Having a WordPress site is one of the best ways to develop an online presence without requiring the assistance of a professional developer or programmer. With a WordPress website, showcase your portfolio, build a business, or even sell products with the use of WooCommerce, a WordPress-specific eCommerce plugin. If you are thinking of building a WordPress website, you will want to do so only with a theme that allows your site to load and perform the fastest.

Not all WordPress themes are developed and designed equally, which is why comparing the fastest-loading WordPress themes can help you to find a layout and design that works for you and that does not slack in terms of performance.

The Fastest WordPress Themes in 2024

Loading time can significantly impact the overall popularity of a website and the number of visitors a website receives. We have researched and scoured the internet to find the fastest WordPress themes in 2024 for bloggers, photographers, eCommerce managers, and more. 

• Writee
• Sydney
• OceanWP
• Customify
• Zakra
• Neve
• Astra
• Hello Elementor
• Blank Canvas
• Go
• Hestia

1. Writee

For those who are new to WordPress or are looking for a simplistic, yet modern fast-loading WordPress design, Writee is a fantastic option to help get you started. The Writee theme for WordPress is completely free, with all features included in the base free version of the template. Writee was designed with bloggers and individuals in mind. Whether you are creating a personal blog, a travel blog, or even an image-heavy fashion or food blog, you can do so with the free Writee theme.

Writee is not only free and easily accessible, but it is also one of the fastest loading WordPress themes available completely free. It is also available directly in the WordPress theme directory and repository for those who are interested in implementing a theme directly from the WordPress admin area. There's also a pro version should you need more features.

Features:

• Simplistic design
• Fully responsive
• Mobile-friendly
• Customizer options
• Includes 3 custom widgets 
• Supports Arabic, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Chinese, and Russian languages

2. Sydney

Sydney is another WordPress theme that should be Premium and paid, but is available completely free of charge. However, there is a Premium version of Sydney available for those who are seeking even more features from the template for their own WordPress site.

The paid version of the Sydney template is available for $69. Although Sydney is not one of the fastest WordPress themes available to date, it does score fairly well across the board when checking loading time, PageSpeed insights, and overall ping when running tests. If you are looking for a simple, yet modern and updated WordPress layout that is fast-loading, responsive, and reliable, you may be in luck with Sydney. 

Features

• Optimal speed test results
• Small file sizing
• Mobile-centric approach and responsiveness
• SEO-focused
• Translation-ready theme
• Social media button sharing and linking included 
• Customizer
• Integrated with Elementor
• Compatible with WooCommerce 

3. OceanWP

If you are looking for a multipurpose layout that is free for WordPress but also fast-loading, OceanWP delivers everything you are looking for and more. OceanWP was developed with design and first impressions in mind, which is why the OceanWP design is extremely flexible and can be customized to fit any brand image you have in mind.

You can also conditionally disable scripts using OceanWP that you do not find useful for your own WordPress site, which can help to streamline loading times and improve the overall speed of the OceanWP theme itself. While OceanWP is free of charge, there is a premium version of OceanWP available for a one-time fee of $39.

Features

• Beginner-friendly
• Flexible customization options
• Mobile-friendly
• Responsive
• Top-notch SEO practices
• RTL & translation ready 
• One-click website demos
• Import demo options available 
• More than 220+ modern Elementor templates are included to choose from 

4. Customify

If you are in the market for a multipurpose website theme, look no further than Customify. Customify is a multipurpose theme with immense flexibility and customization options for websites of all kinds, both personal and commercial alike. If you are interested in customizing particular sections of your website or if you simply want complete and total control over the customization choices you make, you can do so with Customify.  

Customify is available for free, but offers a Pro upgrade for the cost of $59 per year. Some of the features that help Customify stand out range from page builder integrations to header and footer builders which make creating your WordPress site easier than ever.

Features

• Integrate with Elementor and Beaver Builder to create any website you have in mind with ease
• Compatible with WooCommerce
• Customize just about any type of area or section of your site with Customify 
• Create unique headers and footers with built-in editors 
• Create edits for the mobile version of your site without editing the desktop version
• Use infinity scroll options 
• Developer-friendly theme for advanced coding customizations and hooks (when desired)

5. Zakra

If you need a core theme that is fast, reliable, and well-documented, Zakra is one WordPress theme not to sleep on. Zakra, while not overly complex or robust, is complete with plenty of advanced customization features that are typically only available with premium themes. Zakra is available to all users for free, but does offer a premium version of the theme for $69 per year, which opens up a myriad of options when it comes to custom headers and theme customization altogether.

Zakra is simple on the surface, but provides a swift build that can be easily edited and customized without the risk of lagging or slowing response and loading times.  

Features

• Extremely fast-loading core build
• SEO-friendly
• Mobile-friendly
• Includes a library of site template demos ranging from wedding themes to themes for dental offices
• Work with custom headers and footers
• Adjust grid design for your blog or website layout with just a few clicks
• Flexible sidebars that can be edited, updated, and customized
• Make multiple footers on demand
• Hundreds of typography options are built-in to the theme itself

6. Neve

Neve is a theme that is not only lightweight and compact but is also simple in its design and nature. The Neve template for WordPress is compatible with WordPress page builders such as Elementor, and can also be integrated with the eCommerce plugin for WordPress, WooCommerce.

