I know that even though we talk about advanced stuff about WordPress & Web development, I still find many people or beginners asking How to Install WordPress Themes & How to Delete WordPress themes.
Although we cover advanced topics, It never hurts to cover some basic things about WordPress once in a while. Therefore in this article, we are going to cover some basics things related to WordPress Themes.
Table of Content
- What are WordPress themes?
- How to Install WordPress themes?
- How to delete WordPress themes?
- Few Questions related to WP Themes
What are WordPress Themes?
A WordPress theme is a folder of PHP, CSS stylesheet, Javascript files that lets you change the layout and design of your WP website. A theme determines the look or appearance of your website.
When you install WordPress for the first time, it comes with a default theme installed. You can easily change that theme. We will discuss this later in this article. A theme changes the appearance of the whole website from pages to blog posts.
Different themes offer different appearances and features, Most themes work the same way.
There are mainly two types of themes – 1. Niche Themes, 2. Multipurpose
- Niche Themes: These types of themes are created to be used by a specific niche or industry.
- Multipurpose Themes: These types of themes are created to be used by multiple niches and industries.
You can find numerous free themes from WordPress Directory. You can also buy premium themes from marketplaces like Themeforest & Templatemonster.
10 Best Free WordPress Themes in 2021
This is my personal list of some of the best free WordPress themes in 2021.
2.Astra
3.OceanWP
4. Neve
5.Zakra
6. Hestia
7.OnePress
8.ColorMag
9. Storefront
10. Sydney
Also Read : 5 Best Airbnb WordPress Themes in 2021
How to Install WordPress Themes?
There are mainly two ways to install themes in WordPress, and they are 1. Installing From WP Directory. 2. Installing by Uploading a Zipped file.
1. How to Install WordPress Themes from WP Directory?
We generally use this method to install free themes available on the WordPress directory.
Step 1
Step 2
Now click on the Add New button.
Step 3
Find a theme you like, then hover your mouse over that theme and click on Activate button or you can click on the theme and then click the install button on the top left corner. The theme should start installing. Once installed, click on activate to activate the theme.
Once activated, You should see something like this (active: theme name), here I have installed the GeneratePress. Now you can customize your WP site with the new theme.
2. How to Install WordPress Themes by Uploading a Zipped file?
We generally use this method for installing premium themes.
Step 1
Again WordPress dashboard > Go to Appearance > Themes (click on themes) > Click on Add New.
Step 2
Now you have to click on the Upload Theme button (top left corner) beside Add Themes (as shown above).
Step 3
Click on Choose File and choose the theme file. and click on install. The theme will start installing.
Once installed successfully, click on Activate.
Note: If your uploaded theme fails to install, your theme might be corrupted, or try unzipping it and look for the main theme folder and upload it. Many theme folder includes documentation, license, etc.
Best Themes for Elementor Pro in 2021 (Free & Premium)
How to Delete WordPress Themes?
Now that you know How to Install WordPress Themes, You should also How to Delete WordPress Themes.
Note: Don’t ever delete the active theme.
Step 1
Again Go to WP Dashboard > Appearance > Themes.
Step 2
Click on the theme that you want to delete. Here, I will be deleting the Twenty Nineteen theme.
Step 3
Now, look for the Delete button at the bottom right corner (as shown above). Click on Delete to delete the theme.
Few Questions related to WP Themes
Here, I will address few basic questions related to WordPress Themes.
Are WordPress Themes Customizable?
Well, Yes, but it differs from theme to theme. Some themes offer high customization and some themes offer very little customization. You should also pick a theme with high customization.
Are WordPress Themes Responsive?
Yes, Nowadays most WordPress themes are responsive, however, few outdated themes are not responsive. Always test the theme before activating or buying. Don’t just buy because a theme looks good, check if the theme is optimized and responsive first.
If you like a theme and it doesn’t explicitly say responsive, then you can check the documentation or you can open up the dev tools on your browser (chrome). You can also try it on your tablet or mobile.
Does WordPress Have Free Themes?
Yes, There are almost 8500+ free themes available on WordPress.org (as of now). You can use any of them for free.
List of 50 Best Free Themes For WordPress
Unlike the top 10 list above, this list is based on the Overall Performance of the theme.
| No. | Theme Name | Installations (Oct,2021) |
| 1 | GeneratePress | Active Installations: 400,000+ |
| 2 | Astra | Active Installations: 1+ million |
| 3 | OceanWP | Active Installations: 700,000+ |
| 4 | Neve | Active Installations: 300,000+ |
| 5 | Hestia | Active Installations: 100,000+ |
| 6 | Zakra | Active Installations: 60,000+ |
| 7 | Twenty Twenty-One | Active Installations: 1+ million |
| 8 | Twenty Seventeen | Active Installations: 900,000+ |
| 9 | Twenty Nineteen | Active Installations: 1+ million |
| 10 | Twenty Twenty | Active Installations: 900,000+ |
| 11 | Kadence | Active Installations: 60,000+ |
| 12 | Blocksy | Active Installations: 40,000+ |
| 13 | Bravada | Active Installations: 10,000+ |
| 14 | Customizr | Active Installations: 70,000+ |
| 15 | Flash | Active Installations: 30,000+ |
| 16 | Virtue | Active Installations: 40,000+ |
| 17 | Hello Elementor | Active Installations: 700,000+ |
| 18 | Colibri WP | Active Installations: 50,000+ |
| 19 | Storefront | Active Installations: 200,000+ |
| 20 | Brite | Active Installations: 2,000+ |
| 21 | Airi | Active Installations: 20,000+ |
| 22 | Vantage | Active Installations: 70,000+ |
| 23 | News Portal | Active Installations: 10,000+ |
| 24 | Ashe | Active Installations: 60,000+ |
| 25 | Customify | Active Installations: 50,000+ |
| 26 | PopularFX | Active Installations: 90,000+ |
| 27 | AccessPress Parallax | Active Installations: 9,000+ |
| 28 | Page Builder Framework | Active Installations: 40,000+ |
| 29 | Mesmerize | Active Installations: 40,000+ |
| 30 | Spacious | Active Installations: 50,000+ |
| 31 | Orchid Store | Active Installations : 10,000+ |
| 32 | Blossom Travel | Active Installations : 7,000+ |
| 33 | One Page Express | Active Installations : 20,000+ |
| 34 | Madd Magazine | Active Installations: 2,000+ |
| 35 | Radiate | Active Installations : 10,000+ |
| 36 | Inspiro | Active Installations: 9,000+ |
| 37 | ArileWP | Active Installations: 2,000+ |
| 38 | OnePress | Active Installations: 90,000+ |
| 39 | Go | Active Installations: 80,000+ |
| 40 | Vilva | Active Installations: 6,000+ |
| 41 | Hemingway | Active Installations: 20,000+ |
| 42 | Hueman | Active Installations: 50,000+ |
| 43 | BlogBell | Active Installations: 1,000+ |
| 44 | Bento | Active Installations : 8,000+ |
| 45 | Activello | Active Installations : 10,000+ |
| 46 | Futurio | Active Installations : 20,000+ |
| 47 | Responsive | Active Installations : 40,000+ |
| 48 | Screenr | Active Installations : 10,000+ |
| 49 | Total | Active Installations: 60,000+ |
| 50 | Phlox | Active Installations: 40,000+ |
Conclusion:
Now you know How to Install WordPress Themes. As discussed earlier be careful while choosing a theme & Never delete the active theme.
Images : WordPress