Minimalist themes are trending. And for a good reason. They are clear-looking and simple in presenting your website.
But they’re not for everyone and choosing the right theme for your new WordPress website can be tricky. You might be tempted to just go with the one you like the look of.
But there’s much more to consider than just looks—
You need to check if it’s responsive, customizable, SEO friendly, fast, and so on.
Don’t have time for all that?
We’ve got your back. Here’s a list of 50 free minimalist WordPress themes divided into categories. All will work on mobile devices.
For your convenience, we’ve grouped the minimalist WordPress themes into five popular categories:
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If minimal WordPress themes are not exactly what you were looking for, check out these articles:
- How to Start an Online Business
- How to Generate Leads Online
- How to Use WordPress
- Best WordPress Chat Plugins Compared
Let’s get straight to it, then—
Best free minimal WordPress themes for blogs
Starting out the list with 10 free minimalist WP themes for your blog. These will be helpful when you’re thinking about beginning to write your own blog or giving your existing blog a revamp. So, check our top picks below:
1. OceanWP
Rating: 5/5 stars (700,000+ installations)
OceanWP is one of the best minimal WordPress themes. It is lightweight and fast-loading, with many features to satisfy all your needs for a website. You should use this theme if you’re looking for a fully customizable and fast theme.
But we have a little warning for you: be prepared to spend some time playing around with it while setting it up and getting to know the theme.
Pros:
- Translates into LTR (left-to-right) and RTL (right-to-left) languages
- Fast speed
- Fully customizable
Cons:
- Many theme advertisements in the free version
- Some reviewers complain about the unhelpful support team
- Not so easy to use
PHP Version: 7.2 or higher
2. Panoramic by Out the Box
Rating: 5/5 stars (10,000+ installations)
If you’re looking for an intuitive and flexible minimalist WordPress theme, Panoramic is for you. It is simple yet elegant and easy to set up. It works with SiteOrigin’s drag and drop page builder plugin, so you can quickly put your site together. They also offer great support if you ever get stuck on anything.
Pros:
- Highly customizable
- Great customer support
- Recent update available
Cons:
- Not optimized for SEO
PHP Version: 5.3 or higher
3. News Portal by Mystery Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (10,000+ installations)
News Portal is a minimal blog theme WordPress has for those interested in writing about news or other magazine-worthy topics. It has a magazine layout that helps you create your own online copy. You can customize most of the themes with live previews to match the area you want to write about.
Pros:
- Variety of widgets available, such as Ads Banner, Carousel, Featured Slider widget, etc.
- Magazine layout perfect for a writing blog
- Plugin compatible
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Limited layouts
- Not many features available for a free plan
PHP Version: 5.2.4 or higher
4. Color Blog by Mystery Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
As its name suggests, this is a colorful minimalist WordPress theme for bloggers. There is an added color scheme, so if you want to create a lively-looking website, this one will be perfect for you. It also offers a live customizer option to craft your site and content presentably.
Pros:
- Works with Elementor
- Convenient and simple
- Optimized for high speed
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Typography and Google fonts only available for paid plans
- Limited layouts available
PHP Version needed for its functionality: 5.2.4 or higher
5. Gutenix
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
You can start using your site quickly with Gutenix’s pre-built pages. It is a multipurpose and clean WordPress theme with different templates to match your style. It also has a minimalist design, and it is optimized to support Elementor and Brizy.
Pros:
- Variety of blog post layouts
- Fully responsive
- Fast speed
Cons:
- Premium plugins only available for paid plans
- Some reviewers say the support team is unreliable
- No free templates for Gutenberg
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
6. Matina by Mystery Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (800+ installations)
Matina is one of the best WordPress minimalist themes for personal or professional blogs. It offers a dark mode, a variety of plugins, and a carousel for multiple contents. There is also a pre-made demo that you can use to set up your blog quickly and easily.
