. Each one has a free version on WordPress.org or the vendor's site.

Updated October 2026 · Ranked by our score

Quick picks

#ProductScoreStarts atFree
1BuddyX Pro Theme8.9/10$79/yearYes
2ColorMag8.9/10$69/yearYes
3Zakra8.8/10$69/yearYes
4Hestia8.7/10$69/yearYes
5Phlox Pro8.7/10$39 onceYes
6Colibri WP8.6/10$79/yearYes
7Woostify8.6/10$49/yearYes
8Ollie8.5/10$89/yearYes
9Customify8.4/10$69/yearYes
10Astra8.3/10$99/yearYes
11OnePress8.3/10$69/yearYes
12ThemeGrill Themes8.3/10$56/yearYes
13Themify8.3/10$89/yearYes
14OceanWP8.2/10$34/yearYes
15WPZOOM Themes8.2/10$99/yearYes

1. BuddyX Pro Theme

Wbcom Designs is a WordPress development agency that builds and maintains community platforms, course websites, and online stores with a focus on integration and ongoing support.

8.9/10
  • Free base theme
  • BuddyPress and BuddyBoss support
  • LMS integrations
  • WooCommerce and Dokan support
Starts at
$79/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Community sites built on BuddyPress or BuddyBoss
Black Friday
30% off last year
  • Free version is a full community theme on WordPress.org
  • Lifetime license costs $199 for Pro Personal and $499 for Pro Agency

2. ColorMag

ColorMag is a magazine and news WordPress theme from ThemeGrill, with a free version and a paid ColorMag Pro upgrade.

8.9/10
  • Header and footer builder
  • News ticker and top bar
  • Magazine layouts
  • Starter templates
Starts at
$69/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Bloggers running magazine-style sites
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free version available on WordPress.org
  • Magazine Blocks Pro license is only included in the Plus plan

3. Zakra

Zakra is a free multipurpose WordPress theme that provides endless possibilities to create sites of any niche, including business, blogging, eCommerce, and portfolio.

8.8/10
  • Full WooCommerce support
  • Header and mobile menu controls
  • Blog layouts
  • Sidebar and layout options
Starts at
$69/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Small business sites on a budget
Black Friday
30% off last year
  • Free version is available on WordPress.org
  • No free trial is listed

4. Hestia

Hestia is a multi-purpose WordPress theme from ThemeIsle with a free version and a paid Hestia Pro upgrade.

8.7/10
  • Material-style design
  • Customizer-based design
  • WooCommerce designs
  • Mega menus
Starts at
$69/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Small business websites
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free version available on WordPress.org
  • Pro features need a paid plan

5. Phlox Pro

Phlox is a versatile WordPress theme that offers a range of customization options with a modern design suitable for various types of websites.

8.7/10
  • One-click demo importer
  • Live theme customizer
  • Responsive, mobile-first layout
  • Adaptive images
Starts at
$39 once
Free version
Yes
Best for
Small business sites built with Elementor
Black Friday
Not announced
  • One-time payment with lifetime product updates
  • Support is included for 6 months only

6. Colibri WP

Colibri WP is a free WordPress theme with a drag and drop page builder that works inside the WordPress Customizer.

8.6/10
  • Drag and drop components
  • Customizer-based design
  • 90+ website templates
  • 150+ predefined blocks
Starts at
$79/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Freelancers building small business sites
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free version on WordPress.org
  • The Personal plan covers one site only

7. Woostify

Woostify is a free WooCommerce theme with a paid Woostify Pro add-on that adds starter sites and extra store modules.

8.6/10
  • Free WooCommerce theme
  • Starter sites
  • Pro add-ons
  • Lightweight front end
Starts at
$49/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Small WooCommerce store owners
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free version available on WordPress.org
  • Lifetime plans cost $99 to $299 upfront

8. Ollie

Ollie is a free WordPress block theme.

8.5/10
  • Cloud pattern library
  • Menu Designer
  • Setup Wizard
  • Free block theme
Starts at
$89/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Designers using the site editor
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free block theme on WordPress.org
  • Ollie Pro is a yearly plan

9. Customify

Customify is a free multipurpose WordPress theme from PressMaximum, with a Customify Pro add-on for advanced headers, menus, WooCommerce controls and layouts.

8.4/10
  • Header and footer builder
  • Mega menus
  • WooCommerce layouts
  • Blog and portfolio layouts
Starts at
$69/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Site owners who want detailed header and shop control
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free theme with a Pro add-on at $69 a year
  • Pro modules install as a separate plugin, not a theme upload

10. Astra

Astra is a highly customizable WordPress theme trusted by over 2 million websites, offering advanced options and a WooCommerce performance booster.

8.3/10
  • Free base theme
  • Astra Pro add-on
  • AI site generation
  • Premium starter templates
Starts at
$99/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Agencies building client sites
Black Friday
40% off last year
  • Free base theme on WordPress.org
  • Starter templates and premium modules need a paid plan

11. OnePress

OnePress is a free one page WordPress theme for business sites and portfolios.

8.3/10
  • Drag and drop sections
  • Advanced section styling
  • Background video and parallax
  • Extra section types
Starts at
$69/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Small businesses wanting a one page site
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Free theme on WordPress.org
  • OnePress Plus covers one website

12. ThemeGrill Themes

Beautiful Free & Premium Responsive WordPress Themes that are fast, flexible, and ideal for magazines, businesses, and blogs.

8.3/10
  • Starter demos
  • Header and footer options
  • WooCommerce features
  • Customizer options
Starts at
$56/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Individuals building blogs and business sites
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Single Theme plan starts at 56 per year
  • Starter demos and bundled plugins depend on the plan chosen

13. Themify

Ultra Fast WordPress Themes • Themify

8.3/10
  • 42 themes
  • Builder Pro page builder
  • 25 builder addons
  • 11 plugins
Starts at
$89/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Designers and freelancers building sites for clients
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Unlimited sites on every paid plan
  • Updates and support run for one year on the annual plan

14. OceanWP

OceanWP is a free, lightweight WordPress theme with a paid Pro Bundle of extensions and demo templates.

8.2/10
  • 14 premium extensions
  • 201 Pro full-site templates
  • Free localhost and staging licences
  • Unlimited domain changes
Starts at
$34/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Users who want extensions and demo templates on one licence
Black Friday
50% off last year
  • Free theme version on WordPress.org
  • Premium support is only on the Business and Agency plans

15. WPZOOM Themes

Premium WordPress Themes by WPZOOM

8.2/10
  • 30 premium themes
  • 8 premium plugins
  • 1-click demo content importer
  • Starter sites
Starts at
$99/year
Free version
Yes
Best for
Freelancers building many client sites
Black Friday
Not announced
  • Unlimited sites on every plan
  • Downloads, updates and support stop when an annual license lapses

Before you buy

A free theme is a good test. Upgrade only when you need a specific premium feature. Black Friday is the cheapest time of year to buy most of these.

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