19 Best WordPress Starter Themes for Developers in 2025

Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of WordPress Development in 2025

The year is 2025, and WordPress continues to reign supreme as the leading content management system. However, the landscape has evolved. Headless CMS architectures are more prevalent, Javascript frameworks like React and Vue.js are tightly integrated, and performance optimization is paramount. For developers, this means choosing the right WordPress starter theme is more crucial than ever. A well-chosen starter theme can provide a solid foundation, saving time and resources while ensuring scalability, maintainability, and adherence to modern development best practices. Gone are the days of heavily relying on bloated, all-in-one themes. The focus is now on lean, customizable frameworks that allow developers to build bespoke solutions. This article highlights 19 of the best WordPress starter themes for developers in 2025, considering these modern demands.

Criteria for Selection

Before diving into the list, it’s important to understand the criteria used to select these themes:

• Lightweight and Performant: Themes should have a minimal footprint, avoiding unnecessary code and prioritizing fast loading speeds.
• Developer-Friendly: Clean code, well-structured files, and comprehensive documentation are essential.
• Customizability: The ability to easily modify and extend the theme without altering core files is crucial.
• Modern Development Practices: Support for technologies like Composer, Webpack, and modern JavaScript frameworks is highly valued.
• Gutenberg Compatibility: Seamless integration with the block editor is a must-have.
• Accessibility: Adherence to accessibility standards (WCAG) is paramount.
• Active Maintenance and Support: Regular updates and a responsive support team are important indicators of reliability.
• Headless CMS Readiness: Themes should be adaptable for use in headless WordPress configurations.

The 19 Best WordPress Starter Themes for Developers in 2025

Here are 19 of the top WordPress starter themes that meet these criteria, perfect for jumpstarting your projects in 2025:

1. Underscores (_s)

Underscores remains a classic and highly popular choice. Created by Automattic, it’s a bare-bones theme designed as a starting point for building custom themes.

• Extremely lightweight and minimal.
• Well-documented and easy to understand.
• Ideal for developers who want complete control.
• Excellent starting point for learning theme development.
• Regularly updated to maintain compatibility with WordPress core.

2. Sage (Roots)

Sage is a modern WordPress starter theme using Bedrock and Trellis to create a more streamlined and developer-friendly workflow.

• Modern PHP development standards (PSR-2, PSR-4).
• Blade templating engine.
• Webpack for asset management.
• Built-in BrowserSync for live reloading.
• Focus on security and performance.

3. FoundationPress

FoundationPress combines the power of WordPress with the responsive framework Foundation.

• Based on the Foundation framework, providing a solid grid system and UI components.
• Sass support for efficient styling.
• Modern JavaScript development workflow.
• Gutenberg-ready with customizable block styles.
• Well-documented and actively maintained.

4. Understrap

Understrap combines Underscores with Bootstrap, offering a blend of simplicity and a robust front-end framework.

• Built on Underscores and Bootstrap 5.
• Sass-powered for easy customization.
• Mobile-first responsive design.
• Provides a good balance between a blank slate and pre-built components.
• Large and active community support.

5. JointsWP

JointsWP is another starter theme built on the Foundation framework, emphasizing a modular and flexible approach.

• Leverages the Foundation framework for responsive design.
• Customizable grid system and components.
• Clean and well-commented code.
• Focuses on best practices for accessibility and SEO.
• Easy to extend with custom functionality.

6. WP Rig

WP Rig is a modern starter theme focused on performance and accessibility.

• Performance-optimized with lazy loading and image optimization.
• Accessibility-focused with ARIA attributes and semantic HTML.
• Uses modern JavaScript and CSS techniques.
• Well-documented and easy to customize.
• Suitable for building complex and performant websites.

7. HTML5 Blank

HTML5 Blank is a simple and lightweight starter theme designed for developers who want a clean canvas.

• Extremely minimal and unopinionated.
• Focuses on semantic HTML5 markup.
• Easy to understand and customize.
• Ideal for developers who prefer to write their own CSS and JavaScript.
• A good choice for learning about theme structure.

8. Beans

Beans is a UIkit-based starter theme that emphasizes flexibility and customization.

