There are thousands of WordPress themes to choose from. With so many options, you might be wondering how to tell them apart. What's the difference between a minimalist theme and a creative theme anyways?
What sets creative themes apart from other themes is that they are typically designed for creative professionals and agencies to make a bold impression on visitors. That’s why these themes usually have unusual layouts, fonts, color schemes, and images, and a combination of the latest design features like parallax scrolling, hover animations, and a flat design. Let's take a look at some of the most highly-rated creative themes.
Best Creative WordPress Themes
In this roundup, we've curated a collection of themes that suit different tastes but all prioritize the user experience. Each of these themes can help you promote your brand name and attract visitors to your WordPress website.
1. Uncode
Ideal for: Creative portfolios and blogs
Uncode is one of the top-selling creative WordPress themes in Theme Forest marketplace.
Uncode offers over 60 demo sites that you can import in one click. These range from ecommerce to travel to agencies, and much more. In addition to these demos, Uncode comes with 400 wireframe layouts for building out portfolio, blog, and news pages as well as elements like headers, icons, call to actions, pricing tables, and galleries. These wireframe layouts — when combined with the theme's advanced features like adaptive images and an innovative grid system — make it possible to create truly unique web pages.
What We Like
- 60+ award-winning demos
- Enhanced version of WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- 400+ wireframe layouts
2. Soledad
Ideal for: Creative professionals or business owners
If you are a creative, Soledad offers a lot of options with its multipurpose theme. It's incredibly customizable, with the ability to choose from thousands of pre-built blocks and more than 220 pre-built sites. This provides a great framework for creatives looking to showcase their portfolio or looking for maximum flexibility for their pages.
Additionally, Soledad is configured for speed and SEO, with optimizations for Google Core Web Vitals and Page Speed. Included in the theme are features like structured data support and AMP page support.
What We Like
- Works with WPBakery & Elementor page builders
- Choose from 220+ pre-built site templates
- Drag and drop header builder
3. Bridge
Ideal for: Any website. Seriously.
Bridge is the best-selling creative theme in the ThemeForest marketplace and powers more than 160,000 websites. Created by the award-winning Qode Interactive team, Bridge comes with flexible layouts, fully customizable headers and footers, and over 800 fonts — as all Qode themes do.
What sets Bridge apart is both its built-in functionality and flexibility. For example, Bridge comes with over 580 demos. Depending on the demo, you can either use the WPBakery Page Builder plugin or Elementor to customize your design without touching a single line of code.
In addition to the dozens of modules that come built into Bridge, this theme comes bundled with a wide range of plugins. The newest allow you to add listings and menus to your site and enable visitors to book reservations and create their own accounts.
What We Like
- 580 demos + enhanced demo import module
- Can choose WPBakery or Elementor as page builder
- Powerful built-in functionality for creating directory, membership, news, restaurant websites, and more
4. Rakon
Idea for: Creative agencies and design studios
If you’re looking to drive more business to your creative agency or design studio, Rakon offers a multi-purpose theme with a professional look. It provides the important components needed for a business website, such as a services layout, pricing pages, contact form, and several blog grid types, while still allowing agencies to highlight their creative side. The headers and footers are simple yet effective, and features like Smooth Animations, illustrations, Google Fonts, and icons help to make any website even more appealing and high-quality.
Because of the theme’s highly customizable layouts, it’s also suitable for software companies, charities, product pages, and as a personal portfolio.
What We Like
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Available on two powerful page builders, Elementor and WPBakery
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Includes a collection of 1800+ pixel perfect icons
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Comes with 210+ UI elements and templates, and 200+ shortcodes and widgets
5. Kalium
Ideal for: Creative professionals
Kalium is a responsive multi-purpose theme that appeals to creative businesses and individuals looking to build a website or portfolio.
Kalium offers a minimalist design, 100+ customization options, and an array of portfolio, project, and blog layouts. These, among other features, make it ideal for agencies, restaurants, bookstores, car dealers, gyms, photographers, musicians, artists, freelancers, and more.
No matter what your level of technical skill, you can use Kalium to build a beautiful portfolio or website. Built by coders for coders, Kalium is easy to extend so users with web development experience can customize their site’s appearance exactly as they want. However, those lacking this technical experience can use the WPBakery Page Builder to easily drag and drop elements on the page.
What We Like
- Font management library
- WPBakery Page Builder included
- 30+ portfolio types
6. Intact
Ideal for: Startups
Intact is one of the best multipurpose WordPress themes in the Theme Forest marketplace.
