Gutenberg, FSE, and WordPress blocks are undoubtedly enduring features of website development. The shift? Complex customizations laden with code are being supplanted by a focus on simplicity and speed. In this review, we will outline the 10 fastest FSE themes of 2024, along with recommendations for WooCommerce integration.
God praise the speed
The significance of site loading and response speed cannot be overstated. It not only influences the user’s browsing experience significantly but also plays a crucial role in conversions. Furthermore, a swift-loading website is imperative for achieving favorable rankings in Google search results.
While numerous variables contribute to website speed, this summary focuses on presenting ten of the fastest WordPress themes compatible with Gutenberg. Each of these themes boasts hyper-optimized code and is highly customizable to suit any niche, thanks to block editors and the WordPress Customizer. It’s important to highlight that the speed of these ten themes was measured using PageSpeed and YSlow on a clean install. Let’s dive in.
1. GeneratePress
GeneratePress boasts itself as one of the fastest, lightest, and most accessible WordPress themes. Its adherence to high coding standards ensures stability and security. Moreover, its SEO-friendly interface enables it to stand out in Google search results right out of the box, enhancing search engine rankings even before content is added.
GeneratePress offers advanced options, allowing users to customize all design elements, install demo sites, and more. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with Elementor, providing users with flexibility and versatility in design and layout customization.
GeneratePress isn’t just 100% compatible with Gutenberg; it’s the first theme in history to integrate theme builder functionality directly into the block editor. This achievement is significant.
Total Page size: 39.8kb
Server requests: 10
PageSpeed: A (99%)
YSlow: B (94%)
Seconds to load: 1.1s
2. Neve
Just like a master summit ski instructor, the ultra-fast Neve theme consumes minimal server resources. Optimized for mobile devices, it offers top-notch mobile responsiveness and SEO positioning for smaller displays. Neve comes with preconfigured layouts out of the box, yet also allows fine customization of elements to tailor your website precisely to your needs.
Neve is compatible with all popular page builders, including Gutenberg, making content creation and modification a breeze. Its flexibility and ease of use ensure a seamless experience without any clumsiness or difficulties. Whether you’re a demanding developer or a web beginner, Neve is a versatile solution suitable for large sites and various skill levels.
Total Page size: 57.6kb
Server requests: 12
PageSpeed: A (99%)
YSlow: B (93%)
Seconds to load: 0.9s
3. Astra
Astra continues to remain in force through perpetual improvement and constant optimization. If you have never heard of this Theme, abandon the box where you live because it has been the number one WordPress Theme for years.
It is optimized for performance by removing jQuery dependencies, which in general are the main source of delays. It also allows us to choose individual modules depending on the need for our content, which keeps at bay any line of code we’ll never need.
Astra comes equipped with a real-time customizer, meaning that we can see the changes we make to the site as they will appear on the front-end (i.e., publicly). It is integrated with popular page builders such as Elementor and Beaver Builder. It is also packed with an extensive library of demos and numerous customizable elements, including header and sidebar layout options.
Astra is an excellent complement to Gutenberg since the latter, while claiming unparalleled simplicity and speed, suffers from certain customization limitations. For example, Astra allows the design of structural parts, such as the header and footer, but also of everything else.
On the other hand, Astra is one of the recommended themes for WooCommerce.
This means that, in addition to providing us with templates to quickly create a store, it is optimized to be lightweight and agile with dynamic content while allowing us to fine-tune all the details of our Woo store.
If we do not want to cross Gutenberg with a theme that brings building tools, then perhaps it is not the right choice.
Total Page size: 107kb
Server requests: 15
PageSpeed: A (99%)
YSlow: B (92%)
Seconds to load: 0.9s
4. Zakra
Zakra is a versatile theme recommended for online stores, especially WooCommerce.
Like all the other themes here, its speed is well optimized, maximizing the chances of conversion (read “selling more”). It is also fully responsive according to the size of the current display, to the point that it is AMP ready. This translates into unbeatable visibility on any type of device.
Zakra’s developers provide us with multiple demos for their Theme, including several eCommerce Home templates. These pre-built templates incorporate 100% Gutenberg layouts. In addition, Zakra integrates seamlessly with Elementor, so it also lets us fully customize our content.
Total Page size: 97.1kb
Server requests: 16
PageSpeed: A (98%)
YSlow: B (87%)
Seconds to load: 0.6s
5. SeedProd
SeedProd is a new WordPress Theme builder on the market. Therefore, more than a Theme is every Theme you want. Thanks to the templates that come out of the box, we can have a site designed in minutes.
It is compatible with the Gutenberg block editor and, therefore, comes equipped with custom blocks for our WooCommerce store.
SeedProd website builder is a more advanced and beginner-friendly solution. It clearly allows design without the need to know programming, putting at our fingertips visual customization tools with fields and selections. Thanks to its drag-and-drop facility, anyone new to web development can intuitively create their own designs.