If you are building a simple and straightforward site or if you are looking for a theme for your WooCommerce storefront that is flexible and customizable, Neve is one that cannot be missed. A free version of Neve is available along with a premium version of the template starting at $49. 

Features

• Includes various layouts and templates to choose from
• Works well as a lightweight WordPress theme
• Includes a library of ready-made demos to view and use
• It can be integrated with popular page builders such as Elementor and Beaver Builder.
• Mobile-friendly 
• Responsive for all mobile and tablet devices
• Compatible with WooCommerce for eCommerce storefronts
• Includes eCommerce elements such as checkout modules, advanced product galleries, and sections for customer information and billing details
• Generate custom layouts and incorporate white labeling on-demand 

7. Astra

If you're not looking to spend countless hours designing and planning the layout of your WordPress site, Astra may just be the theme you need.

The Astra theme for WordPress was not only designed for speed, but also for those who are interested in launching a website immediately after installing the latest version of WordPress. With Astra, gain immediate access to tons of demos for various industries ranging from beauty and fashion to photography and food. Currently, there are both free and premium versions of the theme that start at $49.

Features

• Prebuilt demos to use and instantly install for your own website with an included library
• Integration compatibility with WordPress page builders such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg
• Control the entire theme of Astra using the built-in customized
• Manage sidebars, headers, and even single-page layouts you create with the built-in editor
• Translate Astra into numerous languages without a hassle
• Compatible with WooCommerce for online storefronts 

8. Hello Elementor

If you are familiar with WordPress and already use a page builder such as Elementor, you may want to check out the Hello theme, designed by the developers of Elementor themselves.

The Hello theme is fast and lightweight with minimal styling to help with increasing overall loading speeds. Hello was designed with Elementor in mind, which is ideal for those who are already using Elementor for their WordPress site or for those who are familiar with working with Elementor. 

Features

• Already compatible with Elementor
• Loading speed of up to 1/4 of a second, providing visitors with a seamless experience
• Hello only requires a total of 6 KB of resources, which is why it is considered one of the most lightweight and fastest themes available for WordPress today
• Hello only requires 2 requests that are sent directly to the server, making it one of the least demanding themes for WordPress
• SEO-friendly for optimal performance and page loading
• Customizable theme, header, and footer
• Responsive
• Open Source
• Compatible with WooCommerce 

9. Blank Canvas

Blank Canvas is well, just that -- a blank canvas to help you get started with your next WordPress site. Blank Canvas is actually a child theme that was developed by Automattic for the theme, 'Seedlet'. It appears entirely blank upon installation without any navigation menus, footers, headers, or widgets automatically built-in.

Plainly put, Blank Canvas is exactly that and more. Unfortunately, because Blank Canvas is devoid of much of anything once you have installed and activated it, there are also no additional demos included with this theme. It is free to use Blank Canvas and all of its features, and there is not currently a premium version available.

Features

• Completely blank canvas to work in WordPress on, providing total customization options and control
• No additional fluff, widgets, or plugins to weigh the theme down
• Minimalist look and design with no added colors or customized CSS to identify and change 
• Relies on simple sans-serif fonts in the original Blank Canvas theme

10. Go

Go is a theme that was developed by GoDaddy, one of the world's leading domain registrars and web hosts.

The Go theme was designed with traditional Gutenberg blocks in mind, which is optimal for those who prefer to work in block-based design. The Go theme offers numerous blocks to work with for those interested in adding galleries, maps, social media pages, FAQ sections, author profiles, and more to their WordPress site.

Features

• Includes a total of 37 blocks that can be integrated and used with any WordPress site
• Build using Gutenberg blocks for easy editing, updating, and accessibility 
• Fast loading times due to a lack of additional fluff and plugins 
• Ideal for users who prefer working with the WordPress block editor
• Uses minimal PHP and JavaScript and instead relies on CSS and HTML

11. Hestia

For those who are searching for a fast-loading one-page WordPress layout and theme, Hestia delivers. Hestia is another WordPress theme developed by Themeisle that is a one-page layout suitable for small or large businesses. In addition to its fast loading times and responsive design, Hestia is also compatible with WooCommerce for those operating eCommerce stores of their own.

Currently, Hestia is available for personal use for $80 each year, and $150 each year for businesses. 

Features

• Compatible with WooCommerce 
• RTL and translation ready
• SEO-friendly
• Mobile-responsive
• Supports major WordPress page builders such as Gutenberg, Beaver Builder, and Elementor
• Live Customizer is available to update the website's headers, pages, and overall look in real-time
• User-friendly mega menu available to easily manage, sort, and organize content while editing your WordPress site

Choosing a WordPress theme that is not only trustworthy and reliable but one that also provides the fastest loading times, can significantly increase the time spent by users on your site itself. When a WordPress theme loads immediately and without issue, you will have the ability to provide your online visitors with a seamless browsing and potential shopping experience if you are running an eCommerce store with the use of your WordPress site.