In addition to 12 pre-made homepage demos, Intact provides blog and portfolio layouts. After choosing any of these templates, you can customize them using the premium Visual Composer plugin. Other premium tools included in this theme bundles are the Slider Revolution plugin, Templatera (the template manager for Visual Composer), and the IconsMind pack.
Intact includes custom content elements like alerts, logo carousels, and progress bars as well as advanced elements like parallax scrolling and CSS animation.
What We Like
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- 30+ custom elements for page builder
- Child theme included for easy customization
7. Beoreo
Ideal for: Minimalist businesses websites
Beoreo is a creative, multi-purpose WordPress theme that comes packed with amazing design options. With this theme, entrepreneurs can create the perfect website for their businesses.
Beoreo provides 18 home page demos so you can get started building your site instantly. Since the theme comes bundled with the premium drag-and-drop Visual Composer plugin, you can customize whatever design you choose without writing any code. The theme also comes with custom header design options, social widgets, carousels, pricing tables, and a blog grid so you can create a fully functional business site.
If you'd like to add a shop to sell products on your site as well, then you can install the WooCommerce plugin and it will work seamlessly with this theme.
What We Like
- Incorporated WPBakery Page Builder plugin into theme
- 15+ fully customizable homepage demos
- Supports WooCommerce
8. Avada
Ideal for: Beginners
Installed by over 70,000 WordPress users, Avada makes it easy for anyone to create a stunning one-page or multi-page website. With just a few clicks, you can build a professional-looking site from scratch thanks to its easy-to-use website builder and pre-built websites.
Avada has demos for restaurants, architecture firms, gyms, events, app launches, and much more so it can suit your site's needs no matter what niche your business is in.
What We Like
- 80+ pre-built websites
- 6 builders included for websites, layouts, headers, footers, forms, and WooCommerce store
- 100+ design elements including drop caps, registration popups, and breadcrumbs
9. Heli
Ideal for: Minimalist portfolios
Heli is the perfect solution for minimalists. All of its pre-designed layouts use a black-and-white color scheme, readable typography, and hi-res images. This makes Heli the perfect choice for websites or portfolios of designers, photographers, and other creative professionals.
You can add parallax scrolling and animation effects, among other customization options, to make your website more dynamic.
What We Like
- 40+ homepage demos
- Advanced portfolio and blog layouts
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
10. Salient
Ideal for: Ecommerce sites
Salient is a responsive, fast-loading theme that appeals to creative agencies and entrepreneurs.
Salient comes with over 350 templates, which you can mix and match to create a truly unique website or online shop. Or you can import any of the demo sites with one click to get started instantly. Salient also comes with a front-end editor with over 65 elements so you can customize your pages in real-time. Other advanced features include shape dividers, cascading images, page transitions, masonry image galleries, and much more.
Here's the demo for an ecommerce store. Its scrolling text animation, image galleries, and sliders are just a few reasons this theme so attractive to creative businesses.
What We Like
- 350+ templates
- Front-end editor with 65 design elements
- Premium WooCommerce integration
11. Verve
Ideal for: Modern websites
Verve is a creative theme offering highly visual and unique layouts. It appeals to agencies, bloggers, and other business niches.
These layouts offers carousel navigation, hidden navigation, and video support. There are ones specifically for blogging and others for portfolios.
To customize these layouts, you can use the built-in Visual Composer plugin as well as the theme's enhanced admin panel. This panel has over 100 customization tools and options, including a color picker, image uploader, custom scripts, and much more.
What We Like
- Can choose WPBakery or Elementor as page builder
- 15 demos with unique navigation styles
- Control panel with over 100 options to control color, images, URL slugs, and more
12. Impreza
Ideal for: Creative small business websites
Impreza is one of the most feature-rich and flexible themes on the market.
It offers over 20 demo sites for restaurants, blogs, portfolios, creative agencies, and other business niches. In addition to these complete demos, there are over 300 templates that you can mix and match when building out your site.
With Impreza, you're also able to create any header or grid layout you like; reuse the same content blocks on multiple pages and edit them all at once; and choose from over 300 theme customization options.
What We Like
- Enhanced version of WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- 44 rich builder elements
- Built-in header and grid builder
13. Brando
Ideal for: Creative professionals and entrepreneurs
As one of the best one-page WordPress themes, Brando is particularly well-suited for creative professionals and entrepreneurs. Think: freelance designers, photographers, restaurant owners, and small shop owners. Using any of Brando's one-page designs, you can showcase your creative work, event details, and contact info right on the homepage.
In addition to its ready-to-use demo designs, Brando also offers blog layouts, and Coming Soon page templates. For customization, it comes bundled with the WPBakery Page Builder plugin and includes header designs, unlimited color options, Google Fonts, parallax and video background options, and more.
