Whether you’re starting a new website, blog, or online store, if you’re relying on WordPress you need a fast theme. With thousands of WordPress themes to choose from, it is easy to be distracted by how a theme looks. This can cause problems when it comes to hitting acceptable page load times and looking good on mobile devices.

Fast WordPress themes that look good and are suitable for every use (even WooCommerce) are the answer.

But what is the fastest WordPress theme? To find out, we put some to the test.

Testing rationale: How we established the fastest WordPress themes

A fast WordPress theme can help your website fulfill Google’s basic page experience requirements. While website speed isn’t necessarily penalised, it is certainly a ranking factor. It makes sense to factor this in when developing a new web based project or reviving an existing one.

With so many “fast” and “light” WordPress themes to choose from, it can be difficult to make a decision. To make it easier, this list focuses on the top 10 of the 20 or so themes that claim to be the fastest.

Selection of these themes was based on certain criteria. They had to be described as being fast by their development teams, and found to be fast in other tests elsewhere online. 

Our testing was conducted using webpagetest.org. This is an online tool that scans and reports loading times and factors. Testing took place on a dummy website, configured following each theme install to deliver a usable experience.

Original articles and stock images were used to populate the site. Both the homepage and a single post were tested for load times, but ranking is based on the homepage load time.

A few things to note about these theme selections. First, all but two of them are available directly from the WordPress themes index; in all cases, direct download links are provided.

Second, all of the tested themes are either free or have a free (“lite”) option.

Third, and finally, only themes that are actively maintained have been included in this top 10. (That is, they have been updated to ensure compatibility with the latest PHP version.)

While not a testing criteria, all of the themes we evaluated could be edited “live.” The older ones employ the WordPress Customizer tool, while the newer themes feature the Site Editor.

What do the testing measurements mean?

To test our selection of themes, we used www.webpagetest.org from Catchpoint. This testing solution has various advantages:

• It is remote, so local internet traffic or bandwidth issues can be discounted
• WebPageTest offers multiple tools and tests
• It assesses website loading times based on multiple factors
• WebPageTest also offers testing based on different browser and device profiles. (For example, mobile devices, desktops, specific browsers using mobile internet or cable, etc.)

The key testing measurements used for this assessment are:

• Speed index: The time taken for the page to be usable.
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): How long it takes for the largest visible element (image or video) to finish loading.
• Page weight: The size of the web page (in kilobytes) which includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and media.

The chosen testing profile was the default mobile device, Chrome browser, connecting over 4G. The test server was based in Virginia, US.

While various other factors are measured by WebPageTest’s Site performance option, the focus of this test is speed. Consequently, the criteria are those that directly impact speed and how a web page loads.

So, how did the themes compare?

1. The fastest theme for WordPress: Twenty Twenty-Two

Incredibly, the fastest-performing WordPress theme we found out of 25 tested was the default option from 2022. Twenty Twenty-Two was released as a pre-installed theme and is the first to be compatible with the site editor feature.

• Speed: 1.914 secs
• LCP: 2.019 secs
• Weight: 551 kb

While chunkier than some at 551 kilobytes, the speed and low LCP have given Twenty Twenty-Two the edge.

This is a flexible theme that is ideal for first blogs, portfolios, business sites, or single-page online presences. It is extremely configurable, with adjustable colours, typography, and customizable layouts. 

However, there is a caveat. While we found this theme loads fastest for the homepage or index, it performed slower on single posts.

2. Taza

Released in 2023, Taza is a surprisingly nimble WordPress theme optimized for Google Core Web Vitals and Search Engines. While it has some elements that can be configured in the Customizer, the best way to style Taza is with the Site Editor.

• Speed: 2.031 secs
• LCP: 2.258 secs
• Weight: 170 kb

Not only is the theme quick, it is also quite lightweight, although the LCP timing is higher than we expected. With some built-in patterns and page templates, you can restyle this theme to suit most website purposes.

Taza’s single post loaded even faster, and ranked third in testing.

3. Twenty Twenty-Three

Another default theme option developed by WordPress, Twenty Twenty-Three is surprisingly flexible. You might choose this theme for a magazine-like blog with ordered or masonry arrangement. Thanks to a number of style variations available in the Site Editor, Twenty Twenty-Three is suitable for most website purposes.

• Speed: 2.033 secs
• LCP: 2.051 secs
• Weight: 178 kb

Hitting the browser in just over 2 seconds, Twenty Twenty-Three is also quite light at 178 kilobytes. The LCP is also comparatively quick too. Similar results were experienced on a single page, although the weight for that test was just 75 kilobytes.

