If you are looking to start your own E-commerce adventure by opening an online store Shopify, finding out about all the costs of making a Shopify store is one of the fundamental things to do before you start that journey.
However, knowing what is free coming from Shopify which can help increase your chances of success while building your store is equally important as it gives you the privilliage of avoiding unnecessary costs in your early stage of business.
In this article, you will find out the top 30 best Paid & Free Shopify themes to help maximize your conversion rate as a beginner to E-commerce. We will go through the Pros and Cons of each theme and the determine what is a suitable target for each particular theme.
Outline
- What Is A Shopify Theme
- 5 Things to Consider for a Perfect Shopify Theme
- Budget and demands
- Support from the developer
- Diverse device responsiveness
- Customization level
- User experience
- 9 of the Best Free Shopify Themes in 2022
- Free Shopify Theme #1 - Minimal
- Free Shopify Theme #2 - Supply
- Free Shopify Theme #3 - Brooklyn
- Free Shopify Theme #4 - Simple
- Free Shopify Theme #5 - Boundless
- Free Shopify Theme #6 - Venture
- Free Shopify Theme #7 - Debut
- Free Shopify Theme #8 - Narrative
- Free Shopify Theme #9 - Express
- Best Shopify Paid Themes
- Palo Alto
- Grid
- Parallax
- Mysterio
- Symmetry
- Avenue
- Pipeline
- Canopy
- Testament
- Icon
- Broadcast
- District
- Envy
- Empire
- Venue
- Blockshop
- Flow
- Motion
- Streamline
- Warehouse
- Impulse
- Prestige
- How to Install a Theme from Shopify Theme Store
- How to Customize Your Theme
I. What Is A Shopify Theme?
In short, a Shopify theme is a template for your digital storefront, meaning it determines how your online store will appear to customers. Each theme has a different style and layout options, so you have free reign on how to categorize and arrange what you want to display on your web pages.
There are both premium and free themes available on the Shopify store.
Because there are seemingly endless themes to choose from, you cannot just pick one randomly and put it in your store, no matter how modern or sleek it looks.
The best Shopify theme is not the one that is most beautiful, but rather the one that provides the best browsing experience to the users. And the perfect theme can vary from niche to niche, and store to store, so you will need a thorough examination
Thus, you need to understand the themes’ technical factors as it not only affects the user experience (UX) but also the eCommerce functionalities, and ultimately, conversion.
II. 5 Things to Consider for the Perfect Shopify Theme
Choosing the best Shopify theme is not an easy task. There are so many options to choose from, and before that, so many criteria that make one suitable. So here are 5 simplified things you should consider first and foremost if you want to pick a Shopify theme that fits your business.
01. Budget and demands
Before you pick a premium service among the myriad that Shopify offers, you need to decide on a budget first. Do not spend more than you can afford.
Furthermore, it is best that you learn from your competitors and list out what an online shop of your niche market needs to do. Pick out the essential functionalities and look for themes that can accommodate those.
Our advice is to browse through the best free Shopify themes first before diving into the premium section.
02. Support from the developer
If you don’t consider yourself tech-savvy, you should look for a theme whose developer is responsive and supportive. Running a website comes with many complications, so you should try to limit tech problems as much as possible.
How can you tell which developer offers the best service? Look for customer reviews and ratings of course. After you have picked out a few themes that suit your eye, listen to what other users think of them.
03. Diverse device responsiveness
In the last 6 months alone, 79% of smartphone users have made a purchase online using their mobile devices. It’s clear to see that mobile users are the driving force of eCommerce sales.
Not utilizing your website for mobile means that you will be missing out on a lot of potential buyers. This is not to disregard the importance of having a theme that looks stunning on desktop, it is simply just not enough. The little screens are the game changer! Make it your priority to have a well-functioning mobile interface.
Free Shopify themes like Debut are good contestants for mobile responsiveness.
04. Customization level
There are 2 questions you need to answer in this regard: “How well is this Shopify theme customized for my niche?” and “Can I customize it even more for my shop?”.
