As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience building websites, I‘ve seen various WordPress page builders and editors come and go.
When Gutenberg was first launched, there was some resistance. But over the years, it has matured into a robust website building tool.
Here are some stats that showcase the growing popularity of Gutenberg:
- It now powers over 87% of all WordPress sites
- There are over 250+ Gutenberg blocks and 50+ block plugins
- The block editor transforms over 5 billion pieces of content per year
So if you want to build a modern, future-proof WordPress website, you need a Gutenberg friendly theme.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share the 26 best Gutenberg ready themes and what makes them stand out. I‘ll also explain the benefits of using a Gutenberg first theme based on my years of experience.
Let‘s get started!
Contents
What to Look for in a Gutenberg Friendly Theme
Through years of testing different themes, I‘ve identified certain qualities that make a theme truly optimized for Gutenberg:
Flexible Layouts – The theme should use full-width responsive designs to accommodate different block widths and alignments. Equal column widths often don‘t work well.
Modular Options – There should be template/layout options to build custom headers, footers, sidebars, blog pages, etc. Global styles are also a must-have.
Purpose-Built Blocks – Having extra blocks like testimonials, pricing tables, custom widgets, etc. extends Gutenberg‘s capabilities.
Demo Sites – Having ready-made starter sites and block layouts allows you to kickstart your project and customize it further.
Page Builder Compatibility – The theme should integrate smoothly with Elementor and other page builders to provide more options if needed.
Documentation – Step-by-step instructions on using blocks, templates, and theme options accelerates the website building process.
Next, let‘s look at some of the best Gutenberg friendly themes available:
1. Astra
With over 1.5 million active installations, Astra leads the pack when it comes to Gutenberg ready WordPress themes.
I‘ve used Astra for many client sites over the years and constantly see new innovative features being added. They offer free weekly webinars to teach how to master Gutenberg and Elementor using Astra themes.
The Astra Customizer provides granular control over styles and theme settings. And their ever-expanding Starter Site library allows you to launch new projects faster than ever.
Key Features:
- 5 header layouts, 5 blog layouts
- Custom Mega Menus
- Custom layouts, colors, and fonts
- 600+ Starter Sites templates
- Built-in hooks to extend functionality
- Lightweight code for speed
Astra is beginner-friendly yet flexible enough for advanced users. You can build high-performing websites faster using Astra and Gutenberg.
2. Kadence
Kadence is a free multipurpose theme built specifically for the WordPress block editor. The free version itself comes packed with features.
It includes customTEMPLATE_KIT_NAME blocks for testimonials, sharing icons, tabs, etc. There are also hundreds of pre-built block template variations available.
The Kadence customizer offers advanced controls for typography, animations, colors, and layouts. And their demo importer has 30+ free starter sites to choose from.
Here are some of the key benefits of using Kadence:
- 10 header layouts, 12 footer layouts
- 400+ block templates
- Global and individual content styles
- Complete typography control
- Animation effects for blocks
- Lightweight and fast performance
In my experience, Kadence empowers anyone to build beautiful websites in Gutenberg without coding. It‘s one of the best free block editor themes out there.
3. GeneratePress
GeneratePress is an ultra-fast theme built for WordPress page speed. It‘s used by over 1 million websites owing to its performance.
Unlike other themes that bloat your site, GeneratePress keeps only essential theme options. Despite being free, it offers better Gutenberg support through its addons.
Some of the notable features include:
- Build any layout with Global Styles
- Advanced Typography Options
- Custom Blog and Archive Pages
- 100+ Block Templates and Layouts
- Drag and Drop Header Builder
- Seamless AMP Integration
GeneratePress allows you to build fast, SEO-friendly sites all in Gutenberg. I highly recommend it for blogs and business sites where speed matters.
4. OceanWP
OceanWP is one of the most popular free Gutenberg themes with 200,000+ active installs.
It comes with a library of 165+ starter sites to launch your website in minutes. I especially like how easy it is to import and customize OceanWP demo sites.
The theme options panel lets you tweak all aspects of your site design without coding. Some key options include:
- 850+ Google Fonts
- Unlimited Color Options
- 600+ Block Templates
- Custom Widgets
- WooCommerce Ready
- Translation Ready
OceanWP is extendable through premium addons like Ocean Extra and Ocean Elementor Widgets. It‘s perfect for bloggers and businesses that want design flexibility.
5. Neve
Neve is a super fast Gutenberg theme created by ThemeIsle. It follows a mobile-first approach and minimalist design.
As a performance-focused webmaster, I like how Neve incorporates best practices for Core Web Vitals optimization. The theme is incredibly lightweight and scores 99/100 on Google PageSpeed.
With 20+ ready templates and customizer options, you can build beautiful sites without touching code. Some key features are:
- 8 Header Layouts
- 5 Blog Layouts
- WooCommerce Integration
- Custom Mega Menus
- 100+ Block Patterns
- Page Builder Compatible
Neve offers a research-backed approach to designing WordPress sites. I highly recommend Neve if you want blazing fast performance.
6. Airi
Airi is a great multipurpose Gutenberg theme for small businesses. It comes with all the features you would expect in a premium theme.
The addition of Elementor page builder in Airi provides you maximum flexibility for customization. You also get access to 500+ pre-made page and block templates.
As a webmaster, the two things I like most about Airi are:
Pixel Perfect Design – The theme offers precise control over spacing, sizing, and layout of design elements. This results in a visually polished look.
Advanced Features – Stuff like scroll animations, sticky add-to-cart, transparent headers, and off-canvas sidebars allow you to create converting sites.
Airi empowers beginners to build beautiful sites in Gutenberg while still providing customization options for pros. It‘s suitable for all types of websites and blogs.
Why You Should Use Gutenberg Friendly Themes
Over the past few years, I‘ve seen a gradual shift from shortcode-based page builders like Elementor to the WordPress block editor.
Here are some key reasons why Gutenberg-first themes are the future of WordPress:
Better Performance
Themes optimized for Gutenberg load faster and are less prone to bloat. They utilize global styles instead of individually styling page builder elements. This results in cleaner code and quicker loading times.
Native WordPress Experience
Page builders often create lots of technical debt requiring constant maintenance. With Gutenberg themes, you get a more seamless experience using native WordPress blocks.
More Flexible Content
The traditional fixed header, content, footer approach doesn‘t work well for dynamic websites. Gutenberg‘s modular content approach provides endless possibilities for customization.
Improved SEO
Block-based semantic content structure is great for on-page SEO. It also results in more manageable code that search engines can easily crawl.
Future of WordPress
Blocks are the future of WordPress. Even page builders like Elementor plan to transition to a block-based approach in upcoming years.
Final Thoughts
I hope this expanded guide gives you a better understanding of Gutenberg themes and how to choose the right one for your website.
Building websites in WordPress will only get faster and easier as block themes mature. Now is the best time to embrace Gutenberg and level-up your website!
Let me know if you have any other questions. I‘m always happy to help WordPress users based on my 15+ years of webmaster experience.