Pros:
- Highly customizable
- Compatible with plugins, such as Wp Blog Layouts, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, etc.
- PreLoaders Layouts available
Cons:
- Typography options only with a paid plan
- More layouts available only with a paid plan
- No recent update is available
PHP Version: 5.2.4 or higher
7. Simple Persona by Catch Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (800+ installations)
Simple Persona was designed for professionals to create their personal blogs. This free minimalist WP theme is user-friendly, so your visitors can easily browse your site. You can also customize the templates to fit your style.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Customization allowed
- Variety of menus: primary, social, modern menu
Cons:
- Free version not compatible with WooCommerce
- Limited featured section
- Free version not compatible with the multilingual plugin
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
8. Amalie Lite By Anariel Design
Rating: 4/ 5 stars (600+ installations)
If you want to focus the reader’s attention on your content first and foremost, then Amalie Lite is for you. This minimal blog theme for WordPress sites has a blogging layout to organize and display your posts elegantly. So, be sure that this responsive design will emphasize your blog’s contents.
Pros:
- Multiple layouts
- Variety of templates
- Jetpack plugin featured
Cons:
- Limited customization
- No recent update
- Limited features
9. Wisdom Blog by Code Vibrant
Rating: no ratings (1,000+ installations)
Wisdom Blog is a minimalist WordPress blog theme with a responsive layout. This aids beautiful displays across a desktop, mobile, and other devices. It has an unlimited color scheme, and it is optimized for SEO.
Pros:
- Easy installation
- Variety of layouts available (Header, Archive, Bottom footer, etc.)
- Optimized for SEO
Cons:
- Typography options only available for a paid plan
- Preloader and breadcrumbs only available for a paid plan
PHP Version: 5.2.4 or higher
10. Minimal Blog by WP Interface
Rating: no ratings (1,000+ installations)
This is a minimalist WordPress theme with a simple and clean design to start your blog. The Minimal Blog theme has a good mix of photos, text, and white space for any subject you want to craft your blog about. It also includes a featured posts slideshow for when you want to highlight your best articles for the website visitor.
Pros:
- Frequent updates
- Optimized for SEO
- Supports different post formats (photo, video, audio, quote)
Cons:
- Limited customization (no color or font options for a free version)
- No integration with Instagram or Mailchimp is available
- No archive options for your less relevant content
PHP Version: 5.5 or higher
11. Qi Theme
Rating: 4/5 stars (7,000+ installations)
Qi Theme for Elementor is a well-built customizable theme that lends itself perfectly to multiple purposes, including blogging. The theme lets you choose between multiple single post and post list options, with several styles to choose from as well as plenty of demos to spark your creativity and help you get started.
Pros:
- A lot of customization options
- Beautiful design
- Video tutorials
Cons:
- Advanced options available with Premium
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
Free minimalist WordPress themes for portfolios
If you’re planning to build a portfolio online, we got you covered. Whether you’re looking to show off your photography, written content, or a collection of achievements, we got something for everyone.
Okay—let’s look at ten free minimalist WordPress themes so you can start creating your portfolio in style.
1. Phlox
Rating: 5/5 stars (40,000+ installations)
Phlox was created by the team behind the “Master Slider” project. It is a free minimalist WordPress theme with over 170 templates (37 free) to choose from. So, you’re free to choose one that matches what you want your site to be about. It also has a variety of widgets to help you customize your site.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Variety of widgets, such as: About Author, Contact Form, Instagram Feed widget
- Multilingual site
Cons:
- The speed needs improvement
- No highlight features are available
- Social links not integrated
PHP Version: 5.4 or higher
2. Portfolio Lite by Organic Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Portfolio is a free minimalist WordPress theme for artists, designers, photographers, and creatives to build their own portfolios. It features a slideshow page template from the first image gallery you add to the content. The categories on this website design are displayed in multi-columns for easier navigation.
