Understand what you are getting: the different types of WordPress themes.

If you think that WordPress is just WordPress, you are mistaken – there are 100s of ways to build a WordPress site, and in this article, we look at the most common and, most importantly, how each one can affect your site.

When speaking to WP agencies about a new WordPress site, it’s crucial to understand how they work and what sort of site they will build for you.

Sure, you might just want a website on WordPress, but how your site is built can mean the difference between an effective site and one that’s dead in the water.

There are several types of WordPress build:

1. Off-the-shelf themes
2. Page builder themes
3. Framework themes
4. Custom themes
5. Bespoke themes

Below we will dive into each one of these in more detail.

Off-the-shelf themes.

These are themes that the ‘developer’ has got for free or paid for a licence.

Off-the-shelf themes are prebuilt and have 100s of settings that the ‘developer’ tweaks to change the colours, fonts, logos, etc.

Basically, sites built on these themes are not coded; they are coloured in by someone who always uses the same theme, irrespective of who they create a site for.

They are code-heavy, designed to do everything and unsuitable for anything more than very basic websites.

Pros.

• It can be used by unskilled developers to ‘build’ sites
• Quick to create websites that are slow and clunky
• Cheap for the ‘developer’ to buy (around $50)
• Look quite professional if templates are used

Cons.

• Bulky code that slows your site
• Complex to manage content, often requiring ‘developer’ input to change simple things
• Licences required, with ongoing costs
• Complex UI
• Often causes issues with other plugins
• Get slower the bigger your site gets
• It is often impossible to move to another theme
• Look the same as 1000s of other sites that use the same theme
• Very difficult to technically optimise
• You are tied into the company that made the theme
• Often, support for the theme stops without notice

I use the term ‘developers’ in quotes here as these sorts of sites are often put together by people who don’t know how to code but instead know how to use the theme and keep knocking out sites that look the same.

Page-builder themes.

These are pretty much the same as above – themes built for specific page builders like DIVI and Elementor.

Most of the above list for off-the-shelf themes also applies to these types of themes, so I won’t repeat myself.

Framework themes.

WordPress frameworks are themes that developers build upon (such as Underscores or Bootstrap).

They usually have structural CSS in place (grids for different screen sizes etc) and require developer-level knowledge.

Frameworks can save clients time and money as the developer does not have to build everything from scratch, but they don’t compromise design as the styling CSS is usually required to be added.

Pros.

• Frameworks provide pre-built structures (e.g., grids, hooks, and filters), reducing the time spent on repetitive coding tasks.
• Developers can focus on customising the design and functionality instead of reinventing the wheel.
• Frameworks allow extensive customisation, enabling developers to create unique, client-specific themes without starting from scratch.
• Modular structures make it easier to add or remove features.
• Most frameworks are lightweight and prioritise clean, efficient code.
• They often come optimised for speed and security compared to bloated pre-built themes.
• Frameworks maintain a standardised codebase, making projects easier to maintain, debug, and scale over time.
• Well-documented frameworks simplify onboarding for new developers.
• Many frameworks are built with SEO, offering clean HTML, schema markup, and optimised page structures.
• Popular frameworks often have active communities and thorough documentation.
• Developers can access forums, tutorials, and ready-made child themes for assistance.

Cons.

• Beginners may find it challenging to understand and use frameworks effectively.
• Requires knowledge of WordPress coding standards, hooks, and filters.
• Frameworks aren’t designed for drag-and-drop customisation. Non-coders may struggle to use them without professional help.
• Although frameworks save time in the long run, setting up the initial structure may take longer than using an off-the-shelf or page builder theme.
• The site may require migration or a complete rebuild if the framework becomes outdated or unsupported.
• Premium frameworks, like Genesis, come with upfront or recurring costs, which may not suit a smaller budget
• Frameworks often provide minimal styling, requiring additional CSS and design work to achieve a polished look.

Custom themes.

Custom themes are broadly similar to frameworks as they start with some built-in structure and CSS, so you are not starting from scratch every time.

At Toast, we have a custom theme developed over many years to act as the starting theme for all client sites.

This theme has pre-built blocks that are customised, both in terms of content and design, for our clients’ projects. If we need to add new content blocks to the site, we build them.

Pros.

• Highly Customised: Built to match exact specifications.
• Performance Optimisation: Clean, efficient code tailored for speed and functionality.
• No Bloat: Only includes the features you need, reducing unnecessary code.
• Unique Design: Differentiates the site from others using off-the-shelf or framework-based themes.

Cons.

• Costly and Time-Intensive: Requires significant development time and expertise.
• Maintenance Dependency: This may require the original developer to update or make changes, although this is avoided if the custom theme is built properly.
• Requires Expertise: Not suitable for beginners or non-developers.

Bespoke themes.

This approach starts with nothing: no code, no blocks, and nothing more than a vanilla WordPress installation.

Everything on a bespoke WordPress site is built from the ground up.

This process takes time and costs more, so it’s not often the best approach for smaller companies or startups. However, it’s perfect for larger brands, and marketing teams can get exactly what they want.

A bespoke WordPress theme is a theme that’s designed and built solely for your brand and content, so it’s a unique theme that aligns with your brand and requirements.

Everything you need and nothing you don’t: one of the key aspects of a bespoke WordPress theme is that it does exactly what you need it to do, and as it’s fully bespoke, it can be developed to accommodate anything you need moving forward.

Pros.

• Completely tailored to requirements.
• Unique, one-of-a-kind design.
• Optimised performance with clean, lightweight code.
• SEO best practices and accessibility can be fully implemented.
• Scalable for future growth and feature additions.
• No reliance on third-party themes or plugin bloat.
• Long-term investment with reduced patchwork fixes over time

Cons.

• High initial cost.
• Time-consuming to develop.
• Requires skilled developers with expertise in WordPress.
• Maintenance and updates often depend on the original developer.
• Overkill for small-scale or simple projects.

Here’s a comparison table of all the options.

The important thing here is to understand what your agency is going to build for you – there’s a lot of jargon surrounding building a website, and it’s often forgotten that it’s not an area of expertise for most clients.

The best thing to do is to make sure you ask the right questions – you don’t want to be paying for a bespoke-level site and having an off-the-shelf theme delivered.