There is a constant battle on the thought of using a free WordPress theme over a premium theme or vice versa. WordPress themes are widely used nowadays especially by most of the entrepreneurs who like to use a theme to have a more inviting and catchy website.
Let me ask you a question. Would you invest your money on a premium theme or would you just settle for a free theme?
Let’s discuss and consider the pros and cons of both sides.
Free WordPress Theme
The advantages: The best thing about this is that it is entirely free, no hidden charges, taxes or fees whatsoever. Availability is not a problem because free WordPress themes are all over the internet so there are many to choose from. Since they are open source, it has fewer features so it’s easier to install and use and the good thing is it doesn’t require any programming skills.
Configuring the theme on the other hand may require you to have at least a little bit of knowledge on the basic fundamentals of web programming, no worries though, it’s pretty easy since the complexity of more dynamic and complicated features are not present. You can also try as many designs as you want because you don’t have to concern yourself with the price.
The disadvantages: As what was stated earlier, free themes are all over the internet therefore making it common to many. You might have the same theme with several sites. Another thing is, the developer doesn’t have the responsibility to give you an update or upgrade in your chosen theme so there is a lack of support from them unless they have some time to spare for you. There are also some instances where free themes contain viruses or bugs that may cause a lot of damage to your site so you need to be extra cautious with your choices. Some of them also have poor code practices. It is made by developers who wanted to practice their skills or because they wanted to build up their portfolios and or links.
Premium WordPress Theme
The advantages: A Premium theme offers a lot of features to its customers and has a great design per se. Since the customer invested money for the theme it is just right that the developers give its full responsibility to support them whenever there are problems or bugs that they may encounter along the way. Questions and clarifications from the client are supported as well hence having a very functional and a nice looking website. It is safe to say that you are more secure in the premium scenario. Upgrades are also given often so the theme will not be left in the Stone Age.
The disadvantages: You need to invest money for the theme and it is not 100% sure that it will support you for life. We never know if the developer or its company will be around for updates and support. You need to consider choosing a premium theme because some of it may be far from your expectation. Remember you cannot change your theme easily because it will cost you more.
If you want to configure it, you may want to rethink. Subsequently it offers more features thus making it more complicated to modify especially the structure of the theme.
Every exceptional theme comes with a price. Better check your budget before purchasing.
Conclusion
Using a free theme is advisable if you are just starting with your online business but it is better to change it to premium once you have built up a good business. But in the end, the choice is just up to you.