Developers have to make a living somehow, so naturally, some of them would choose to tackle a certain audience base, thus coding their premium or Shopify themes for certain niche markets. If you manage to find a theme that is specifically designed for your products, get on board right away!
What’s more, in case you want your online store to stand out, you would want to further customize the theme for your own Easter eggs. Look for a Shopify theme with plenty of versatility. Make your brand pop!
05. User experience
Aesthetics are not what makes a Shopify theme worth it, but rather the user experience (UX for short) it brings. Aside from many third-party tools to help you utilize the UX, there are some checkpoints you need to consider when looking for a suitable theme.
- Business logo: It’s your brand’s identity, so the theme must showcase it visibly at the top of your website.
- Navigation: Create a simple navigation menu for easy browsing. A complicated navigation menu can put your customers off wanting to explore further.
- CTAs: They should stand out from everything on your site if you want shoppers to click on them.
- Footer: It is no less important than your page’s header. It contains all the important details like contact information, quick links to other parts of your store, or policies that some customers take very seriously.
Now that we have gone through what to look for in a Shopify theme, it is time that we introduced you to 13 of the best free Shopify themes that have got roaring reviews.
III. 09 of the Best Free Shopify Themes
01. Free Shopify Theme #1 - Minimal
The Pros:
- Basic theme - easy to use.
- 3 styles included to suit each specific need.
- There’s a demo version on-page to clearly demonstrate this theme.
- Quick support.
The Cons:
- Not particularly mobile-friendly - elements are large and clunky.
The Conclusion
A suitable one for Shopify beginners on a tight budget. Lots of user-friendly design that best suits artsy stores, fashion stores and modern furniture stores.
02. Free Shopify Theme #2 - Supply
The Pros
- 2 adaptable styles.
- Simple to use.
- Appealing outlook.
- Have a demo store as a sneak peak.
The Cons:
- Not especially mobile-friendly
- Potential problems with speed after the most recent update.
The Conclusion:
This free Shopify theme is especially suitable for beginner and intermediate users because it’s easy to use and pays for its own non-existent price tag in higher conversion rates. Best used for fashion and electronics goods stores.
For our in-depth review of Supply Theme, check out this article.
Interested to know what Shopify theme that site is using? Use our free tool and find out.
03. Free Shopify Theme #3 - Brooklyn
The Pros
- Easy to use.
- 2 style variants for different audiences.
- Has a demo store for new users to explore.
- Sale increase proven in the reviews.
The Cons
- New updates don’t save previous versions of your page and they have to be rebuilt again. Will likely be fixed soon.
The Conclusion
Brooklyn is suitable for newbie and intermediate users. There are some problems in update delays and performance, but hopefully these will be fixed soon. Best for the fashion and food niches.
Looking for a deeper look at Shopify’s Brooklyn theme? Check out our in-depth review here.
04. Free Shopify Theme #4 - Simple
The Pros
- 3 styles to choose from.
- Simple to use.
- Has a demo store for new users.
- Free stock images from Burst.
The Cons
- Header contains a wide, blank space that makes the theme look unfinished.
The Conclusion
Suitable for new users in the food, fashion and toy niches.
05. Free Shopify Theme #5 - Boundless
The Pros
- 2 theme styles to choose from.
- Has a demo store.
- Has social media icons to share purchases.
- Has a homepage video feature.
The Cons
- Difficult to resize images.
- Product variants poorly designed.
The Conclusion
Suitable for the fashion, sports gear and decoration niches. This theme still needs to be updated to fix problems regarding image size and product variants, but generally it’s a good theme for new users with a tight budget. A little coding may be required for fine tuning.
06. Free Shopify Theme #6 - Venture
The Pros
- 3 styles to choose from.
- Multi column menu.
- Have demo stores.
- Beautiful and complex theme compare to other free themes.
The Cons
- Hard to edit for new users.
The Conclusion
This theme is suitable for the fashion/utility/sport gear niche with experienced users.
