Choosing the theme for your site is not an easy task. It is like a dress – it makes the first impression on your visitors, it should have all the necessary features and it would be perfect if its design will correspond to your activity. Today, there are thousands of themes for WordPress website. And still, the main question is Free or Premium? Let’s discuss them and their pros and cons.
FREE – PROS
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It’s Free and that’s the end of it. Sure, it bothers a little since even a kid knows that nothing comes easy. However, that’s not exactly true. WordPress themes are tested strictly by the review team. So you can be sure of their quality.
There are really a lot of them and, probably, you’ll find something which will suit your need.
You can add them via your Dashboard >> Appearance >> Themes. No need to upload archives manually or FTP or something else.
They are easy in use. As a rule, all free themes has similar features lists. These features contain standard required WordPress options, so it won’t be hard to configure them. Also, they don’t slow down your site.
FREE – CONS
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Limited functionality. If you need some extra features, like creating some fields or buttons, it is necessary to find the appropriate plugin or try to find a different theme.
Rare updates and Limited Support. You should be ready for the fact that even companies who has a team of professional developers and support stuff don’t guarantee you’ll receive a reply to your support request or some update which will include new functionality. Updates are rare and their main goal is to avoid security vulnerabilities.
No warranties. If something went wrong, it is all on your own, the contributor won’t be responsible for any breaks on your website.
Uniqueness (or rather its lack). Since themes are free, anyone can install it on the website. So if the theme is popular, it will be used by a lot of websites and blogs. The only thing you can do in this case is to try to customize it in some special way (if the functionality of the theme allows doing so).
PREMIUM – PROS
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More features. This is the main advantage of paid products. They offer you lots more functionality and customization options.
Support & Updates. They are provided on a regular basis. If you have some difficulties, you can be sure you’ll get some help. It is a great bonus for all users of all skill levels. Updates keep your theme secure and, sometimes, include some new features and functionality.
Price. It is not so huge, and definitely, it is cheaper than if you decide to order the design for a site from scratch. The range of prices is wide enough to suit every pocket.
PREMIUM – CONS
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No official review process. Premium themes can be offered for sales on different markets (like Themeforest, for example) which mean that theme authors can ignore WordPress codex in certain areas. To avoid bad coding, pay attention who is the author, and if you have some doubts, don’t risk.
STILL IN DOUBT?
Ask yourself: what features do you need? Are you able to solve WordPress issues if necessary on your own without any assistance? Are you good with some basic layout? Also, pay close attention to the themes contributors, rates, how many active installations, etc. in order to be sure you’re choosing a quality product.
CONCLUSION
It all depends on you and your preferences. If you’re just starting your blog, free themes is a good choice for you. They are easy in use and you can even find something thematic for your niche. However, if you need something more – extra functionality, customizations, etc. – it would be better to search for Premium theme.
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