Lastly, Brando is built on the Bootstrap framework and coded with HTML5 and CSS so your site will be lightweight and fast.
What We Like
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- Creative portfolio layouts
- Modern design elements like parallax backgrounds and hover effects
14. Flow
Ideal for: Bloggers
Flow is a blogging theme that offers unique layouts and stunning typography, images, and colors to attract readers. With this theme, you can present your content in a trendy masonry grid, in a standard blog list with a sticky sidebar, or in an "infinite" blog list.
For example, in the infinite demo above, readers are able to open any of the posts directly on the page. They just click and the post expands, shifting the other snippets on the page. No reloading necessary!
What We Like
- 3 "flow" layouts with unique scrolling patterns
- Can embed Instagram feed
- Child theme included for easy customization
15. Phlox
Ideal for: Interactive websites
Phlox is a multipurpose theme for entrepreneurs, graphic designers, illustrators, photographers, and other creative professionals looking to build an interactive website.
It offers over 170 demos, each with their own unique menu designs, clean layouts, bold color scheme, and AJAX loading to ensure every visitor can easily navigate and browse your site. You can further customize any of these options to fulfill your unique vision by adding parallax loading transitions or custom typography, for example.
What We Like
- 170+ demos
- Adaptive images and image preloading for better performance
- 30+ custom widgets
16. Rhye
Ideal for: Portfolios
Rhye is one of the best parallax WordPress themes that's specifically designed for artists.
You can create a memorable portfolio site with this theme's smooth scrolling and motion effects, AJAX transitions, full-screen sliders, parallax and distortion effects, fluid typography, and more. Making a custom website is easy with the Elementor plugin and 27+ custom widgets that come built-in with the theme.
What We Like
- Fluid design
- 9 demos + 25 portfolio and inner page templates
- Advanced scrolling and parallax effects
17. Pretty Creative
Ideal for: Artists
Pretty Creative is a lightweight, fast loading theme built on the Genesis framework. Designed by a creative for creatives, this theme can help you build a photography portfolio, personal blog, or whatever project you have in mind.
Pretty Creative offers custom page templates for your homepage, archives, blog, and landing pages. You can add a sticky navigation menu, expanded search bar, and WooCommerce features to any of these pages.
If you want to purchase this theme as a standalone product, without the Genesis framework offered by StudioPress, then you can buy it directly at Pretty Darn Cute Design.
What We Like
- Custom page templates
- 8 widget areas
- Works with the Genesis framework
18. Choco
Ideal for: Minimalist agency sites
Choco is a multipurpose theme that can meet the needs of any creative agency or individual.
Choco offers 11 demos that are most notable for their minimalist designs: clean layouts, black and white color schemes, readable font. To customize any of these demos, Choco comes bundled with the premium drag-and-drop Visual Composer plugin. It also has a unique options panel that's built with the Redux framework to help you build WordPress sites faster and easier. With this panel, you can change your website's color scheme, logo, favicon, font, and much more.
What We Like
- 11 demos
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- Options panel powered by Redux framework
19. Rife
Ideal for: People who need a site in 5 minutes
Rife is a stylish theme created by Apollo 13 Themes. It's ideal for creating photography sites, one page websites, and landing pages.
Rife comes with over 40 demo designs that you can import in one click. In addition to these ready-made demos, Rife includes over 30 custom pages and 15 header designs, which you can mix and match to create a site that reflects your unique brand.
There is also a free version that can be downloaded directly within your WordPress dashboard. While it comes with less demos and features, it will suit individuals trying to keep their costs low as they establish their online presence.
What We Like
- 40+ demos and 30+ custom pages so you can launch site in minutes
- Supports Elementor
- Free version of theme available
20. Oshine
Ideal for: Small busines websites
Oshine is a multipurpose creative theme that's been chosen by thousands of WordPress users. It comes with over 50 demo templates that are ideal for portfolio and photography websites.
Oshine is rich in functionality, offering a front-end page builder to create and make live changes on your web pages. It also includes 10 header styles, five menu layouts, three body and footer layouts, unlimited portfolio pages, and dozens of shortcodes for quickly customizing your site.
What We Like
- 52 demos for range of small business niches
- Tatsu visual builder included
- 50+ styling modules including CTAs and testimonials
21. Hadleigh
Ideal for: Lifestyle bloggers
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Available for purchase in the Creative Market, Hadleigh is a chic and sophisticated WordPress theme for bloggers.
Packed with features and customization options, Hadleigh is ideal for creatives looking to establish a unique online presence. This theme comes with eight pre-designed pages, including five home page options, that you can mix and match. Using the free Elementor plugin, you can customize your design without needing to code. You can also add affiliate links to monetize your blog as well as social media icons, contact forms, and sidebar widgets.