This is my preferred default WordPress theme, mainly because I found it straightforward to set it up.

4. Twenty Twenty-Four

While pretty heavy at 826 kilobytes, the Twenty Twenty-Four theme is another WordPress default that loads quickly. The theme has several style variation presets, a large collection of patterns and is configurable in the Site Editor.

• Speed: 2.033 secs
• LCP: 2.466 secs
• Weight: 826 kb

Also including a selection of page templates, this is a flexible theme that looks stylish and should suit most purposes. Note that blog post lists do not feature thumbnails, which may put you off.

If you’re more interested in faster post loading than index pages, Twenty Twenty-Four is worth checking out. Our testing found that this theme loaded quicker than any other when tested with a single post.

5. Go

Fifth fastest in testing is the aptly-named Go, which has the impressively compact weight of just 97 kilobytes. Produced by the GoDaddy web host, Go sports a selection of styles and colour schemes to suit any purpose. The theme can be edited in the Customizer, but note that there is no sidebar or widget support with Go.

• Speed: 2.041 secs
• LCP: 2.024 secs
• Weight: 97 kb

Despite this, stunning, rich themes can be created using the Go theme. It is also fast loading a single page or post, ranking sixth in that testing.

Go is not available via the WordPress theme installer, but curiously you can download it from the WordPress.org themes website.

6. Botiga

Some remarkable websites can be designed using Botiga. This makes it suitable for everything from blogs and portfolios to online stores. A minimal theme that can also be reconfigured with Elementor, Botiga is also suitable for use with WooCommerce.

With the Site Editor you can convert the default Botiga layout into something that truly represents your online project.

• Speed: 2.093 secs
• LCP: 2.026 secs
• Weight: 165 kb

Loading a single post in Botiga was even faster, with the WordPress theme ranking in fourth place. Unsurprisingly, this theme has generated a good reputation, with WordPress users rating it highly (4.9 out of 5).

7. Kadence

Personally speaking, Kadence is my favourite of all the fast WordPress themes I’ve tested. (In fact I have it set up on a staging site for testing on my own site.) With very little effort you can switch from the default settings to something tidy and impressive.

If this seems like too much effort, Kadence also comes with starter templates, although many of these are paywalled.

• Speed: 2.126 secs
• LCP: 1.992 secs
• Weight: 127 kb

With our test set up, Kadence loaded quick enough to come in seventh place. But it is the weight of the page, just 127 kb (154 kb for the single post), that really impressed me. Featuring the WordPress drag and drop header and footer builder, Kadence is easy to configure in the Customizer. Additionally, this theme is one of the fastest WordPress themes for WooCommerce installations.

8. Twenty Twenty-One

Another default WordPress theme option, Twenty Twenty-One suits blogs, portfolios, and business sites. But how fast is it?

Landing in eighth place, this theme can be restyled via the Customiser and includes eight patterns. Applying these in the right way can make your site look amazing.

• Speed: 2.216 secs
• LCP: 2.138 secs
• Weight: 467 kb

The “weight” of the homepage may seem concerning, but note that single pages are far lighter. Our testing on a single post with the Twenty Twenty-One theme applied loaded in 2 seconds, with the LCP at 1.994 seconds and a page of just 197 kilobytes.

9. Schema Lite

While a little blocky and arguably somewhat dated without revision via the Customizer (and some CSS), Schema Lite is fast.

While the LCP isn’t the fastest and it downloads more data to the homepage than other themes, it loads quickly. (However, we did find that Schema Lite was slower for single pages.)

• Speed: 2.261 secs
• LCP: 2.221 secs
• Weight: 472 kb

Schema Lite is one of only two themes we tested that isn’t available directly through the WordPress themes interface. Described as 100% responsive and SEO friendly, the Schema Lite theme can be downloaded from MyThemeShop. That’s where you’ll also find the Pro subscription version, which boasts various additional features, including an ad manager.

Setting this up, I did find some of the default typography options a little severe. As an older theme, this means revising the CSS, which might be off-putting.

Need more from Schema Lite? You can develop the theme with the Elementor tool.

10. Twenty Twenty

Despite being four years old, the Twenty Twenty theme still looks good and remains remarkably quick.

The curious thing about Twenty Twenty is that while it is relatively quick at loading the home page and individual posts, it weighs in at 750 kb.

• Speed: 2.267 secs
• LCP: 2.219 secs
• Weight: 750 kb

Twenty Twenty relies on the Customizer tool for design adjustments, and features five built-in patterns. These offer several options for styling the theme to suit your vision for your website.