Pros:
- Slideshow feature available
- Retina-optimized
- Category portfolio layout
Cons:
- Some reviewers complained about the bad technical support
- Color options only available for paid plans
- Ads on the website not removable
PHP Version: 5.3.29 or higher
3. ePortfolio by Theme in WP
Rating: 5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
ePortfolio is one of the WooCommerce themes with a wide range of additional plugins compatible with it. This free minimalist WP theme ensures smooth delivery of content and easy installation, and a 5-minute setup. It is also rich in features and enables you to customize the portfolio design according to your needs.
Pros:
- Compatible with Elementor, WooCommerce, SEO, etc.
- Social profile option available with social shares
- Full-width layout
Cons:
- Some reviewers state that speed needs improvement
- Color and font options only available with paid plans
- Limited archive control
PHP Version: 5.5 or higher
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4. Portfolio Web by Acme Themes
Rating: 4.5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
This sleek and minimalist WordPress theme enables you to showcase your work in a well-organized manner. It is easily customizable with available widgets and adaptive with all modern electronic devices. The feature slider section on the front page is especially appealing for many people looking at your portfolio.
Pros:
- Unlimited featured pages
- Social media icons integrated, such as Facebook, Instagram, etc.
- Custom widgets available
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Disabled own credit link
- Author info options only available for a paid plan
PHP Version: 5.7.2 or higher
5. Clean Portfolio by Catch Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
Clean Portfolio is a free minimalist WordPress theme designed to be simple, clear, and ready to present your portfolio just the way you want it. You can integrate popular social media for a fuller picture of your online presence. It also comes with features designed to enable you to showcase your experience and expertise.
Pros:
- User-friendly
- Rich in features (Featured Slider, Webmaster tool, Search options, etc.)
- Many various layouts are available
Cons:
- Limited color options
- No comment option
- Most featured content only available on paid plans
6. Career Portfolio by Theme 404
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
One of the free minimalist WP themes for creating portfolios is Career Portfolio. It offers advanced theme options, many shortcodes, and various portfolio pages to build your professional site. You can fully customize this great theme to present yourself from your best side.
Pros:
- High-quality design
- Fully customizable
- Slider layout available
Cons:
- Not compatible with WooCommerce
- Feature and testimonial sections only available for paid plans
- Video feature only available for paid plans
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
7. Online Portfolio by Ample Themes
Rating: 4.5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
This WordPress minimal theme is designed for building a personal portfolio on a single page. Online Portfolio theme is ideal for graphic designers, web designers, web developers, artists, and photographers because it’s retina-ready and comes with a full-width page layout. This way, you can present your work without worrying about image quality.
Pros:
- Variety of free widgets (Testimonials, Timeline, Services, etc.)
- Easy logo upload
- Slider option available
Cons:
- Limited color options
- Author bio only available with a paid plan
- Not possible to remove the footer credit
PHP Version: 5.2.4 or higher
Make sure your brand image is consistent. Design a logo that reflects your identity.
8. Ignis by aThemes
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
Ignis is a free minimalist WP theme that gives you the ability to customize it fully. You get a variety of colors, fonts, and page layouts to choose from to create your portfolio.
There is a small catch, though—you need to have Jetpack installed to use the portfolio feature.
Pros:
- Fully customizable
- Video and image permitted in the header media
- Net store integration for promoting merchandise, books, or partner companies
Cons:
- Jetpack needed for some features
- No recent updates
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
9. RT Portfolio by Rigorous Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (600+ installations)
Are you looking for a clean and modern portfolio? RT Portfolio is a great option to consider. This single-page minimalist WordPress theme is easy to use and designed in a strategic way for optimum results. The portfolio section lets you add media files and promote yourself while catching the attention of anyone looking at your site.
Pros:
- Social share buttons (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
- Variety of layouts available
- “Read more” option
Cons:
- No recent update
- Font options only available for paid plans
- Not compatible with WooCommerce
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
10. Concept Lite by Viva Themes
Rating: no ratings (300+ installations)
This minimalist WordPress theme has a beautiful serif font and social media menu. It also comes with an image slider and a section for your portfolio. Concept Lite is a great choice if you want to showcase your work clearly, whether it’s photographs, written content, or both.
