36 Great Free WordPress Themes From 2011
There are probably a good amount of Noupe readers who would think little to nothing of paying money for a high quality WordPress theme if it was exactly what they were looking for. When compared to spending thousands of dollars on a unique design, a $40 investment in a premium theme for your website design is relatively painless. The number of premium WordPress theme stores and marketplaces has increased considerably over the last two years. Thankfully, many developers are still releasing quality designs for free.
Today we will be showing you 50 great WordPress themes that were released in 2011 for free. A few of the themes listed are the free version of a premium theme. Upgrading to the premium version usually gives you priority support and/or more features.
We hope you enjoy the list :)
1. Swatch
A free business and portfolio design that was developed to celebrate the release of the 100th theme from WooThemes. Features a custom homepage, featured slider, custom widgets, custom typography and multiple colour schemes.
Info & Download | Demo
2. Wootique
A free ecommerce design that was released in conjunction with the launch of the WooCommerce WordPress Plugin (which is a modified version of Jigoshop, the free ecommerce plugin we reviewed in Extending the Functionality of WordPress). With a featured slider, custom home page and custom widgets; Wootique is a great example of what can be achieved with Wootique.
Info & Download | Demo
3. Fungus
A Colourful blogging design that has social media links integrated in the sidebar and support for post image thumbnails.
Info & Download | Demo
4. WordPress Anniversary Theme
Released at the beginning of 2011 by Matt Mullenweg and 'The WordPress Crew', the anniversary theme has a traditional blog structure with a prominent header image.
Info & Download | Demo
5. BlueBubble
A simply minimal design that would be suitable for a blog or a portfolio. Includes an advanced option panel, 8 different colour schemes and social media integration.
Info & Download | Demo
6. Fotofolio Landscape
Designed for artists and photographers, Fotofolio Landscape automatically resizes uploaded images to fit the surrounding area and includes a useful slideshow option.
Info & Download | Demo
7. Big Square
A clean minimal design that is suitable for photo blogs. Perfect for travel blogs, personal blogs, portfolios and photography websites.
Info & Download | Demo
8. Balita
A brand new eCommerce designed for Smashing Magazine that was created to help sell children's toys and related products. It was designed using HTML5 and CSS3 and features a beautiful home page slider, custom shopping cart and Facebook integration.
Info & Download |
9. Parallax
A simplistic portfolio design that features a large homepage slider and a useful portfolio template page.
Info & Download
10. AutoFocus 2.0 Lite
Designed for photographers, AutoFocus lite is a simple HTML5 powered design that has a grid design and clean typography.
Info & Download | Demo
11. WordPress Diary Theme
A retro style design that was designed in HTML5 and CSS3. It uses Google web fonts, has built-in pagination and an AJAX powered contact form. Uploaded photos are displayed beautifully using lightbox.
Info & Download | Demo
12. Gynix Tema
A business design which places featured articles on the home page. The theme could easily be used for a blog as well.
Info & Download | Demo
13. Triton Lite
Triton Lite is a self-proclaimed 'All In One' design that features a beautiful home page slider, shortcodes for styling content and 3 built in widget areas.
Info & Download | Demo
14. Shuttershot
A portfolio design with a difference, Shuttershot shows photos in full screen in the background of the design. Even when a visitor views a blog page or page the background continues to change. A unique idea that has thankully been implemented well.
Info & Download | Demo
15. Bonpress
A colourful blogging theme that supports custom widgets. It includes custom widgets for social media services and comes in 4 colour schemes (blue, black, pink, orange).
Info & Download | Demo
16. MyPhoto
The first photography theme from WP Explorer is a minimal effort that uses Javascript to highlight photos when a user hovers over them. It's clean and fast loading, making it a good choice for a photo website.
Info & Download |
17. Shadows
A minimal blogging design that was created for WordPress 3.0+. It supports post thumbnails and includes built in pagination and an author information box on blog pages.
Info & Download
18. Divi
Divi helps you create a website from scratch with their page builder that enables you simply move the elements with your mouse to design your page.
Info & Download | Demo
19. Lefty
A fun blogging design that doesn't take itself too seriously. The home page has a featured post image slider and you can use custom fonts using Google fonts.
Info & Download |
20. PolarMedia
A multimedia friendly design that would be suitable for a blog, news website or online magazine.
Info & Download | Demo
21. Blissful Blog
A simple yet elegant WordPress theme that was created specifically for wedding related websites.
Info & Download | Demo
22. PhotoClick
One of the few one-column themes that was released in 2011. It comes in two colour schemes and includes short codes and custom widgets.
Info & Download | Demo
23. Minimatica
A fantastic looking minimal theme that has a beautiful image slider on the home page. This feature rich theme is perfect for blogs, portfolios or video websites.
Info & Download | Demo
24. Min
This is an extremely simple, clean and to the point theme. It has two widgetized footer areas to handle navigation or anything else you feel like sticking in there.
Info & Download | Demo
25. Grid
A fantastic fast loading minimal design that uses a 4 column grid layout to display posts. Perfect for a portfolio or blog.