If you find some WordPress themes difficult to configure, don’t worry. I found Twenty Twenty was simple to set up.

More fast WordPress themes

A total of 25 themes were tested for speed. Of these, one was dropped due to a lack of updates, and four were considered too slow by comparison.

While the fastest themes listed above have the advantage, you may also consider some slower themes. These might have faster LCP or be lighter than the fastest WordPress themes. Focusing on those factors may better suit your specific requirements.

The ten quick-loading themes that didn’t make the list are:

• Zakra
• Astra
• Generate Press
• Page Builder Framework
• Hello Elementor
• Customify
• Sydney
• Responsive
• OceanWP
• Hestia

See the appendix for the full rankings and timings.

FAQs

What is the fastest WordPress theme?

In our testing, we found that the Twenty Twenty-Two theme loaded the test site’s homepage quickest. But the Twenty Twenty-Four theme loaded a single blog post faster.

What is the lightest theme for WordPress?

Based on data size, the lightest theme is Go. The homepage for this theme is just 97 kilobytes. But the Astra theme shone with the lightest single post, weighing 66 kilobytes.

Why is my WordPress theme so slow?

Various factors can be attributed to slow WordPress themes. Unused plugins, poor caching and CDN use, and even poor web host support can contribute to a slow theme.

Also consider the possibility that your WordPress site has a security issue. Protecting the WordPress admin area will prevent this happening again.

How can I make my WordPress site faster?

Start by finding out what is making your site slower. Rule out (by disabling) plugins, and revert the site to a default theme. If things improve, enable plugins and the preferred theme one at a time. But you should also consult your web host. For example, your server’s PHP version might be out of date.

If all that seems too complicated, a WordPress optimisation plugin can help.

Appendix

Recorded times for testing the WordPress theme speed on the homepage/index.

Recorded times for testing single posts with each WordPress theme.

Speed and performance – these are the key principles on which websites are always judged. While what you put on your site matters too, it’s more subjective. Speed and performance are a little more universal.

WordPress is a powerful platform but if you neglect the database that underpins your WordPress site, that speed and performance can take a hit.

The importance of WordPress database optimisation

An optimised database enhances your website’s loading times as data can be retrieved much faster. The faster pages load, the better the user experience and the more likely your site is to rank higher.

A streamlined database also uses fewer server resources, which could save serious costs in a shared hosting environment​. So, it’s a win-win, but it’s also something that might seem intimidating on the surface. Thankfully, it can be simplified using a third-party plugin. 

Before we start spring cleaning though, let’s explore some more common culprits of database bloat, besides stuffing your site with too many plugins.

Common culprits of database bloat

Every action you and your users take is stored in your database. This includes all post revisions and comments, including spam. Inevitably, that’s going to include a lot of unnecessary and unwanted data that could seriously clutter up your database. 

Common causes of database bloat include:

Post revisions

WordPress records every revision and draft you make to every post. Over time, these can add up to a significant number, especially on sites with frequent updates. By default, WordPress also autosaves posts every 60 seconds with a chronological record of all edits. More often than not, this is hidden data you wouldn’t want anyone to see anyway.

Spam comments

Comments marked as spam will remain in your database unless you manually remove them. This is even true if you have an effective anti-spam plugin installed. If you’ve been the victim of a prolific spammer, these comments will not only slow your site down but could pose a serious security risk.

Trash

Just because you’ve deleted a post, page or comment, that doesn’t mean it’s automatically gone forever. All site content is retained in your trash folder for 30 days by default, during which time they continue to occupy space.

Expired transients

These are temporary data caches used by developers to speed up operations in the short term. WordPress doesn’t remove them automatically, even when they’re no longer required, leading to additional bloat.

Unused tables

By default, WordPress data is stored in 12 core tables (options, posts, users, etc.) each storing a specific type of data. If a plugin you’re using creates its own table and you later delete that plugin, the table and all the data within it will remain. If you’re always experimenting with different plugins, this could become a major bloat issue.

Orphaned metadata

When you delete a plugin or theme, it may also leave behind metadata, further cluttering the database​.

Why Pre-Optimisation Backups Are Crucial

While it’s unlikely you’ll erase any important information, it’s not impossible. That’s why, before optimising your WordPress database, it’s essential to perform a backup of your site. Think of it as a safety net, allowing you to restore your website to its original state should anything go wrong during the optimisation process.

There are many user-friendly backup and restoration tools and plugins available for WordPress. This ensures that even those with minimal technical expertise can secure their data efficiently. Indeed, many plugins even create regularly scheduled automatic backups. So, you don’t even need to think about it!