Pros:
- Image slider available
- Variety of page layouts
- Integrated blog pagination
Cons:
- Not SEO friendly
- Limited customization
- No recent update
Free minimalist WordPress themes for photography
Sometimes the portfolio space is just not enough room for all your beautiful photographs. If that’s the case for you, let’s look at the best minimalist themes to focus on displaying your photography works.
1. Optimizer
Rating: 5/5 stars (7,000+ installations)
The Optimizer showcases your work and lets you choose images to display only on the phone or only on a desktop. This way, you can optimize your photos for a horizontal desktop or a vertical phone display. This WordPress theme is minimalist and gives you a choice between a full-width or boxed layout when creating your photography site.
Pros:
- Variety of widgets available, such as CTA, Countdown, Google + Followers widget, etc.
- SEO friendly
- Support for various WordPress plugins available (WooCommerce, Jetpack, Contact Form 7, etc.)
Cons:
- Slow customer service
- Little options for the free version
- Limited customization
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
2. Photograph by Theme Freesia
Rating: 4.5/5 stars (7,000+ installations)
This is one of the best minimal WP themes for your photographs. It is clean, packed with features, and gives you different widgets to choose from. Also, the Photograph lets you customize your site the way you want to present your work.
Pros:
- Video section available
- Social media integrations with LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and others
- Helpful support team
Cons:
- Limited customization
- No slider options
- Many features only available for paid plans
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
3. Pixgraphy by Theme Freesia
Rating: 5/5 stars (3,000 installations)
Pixgraphy is one of the free minimalist WordPress themes for freelancers to display their photography. It has a beautiful and responsive design with carefully decorated parts. Also, the elements in the theme are consistent (such as geometric shapes in the social media icons, logo, and photographs).
Pros:
- Works well with additional WordPress plugins
- Social icons available (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.)
- Beautiful design with unity in elements used
Cons:
- Speed needs improvement
- SEO configuration is not available, so extra plugins need to be added
- Limited customization
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
4. Silvia by themejunkie
Rating: 5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Silvia is an easy-to-use WordPress theme for those who want to display their images online. It is full of features to focus the visitor’s attention on the images you upload. It has JetPact integrated and many widgets to help you with the personalization of your site.
Pros:
- JetPack integrated
- Translation ready
- Easy to customize
Cons:
- Not compatible with other platforms
- Not SEO friendly
- No recent update
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
5. Photo Perfect by WEN Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Photo Perfect is a great choice for freelancers looking to put emphasis on their work. This free minimalist WP theme is easy to manage, and the layout options are practical to use on a daily basis. It is also compatible with all the most popular browsers, so your visitors will have the same great experience no matter which portal they use.
Pros:
- Compatible with: Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer 11, Safari
- Options for sidebar layouts available
- Post Excerpt and Masonry archive available
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Limited options for effects, slider, color, and font
- No SEO configuration available
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
6. Full Frame by Catch Themes
Rating: 4/ 5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Full Frame has a variety of different layouts and offers a theme customizer that helps you with real-time customization of your site. It is easy to set up and flexible, thanks to the many features available. This free minimalist WordPress theme is best suited for a photography business, portfolio, or blogging site.
Pros:
- Featured Page Slider available
- Promotion headline option available
- Great support team
Cons:
- Comment options only available for the premium version
- Limited featured content
- Social links and menu only available for paid plans
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
7. Maker by Dmitry
Rating: 4.5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Maker is a free minimalist photography WordPress theme with a classic grid-based layout and clean typography. It helps you build a timeless and elegant site to display your works. It also supports portfolio plugins when you need to create one.