Info & Download | Demo
26. Amphion Lite
A blogging design that comes with 2 theme skins, 2 custom widgets, 2 short codes and 2 WordPress menus. Featured articles are displayed prominently on the home page in an image slider.
Info & Download
27. Grid Portfolio
A beautiful minimal theme that was designed for illustrators, photographers and graphic designers. There are several custom home page layouts to choose from with most displaying posts in a grid layout.
Info & Download | Demo
28. WP Creativix
A nice corporate design that also features a basic portfolio template (which has jQuery lightbox support).
Info & Download | Demo
29. Steira
A boxy minimal blogging theme from the Automattic team.
Info & Download | Demo
31. HTML5Press
Created using HTML5 and CSS3, the theme lets you choose from over 40 Google fonts. It includes a featured posts slider, post image support, post format support and 6 colour schemes (pink, blue, green, red, orange, and bluish purple).
Info & Download | Demo
32. Liquorice
A beautiful vintage design that uses Google fonts.
Info & Download
33. Delicate
A clean minimal blogging design that was created using the NattyWP framework.
Info & Download | Demo
34. PressWork
An HTML5 WordPress Framework for designers, developers & publishers. The user friendly front page editor allows you to move things around and modify your website in a live environment.
Info & Download
35. Tungstenation
A good choice for a business or portfolio website. The home page features a beautiful jQuery slider. It also features post image thumbnails, social media integration, built in page navigation, custom font integration and much more.
Info & Download | Demo
36. SixHours
A great looking minimal blogging theme from Caroline Moore.
Info & Download | Demo
37. Busby
A clean blogging theme that was built using the UpThemes Theme Framework. It includes social media integration in the header and a featured post slider on the home page.
Info & Download | Demo
38. Blog-O-Folio
Last but not least is Blog-O-Folio, a great looking blog and portfolio design from Noupe. Features portfolio integration, built in advertisement options and an email subscription form.
Info & Download | Demo
Do you know of a great WordPress design that was released for free in 2011 that didn't make the list? If so, we encourage you to share it with fellow readers in the comment area.
(rb)
Info & Download | Demo
2. Wootique
A free ecommerce design that was released in conjunction with the launch of the WooCommerce WordPress Plugin (which is a modified version of Jigoshop, the free ecommerce plugin we reviewed in Extending the Functionality of WordPress). With a featured slider, custom home page and custom widgets; Wootique is a great example of what can be achieved with Wootique.
Info & Download | Demo
3. Fungus
A Colourful blogging design that has social media links integrated in the sidebar and support for post image thumbnails.
Info & Download | Demo
4. WordPress Anniversary Theme
Released at the beginning of 2011 by Matt Mullenweg and 'The WordPress Crew', the anniversary theme has a traditional blog structure with a prominent header image.
Info & Download | Demo
5. BlueBubble
A simply minimal design that would be suitable for a blog or a portfolio. Includes an advanced option panel, 8 different colour schemes and social media integration.
Info & Download | Demo
6. Fotofolio Landscape
Designed for artists and photographers, Fotofolio Landscape automatically resizes uploaded images to fit the surrounding area and includes a useful slideshow option.
Info & Download | Demo
7. Big Square
A clean minimal design that is suitable for photo blogs. Perfect for travel blogs, personal blogs, portfolios and photography websites.
Info & Download | Demo
8. Balita
A brand new eCommerce designed for Smashing Magazine that was created to help sell children's toys and related products. It was designed using HTML5 and CSS3 and features a beautiful home page slider, custom shopping cart and Facebook integration.
Info & Download |
9. Parallax
A simplistic portfolio design that features a large homepage slider and a useful portfolio template page.
Info & Download
10. AutoFocus 2.0 Lite
Designed for photographers, AutoFocus lite is a simple HTML5 powered design that has a grid design and clean typography.
Info & Download | Demo
11. WordPress Diary Theme
A retro style design that was designed in HTML5 and CSS3. It uses Google web fonts, has built-in pagination and an AJAX powered contact form. Uploaded photos are displayed beautifully using lightbox.
Info & Download | Demo
12. Gynix Tema
A business design which places featured articles on the home page. The theme could easily be used for a blog as well.
Info & Download | Demo
13. Triton Lite
Triton Lite is a self-proclaimed 'All In One' design that features a beautiful home page slider, shortcodes for styling content and 3 built in widget areas.
Info & Download | Demo
14. Shuttershot
A portfolio design with a difference, Shuttershot shows photos in full screen in the background of the design. Even when a visitor views a blog page or page the background continues to change. A unique idea that has thankully been implemented well.
Info & Download | Demo
15. Bonpress
A colourful blogging theme that supports custom widgets. It includes custom widgets for social media services and comes in 4 colour schemes (blue, black, pink, orange).
Info & Download | Demo
16. MyPhoto
The first photography theme from WP Explorer is a minimal effort that uses Javascript to highlight photos when a user hovers over them. It's clean and fast loading, making it a good choice for a photo website.
Info & Download |
17. Shadows
A minimal blogging design that was created for WordPress 3.0+. It supports post thumbnails and includes built in pagination and an author information box on blog pages.