If you’re feeling nervous about it, you might also want to consider testing the optimisation plugin on a staging or development site first. This will allow you to identify any issues before applying changes to your live site.

Optimising your WordPress database

It’s possible to manually optimise your database, and some power users may prefer the flexibility this option offers. However, WordPress comes with a built-in database optimisation tool. It can still be quite complicated for some users though. For most users, we’d always recommend using a WordPress database optimisation plugin. These plugins will not only leave you with a compressed and clear WordPress database but will also backup and restore files.

Whichever method you choose, however, WordPress database optimisation is more than a preventative measure. It’s an essential proactive strategy for all WordPress users. By addressing database bloat, you can maximise the potential of your online presence. 

After optimizing your database, it’s crucial to carry out routine maintenance tasks on your WordPress site to sustain its performance over time.

FAQs

Will WordPress database optimisation cause irreparable data loss?

It’s unlikely you’ll lose any important data during database optimisation. However, you should always perform a full site backup beforehand to be safe.

What is MySQL?

It’s the most popular open source database in the world, used by WordPress, Facebook, Netflix, Airbnb and thousands more.

Why is my WordPress site so slow?

There are several reasons why your site may be underperforming. You might have too many plugins, a limited hosting plan or you may be suffering with database bloat. The latter can be resolved through database optimisation.

How do I access my WordPress database?

This will depend on your host. In most cases, however, as WordPress is open source, you should be able to access your database via an admin tool.

Do I need to edit my WordPress database?

You don’t need to interact with the database to publish or edit your site but if it’s suffering from poor performance, you might need to give it a clean up. 

Why should I optimise my WordPress database?

Primarily, it will enhance site speed, performance and stability. This may in turn improve the user experience and help your site rank higher in search.

What are the benefits of manual WordPress database optimisation over using a plugin?

Manual optimisation lets you fine-tune aspects of your database. As you’re fine-tuning the data yourself, you naturally have more control over what is being deleted, refined or tweaked.

Every millisecond matters when it comes to keeping your visitors’ attention.

According to a study by Portent, a website that takes 1 second to load has a conversion rate three times higher than a site taking 5 seconds to load. The difference between engaging a visitor and losing them to a competitor often relies on the speed of your website.

So, what can you do to improve your website performance?

Enter,  minification. 

In this article, we’ll discuss minification and its overall benefits. And we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide to implementing it using the appropriate tools.

Let’s dive in!

What is minification?

Minification is a technique used in web development to make source code files smaller without messing up how they work. This means getting rid of extra things like white spaces, line breaks, comments andblock delimiters

Here’s an example of JavaScript code before and after minification:

Before minification:

// This function returns a random number between 1 and 6

function dieToss() {

  return Math.floor(Math.random() * 6) + 1;

}

// This function returns a promise that resolves if a 6 is tossed

function tossASix() {

  return new Promise(function (fulfill, reject) {

    var number = dieToss();

    if (number === 6) {

      fulfill(number);

    } else {

      reject(number);

    }

  });

}

// Log the toss result and try again if not 6

function logAndTossAgain(toss) {

  console.log(“Tossed a ” + toss + “, need to try again.”);

  return tossASix();

}

// Log success or failure

function logSuccess(toss) {

  console.log(“Yay, managed to toss a ” + toss + “.”);

}

function logFailure(toss) {

  console.log(“Tossed a ” + toss + “. Too bad, couldn’t roll a six”);

}

// Use promise to try three times to toss a 6

tossASix()

  .then(null, logAndTossAgain) // Roll first time

  .then(null, logAndTossAgain) // Roll second time

  .then(logSuccess, logFailure); // Roll third and last time

After minification:

function dieToss(){return Math.floor(6*Math.random())+1}function tossASix(){return new Promise(function(a,b){var c=dieToss();6===c?a(c):b(c)})}function logAndTossAgain(a){return console.log(“Tossed a “+a+”, need to try again.”),tossASix()}function logSuccess(a){console.log(“Yay, managed to toss a “+a+”.”)}function logFailure(a){console.log(“Tossed a “+a+”. Too bad, couldn’t roll a six”)}tossASix().then(null,logAndTossAgain).then(null,logAndTossAgain).then(logSuccess,logFailure);

In the minified version, all comments, extra spaces, and line breaks are removed. Also, the minifying code is compressed into a single line to reduce file size.

Benefits of minifying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code

Minifying CSS, JS, and HTML code improves website loading speed whilst reducing file size and bandwidth usage, leading to an enhanced user experience and search engine rankings. Let’s look at each one in turn.  

