The best WordPress blog themes for bloggers in 2021

The best WordPress blog themes for bloggers in 2021

Want to start your own blog and looking for the perfect WordPress blog theme? I myself am very picky about the design of my own blogs. Besides, choosing a theme is not a matter for a few days. You have to live with the blog template for the next years and get along well.

Changing the theme later on always involves an extreme amount of work. If you want to save yourself this work, here I have the best WordPres blog themes for you that are currently on the market.

Each of these themes has been recommended by a vote of the WPFellows community. So you get not only my opinion, but the recommendation of the whole community.

Which WordPress theme is best for Blogging?

That’s the all-important question! I’ve looked at lots of themes and have rounded my favorite ten for the blogger in you. I made sure to include all kinds of aesthetics, from a minimalist style to niche content themes.

As you’ll see, I particularly favor those with typography options, one-click demos, and a bunch of layout options!

#1 Astra – My number one choice of themes for blogs

Astra is one of the best WordPress blog themes
Astra is one of the best WordPress blog themes

I can’t talk about the best WordPress blog themes without first mentioning the ever-popular Astra. It’s pretty much everything I look for!

With so many theme options and layouts to choose from, it has something for everyone, no matter the aesthetic. I appreciate that you can access the core, responsive design for free and then pay for the Pro version later if necessary.

Great blog layout
Just one of several pre-made blogging designs.

Speed is this professional theme’s primary concernwhich is a great base to start building a site. It’s much easier to create fantastic personal blogs or your own online magazine from a fast foundation than making the site quick afterward.

My favorite part about Astra is the theme customizer. It allows you to personalize everything from the menus to the content to typography to headers. Not to mention the custom widgets you can include.

About me page WordPress blog theme
One of the most important pages: the about me page
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Lightning-fastMust pay for Astra Pro to access exclusive extras like further header customization, import-ready demos, and increased color control
100s of prefabricated personal blog styles to fit any screen size
Theme customizer for complete personalization
Compatible with all major page builders
Free to get started
Perfect for search engines
Social icons included






Top notch visual editor

#2 OceanWP – Offering a great responsive design

One of hundreds of blog designs and templates
One of hundreds of blog designs and templates

OceanWP is super popular, with more than 400,000 installations to date. But of course, that doesn’t always mean it’s brilliant (although it has ended up on my top WordPress blog themes list, so you know it’s great already!). 

off canvas menu in blog to grow email list.
Features like the off canvas menu will help you grow your email list.

I’d say that it’s the perfect theme for a wide range of blogs. People don’t just read articles on their desktops or iPads. Instead, they’re reading content on the go. Sites need to adapt to fit the screen — and I was pleased that OceanWP is responsive.

The theme comes with plenty of customizable options including, header layouts, menus, and layout options. Not to mention the generous selection of demos cover all kinds of WordPress blogging themes, from scuba diving to photography to freelancing to corporate.

OceanWP offers all the features to impress your blog readers. 

Minimal design of a blog layout
Great user experience for your blog visitors
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Fast and lightweight themeOverwhelming at firstPremium extensions are required to achieve the same aesthetic as the demo
Enhance numerous stock widgets for a better user experience
Complete control over the blog layouts
Easy to customize
Allows you to build responsive websites
Online stores can easily be build

#3 The Best for Lifestyle Blogs: Salient

Salient is a great WordPress theme choice for lifestyle blogs
Salient is a great WordPress theme choice for lifestyle blogs

Salient is a multi-purpose theme used for lots of websites. However, I stick by my earlier statement by saying it’s the best for lifestyle blogs.

The design is eye-catching, and I love that any changes I make don’t interfere with the responsive layout. But honestly, the demos and post templates are stylish enough without editing them!

Stunning blog article design
Stunning blog article design that will differentiate your blog from others

I downloaded the demo in just one click, made some simple updates, and hit publish. I’ve had more stressful lunch breaks. It’s a big A* from me.

Salient offers lots of design features, custom font and also includes the use of custom post types.

A great choice for lifestyle bloggers relying on WordPress as a blogging platform. Plus: Salient can also be used by bloggers who want to integrate online stores in their website.

Related posts feature blog
Very important: a related posts feature to keep your visitors on your site
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Unlimited colorsWhen using Page Transition, the theme is slow to loadI couldn’t change boxed layouts for a particular page
Page builder and theme customizer for fantastic personalization
SEO optimization tools included
Allows custom content like sliders and menus
Nice blog post templates and blog post layouts
Nearly unlimited header layouts
Offers the popular gradient overlays
Integrated slider

#4 The Best free WordPress Design for Personal Blogging: Neve

Neve blogging theme for WordPress
Neve blogging theme for WordPress

I must say, it was hard to find complaints about Neve. The only thing I didn’t like was the limited color options available on the free theme version. For this reason, I would suggest a fellow blogger using it for personal blogging mainly as you won’t necessarily be able to achieve brand synchronicity. 

Custom headers for blog with integrated editor
Custom headers for your blog is quite easy with the integrated editor

Despite this, it does offer a range of design and widget features, including:

  • Header and footer — I love how easy it is to overhaul these content elements using Neve’s drag-and-drop components.
  • Seamless page builder integration — Page builders like Brizy, Gutenberg, Elementor, and others integrate perfectly.
  • Layout options — Everything about the page and any blog post upload can be changed. 
  • Video background options – To feature your very own video content.
  • Perfect social media integration and
  • a visual editor. 

The bottom line is that the theme offers everything to impress your blog visitors.

