Best Wordpress Blog Themes for 2024 (FREE Options)

Originally published 7/25/2019

If you’re ready to start blogging on WordPress, you’re probably entering the dizzying world of WordPress themes.

How do you choose the best free WP theme for your blog, when there are so many choices? I’ll be breaking down the best themes for new bloggers in this post.

Spoiler alert: These themes are actually great for every website, no matter if you’re primarily a blogger or not.

Pretty much every website owner that cares about traffic should be blogging - so all of these themes can be designed beautifully for your site that is just a blog, as well as for any website that has more than just a blog.

Why should you listen to me?

I’ve been building self-hosted WordPress websites since around 2009, and have a lot of experience with high and low quality themes alike. WP themes and WP itself have come a long way, so now you'll want to choose a theme that has your favorite blocks to choose from in their new Gutenberg block builder.

When using WordPress, your theme is the foundation for the rest of your website and will really make a difference in your website’s appearance and usability, so it’s important to choose a great theme from the start.

The great news is that some of the best blog themes available these days are not only super high quality and customizable, but they are absolutely free. 

In this post I’ll cover 3 of my favorite themes, that I use almost exclusively on both my and my clients’ WordPress sites.

What you need to know before choosing a WP theme in 2024

WordPress has changed a lot since the early days where the editor was a WYSIWYG text area. 

Now, you build your content in blocks, using the new “Gutenberg” block builder.

WordPress comes with a number of blocks by default, but the direction WP is going means that different theme builders have now come out with packs of their own blocks. They design these block addons, usually provided as a plugin, to work seamlessly with their theme.

This means that when you choose your theme, you should also try to use the corresponding blocks built by the theme builder. Theoretically, any blocks should work with any theme, but I recommend this so you can avoid compatibility issues in the long run in case that doesn’t always stay true.

Make sure to test out the corresponding theme’s block plugin to see which one you prefer before committing to one of these themes. 

Let’s get into the theme.

My Favorite WP Blog Themes in 2024

Kadence

Kadence is a beautiful, customizable WordPress theme that has a fully-featured free version, and is fantastic for new bloggers.

You can stick with the completely free version of the theme which will still allow you to have a beautiful WordPress blog, or you can upgrade to Kadence premium and also get access to the pro version of Kadence blocks. 

Kadence is super-fast loading, has cutting-edge blocks to use with the Gutenberg block editor that WordPress has moved to, and you can launch a beautiful blog with whatever layout you like in record time using their free templates and easy design settings.

GeneratePress

GeneratePress for me is really a tie with the Kadence theme. It seems like those who lean more techie prefer GeneratePress when considering the two. It’s lightweight, beautiful, easy to customize, SEO friendly, and also has a correspending Generateblocks plugin.

Whether you're a coding novice or a seasoned developer, you'll find GeneratePress intuitive and flexible enough to bring your blog vision to life. But the GeneratePress MO is that they tend to provide fewer complex blocks as part of the Gutenberg block builder experiences, and instead they provide a handful of super-reliable blocks that you can combine and modify to create the exact blocks you need. 

Astra

Astra is another popular free theme for WordPress blogs, and is my third choice. I don’t love it quite as much as Kadence or GeneratePress, but plenty of people do. 

If you prefer the Astra settings or blocks, this can be a great choice for starting your blog.

Its integration with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder allows for extensive customization, giving you the flexibility to create a unique look for your blog without needing advanced coding skills.

Which theme should you choose?

Choosing the right WordPress theme for your blog is an exciting part of getting started.

While there are a dizzying number of options available, Kadence, GeneratePress, and Astra stand out as my favorite free themes that can be perfect both for new and established bloggers. Which one is right for you depends on which one you'll prefer to use.

My advice is to try each one out, along with their corresponding block builder plugins, and go with the theme that has the interface you like best and the block settings you like best. All 3 are a great choice and offer the perfect blend of customization, speed, and SEO-friendliness, ensuring your blog looks great and performs well.

Remember, whether you're solely focused on blogging or running a multi-faceted website, these themes can adapt to your needs. So don’t get caught up in paralysis analysis, get your first post published and start configuring your first theme so you can see if you like it.

Want more blogging insights? Check out my posts on how to write your blog posts faster and how to choose the best blogging fonts.