Pros:
- Helpful and fast customer support
- Custom footer copyright message
- Custom page templates are available
Cons:
- Difficult to set up
- Not compatible with WooCommerce
- Limited customization
PHP version 7.4 or greater.
8. Squarex Lite By Dinev Dmitry
Rating: no ratings (500+ installations)
If a minimal WordPress theme for photographers without any unnecessary additional features is what you were looking for, then search no further. Squarex is smooth and user-friendly so that you can display your images in a clear manner without any distractions.
Pros:
- Bloat-free functionality
- Highly customizable
- Optimized for quick loading
Cons:
- Not SEO friendly
- Not many features are available
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
9. Photomania by WEN Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (400+ installations)
Photomania is one of the free minimalist photography WordPress themes you can download to display your works on. It ensures a great user experience and provides different layouts to help you create an individual site for your needs.
Pros:
- Featured page slider
- Different layouts available
- Custom and footer widgets available
Cons:
- Home section reordering only available for the premium version
- Limited customization
- No recent updates
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
10. Minimal Photography by Theme in WP
Rating: no ratings (300+ installations)
This one is for those who are looking for the simplest place to showcase their photography. Minimal Photography is a minimal WordPress theme compatible with WooCommerce and AdSense available to start making a profit off your works with ease.
Pros:
- Dark mode available
- Recent update available
- Compatible with WooCommerce, Elementor, and AdSense
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Limited post/page controls
- Theme credit link not removable
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
Minimum WordPress themes for business
Do you need a business website? You’re in the right place. Let’s look at some of the best minimal WordPress themes to use for your professional presence online. The themes are in order of the largest number of installations and most stars given on the ratings for a clearer view of them.
1. Sydney by aThemes
Rating: 5/5 stars (100,000+ installations)
Sydney is a powerful minimalist business theme for WordPress. It is also the officially recommended theme by Elementor. You can customize your website with access to different fonts, colors, layouts, and more. It also provides construction blocks for the quicker creation of engaging pages.
Pros:
- Variety of social media icons available (Twitter, Facebook, Dribbble, etc.)
- Recent update available
- Parallax backgrounds available
Cons:
- Some reviewers say the design for the free version is generic and needs improvements
- Very popular, which means your website could look like many others
- Limited use of WooCommerce
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
2. Zakra
Rating: 5/5 stars (60,000+ installations)
Zakra is a free minimalist WP theme with WP/Polylang and translation ready to create a professional website. It has a fast loading time and all the necessary plugins for your online business presence.
Pros:
- Optimized for speed
- Easy to install and edit
- Built with a lightweight framework
Cons:
- Very limited blog options for the free plan
- No SEO optimization
- Difficult customization
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
3. Blocksy by Creative Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (40,000+ installations)
This is one of the best minimalist WordPress themes for establishing the online presence of your business. Blocksy is compatible with WooCommerce and optimized for speed to help you make a great impression on potential clients. It also offers knowledgeable customer support if you ever get stuck.
Pros:
- The menu bar moves with the page
- Quick and knowledgeable customer support
- Optimized for speed
Cons:
- A low number of starter sites
- No native Gutenberg blocks
- Limited starter sites available for page builder plugins
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
4. Airi by aThemes
Rating: 5/5 stars (20,000+ installations)
Airi has all the necessary functionalities to create a professional website for your business. Use this free minimalist WordPress theme as a basis to craft a site that matches your company’s style and needs. You can start from scratch or choose a pre-made template for a bit of inspiration.
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive design
- Highly customizable
- Compatible with Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer 9+, and Opera
Cons:
- Not optimized for SEO
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
5. Astrid by aThemes
Rating: 5/5 stars (10,000+ installations)
If quick and helpful customer service is important to you, consider Astrid for your business theme. It is one of the easiest and intuitive free minimalist WordPress themes to use. But if you need help, support them and answer quickly and help solve any of your issues. You also get many layout options to choose from to match the needs of your business website.