What We Like
- 8 demos built with Elementor
- Built-in newsletter subscription form and integration with MailChimp
- Custom sidebar widgets
22. The Voux
Ideal for: Magazine sites
The Voux is a stylish WordPress theme for digital magazines and bloggers. It comes with 19 demo sites with clean, image-rich layouts that are perfect for presenting a large volume of content.
You can also easily monetize your blog with affiliate links, shoppable images, and other advertising features and fully integrate your site with WooCommerce.
What We Like
- Image hotspots and shoppable images
- Multiple monetization options with affiliate marketing and ads
- Visual Composer plugin included
23. Node
Ideal for: Freelancers
Node is a feature-rich theme designed for creative businesses and individuals that offers colorful and clean layouts.
In addition to 18 pre-designed demos, Node offers a full range of customization tools, including the Visual Composer builder, Revolution Slider, and a powerful collection of shortcodes, to extend the theme's default functionality. With this theme, you'll also get icon packs, a slider module with image and video support, various animation effects, multiple header styles, full-screen content blocks, and more.
What We Like
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- 18 pre-designed pages
- 8 icon packs included
24. Studio 8
Ideal for: Image-rich websites
Studio 8 is a premium WordPress theme specifically created for agencies, web designers, photographers, filmmakers, and other creative professionals.
Like all themes designed by the WPLook team, Studio 8 is responsive and optimized for speed. What sets it apart are the blog, shop, and portfolio layouts, which includes a two-, three-, four-column, and single page layout for showcasing your projects. Custom share buttons, unlimited color schemes, and Font Awesome Icons are just a few other features that make it unique.
The demo above includes a navigation bar, slider, four-column grid, featured blog posts display, and several call-to-action buttons.
What We Like
- Custom share buttons
- Optimized for speed
- Child theme included
25. Boldlab
Ideal for: Creative agencies
If you want to create a truly unique website or portfolio, Boldlab is the theme for you.
In addition to 11 fully customizable homepage demos, it offers a unique collection of portfolio, shop, and blog layouts. You can customize these demos and layouts with the Visual Composer and Slider Revolution plugins. When customizing the portfolio layouts in particular, you can select from a variety of pagination options and effects, including infinite scroll and parallax effects.
You can also add galleries, countdown timers, counters, pricing tables, and more via Boldlab's extensive range of shortcodes.
What We Like
- Can choose WPBakery or Elementor as page builder
- 9 portfolio layouts with 3 pagination types
- Custom widgets for adding Instagram and Twitter feeds, and more
26. Cookie
Ideal for: Creatives
Cookie is a clean and sleek multipurpose WordPress theme with 18 different layouts, each with its unique concept. The customization process for non-tech users is easy with the built-in Visual Composer plugin and demo content.
If you'd rather start with templates than demo content, you can choose from four one-page layouts, five multi-page layouts, three blog and portfolio layouts, and three shop or Coming Soon layout templates to build out your site. Once you're done with the basic set-up, you can make your site more engaging and lucrative with Cookie's parallax backgrounds, built-in Revolution Slider plugin, and WooCommerce support.
What We Like
- Visual Composer plugin included
- 18 demos
- 80+ inner pages
27. Outdoor
Ideal for: Photography sites
Outdoor is ideal for photographers or art lovers looking to create a personal portfolio.
Outdoor offers five portfolio archive pages and nine portfolio single pages, all of which can be customized using the bundled Visual Composer plugin. There are also six unique homepage layouts available, including slider, horizontal carousel, slideshow, multi slideshow, static image, and video.
Newest among the standard and premium features built into the theme are an infinite scroll feature (which allows you to load more items in your layout and galleries) and external and gallery portfolio options.
What We Like
- WPBakery Page Builder plugin included
- 14 portfolio layouts
- Options panel powered by Redux framework
28. H-Code
Ideal for: Creative professionals and agencies
If you are looking for a feature-rich and modern theme, H-Code is a great option. This theme is packed with features and customization options that will help you create a stunning design for your site.
This multipurpose theme offers over 60 premade demos, including 31 multi-page and 26 one-page templates. You can select the one that most suits your business needs and brand and then customize very detail with the premium WPBakery drag-and-drop plugin, which comes bundled for free with the theme.
What We Like
- 200+ ready-to-use design elements and shortcodes
- Built with Bootstrap and HTML5
- Optimized for speed
Selecting Your Creative Theme
The theme you choose for your WordPress website is one of the most important design choices you'll make. Lucky for you, any of the themes above can help you establish a stylish and unique brand presence on the web.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
