Selecting a WordPress theme for a blogging website or business website is a daunting task. There are a number of themes available, and it's impossible to tell which is the best. You may find one theme that may look good but when you start using it, you'll get to know it is not exactly what you want.
Still, a lot of theme developers recommend their own theme framework, which isn't even a good option, because, after a year or two, the framework tends to be out of date due to a lack of regular updates. This is why it is important to choose a theme that will exist for years.
Here is a detailed review of the Astra WordPress theme that will help you decide whether Astra is the best theme for your site.
What Is Astra & Why It Is Popular?
Astra is a WordPress theme that is fully responsive and SEO optimized. This theme features over 70 different designs to choose from, which means you're sure to find the perfect design for your website.
Astra also includes additional functionality like WooCommerce integration, easy demo import, unlimited colors with no coding knowledge needed, and much more. Read on for more information about Astra and if it may be the right choice for your website.
It is popular mainly due to the 3 features:
1. It is extremely lightweight – You can easily load it easily in less than half a second and it maintains the speed with the growth of your site.
2. It is highly customizable – Unlike other fast themes, the Astra theme is highly customizable. With a full-width layout, you can change just about everything and customize it according to your needs.
3. It is user-friendly – It is very easy to use and offers you a high degree of customization options.
Key Features Of Astra Theme In WordPress
Astra Theme consists of 70 unique themes, each designed to suit a different purpose. Astra is responsive and includes subtle animations and scrolling features. With the theme, you can easily integrate your WooCommerce storefront with your website, manage your products with a high level of customization, fully customize the layout to adapt to the needs of your users, and much more.
Some key features that make the theme different from the other WordPress themes are –
- 70+ WordPress designs to choose from
- WooCommerce support for an eCommerce website
- A top-notch page builder support that is easy to use (Elementor Page Builder)
- SEO friendly and mobile-friendly design that can be used for any purpose (personal or professional)
- Additional theme features include unlimited logo uploads, custom widgets, font uploads, and tons more.
- FREE support from the Astra support team.
- No coding experience is required to customize this theme, everything can be done with the easy-to-use options panel.
- One-click demo import that makes setting up your website a breeze
- A premium theme that is fully supported with regular updates and fixes
- Multiple homepage templates allow you to have a unique website every time.
- MailChimp integration for newsletter subscriptions
- Contact form widget and shortcode generator so your website visitors can contact you through your site.
What Does Astra Theme Offer?
Astra theme is best for both beginners and experienced web developers. It offers a variety of easy features which are very simple to use, but at the same time, you have complete control over the appearance and functionality of your website. With Astra theme, you can be certain that your website will perform well on all devices.
The Astra WordPress theme is ideal for businesses that need a professional-looking website with a lot of textual content. You can use this template for your personal blog also, though it is specifically designed for business websites that require high-quality texts and the latest features. It comes in two different variations; Astra free, and Astra Pro, each with its own package of features to offer. Let’s see what this theme has to offer you.
The thing that differentiates Astra from other designs is its inherent support for various popular WordPress Page Builders. If you’re not sure what a Page Builder is, it’s simply one of the most efficient design solutions to use for your website. With a handy drag & drop functionality, and well-organized control panel, an admin user can create blog posts, pages, and other important content elements without having to step out of the WordPress Admin Panel. It’s fair to say that using a Page Builder is the best way to edit your content in WordPress: you get full control over each element without having to mess around with codes. This particular feature might be very useful for those who are not particularly technically inclined.
The Astra Theme gracefully integrates with page builders such as WPBakery Page Builder (formerly known as Visual Composer), Beaver Builder, Elementor, Thrive Architect, Brizy, Divi Builder, & our other top-voted page builders. It is useful for two reasons, first, this makes your website very easy to customize and tweak. Second, it reduces the need for developers by cutting out the technical stuff.
The support for many page builders is the main selling point of this theme because there are several WordPress themes that are not made with the latest page builders in mind.
When you install and activate the theme, and when you edit posts and pages, a settings box will appear on your screen. You will find several general page settings options here and you can change them, such as where to display the sidebar and whether you want the content boxed or full width. Features like header, page title, featured image, and footer bar can be disabled completely from here.
The excellent thing about this setup is that you can customize how everything should look on a page-by-page basis. Astra has everything when it comes to design. Anyone, despite their technical experience, can customize their website design through the WordPress Theme Customizer.