Pros:
- Great support team
- “Fixed background” image scrolling features
- A variety of widgets available (widget 1, w2, w3)
Cons:
- No footer customization (you need to edit it directly via PHP files)
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
Learn how to easily make a logo for your business with this article.
6. Agama by Theme Vision
Rating: 4.5 / 5 stars (7,000+ installations)
Another place on our list of minimal WordPress themes goes to Agama. It is perfect for web agency businesses to create their eCommerce store. It is compatible with WooCommerce and SEO-friendly to make your site more effective in gaining sales.
Pros:
- WooCommerce Compatible
- SEO-friendly
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Not many features compared to other themes
- Some reviewers struggled with updating the theme on their site
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
7. Emmet Lite by MotoPress
Rating: 5/5 stars (3,000+ installations)
Emmet Lite allows you to create a professional-looking site quickly and easily. It allows you to change the order of elements, primary colors and hide elements that you don’t want to show on your site. This WordPress minimalist theme also has plugins for even greater customization of your professional website.
Pros:
- Fully integrated WordPress Customizer
- Call to Action section available
- Quick and helpful customer support
Cons:
- Limited feature sections
- Not able to delete the “Designed by MotoPress” text
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
8. Integral Lite by Themely
Rating: 5/5 stars (2,000+ installations)
Integral One Page Business Theme is perfect for those who are just starting their journey with WordPress. This minimalist WordPress theme is easy to use, and you can configure the majority of it within an hour. It displays your content on a single page and makes it look clear and elegant.
Pros:
- Smooth parallax effect available
- Variety of sections available (Welcome, Testimonials, Features, and others)
- Recent update available
Cons:
- Image & video slider only available for a paid plan
- Limited customization
- Not SEO friendly
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
9. Minimal Business by Theme 404
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
Minimal Business is best designed for corporate, business, and creative agency websites. This free WordPress minimalist theme lets you configure most of its elements and see the live preview of your changes. It’s also optimized for SEO which can help your site’s visibility on Google’s search results page.
Pros:
- Optimized for user experience
- Optimized for SEO
- Compatible with all web browsers (Safari, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, etc.)
Cons:
- No recent update
- Not compatible with WooCommerce
- Limited customization
10. Seva Business by Blossom themes
Rating: no ratings (100+ installations)
Seva is a free minimal WordPress theme designed to help you generate leads and professionally showcase your work. It offers multiple Calls to Action buttons, sections for testimonials and services. This responsive theme is ideal for coaches, mentors, and therapists.
Pros:
- Recent update available
- Optimized for SEO
- Optimized for speed
Cons:
- Tailored for specific businesses
- Limited templates for the free plan
- Limited customization
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
Suggested reading:
- Best WordPress Ecommerce Themes
- How to Sell Online (With a Low-Traffic Website)
- 9 WP eCommerce Examples
Free minimalist WP themes for fashion blogs
The last category in this article is dedicated to the ones who are creating a fashion blog. Let’s look at the best minimal themes WordPress has in stock for you. And you don’t have to worry about spending a dime since all of those have a free version available for use.
Also, check out this article to learn how to start an online boutique.
1. Ashe by WP Royal
Rating: 5/5 stars (70,000+ installations)
Ashe is one of the best minimal WP themes for your fashion blog. It is elegant and stylish, letting you display your fashion across the site in a beautiful manner. If you decide to start selling any of your designs, this theme will help you with its WooCommerce integration.
Pros:
- Optimized for SEO
- Integrated with MailPoet
- Recent update available
Cons:
- Free version not optimized for speed
- Limited customization
- Limited integrations available
PHP Version: 5.2.4 or higher
Learn how to start an online clothing store is just a few simple steps.
