I’m going to go ahead and say something that isn’t a popular opinion online right now: New bloggers do not need to pay for a WordPress theme. Yep, I said it and I’ll say it again if needed.
Don’t get me wrong ā I am a big fan of professional, clean WordPress themes. Professional themes are great for bloggers who’ve gained some traction and are looking to polish their brand online.
That being said, there are plenty of free themes out there that will do the trick for new bloggers. I actually advise against purchasing a theme when you’re a brand new blogger. For one thing, you don’t need to spend the money, and you’re much better off investing that cash into a product like Tailwind.
When you’re just starting out, you should focus on your content, not your theme. After all, a pricey theme may look great, but if the value of the content isn’t strong, no amount of pretty blog decor will keep readers coming back for more.
If you’re looking to start a blog, read my guide here.
If you’ve already purchased your domain name and installed WordPress, then take a look at these 10 gorgeous themes to get started for free.
1. Azalea
Azalea is a beautiful theme with a sticky header that holds a menu and social links. This is a simple, beautiful theme and it’s great for new female bloggers!
2. Juliet
I love the featured post section of the Juliet theme. It’s super feminine and classy.
3. Kale
Kale is a gorgeous minimal theme that is marketed for food bloggers but really applies to nearly any niche! Check out those big photos and clean lines:
4. Julia Lite
Julia Lite is the perfect theme for food bloggers! It has a really edgy layout for posts which adds multiple layers and dimensions to your text. Bold fonts grab your readers’ attention fast.
5. Anariel
I love the ability to highlight three posts or pages in the Anariel theme:
6. Cressida
Cressida is a gorgeous pink and feminine theme from Lyrathemes. Of course, you can customize the pink if you prefer a different color! The fonts used and the layout are super feminine. It’s a great pick!
7. Coup Lite
I love the Coup Lite theme because it’s so unique and original. On the home page, you can have a normal menu up top and then a menu by category to the right. I am even thinking about switching over to this theme on DBD!
8. Karta
Karta is a beautiful theme for travel bloggers featuring large images and bold titles!
9. Neville
Neville has bold header titles and lots of opportunities to click to other posts, which will be great to decrease your bounce rate as a new blogger:
10. Blaskan
Blaskan is a beautiful feminine theme for all types of bloggers as it works with photos and text:
Do you know of a free WordPress theme that you love? Share the link in the comments!
I loved all, thank you for sharing š
http://www.sabiave.com
This is an awesome post filled with tons of great tips and SEO is so important that all bloggers should read this! I really liked how you explained everything in so much detail yet it was so easy to understand. Loved it and thanks for sharing,
I love 2,6,9,10 themes. These look more feminine and pink in color. Thank you for sharing an awesome post with a list of feminine themes.
There is so much fabulous information here. Iām so pleased you were brave enough to say a free theme is fine for new bloggers. I have found the same, I only convert my website if I need more functionality and the blog has proved itself.
Thanks again
Julie
Couldn’t agree more Julie! I have switched to the free Generate Press theme for some of my blogs and they work just fine, not to mention, they’re speedy and make for an easy user experience browsing my site! š