Greatest WordPress Themes for Blogs

Disclosure: This content is endorsed by the reader. So if you click on some of our links we may receive a commission.

Presentation is paramount for blogs. Whether you blog as a side hobby or for a business, finding the right platform and topic for your blogging needs is important. Fortunately, WordPress is one of the largest CMS online and has a lot of customizable themes for blogs. Different topics determine how easy it is to navigate your blog.

Since WordPress stores over 100 different themes, finding the right one for you can be daunting. You don't need to worry though as we narrowed it down and found the seven best WordPress themes for blogs.

This in-depth guide includes reviews for a mix of free and paid WordPress themes with a method of choosing the best theme for your needs.

The 7 best WordPress themes for blogs:

  1. Baskerville 2 – Best WordPress Theme for Most Standard Blogs
  2. Hemingway Rewritten – Best WordPress Theme for Photography Blogs
  3. Maxwell – Best WordPress Theme for Online Creator Blogs
  4. Escutcheon – Best WordPress Theme for Blog Writing
  5. Perle – Best WordPress Theme for Portfolio Blogs
  6. Olsen – Best WordPress Theme for Lifestyle and Fashion Blogs
  7. Veggie – Best WordPress Theme for Food Blogs

The different types of WordPress themes

There are many types of WordPress themes to consider. As listed above, I've found individual topics for the seven most common niches in blogging.

WordPress has a lot of great free themes, but not all of them are free, which is a requirement for some people. However, there are different topics for many niches. Business, magazine, wedding, and collaboration are just a few of the varied theme options WordPress offers its users.

Regardless of whether you are looking for a free or a paid theme, the most important thing to understand is what to look for. This is where we come in.

# 1 Baskerville 2 – The best WordPress theme for most standard blogs

If you want to start a blog with text, photos and videos, Baskerville 2 is the topic for you. WordPress limits a lot of topics to a certain category, which makes it difficult for people to run a standard blog.

However, Baskerville 2 is a simple theme that is easy to use and navigate. It added flexibility that allows you to take full advantage of your blog.

The theme is easy to customize so you don't have to be tech-savvy to use it. Thanks to the recently updated flexibility, a custom menu option is now available just below the header. This makes it easy to add menus that reference different parts of your blog.

Baskerville 2 has many features including:

  • Custom backgrounds
  • Custom colors
  • Custom and flexible headers
  • Full-width templates
  • RTL language support
  • Site logo
  • Author bio
  • Threaded comments

Not only does this theme have a lot of helpful features for a standard blog, but it's free too. Baskerville 2 allows you to create a great blog with little effort. This is ideal if you blog as a side hobby.

With the new upgrades, this theme now supports all of the content options saved by WordPress. You can choose how you want to display your content, including presenting your work in a full post or as an excerpt. This is a unique option for free themes, but it does matter because customizable ads make your blog less cluttered and easier to read.

# 2 Hemingway Rewritten – The best photography blog WordPress theme

Hemingway Rewritten is the subject for photographers. As soon as someone enters your blog, they greet them with sleek design and stunning graphics that are part of a featured header image.

The featured header image is perfect for any photographer who wants to boldly share their images. WordPress suggests using a decorative background image as the most suitable header, as the image can vary slightly depending on how it is used on desktop, mobile, or tablet.

However, not being able to use a photo for the featured header can be a disadvantage.

In addition to the images presented, Hemingway Rewritten supports various post formats such as "aside", "image" and "quote". I found "Image" a great format if you want to add images to your blog with a little caption underneath. You can use it to tell a story.

Similar to Baskerville 2, with the Hemingway Rewritten theme, you can:

  • Customize your header
  • Customize your background
  • Customize your menu
  • Add sticky posts
  • Add widgets

However, a unique element of this theme is the parallax scrolling header. Subtle hiding your header as you scroll through your blog adds extra points for presentation.

Hemingway Rewritten gives you plenty of room to be creative when it comes to photography. The customizable header is one of the most important aspects as it is the first thing that appears when users enter your blog.

This theme is free for WordPress users with no restrictions on customization or publishing.

# 3 Maxwell – The Best WordPress Theme for Online Creator Blogs

Maxwell is the most expensive theme on this list and is considered a premium theme. However, the price shows how high quality it is. This modern theme is ultra-clean and is best for online developers.

If you are a YouTuber, musician, or artist this theme is the best choice for you as it supports the "Recommended Content" option.

Featured Content allows you to highlight your top three posts at the top of your blog. You can also include links to videos, which is especially useful for YouTubers and streamers.

Maxwell is an easy to navigate theme with a separate customizer area for adding a site logo, header, and background.

In addition to the basic functions, Maxwell includes:

  • A mobile layout for every device
  • Multiple menus
  • A hashtag area for visibility
  • A location section where you can add maps
  • Social media widgets

Since this is a premium theme, Maxwell gives you six free color palettes to choose from. For unlimited customizable colors and typography packs, you'll need to upgrade to a premium or business WordPress plan.

If you're a free WordPress user, Maxwell can be purchased separately for $ 100. This is a little expensive and can be a disadvantage for some. However, you get this theme for free when you buy a WordPress plan.

  1. Premium plan: $ 10 per month
  2. Business plan: $ 33 per month

If you love the looks and features of Maxwell, it's best to try the Premium plan because you can get advanced design customizations at a cheaper price.

# 4 Escutcheon – The best WordPress theme for blog writing

The escutcheon is by far the simplest and most effective subject on this list. This theme is best for writers who want to stand out from the crowd.

The topic looks like a virtual diary in which the contributions are listed in reverse chronological order. With bold, large typography, blog posts quickly catch the reader's eye.