07. Free Shopify Theme #7 - Debut
The Pros
- Have predictive search (common search term with give words).
- Have 2 possible theme styles to choose.
- Have product filtering.
The Cons
- Don’t support product variants.
- Complex coding required if changes need to be made.
The Conclusion
This theme is suitable for experienced users with some basic coding to adjust the layout as they please. Great with Beauty and Decoration niches.
Looking for a deeper look at Shopify’s Debut theme? Check out our in-depth review here.
08. Free Shopify Theme #8 - Narrative
The Pros
- 4 styles to choose from
- Have demo store
- Autoplay video feature
The Cons
- Multiple order glitch in “add to cart” function.
- Low compatibility with third party apps.
The Conclusion
This theme is great for all niches, but it still needs more updates to fix small glitches in the future. Potentially a great theme in the future that’s suitable for experienced users wanting a more visual way of telling their store’s story.
09. Free Shopify Theme #9 - Express
The Pros
- Has a demo store.
- 2 styles to choose from.
- Simple and easy to use.
The Cons
- Has many small bugs (can be fixed in new updates).
- Doesn’t support multiple images for 1 product.
- Works well with Chrome but not other browsers (Firefox, Opera, Safari).
The Conclusion
This theme is very simple to use but it has small bugs which can annoy new users. Works well with the food niche.
Read more: Top 7 Best Shopify Themes For Clothing Store (2022)
IV. Top Shopify Paid Themes
11. Palo Alto
Pros:
- Have customers testimonial
- Have a search filtering function.
- 3 styles to choose from
- Have a demo store.
- Have email collector pop-ups
Cons:
- Too simple design for a paid theme.
Conclusion:
Great theme, great support and relatively cheap but high quality theme compared to other paid themes out there. Suitable with all nice with all level users.
12. Grid
Pros:
- 4 themes to choose from.
- Have demo stores.
- Showcase blog post in home page.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- Slow response timxe from support
Conclusion:
A good theme to use but there are still bugs but totally fixable after the update. Support can be slow some time. Can be used for all niche.
13. Parallax
Pros:
- 4 styles to choose from.
- Have demo stores
- Great support team
Cons:
- Trouble editing with header and footer for inexperienced users
Conclusion:
Great theme for all niche. Some trouble editing header and footer could occur but they make it up with a great support team.
For in-depth review of Parallax theme, check out: How To Build A Visually Striking Store with Parallax Theme
14. Mysterio
Pros:
- 12 Homepages
- Dynamic Filtering System
- Mosaic Block Constructor
- Call-to-action pop-ups
Cons:
- Preparation of the theme is required before installation in order to get any design of the main page
Conclusion:
Multifunctional Mysterio theme at a super price - will be the best choice for your fashion store. If you have any difficulties in creating a website, the support team will help you. Experienced specialists will quickly solve technical problems.
15. Symmetry
Pros:
- 4 styles to choose from
- Easy to use.
- Good support team.
- Autoplay video feature
- Have Google map integration.
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
Great theme, great support team but the pricing are not for inexperienced merchants who have tight budgets for starting E-commerce.
16. Avenue
Pros:
- 3 styles to choose from
- Product filtering search
- Support large scale business
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
This is a great theme for all niche and suitable for experience users with large scale business.
17. Pipeline
Pros:
- 3 styles to choose from
- Support large number of products
- Product filtering enable
- Cheaper than other theme with the same functionality
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
This is a great theme which support the large scale business with large amount of product and is suitable for all niche.
For a more in-depth review of Pipeline theme, check out: Pipeline Theme Breakdown: The Good and The Bad.
18. Canopy
Pros:- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Support large scale business
- Large image optimization
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
Great theme with good design which is suitable for all, especially for Dropshipping and Print on demand store.
19. Testament
Pros:
- 4 theme styles to choose from
- Feature product pop up quick view
- Sticky navigation
Cons:
- Not flexible product variant swatch.
Conclusion:
Good theme - suitable for all niche.