Total Page size: 390kb
Server requests: 19
PageSpeed: A (97%)
YSlow: B (90%)
Seconds to load: 1.6s
6. Mesmerize
Mesmerize is another versatile, lightweight and flexible theme. It is among the best free WordPress Themes. It allows intuitive drag-and-drop edition, thus creating different content blocks that are stackable, editable, modifiable, and erasable at will. It comes out of the box with several starter templates for quick layouts, including headers and a wide selection of customizable content blocks.
Mesmerize allows us to add modern effects, such as video backgrounds, without affecting the loading speed of our website.
Mesmerize is 100% responsive, so the presentation of our content on mobile devices will look perfect.
This theme is one of the ones recommended for WooCommerce stores. In fact, it offers several specific templates to make our store look spectacular without us getting to personify it with a magnifying glass in hand.
Total Page size: 415kb
Server requests: 24
PageSpeed: A (98%)
YSlow: B (84%)
Seconds to load: 1.1s
7. X Theme
The blatant Theme X comes out with a design impressive enough to have attracted a horde of users in no time. Here we again have a drag-and-drop builder, which makes it easy to design without us having to type in code, let alone enter the Matrix. X includes a template manager, a selection of content blocks, and complete demos to further customize our website.
This theme is accompanied by several premium plugins, including the legendary Slider Revolution (we cannot install everything that seems useless). It is also retina-ready (high-resolution displays) and fully responsive on cell phones and tablets.
X is compatible with WooCommerce, so it is versatile enough to set up any type of business.
Once we have adjusted some of its features, we will easily get the important metrics to pass any speed test, achieving the minimum page load time. Although it is not the theme that gets more juice out of Gutenberg, it is understood that such a product is a faithful complement since it fills us with possibilities that are impossible in Gutenberg. The boom of this theme in the community is such that it was impossible that X did not have an important place in this list.
Total Page size: 122kb
Server requests: 12
PageSpeed: A (98%)
YSlow: B (91%)
Seconds to load: 1.2s
8. Blocksy
Blocksy, as its name “coyly suggests”, was born to reinvigorate Gutenberg blocks. Fast, convenient, and versatile, it lets us design our website with, yes, again, drag-and-drop functionality. However, it is generous in the sense that it is compatible with Elementor and other popular builders. Blocksy makes it easy to customize specific features of our website with numerous color and layout options.
Blocksy integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, making it an excellent choice for online stores.
It is a highly “SEO-friendly” Theme: responsive with an optimized design, our content will adjust to any size and type of mobile screen. Everything is to convert more and better.
Total Page size: 118kb
Server requests: 25
PageSpeed: A (98%)
YSlow: B (86%)
Seconds to load: 1.1s
9. OceanWP
OceanWP rides the wave of over 220 WordPress templates ready for Gutenberg and Elementor. We can also, of course, build our own site from scratch if we’re cool.
Like Astra, OceanWP enables on/off settings for individual modules, so we will only increase the load when we really need an element. Everything that doesn’t work for us is out. In addition, it comes out of the oven with very useful extensions to further increase the functionality of our site.
This theme includes an excellent integration of WooCommerce, making it an exquisite and very light option for those who sell or want to sell online.
OceanWP, how could it be otherwise? is optimized for SEO and is fully responsive.
Total Page size: 356kb
Server requests: 29
PageSpeed: A (97%)
YSlow: B (85%)
Seconds to load: 1.9s
10. Hestia
Hestia is a theme designed to quickly resolve the main sections of our site. For example, we can modify the home page or the blog directly from the customizer. It is very flexible and suitable for minimalist or complex pages. Hestia is 100% Gutenberg-ready.
This elegant Theme uses the principles of Google’s Material Design. It boasts simplicity while excelling in flexibility and intuitiveness. The live customizer makes it suitable for beginners and advanced designers alike.
In addition to Gutenberg, this agile WordPress theme is compatible with block editors like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Visual Composer, and Divi.
Hestia’s lightweight structure makes it an exceptional WooCommerce plugin.
Moreover, it is SEO-ready, so optimization for organic search results is guaranteed.
Total Page size: 201kb
Server requests: 21
PageSpeed: A (97%)
YSlow: B (87%)
Seconds to load: 0.9s
Conclusions
We’ve showcased ten of the fastest WordPress themes, all thoroughly tested. While your preference may vary depending on your design, marketing, or business requirements, these themes are all excellent choices and are highly recommended for WordPress in 2024.
Let’s not forget that to create a WordPress site that loads quickly, having a fast theme is just one piece of the puzzle. Ideally, you should also opt for a hosting service that is specifically optimized for WordPress, offering high performance and ample hardware resources. Therefore, we encourage you to explore our hosting plans or contact us for tailored advice that fits your projects. Additionally, feel free to share any questions or concerns in the comments section below.
Good luck with your endeavors, and thank you for reading!
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