The rise of so much high caliber goodness available for free never ceases to impress me. Some of these are themes I felt were verging on premium or just themes that were simply special because they met a certain criteria. Whether you need a theme for yourself or a client, these free Wordpress themes are worth a second look.
Portfolio Wordpress Theme by Sorel Mihai
Portfolio Wordpress Theme by Sorel Mihai
Designed by Sorel Mihai, this theme is everything you need to start showing off your work. It’s got a slick color palette and clean lines that will have you looking like a modern service provider in no time. Great work Sorel.
WP Premium by R.Bhavesh
WP Premium by R.Bhavesh
Loaded to the gills with all kinds of features, this widget ready theme is one solid contender. WP Premium is a great choice for anyone needing a clean aesthetic with a hint of formality. As a bonus, R. Bhavesh has bundled this theme with three color options: brown, black and soft red.
Sharpfoilo by Ed Harrison
Sharpfolio by Web Revolutionary
Sharpfolio by Ed Harrison over at Web Revolutionary made it on our list for being a simple and elegant solution to those needing a theme that will primarily act as a portfolio. Minimalist styling and neutral colors means you can keep the emphasis off the theme and where it should be: on your work. Nice one Ed.
Zinepress by Andrew Lindstrom
Zinepress by Andrew Lindstrom
A combination of retro browns with pinky reds for highlights is what you get with Zinepress. Andrew has paid attention to many smaller details in order to deliver this clean theme.
Gossip City by Design Disease
Gossip City by Design Disease
A light color palette and mood on this free Wordpress theme which sports a couple of plugins to make the magic happen. A good fit if you are trying to keep things light hearted and feminine.
Mandigo by OneHertz
Mandigo by One Hertz
If not the prettiest theme around, it certainly comes packed with a ton of customization options. The features and the fact that it comes ready in 30 plus languages won Mandigo a spot on our list.
WP CODA by Greg Johnson
WP CODA by Greg Johnson
Based on the popular Coda website, this theme lets you get a Wordpress powered site that feels anything but standard. Be sure to try out the left and right arrows to slide through the body content. An original theme based on an original design.
Aspire by Info Creek
Aspire by Info Creek
The Aspire theme by Info Creek feels like you walked into the sheriff’s office at sunset. A three column layout with aged and antique styling, this one would be a good contender for those requiring some rustic charm.
Box Tube by Dezzain
Box Tube by Dezzain
Glossy and sleek is what Box Tube gets you. This modern theme is widget ready both in the sidebar and footer. A handful of plugins to make it all work as shown but shouldn’t be a problem for anyone with more than a few minutes experience with Wordpress.
Yoghourt by Web Kreation
Yoghourt by Web Kreation
Mmm Yogourt!? This high contrast theme has everything you’d expect in a basic yet well designed Wordpress theme.
Liquorice Allsorts by Monomo
Liquorice Allsorts by Monomo
Visually, it’s like nothing else. Technically, the makers of Liquorice Allsorts have gone to lengths in order to keep the CSS class and ID names exactly the same as found in the default Wordpress theme, Kubrick. Arty and bold; Liquorice Allsorts is a great little theme for the right property.
Mini-WP by Frozr
Mini-wp by Frozr
Ultra simple. This theme is minimalist both in styling, color, and features. Enough to get the job done with a a minimum of fuss.
Retromania by Jay Hafling
Retromania by Jay Hafling
Jay has created a retro theme complete with an empty PSD file of the header so you can custmize it to suit your tastes.
Outdoorsy by Function Web Design
Outdoorsy by Function Web Design
It’s no surprise this theme has done the rounds since it’s release. A pixel perfect theme exhibiting tactile goodness on every level. Note: An update has been provided in order to get the file size down of this image heavy theme. Worth checking out if an organic look and feel is what you need.
Simply Ornate by Evan Eckard
Simply Ornate by Evan Eckard
Simply Ornate is a sweet little theme by Evan Eckard that comes in your choice of a blue, pink, grey, green and red. Comes with a single Flickr plugin.
Branford Magazine Theme by Der Prinz
Branford Magazine by Der Prinz
And lastly, the Branford Magazine by theme Der Prinz made the list for it’s conservative aesthetic. With an active change log, the theme seems to be well loved and updated and would fit well for those of you targeting an older audience.
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About the author
Danno started freelancing in 1996. He is the co-founder and (ex) President of Graphics.net, owner of FeedIcons.com, EliteFreelancing.com, FastCharacters.com and SteelAndSnow.com. He digs wind, waves, guitars and circles. Follow Danno on Twitter.
October 12th, 2008
You call these premium? some are.. but most aren’t! The only cool theme I see here is yours :D -
October 13th, 2008
Hmm, perhaps a title change is in order here. Let’s see what others have to say!
October 13th, 2008
yeah, i totally agree with MoiN. most of these done seem all that premium to me. i mean kudos for functionality and all, but premium imo is about look as well. most of these, to my eye, look shocking.
October 13th, 2008
Great collection man, really love them. And appreciate you including my Outdoorsy theme. Thanks.
October 13th, 2008
Great collection!
October 14th, 2008
I like the “Licorice Allsorts” one, simple, sweet & yummy colours! Thanks for compiling the list!
October 14th, 2008
@Moin & Ryan: Agreed, I made a small edit to the title to reflect a point well made and taken by the both of you.
@Liam: You bet man. Nice work.
October 14th, 2008
BradFord Magazine looks pretty nice.
April 16th, 2009
Thanks
BradFord Magazine looks pretty nice.
April 28th, 2009
useful site
June 15th, 2009
i liked Outdoorsy by Function Web Design theme. i think i may use this theme. god job .. all of themes are quality. god chose.. thnx
July 29th, 2009
i like this site. i added on my bookmark i thanks
September 28th, 2009
Very grad for read this! Thank, please keep up the good work.
November 1st, 2009
I dont know why but I really like Licorice Allsorts – would look good on the right site.
November 13th, 2009
I have another blog project in mind so I will definately come back and get some of these!
November 19th, 2009
The themes look very professional indeed!
Thanks a million for sharing. I have used 3 of them ;)
January 26th, 2010
These are great. Thanks for sharing.
Some of these are pretty gnarly for being free…