Astra is one of the most popular WordPress themes. It comes with a substantial set of features that enable you to build a stunning website without touching a line of code. However, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea, which is why it’s worth exploring Astra theme alternatives before you commit.
Astra takes pride in being one of the fastest themes around, so a comparable option shouldn’t fall far behind in terms of performance. The rest will boil down to your personal preferences. For instance, online retailers might look for advanced WooCommerce integration, while designers might prefer more flexibility and customization options.
In this article, we’ll show you six of the best Astra theme alternatives. Let’s get started!
What to look for in an Astra theme alternative
In general, it’s hard to fault Astra. It’s fast and responsive, boosting your mobile conversions and search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
You can also access an extensive library of Astra templates that adapt well to a variety of niches. Plus, you can use it with your favorite page builder and get your website up and running in no time.
Taking all these advantages into account, why would you want to search for Astra alternatives at all? While it’s a solid multipurpose theme, it might not suit every site.
For instance, if you need advanced eCommerce features for your store, you might find Astra a little too limiting. Besides, the cost of its lifetime plan can be hard for some users to justify, given that competitors offer similar features for less (or for free).
Six of the best Astra theme alternatives
Now that we’ve discussed why you might want to look for Astra theme alternatives, let’s discuss some comparable options. These six themes offer similar features and performance, along with some of their own advantages.
1. Neve
If you’re looking for an alternative that’s just as fast and lightweight, Neve is an excellent choice. Like Astra, it uses Vanilla JavaScript instead of jQuery so that your site’s performance won’t be affected by render-blocking resources.
Neve is also super responsive and compatible with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), giving you a further SEO boost. Besides that, you can easily customize your site with your favorite page builder and choose from over 80 starter demos.
Furthermore, Neve includes features such as:
- Easy setup
- Custom header and footer design
- A choice of page layouts
- Compatibility with Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and more
- Access to Neve Pro add-ons such as the WooCommerce or Blog Boosters
- One-click rollback to reverse changes
Pricing: Free. Or upgrade to the premium version for $59 per year.
2. Blocksy
If you find Astra’s customization options insufficient for your needs, Blocksy might be an excellent choice. This theme offers powerful header styling options, a selection of page layouts for different purposes, and a global color palette. It’s also intuitive and easy to customize with a drag-and-drop builder.
Blocksy also has very strong integration with the WordPress Customizer, allowing you to tune up basically any little detail that you see on the page. At the same time, everything is easy to grasp and intuitive – so you don’t have to go through any user guide or anything before you can use the theme. Plus, it’s extremely fast while offering an array of advanced features.
Some other features Blocksy theme includes are:
- Live editor
- Responsive design
- Pre-built or custom menu options
- Global typography
- Header and footer builder
- Social icons
- Compatible with Elementor, Beaver Builder, and more
Pricing: Free. You can also upgrade to Pro from $49 per year for a one-site license (there are also deals that take the price down to $34 per year).
3. GeneratePress
GeneratePress is another feather-light alternative to Astra that weighs less than 10 KB. Again, it doesn’t rely on jQuery, making it one of the fastest themes around. It’s also easy to use and compatible with all popular page builders.
The free version doesn’t offer any demos as Astra does, and its basic features are limited. However, GeneratePress Premium gives you access to its full library of professional sites, extensive customization options, and a dedicated WooCommerce module.
Additional features include:
- Live customizer
- Responsive design
- Custom layouts
- Advanced styling options (Pro)
- Access to premium modules (Pro)
Pricing: Free. Or you can upgrade to gain access to more features for $59.00 per year (or $219 for the lifetime plan).
4. Go
GoDaddy’s Go theme is a unique candidate on this list. It’s built with the block editor in mind, enabling you to create a stunning website and customize all its elements with drag-and-drop functionality. You can also achieve interesting effects with the associated CoBlocks plugin, which gives you access to various design elements and full demo sites.
Go could be an excellent alternative if you’re drawn to Astra’s simplicity but don’t want to rely on page builders. However, there are not many blog styling options, which could be an issue for some users.
Otherwise, features include:
- Responsive layout
- Customizable colors and fonts
- Multiple design styles
- Header and footer variations
- WooCommerce integration
- Social links menu
Pricing: Free.
5. Genesis
The Genesis Framework is not just a theme but a backbone for your website. This option will suit developers or advanced users with coding knowledge. However, you can also access a live customizer for simple changes.
Like Astra, Genesis is lightweight and fast loading, giving you a solid basis for an SEO-friendly website. Plus, it’s an excellent option for web agencies due to custom reusable modules that you can apply to unlimited sites. You can also purchase child themes to quickly get up and running.
Apart from that, Genesis also gives you access to features such as:
- One-click setup
- Custom page templates
- Customizable header
- Responsive design
- Featured content widgets
Pricing: The Genesis Framework itself costs $59.95. Or, you can purchase a combo of the framework and a child theme for $129.95.
6. OceanWP
Our last recommendation is OceanWP, a feature-rich theme that’s excellent for online stores. It’s deeply integrated with WooCommerce, so rest assured you’ll get plenty of eCommerce features out of the box. For instance, you can easily add a cart popup or floating ‘add to cart’ elements to boost conversions.
OceanWP is a little bit slower than Astra but still among the fastest themes on the market. You can also optimize it for speed by disabling the extensions that you don’t need.
OceanWP also gives its users:
- One-click demo imports
- Responsive design
- Advanced mega menu
- Advanced post and page styling options
- Customizable header and footer
- Compatibility with popular page builders and advanced widgets for Elementor
Pricing: Free. Or upgrade to premium for $43.00 per year for one site (or $178 for lifetime use).
Conclusion
Speed and mobile optimization are top priorities for many business owners nowadays. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Astra rose to such popularity, as it can certainly help you achieve a responsive and fast-loading website. However, there are other comparable options that you might want to consider.
In this article, we’ve discussed six of the best Astra theme alternatives. Naturally, we think Neve is the best option in terms of price, usability, and performance. However, Blocksy is a solid option for beginners building small business sites and portfolios and OceanWP’s powerful eCommerce features are ideal for online stores.
For some other options, check out our collections of the most popular themes and fastest WordPress themes.
Do you have any questions about Astra theme alternatives? Let us know in the comments section below!
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