• Built on the UIkit framework, providing a rich set of UI components.
• Modular and extensible architecture.
• Advanced theme options and customization features.
• Well-documented and supported.
• Suitable for building complex websites with a consistent design.

9. Nebula

Nebula is a starter theme focused on modern development workflows and Gutenberg compatibility.

• Uses Composer for dependency management.
• Webpack for asset bundling.
• Gutenberg-ready with customizable block styles.
• Clean and well-structured code.
• Ideal for developers who want to use modern tools and techniques.

10. Chassis

Chassis is a powerful and flexible starter theme based on the popular Bootstrap framework.

• Built on Bootstrap, providing a robust grid system and UI components.
• Sass-powered for easy customization.
• Modern JavaScript development workflow.
• Extensive documentation and support.
• Suitable for building responsive and feature-rich websites.

11. Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a developer-friendly starter theme that emphasizes a clean and organized codebase.

• Well-structured and commented code.
• Easy to customize and extend.
• Focuses on best practices for security and performance.
• Gutenberg-ready with customizable block styles.
• Suitable for building custom themes from scratch.

12. Kraken

Kraken is a modern WordPress starter theme built with Tailwind CSS.

• Utilizes the utility-first Tailwind CSS framework.
• Optimized for performance with PurgeCSS.
• Includes modern JavaScript tooling.
• Offers a fast and efficient development workflow.
• Ideal for developers familiar with Tailwind CSS.

13. Pinegrow Theme Converter

While not strictly a “theme,” Pinegrow Theme Converter allows you to convert HTML prototypes into fully functional WordPress themes.

• Convert HTML designs into WordPress themes visually.
• No coding required for basic theme creation.
• Full control over theme structure and functionality.
• Great for designers who want to create custom themes without writing code.
• Steep learning curve for advanced features.

14. Blankslate

Similar to HTML5 Blank, Blankslate is an incredibly minimal and clean starter theme.

• Extremely basic, stripping away all default WordPress styling.
• Provides a true blank canvas for developers.
• Focuses on clean and semantic HTML5.
• Excellent for projects requiring complete design freedom.
• Simple and easy to understand for beginners.

15. Relevé

Relevé is a lightweight and opinionated starter theme built with Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js.

• Modern stack using Tailwind CSS for styling and Alpine.js for interactivity.
• Focuses on performance and maintainability.
• Includes helpful utilities and components.
• Requires familiarity with Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js.
• Well-suited for modern web development practices.

16. Devify

Devify is a developer-centric starter theme using modern PHP coding standards and a component-based approach.

• Employs modern PHP best practices and coding standards.
• Component-based architecture for reusability and maintainability.
• Uses Composer for dependency management.
• Designed for complex WordPress projects.
• Requires strong PHP development skills.

17. Quark

Quark is a minimalist starter theme that prioritizes speed and flexibility.

• Lightweight and fast loading.
• Simple and easy to customize.
• Provides a clean base for building custom themes.
• Focuses on core WordPress functionality.
• Suitable for small to medium-sized projects.

18. Astra

While Astra is often used as a fully-fledged theme, its child theme capabilities and customizable nature make it a viable starter theme.

• Highly customizable through the WordPress Customizer.
• Lightweight and performance-optimized.
• Offers a wide range of pre-built templates.
• Extensible with various plugins and add-ons.
• Good option for developers who want a balance between customization and pre-built features.

19. GeneratePress

Similar to Astra, GeneratePress is a lightweight and versatile theme that can be used as a starter theme base.

• Extremely lightweight and performance-focused.
• Highly customizable through the WordPress Customizer.
• Modular design for easy extension.
• Excellent support for accessibility and SEO.
• Another strong contender for developers seeking a balance between customization and pre-built functionality.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Theme for Your Project

Selecting the right WordPress starter theme in 2025 requires careful consideration of your project’s specific needs and your development expertise. The themes listed above represent a diverse range of options, from minimalist frameworks like Underscores to more opinionated themes like Sage and FoundationPress. By evaluating these options based on the criteria outlined earlier, you can make an informed decision that sets you up for success in the ever-evolving world of WordPress development. Remember to prioritize performance, maintainability, and adherence to modern development best practices to ensure the long-term viability of your projects.