2. Cenote by Theme Grill
Rating: 5/5 stars (10,000+ installations)
Cenote is designed for fashion, travel, and personal blogs. It is completely SEO-friendly and has a good set of features to make sure your site stands out from the crowd. You can also use a page builder to set it up quickly and with ease.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Optimized for speed
- Social media linking is available (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube)
Cons:
- Limited customization options available
- Speed optimization only on desktop
- No featured post settings are available
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
3. Olsen Light by CSSIgniter
Rating: 5/5 stars (8,000+ installations)
This is one of the best minimalist WordPress themes if translations are important for your site. It supports left-to-right languages (for example. English and Russian) as well as right-to-left translations (for example, Hebrew and Arabic).
Pros:
- Recent update available
- Compatible with popular page builders like Elemento, Divi, Brizy, and Beaver Builder
- Customizable excerpts for your blog entries
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Limited post options
- Author box available only for a paid plan
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
4. Fashion Diva by Blossom themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (5,000+ installations)
Another one of the free minimalist WP themes is Fashion Diva. It is social media ready, so you can connect your social profiles to your site to gain more followers. You can also easily integrate other platforms and WordPress plugins to meet your needs.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Variety of layouts: two header layouts, two banner slider layouts, featured area layout, etc.)
- Optimized for speed
Cons:
- Minimum slider control
- AdSense and other advertisement slots only available for paid plans
- Multilingual translations not available
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
5. Fashion by Blossom Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (4,000+ installations)
Blossom Fashion is a free minimalist WordPress blog theme to create an eye-catching website. It is a feminine and chic-looking theme to share your fashion tips and tricks. Also, you can start monetizing your blog with the use of the advertisement widget.
Pros:
- Reliable support team
- Integrated with social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Xing
- Optimized for speed and SEO
Cons:
- Limited choices for colors
- AdSense and other advertisement slots only available for paid plans
- Multilingual translations only available for the premium version
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
6. Modern Store
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
Modern Store has a minimalist aesthetic to charm your visitors. You can use it to sell your clothing items and showcase your fashion designs. This WordPress minimal blog theme includes various features to help you attract potential customers to continue browsing your site.
Pros:
- Optimized for speed
- User-friendly interface
- Recent update available
Cons:
- Not SEO friendly
- Limited customization
PHP Version: 5.4 or higher
7. Fashion Lifestyle by Blossom Themes
Rating: 5/5 stars (1,000+ installations)
Fashion Lifestyle is one of those minimal blog themes WordPress has to showcase your fashion designs. It is perfect if you want to open a store online and catch the visitor’s eye with a lively website. Share your expertise and gain more clients by extending your presence online.
Pros:
- Use-friendly interface
- Customizable site
- Optimized for SEO
Cons:
- AdSense and other advertisement options only available for paid plans
- Multi-language only available for paid plans
- Limited layouts
PHP Version: 5.6 or higher
8. Gema Lite By pixelgrade
Rating: 5/5 stars (600+ installations)
Gema Lite is a free minimalist WordPress theme inspired by fashion magazines. You will definitely grab your visitors’ attention with its original, boxed layout. It is also optimized for SEO to help you optimize your site for search engines and gain more traffic.
Pros:
- Helpful customer support team
- Optimized for fast loading speed
- Optimized for SEO
Cons:
- Limited widget options for a free version
- Limited customization
- Difficult to set up
9. Clubfashion by the WPclub
Rating: 4/ 5 stars (500+ installations)
This is a free WordPress theme for your fashion blog with an option to add social media links and a full-width header picture. By implementing this pastel-colored theme, you’ll combine a classic modern look with a modern twist.
Pros:
- Customizable colors
- Integration of social media links available (Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, and others)
- Slide-out sticky sidebar featured
Cons:
- Not SEO-friendly
- No documentation or instructions are available
PHP Version: 5.4 or higher
10. Nataraja by WPKoi
Rating: no ratings (200+ installations)
Nataraja is a perfect theme for those who want a more bold design and prefer vibrant colors from delicate pastels. This theme uses Elementor and other plugins for you to craft the site to your liking. It is also optimized for speed, so your fashion blog can load quickly for visitors.
