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 2023
- Free Shopify Theme #1 - Dawn
- Free Shopify Theme #2 - Craft
- Free Shopify Theme #3 - Spotlight
- Free Shopify Theme #4 - Sense
- Free Shopify Theme #5 -Refresh
- Free Shopify Theme #6 - Origin
- Free Shopify Theme #7 - Ride
- Free Shopify Theme #8 - Taste
- Free Shopify Theme #9 - Colorblock
- Best Shopify Paid Themes
- Blum
- Grid
- Mono
- 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 Shopify 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, Shopify Conversion Rate.
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 Dawn theme 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 - Dawn
Latest version: 12.0 - Updated by Oct 2023.
Read More: Shopify Dawn Theme Review: The Next Generation Of Shopify Theme?
Top 3 PROs
- Ease of use: The Dawn theme was designed and created by the Shopify Team themselves. Shopify has become the most popular platform due to its ease of use, as evidenced by customer feedback.
- Speed: The theme has been chosen as the standard for all Shopify theme developers. Therefore, it's no surprise that this theme boasts impressive page loading speeds.
- Affordable solutions, and we truly mean it: The theme itself is free, with customer support provided by the Shopify Team. All you need to pay for is the monthly Shopify subscription to keep your store up and running.
Top 2 CONs
- It's not for the most niches. Dawn theme comes with the only default preset for brands in the clothing industry. So if you sell other products or services, you need to test it deeply before publishing.
- Updates might cause the issue with your customization settings. It comes from the review of Shopify merchants that some updates ruined their storefront, so keep it in mind and make sure you do backup an original theme before the updates.
The Conclusion
Overall, the Dawn Shopify theme is an excellent starting point for fashion or clothing brand stores. Despite its free price tag, you receive a dependable and tested theme that integrates seamlessly with your online store. However, be mindful that new theme updates could potentially disrupt the user experience. Always remember to back up your existing Shopify theme before upgrading.
02. Free Shopify Theme #2 - Craft
Latest version: 12.0 - Updated by Oct 2023.
02 Key PROs
- Perfectly suited for handmade product niches. Based on customer reviews, the theme excels in the visual storytelling of jewelry and handmade products.
- Embrace the concept of visual storytelling to showcase your products through photos and videos. Within this theme, you'll discover expertly designed sections that highlight the best features of your products.
01 CON
- Product image size and theme compatibility. To ensure a top-notch product image presentation, adhere to certain size standards. Therefore, be mindful of the resolution of your product photos.
The Conclusion:
This free Shopify theme is particularly ideal for beginners and novice sellers due to its user-friendly design. Its nonexistent price tag is easily justified by the boost in conversion rates it offers. It's best suited for handmade and jewelry goods Shopify stores.
Interested to know what Shopify theme that site is using? Use our free tool and find out.
03. Free Shopify Theme #3 - Spotlight
The PROs
- Launch your merchandise business quickly, even within a day, including the time needed to set up your Shopify store. The design is straightforward with just two sections: a product list and a text content paragraph, enabling you to start your online business swiftly.
- Sticky Header: Keep vital Call To Actions (CTAs) in the header, ensuring your customers always have access to the essential links of your shop.
The CONs
- The design is rather simplistic, tailored for merchants eager to sell without delay. Navigating the homepage, you'll find sections dedicated to showcasing products.
Blum - Fastest Shopify Theme
The Conclusion
Ideal for the fashion and Print On Demand (POD) niches. Given its relatively simple design, which implies fewer built-in features, you might need to consider installing Shopify apps to meet your store's specific requirements.
04. Free Shopify Theme #4 - Sense
The Pros
- The Sense theme features expertly designed About Us and Blog pages. It's ideal for merchants looking to craft content centered on their expertise via the Blog. Writing product reviews and creating educational content can aid in acquiring organic users through the SEO channel.
- The About Us page is structured to narrate the brand's story. At the bottom of the page, there's a "Contact Us" section, providing customers an "exit" to either reach out to the brand or explore products in the online store.
The Cons
- Major updates to the theme might lead to issues with its settings. Ensure you back up your current theme, particularly regarding color scheme settings.
The Conclusion
Suitable for starter merchants in the healthcare & beauty niches.
05. Free Shopify Theme #5 - Refresh
The Pros
- "A bold theme that emphasizes product quality and brand storytelling," and it truly embodies this core idea. With this theme, you'll encounter expertly designed sections on the home page to spotlight both your product and brand. Moreover, the theme comes equipped with a pre-defined "Story Page" design. All you need to do is upload your brand photo and its backstory to bolster the credibility and trustworthiness of your online store.
- Experience a highly customizable product page with diverse section variations. Add ample content to highlight the unique selling points of your product and boost your store's conversion rate.
The Cons
- Selling globally could pose challenges due to the theme's limited features for this business model. You'll need to incorporate currency converter and language apps from Shopify.
The Conclusion
This theme appears promising based on its demo presentation, but it's essential to thoroughly test it to ensure that all features function seamlessly and align with your online store's aesthetic. With just 24% positive reviews, we advise proceeding with caution.
06. Free Shopify Theme #6 - Origin
The Conclusion
The Origin Shopify theme emphasizes a single product, highlighting its unique values. The theme's visual design settings offer flexibility in adding pertinent content to enhance your product's appeal. It's an excellent fit for handmade or clothing brand products.
07. Free Shopify Theme #7 - Ride
The Conclusion
Are you selling snowboards or surfboards? This theme is perfectly designed for you, targeting the unique niche of sports equipment.
08. Free Shopify Theme #8 - Taste
The Conclusion
The Taste Shopify theme boasts a spacious design that captures a buyer’s attention with bold headlines, thin strokes, industrial fonts, and a high contrast color palette set against a subdued background. It supports larger product cards, specialty product highlights, and custom FAQs, aiding buyers in making informed decisions. Furthermore, its adaptable design and customization options allow you to modify the user experience to align with your brand vision.
09. Free Shopify Theme #9 - Colorblock
The Conclusion
Colorblock offers a spacious design that instantly grabs a buyer's attention with its bold headlines, thin strokes, industrial fonts, and a high contrast color palette set against an understated background. This theme not only supports larger product cards, specialty highlights, and bespoke FAQs to guide buyers, but its flexible layout and customization settings also enable brands to effortlessly tweak the user experience to resonate with their unique vision.
Read more: Top 7 Best Shopify Themes For Clothing Store
IV. Top Shopify Paid Themes
10. Blum
PROs
- Visual storytelling elements
- Mobile first design
- Unrivaled page speed
- Fairly reasonable priced theme
- Smooth and stunning story telling layout
- 3 styles to choose from
- Have a demo store.
- Featured product carousel
CONs
- Too many features can make users feel overwhelmed.
Blum - Fastest Shopify Theme
Conclusion:
A potent theme boasting a plethora of customization options. It offers exceptional support and is priced reasonably, especially when compared to other premium themes on the market.
11. 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.
12. Mono
Pros:
- Unlimited free trial
- 2 styles to choose from
- Have demo stores
- Easy to use
- Easy Customization
Cons:
- Limited Market Reach
- Updating Challenges
Conclusion :
The Multifunctional Mono theme offers a versatile and affordable option for your fashion store, with a range of features and dedicated support for any difficulties.
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