Info & Download
18. Divi
Divi helps you create a website from scratch with their page builder that enables you simply move the elements with your mouse to design your page.
Info & Download | Demo
19. Lefty
A fun blogging design that doesn't take itself too seriously. The home page has a featured post image slider and you can use custom fonts using Google fonts.
Info & Download |
20. PolarMedia
A multimedia friendly design that would be suitable for a blog, news website or online magazine.
Info & Download | Demo
21. Blissful Blog
A simple yet elegant WordPress theme that was created specifically for wedding related websites.
Info & Download | Demo
22. PhotoClick
One of the few one-column themes that was released in 2011. It comes in two colour schemes and includes short codes and custom widgets.
Info & Download | Demo
23. Minimatica
A fantastic looking minimal theme that has a beautiful image slider on the home page. This feature rich theme is perfect for blogs, portfolios or video websites.
Info & Download | Demo
24. Min
This is an extremely simple, clean and to the point theme. It has two widgetized footer areas to handle navigation or anything else you feel like sticking in there.
Info & Download | Demo
25. Grid
A fantastic fast loading minimal design that uses a 4 column grid layout to display posts. Perfect for a portfolio or blog.
Info & Download | Demo
26. Amphion Lite
A blogging design that comes with 2 theme skins, 2 custom widgets, 2 short codes and 2 WordPress menus. Featured articles are displayed prominently on the home page in an image slider.
Info & Download
27. Grid Portfolio
A beautiful minimal theme that was designed for illustrators, photographers and graphic designers. There are several custom home page layouts to choose from with most displaying posts in a grid layout.
Info & Download | Demo
28. WP Creativix
A nice corporate design that also features a basic portfolio template (which has jQuery lightbox support).
Info & Download | Demo
29. Steira
A boxy minimal blogging theme from the Automattic team.
Info & Download | Demo
31. HTML5Press
Created using HTML5 and CSS3, the theme lets you choose from over 40 Google fonts. It includes a featured posts slider, post image support, post format support and 6 colour schemes (pink, blue, green, red, orange, and bluish purple).
Info & Download | Demo
32. Liquorice
A beautiful vintage design that uses Google fonts.
Info & Download
33. Delicate
A clean minimal blogging design that was created using the NattyWP framework.
Info & Download | Demo
34. PressWork
An HTML5 WordPress Framework for designers, developers & publishers. The user friendly front page editor allows you to move things around and modify your website in a live environment.
Info & Download
35. Tungstenation
A good choice for a business or portfolio website. The home page features a beautiful jQuery slider. It also features post image thumbnails, social media integration, built in page navigation, custom font integration and much more.
Info & Download | Demo
36. SixHours
A great looking minimal blogging theme from Caroline Moore.
Info & Download | Demo
37. Busby
A clean blogging theme that was built using the UpThemes Theme Framework. It includes social media integration in the header and a featured post slider on the home page.
Info & Download | Demo
38. Blog-O-Folio
Last but not least is Blog-O-Folio, a great looking blog and portfolio design from Noupe. Features portfolio integration, built in advertisement options and an email subscription form.
Info & Download | Demo
Do you know of a great WordPress design that was released for free in 2011 that didn't make the list? If so, we encourage you to share it with fellow readers in the comment area.
(rb)
Thanks for this great article, we are in the process of creating a new resources page for our website and we will link our visitors to this page. As you mentioned there are individuals and companies that do not have the budget or knowledge in design to create a great layout or design.
Thanks again.
Thanks Darren. Glad you found it useful. If you search the Noupe archives you will find a similar articles which I’m sure you will find useful.
awesome themes.
thnks
Insomnia apparently isn’t a free download, correct me if I’m wrong. Your link only redirects to DesignerThemes’ website where you have to buy an account in order to download their themes.
Please accept my apologies regarding Insomnia. I wrote this article a few weeks ago. When the theme was initially released the lite version was free and the pro version was $49.
It came to my attention a week or so ago when a review of the theme was published on my own site that the developer had changed the pricing structure and bumped the lite version up to $39 and the professional version up to $79. I updated my own article but I completely forgot that I included the design in this list -if I had I would have removed it.
I have replaced the design with Balita; a free ecommerce design from Smashing Magazine that was released last week.
Again, sorry for any inconvenience. Unfortunately, theme developers sometimes change the pricing of their themes from time to time and there’s little you can do :)
Same here… Insomnia doesn’t seem to be free.
Kevin great list, Thank you for including my theme..
I think http://www.wpshower.com should be on your list too, they released few Free themes in 2011
No problem.
Yeah WP Shower have released some great designs this year. I’ve actually included their designs on several lists on my own site though I unfortunately had to leave out some good designs from this list as I wanted to make sure I included something for everyone.
I love teh Blogum theme. I’m gonna use in my site…Thanks million!
These are always a good source of inspiration to look through, thanks for putting these together.
Thanks for this great collection excellent free themes
Great source of free themes!
Thanks for the mention, I appreciate it!!! (I’m the developer of the Ambrosia theme ;-)
Amazing collection themes. Thanks
Hi Kevin, thanks for include our free wordpress theme “Fungus”. Great!
Anyway, amazing list for free wordpress themes.