Related article: Testament Shopify Theme Review: A Perfect Choice For Every Online Store Ever?
20.Icon
Pros:
- Large image supported
- 4 theme styles to choose from
- Have product pop up quick view
Cons:
- Currently not mobile friendly
Conclusion:
Good theme - all niche suitable - small glitch of customers.
21. Broadcast
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Blog comment enable
- Support color swatch of products.
- Easy to use
- Quick support
Cons:
- Some glitches but their quick support make up for it
Conclusion:
Good theme - suitable for all niche - all level merchant can use this theme thanks to its quick support team.
22. District
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Support color swatch for products
- Good support
- Easy to use
Conclusion:
Great theme - beautiful design and very simple to use for all niche - Suitable with all level merchants.
For more in-depth review and tutorial of Shopify District theme, check out: Shopify District Theme: In-depth Walkthrough and Review
23. Envy
Pros:
- 4 theme styles to choose from
- Great support team
- Mobile experiences enhance design
Cons:
- Small bugs some time.
Conclusion:
Good theme with great support team, suitable with all nice and all users.
24. Empire
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Predictive search and product filtering enable
- Support large product number
Cons:
- Did not fully developed
- Not compatible with Google page speed standard
- Slow support team
Conclusion:
Normal theme - suitable for all niche - Many glitch and slow support for 180$ price tag.
25. Venue
Pros:- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Beautiful design
- Online map support for physical stores.
- Quick support team
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
Great theme - beautiful and professional design - suitable with all niche and all users.
26. Blockshop
Pros:
- 4 theme styles to choose from
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Slow support response
Conclusion:
Good theme - suitable for all niche and all users.
27. Flow
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Beautiful design
- Good support team
Cons:
- Some bugs with the header product variant and loading speed but fixable in future updates.
Conclusion:
Good theme - suitable for all niche and all users. A bit pricey compared to it’s features.
28. Motion
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Easy to use
- Product filtering enable
- Good support team
Cons:
- Not easy to code
- Incompatible with some essentials Shopify app.
- Mostl functionalities mainly available for home page only
Conclusion:
Good theme - good support - buggy but have potential in future updates with beautiful design.
For more in-depth review, check out: Shopify Motion Theme: Reviews and Analysis
29. Streamline
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Mobile commerce focus
- Beautiful design with great support team
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
Great theme, suitable for all users and all niche.
30. Warehouse
Pros:
- 2 theme styles to choose from
- Large scale business supported
Cons:
- Lack of instruction for coding after updates
Conclusion:
Suitable for all niche but need experience users if require coding to fix something.
For a more in-depth review of Warehouse Theme, check out: Shopify Warehouse Team: Pros, Cons and Everything In Between
31. Impulse
Pros:
- 3 theme styles to choose from
- Simple design and easy to use
- Quick support
Cons:
- Support guide to hire outside experts for some cases.
Conclusion:
Good theme but need improvement on problem solving for it’s support team - suitable for all users with all niche.
For our in-depth review and tutorial of Shopify Impulse Theme, check out this article.
32. Prestige
Pros:
- 3 themes styles to choose from
- Build in timeline tool
- Support large image
- Quick support response time
Cons:
- None so far
Conclusion:
Good theme with elegant design, suitable for all niche and all users.
For more features review, check out: Shopify Prestige Theme: An In-depth Review and Tutorials
V. How to install a theme from Shopify theme store
In this video you will learn how to install a theme into your Shopify store:
For more in-depth review of premium and third-party Shopify Themes, check out:
- Ella Theme Review: Is It The Right Theme for Your Shopify Store?
- Booster Theme: Pros, Cons and Everything in between
VI. Why Use Page Builder
While using a premade theme is easy to set up and require less work from the customers but in the long term, the theme can be out of date and it’s own limitation to just 1 design can be it’s own downfall in the future with the price tag from 100$ to 200$.
As a result, using a Page Builder like PageFly can be a life saver for store owners as Page Builder is flexible in compatibility with third party apps and Shopify updates as well. I hope you have make it
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