Escutcheon is a minimalist theme that provides just enough information to seduce the reader. The font and color palette makes it easy for readers to navigate and read your blog.

Since this is a subject for writers, your writing is the main showcase so images are kept on the sidelines. However, Escutcheon supports large pictures in blog posts that appear under the post title if you want to breathe more life into your blog posts.

Like most WordPress themes, Escutcheon includes dropdown menus, social media widgets, and customizable headers. However, it also offers:

  • A "related" area where readers can easily find similar blog posts
  • A search bar
  • Comment area
  • Site logo

The only problem with this topic is that widgets appear in posts instead of your actual blog or archive page.

Escutcheon is another free WordPress theme and the last free option on this list. This theme is perfect for bloggers who are looking for a place to share their stories.

# 5 Pearl – The best portfolio blog WordPress theme

As the name suggests, pearl is an elegant theme. If you want to start a blog showcasing your portfolio projects, Perle is the best choice for you.

Much like Escutcheon and Maxwell, this theme looks simple and offers different layouts that are super clean.

Perle keeps your portfolio up to date with featured content. This add-on allows you to highlight up to four portfolio parts, pages or posts on the homepage of your blog.

In addition to features like an author bio, site logo, social menu, and featured images, Perle has some unique elements including:

  • Overhanging images that allow you to place an image in the center of your text
  • Use capital letters that allow you to enlarge the first letter of your sentence so that your text looks very stylish
  • Sub-headings that allow you to italicize and highlight your text
  • Subtle animation to create a smooth fade of your image as a reader scrolls

Pearl is a little cheaper than Maxwell and costs $ 71. However, you can get this theme for free if you purchase a Premium or Business WordPress plan.

# 6 Olsen – The best WordPress theme for lifestyle and fashion blogs

If you're a lifestyle or fashion blogger looking for a place where you can store all of your content in a focused layout with crisp fonts, Olsen is the perfect topic for you.

Offering a fluid and peaceful reading experience, Olsen is the theme for anyone who wants their images to stand out alongside their content.

Fully customizable, Olsen is the perfect place to showcase your best work.

Two unique elements that this theme offers are a featured content slider and an Instagram footer widget. Both elements are great for sharing your work with readers.

The featured content slider is a little different from the average featured content add-on. This element allows you to choose up to six images or posts and insert them on the front of your blog. The reader can navigate through this slider by clicking the left or right arrow.

The Instagram footer widget is unique and does not appear in any other topic on this list. This is the perfect add-on for a fashion or lifestyle blogger looking to showcase their photos. It shows the widget at the bottom of your blog and shows your most recent Instagram posts in a big single line.

The downside is for people who want to use the Instagram feature for free. Unfortunately, you'll have to pay for the theme or buy a plan to use it, but we think it's worth the tradeoff.

You can get started with Olsen today for just $ 57, or get it for free with a Premium or Business WordPress plan.

# 7 Veggie – The best WordPress theme for food blogs

Veggie is the perfect theme for the foodie in you. This theme is perfect for food bloggers or recipe writers who want to showcase tasty treats and recipes.

This theme includes easy to read typography packs and minimalist designs so it's easy to share your passion with the world.

Veggie has a very responsive page and blog layout that can be customized in seconds. It's easy to read and navigate on a desktop, phone, or tablet.

This theme offers a variety of unique options that are paramount to blogging success. Veggie comes with six different blog layouts and five different templates. These options allow you to add a sidebar, grid, list, or full-width ad.

Not only is there a wide choice, but veggie can turn into an imaginative restaurant website too. This premium theme offers multiple homepage layouts that you can use to appeal to a whole new audience.

If you're interested in this multi-purpose design, Veggie costs $ 86 as a custom theme or free with a Premium or Business WordPress plan.

How to choose the best WordPress theme for you

Now that you know our top seven topic recommendations, it's important to understand what matters. It is time to talk about how you can make the right decision by following these considerations and choosing the best topic for you.

Know your blogging niche

It sounds self-explanatory, but it is relevant for choosing the perfect topic. Today we took a look at the seven most common blogging niches and how different each topic is appropriate for those niches.

When choosing a topic, you need to know your blogging niche as you won't want to install Veggie if your focus is on fashion blogging. Different niches require different themes with different functions, layouts and designs.

I would suggest making a list of your most passionate hobbies and starting there.

Adaptation is the key

Having a customizable theme is vital to an easy to navigate blog.

It's fine if you're not interested in investing money in your blog. However, many free themes have limitations on customization, be it headings, colors, or layout.

Each theme on this list is customizable to some extent, some more than others. So it is important to study the details before installing.

characteristics

Each topic listed here today has some incredible features that are best suited for its particular niche. However, some themes have more unique elements than others and it is important to weigh whether you will need them.

Paid topics are more likely to contain more unique elements, such as: B. Olsen with the Instagram footer widget and Perle with the subtle animation.

Knowing that as a writer, you don't need an Instagram footer or subtle animation, it's best to keep your money in your pocket.

Some basic features that are essential for most blogs are:

  • Custom colors
  • Site logo
  • Flexible display
  • Classic menu
  • Widgets

So make sure to look for these when you install a theme.

Summary

Baskerville 2, Hemingway Rewritten and Maxwell are our three top WordPress topic recommendations for a blog.

Two of the three are free, which makes them very affordable. However, Maxwell is well worth the cost if you want to invest in a higher quality design with features suitable for professional blogging. All three are easy to use, not technical and presentable.

With this in mind, your niche and blogging needs will determine the perfect topic for you. However, if you carefully follow our deliberations, it will be much easier to find a topic.

COMMENTS