Many WordPress users sometimes face the problem that it can be difficult to modify the design of a theme according to their preferences. But you need not worry about Astra.
You can activate the Astra Starter Sites plugin to import many pre-built website designs. There are over 180 designs available, and you'll find pre-made options for blogs, businesses, online shops, portfolios, and more.
For many, this is one of the best reasons to use Astra, as it essentially makes it 180 WordPress themes in one (or 95 in one if you use the free version). Astra was created so that beginners can build professional websites without writing any code. However, the theme is also designed with developers in mind.
It is all set for custom post types and considerably supports WooCommerce. The theme follows WCAG 2.0 standards and follows SEO best practices. The design of the theme is both RTL and translation-ready.
Hooks and filters allow developers to easily add content to websites. On the other hand, non-developers can use the free Astra Hooks plugin, which makes it easy to add unique content and code to your website.
Astra Free And Premium Versions
Astra is 100% open source i.e it has a free version which is easy to set up and start playing. But it also has a full-featured Pro version that you can take if you want to enjoy exclusive features. It is a responsive theme that works well across all current computer and mobile devices.
The theme follows the latest web design standards, and this makes it perfect for any kind of website. It supports many popular WordPress plugins as well, and you can take advantage of this fact to boost your website performance. Its code is PHP7 compatible and it is tested with the most recent WordPress versions. Astra theme is also optimized for SEO standards, so you can start getting organic traffic in no time.
Here are the features of both versions of the Astra theme. This will help you decide which version is perfect for your needs.
The free version of Astra has the following features:
• Responsive Layout
This theme looks great across all browsers and mobile devices. No matter what you're using to browse your site, it will look great on your screen.
• Easy to Use Theme Options –
Astra's theme options are easy to use and customizable in many different ways. You can customize the design of your site to make it look exactly how you want it. It also has many theme options that allow you to easily create amazing layouts and designs that will make your website stand out from the rest. There are a few layouts that are pre-set such as the start page and homepage.
• Flexible Navigation –
The navigation is built with ease of use in mind which allows for you to easily position the menu and sidebar where you want them on your site. This theme also includes several custom widgets which will help make your website more interactive and increase user engagement.
Many users have mentioned that this theme is easy to use and customize due to its minimal design. The design team that created Astra has created a stylish, functional layout in order to keep your attention on the content of your site rather than its exterior appearance.
The premium version of Astra includes:
• Premium Design
Astra was designed by a professional design team with a focus on minimal design.
• WordPress Customizer
This theme offers an option for using the WordPress customizer which allows you to preview how your site will look before you save your changes. If you want to make changes, simply use the slider controls or click any element on the page and apply your desired settings. The customizer is also fully responsive.
• Full-Width Sidebar
The sidebar is great for displaying your most recent blog posts, featured articles, or social media links.
• Easy Product View Template
The product view allows you to display a grid of products with a full-width slider. This template also includes the WooCommerce plugin which allows you to easily sell items from your site.
• Advanced Theme Options
Astra's premium theme options are easy to use and customizable in many different ways. You can customize the design of your site to make it look exactly how you want it. Astra also comes with many theme options that allow you to easily create amazing layouts and designs that will make your website stand out from the rest.
Plans And Pricing
You can download the Astra theme for free from the WordPress repository. It always has been, and always will be free – now and forever. That said, there are a few premium plans available for those who want Astra Pro:
Astra Pro ($59): This Pro package features 95+ free starter sites, one-to-one email support, comprehensive training, unlimited site access
Essential Bundle ($169): This essential bundle package features pro services plus 180+ starter sites templates, a choice between Ultimate Addon for Elementor or Ultimate Addon for Beaver Builder, and WP Portfolio plugin
Growth Bundle ($249): This growth bundle features all services of the essential bundle and also includes 180+ agency starter sites, Skilljet Academy, all developer plugins, and any future plugins.
What Are Consumers Saying About Astra Theme?
Overall, Astra has received five out of five stars on WordPress with over 5,000 ratings and reviews. Users have praised this theme for being easy to use and flexible while at the same time allowing them to create amazing layouts for their site with ease. Some users have mentioned that this is one of their favorite themes because it allows them to customize everything from fonts, colors, and even layout.
Working with Astra Themes demos is also great because you can see the designs come to life before you make any changes to the format of your site. This theme has all of the features that will help you create an amazing website for your business or personal use without any coding needed. Astra is a great choice for anyone that wants to create a website with premium features at no cost.