Pros:
- Optimized for speed
- Variety of headers and navigation styles
- Compatible with WooCommerce and Elementor
Cons:
- Limited customization
- Not SEO friendly
- Limited post and layout widgets available for a free version
PHP Version: 7.0 or higher
Bonus: What to pay attention to when choosing a WordPress minimalist theme?
Finally, here are eight tips for choosing the right theme:
1. Make sure the theme is responsive
As many as 57% of people use mobile phones to access the internet. That’s more than half of the visitors to your website using their mobiles to access your content. That’s why the theme you choose should be responsive to all types of devices.
You don’t want to create a beautiful site just to find out that it looks messy for the visitors using their phones.
Good news! All the themes on our list are responsive, so no matter which one takes your fancy, your visitors will have a pleasant experience no matter what device they’re using.
2. Check if you can customize the theme to your needs
You only get about 50 milliseconds to impress your site’s visitors. Customized design is the best way to make them stay and explore your content.
Make sure the theme you pick for your new site is easily customizable to ensure you can express yourself. This will also make your page stand out in the crowd of other websites using the same theme.
3. Ensure the theme is optimized for SEO
SEO is important for your website’s visibility and traffic. As much as 68% of all website traffic comes from organic and paid searches. And to get any organic traffic, you need to use SEO. Simple as that.
So make sure the theme you’re using is SEO friendly and allows you to optimize your site for SEO as much as possible. This will bring you a return on investment. In fact, 49% of people who answered the Search Engine Journal survey said that SEO has the highest return on investment for those using it.
In addition, Databox conducted a survey and found that SEO generates more sales than pay per click, according to 70% of marketers. So if you’re starting a business website, your sales depend on your SEO efforts.
4. Check the layout of your competitors
Do some competitor’s research before you dig into minimalist WordPress themes and create your website.
How do their websites look? Are they using single-page or multiple? Are they using a lot of multimedia or mostly sticking to text?
Look for inspiration and choose what parts to implement into your website and which ones to stay away from. This will help you with choosing the theme and the whole process of designing your pages.
5. Check if the theme is updated frequently
It’s also important for your theme to stay up to date for security reasons. The updated theme has bigger protection against the changing vulnerabilities.
When you see that a theme is updated regularly, it’s a future peace of mind. Since you can also be sure that any issues users report in the future will get a quick fix. Also, developers will update the theme to get rid of the issues present. And you might get new additions thrown in once in a while.
Regular theme updates are important to ensure compatibility with plugins and other additions to your site. Sometimes plugins and widgets need a recent update to be compatible with your theme. And you don’t want to have to say goodbye to your favorite plugins just because your theme is not compatible with them anymore.
6. Ensure the speed of the theme is high
Once someone clicks on your site, it needs to open quickly. The same goes for different pages within the website.
People lose patience quickly, so if your site doesn’t load fast enough, they’ll leave and go to a competitor. The chances of a mobile visitor bounce increase by 123% for websites that take between 1s to 10s to load.
Convenience and speed became a competitive advantage for online companies and bloggers. People want it now, and if you fail to deliver, they’ll go somewhere else.
7. Look for a user-friendly interface
Forrester Research found that improving user experience can lead to increased conversions rates by up to 400%. That’s a big opportunity for your brand’s growth.
So, make it easy for your visitors to find what they need on your site. Convenience and speed became a competitive advantage for online companies and bloggers. People want it now, and if you fail to deliver, they’ll go somewhere else.
Also, make it a good experience for them. You can embed photos, videos, quality content, and other elements to keep the visitor engaged.
Key takeaway
That’s it from our list of best free minimalist WordPress themes. We showed you some of the greatest options for different blogs and businesses.
Just remember to make sure the theme you choose to set up your site is:
- Responsive for any device
- Customizable to your needs
- Optimized for SEO
- Optimized for speed
- User-friendly