Improve website loading speed

Minification optimizes your website’s code. By cutting down unnecessary characters, the files become smaller to transfer over the internet. This results in faster downloads and rendering of web pages.

Reduce file sizes and bandwidth usage

Minified code files are always smaller in size. They take less storage space on servers and consume lower bandwidth during transmission. This is helpful for users with limited data plans or slower internet connections.

Enhanced user experience and engagement

Websites that load quicker are more likely to retain visitors’ attention and encourage them to interact with the content. A fast and responsive site can lead to increased user satisfaction, longer visits, and more interactions (not to mention, conversions).

Impacts on SEO and search engine rankings

Page speed load times have been a ranking factor in Google for a while now. All other things being equal, a faster site will rank higher in Search than its nearest competitor, usually resulting in greater visibility and higher visitor numbers..

How to minify code

There are several ways to minify code. You can use online tools or a content delivery network (CDN) with a built-in minification feature. Using a WordPress minification plugin can simplify the process even further.

Minification tools and CDN

Minification tools

UglifyJS is a powerful tool for minifying JavaScript. It can greatly reduce the size of your JavaScript files by removing unnecessary characters and optimizing the code. 

CSSNano is a CSS minification tool that focuses on optimizing stylesheets. It eliminates redundant code, whitespace, and other non-essential elements from your CSS files.

If you’re looking to reduce the size of your HTML files, HTMLMinifier is one way to go. It ensures  your HTML files are delivered in a more compact and efficient form.

CDN

When it comes to code minification, CDNs offer several advantages:

Automatic minification: CDNs have special tools to automatically minify JavaScript, CSS, and HTML scripts when sending them to users. 

Edge caching: CDNs use edge caching to store minified versions of your code closer to end-users. So users can retrieve content from a nearby server instead of the origin server. This reduces latency and speeds up loading times.

GZIP compression: CDNs use GZIP compression to reduce the size of transferred files further. This compression technique helps optimise bandwidth usage and accelerates content delivery.

Using a WordPress plugin for minification

Plugins can provide a more user-friendly experience for non-technical users. With simple settings and options, you can enable or disable minification across your site or for specific files. 

Additionally, CDNs often charge based on bandwidth usage whereas a one-time purchase or a free WordPress plugin can provide ongoing minification without any extra charges.

Finding a WordPress minification plugin 

Search ‘minify’ or ‘minification’ in the WordPress plugin directory. Look for plugins that are five-star rated that are also tested with the latest version of WordPress.

How to minify with WP-Optimize 

In this next section, we’ll walk you through how to minify with WP-Optimize. First, you’ll need to install and activate WP-Optimize on your WordPress website. Once you have installed and activated, navigate to the WP-Optimize > Minify area. To start code minification, simply toggle on the ‘Enable Minify’ feature on your WordPress website.

Conclusion 

Minification is used to make source code files smaller without messing up how they work. It helps improve website loading speed and it reduces file size and bandwidth usage, leading to an enhanced user experience that could improve search engine rankings. You can minify using stand-alone tools, a CDN with built-in minification or via a WordPress performance plugin like WP-Optimize. 

For more tips on how to speed up your WordPress site read our guide

Frequently asked questions

Here are some questions about minification that people often search for online.

Will minification cause any issues on my website?

Minification should not cause any issues if done correctly. It only removes unnecessary elements and keeps the functionality intact. If you’re minifying your WordPress website using WP-Optimize, you can always reach out to us for help. 

How much faster will my website be after minification?

The speed improvement varies. It tends to depend on the initial size and complexity of the code. It will generate improvements though, particularly when combined with other optimization and performance enhancements like image compression and caching. 

Does minification affect SEO?

Yes, minification impacts SEO as search engines prefer faster-loading websites. It can improve your site’s ranking and user experience, which are crucial factors in SEO.

Is it necessary to minify all of my code?

While it’s not mandatory, t’s better to minify all code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) for optimal performance. Focus on minifying files that are large or loaded on every page.

What are some popular minification tools and plugins?

Popular tools include UglifyJS for JavaScript, CSSNano for CSS, and HTMLMinifier for HTML. WordPress plugins like WP-Optimize also offer minification features.

Should I always keep my minified code files separate?

It’s a good practice to keep the original and minified files separate. This makes debugging and maintenance easier. Serve minified files to users and keep the originals for development purposes.

Are there any downsides to minification?

The main downside is that minified code becomes less readable for humans which can make debugging more challenging. Try to keep copies of unminified JavaScript and CSS files for development and troubleshooting purposes.