Neve loading times
The loading times speak for themselves
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Full starter sites available and decent demosFree version has limited color choices
Translation ready. Translate your entire blog.
More customization options than other free WordPress themes for blogs
Color scheme choice you will not find with other themes.
A blog template that is stunning and great for the overall user experience.
Integrated slider
Lots of blog variations.

#5 Soledad

Soledad blogging template
Soledad blogging template

Soledad is the self-proclaimed “best theme for blogs and magazines.” And I’d have to agree. It’s definitely one of my top picks, as you can see. 

The layout options are limitless and lightweight. I couldn’t even begin to count how many they have! There are certainly enough blog styles to go around with this one.

elegant and minimal blog article layout
The blog article layout looks perfect, elegant and minimal

The developers’ main goal was to create an easy-to-use WordPress blog theme that is SEO optimized. I think it achieves this mission thanks to Yoast SEO widget compatibility and Google Structured Data supports.

I found many lovable features on Soledad. But I was amazed by the staggering 6,800 live demo home pages, all of which can be added to your site with just one click. Magic!

Blog category overview with call to action for your growing email list
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Weekly updates with new content like post formats and widget integrationCustomer service isn’t 24/7
Lots of customizable blog themes for personal websites and moreSupport forum is hard to find
SEO friendly
One-click install
Numerous typography options


#6 Typology

Minimalist blogging theme for WordPress
Typology is a minimalist blogging theme for WordPress

Typology is the text-based minimalist style theme for bloggers. I can’t imagine not including this one on my best WordPress blog themes list.

It has been made with word lovers in mind, emphasizing typography and the content itself over anything else. I had a blast testing it out. In a couple of taps, it looked flawless and certainly drew me in from the home page.

Typology theme's blog layout
Typology theme’s blog layout

If you aren’t looking to faff about with a bunch of plugins, and instead, want to get to content creation, I wholly recommend Typology.

Blog posts can be shown with our without header image
Blog posts can be shown with our without header image
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Minimalist design yet somehow still uniqueMostly SEO-friendly, but not 100%No landing page creation available
Wonderfully easy to use
Quick loading
Social media buttons included
No fluff
A simple theme and easy to customize

#7 Authentic

Perfect theme for starting your own blog
Multipurpose and perfect for starting your own blog

Authentic can be used for pretty much anything from eCommerce to blogging. I love how much comes with the theme and the fact there aren’t any extra costs. Once you purchase, that’s it.

Let blog visitors choose between light and dark mode
Let your blog visitors choose between light and dark mode

The user experience can be slightly overwhelming at first. It comes with so many customization options like typography, buttons, and headers that first-timers might be put off.

I was amazed that I received 4 tailored plugins that help create the site of my dreams. Your options are endless with this WordPress blogging theme.

Super clean layout for blog posts
A super clean layout for your blog posts
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Comes with 50 one-click demo blog layoutsOverwhelming at first
Custom organization
Each style benefits from responsive design
Fast-acting buttons and menus
Elegant theme for your blog content

#8 TinySalt

Perfect WordPress theme for food bloggers
TinySalt is the perfect theme for food bloggers

TinySalt was designed with food bloggers at the forefront of its mind. Personally, I can’t get enough of it. Creating a decent food blog has always been tricky with multi-purpose themes, so it’s great to have a dedicated option.

Grow your newsletter list with automated overlays and popups
Grow your newsletter list with automated overlays and popups

Granted, it’s niche. But if you’re a part of that niche, you’ll love it, I promise. 

I adore all the layouts and the search bar, allowing users to find specific recipes quickly. Plus, it’s easy to get everything set upthanks to the 12 one-click demos.

Great looking presentation of recipes
Great looking presentation of your recipes
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
Best for food blogsVery niche (but that’s the point)
Excellent writing and content creation experience
Over 900 typography options
Recipe templates
Unlimited colors
Featured recipe slider and video compatible

#9 Sitka

WordPress theme for lifestyle and travel bloggers
A great theme for lifestyle and travel bloggers

Sitka is an ultra-modern theme, perfect for lifestyle content. It comes with a bunch of customization options while still managing to be lightweight and quick-loading. I recommend it for personal blogging and magazine sites. 

Lots of homepage features for newsletter list and social media accounts
Lots of homepage features for your newsletter list and social media accounts

It takes almost no time at all to set up the site. I picked from the readymade blog feed layouts and had it raring to go in a matter of moments.

The custom widgets are a nice touch too. But I could do without them in a pinch. 

A clean article design with focus on personality
A clean article design with focus on personality
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
For minimalist design loversRequires extra payment for extended customer service
One-click demos available
3 ready-to-go post formats
All blog layouts are responsive
Over 900 Google fonts to pick from
Meets SEO standards, ensuring websites rank

#10 Bridge

Bridge theme
Bridge theme

Bridge is last but not least on my best WordPress blog themes list. It’s the ultimate multi-purpose creative option. However, I’d say it comes with far too much to be useful for beginners. It’s made for bloggers who want complete control. 

about me page
Present yourself on a wonderful about me page

With that said, I like how all the layouts and content formats are responsive. Plus, it works well with the Yoast SEO widget, which I appreciate. Not to mention it’s compatible with popular page builders and comes with an always-increasing number of demos.

Room for your custom widgets
Blog article design – plenty of room for your custom widgets.
What I LikedWhat I Didn’t Like
More than 400 demo stylesNo live preview for general options
Custom colors and plugins by QodeI didn’t receive the licenses for the third-party premium plugins bundled into the time, so I keep seeing activation messages
24 layouts for blog postsToo many options for beginners
Easy on the wallet
Numerous customization options

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