GeneratePress Review 2023: Is It the World’s FASTEST WordPress Theme?

To enhance your website’s traffic, it’s crucial to use a lightweight, SEO-optimized theme. 

Building an appealing website from scratch can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

You need to spend hundreds of dollars (if not thousands) to build an appealing website from scratch.

Even after a substantial investment, you might encounter issues like slow loading times, bugs, and the necessity of hiring a full-time developer for even minor adjustments.

Here’s where WordPress themes like GeneratePress come in handy. They are not only affordable but give you all the features to customize your website however you want.

GeneratePress is one of the best themes available in the market. So, if you find yourself uncertain about which theme to choose and prioritize speed and efficiency, choosing GeneratePress is a no-brainer.

I have been using the GeneratePress premium theme for quite a long time now. In fact, our current BloggerPassion theme is constructed upon the framework of the Generatress Child theme.

In this detailed GeneratePress review guide, I will talk about;

• Features of GeneratePress Theme
• Benefits of GeneratrePress
• Pros and cons of using the GeneratePress theme
• Pricing of GeneratePress
• GeneratePress alternatives, customer reviews, and many more

GeneratePress Review 2023: Is It the Best WordPress Theme for Bloggers?

What is GeneratePress?

GeneratePress is a lightweight multipurpose WordPress theme that allows you to create ANY type of website including a business site, portfolio site, agency site, cryptocurrency site, or eCommerce store.

Generate Press is a popular WordPress theme that currently has over 4.1 million downloads along with 1000+ 5-star ratings from customers. 

Is the GeneratePress REALLY a Superfast Theme?

Page speed is a key ranking factor. Your page loading times matter A LOT.

Faster websites help you with;

• Higher conversions 
• Higher search rankings
• Better user engagement 
• More sales and the list goes on

GeneratePress is one of the fastest themes available in the market.

We’ve used the Pingdom speed test to test the performance and page speed of Generate Press. 

Quick note: We’re already using GeneratePress on our blog BloggersPassion. So we’re using the same website to test GeneratePress speed & performance.

As you can see above, the website loads in just around 1.2 seconds, which is great!

Here are the Core Web Vitals (CWV) scores. All 624 indexed URLs have a good score and not a single URL has a poor score or needs improvement.

The Google Core Web Vitals score is also pretty good with the GP theme.

Here’s the page experience overview;

The page experience (which shows you how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page) is incredible as well.

All in all, the GeneratePress theme is an excellent choice if you want speed, a better page experience, and Google Core Web Vitals.

If you want to boost your WordPress page speed, make sure to use a premium caching plugin like WP Rocket as it offers excellent features like page caching, image lazy loading, browser caching, etc to improve your loading times.

Features of GeneratePress Theme

Here are some of the incredible features offered by GeneratePress (GP).

• Gutenberg Ready
• Use the theme on up to 500 websites
• Fully translated over 30+ languages
• Access to premium modules
• Access to the site library
• 30 days money-back guarantee on their premium plans
• 1 year of updates and support on the yearly plan
• Lifetime support and updates on their lifetime plan

So what are you waiting for?

Top Benefits of GeneratePress Themes

Block-Based Theme Builder

GeneratePress offers the first-ever block-based theme builder.

It is a combination of GeneratePress Premium and their GenerateBlocks plugin (free).

You don’t need to touch the code to customize your site in the GeneratePress.

Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you can still customize every element of your website including header, footer, logo, author boxes, single posts, 404 error pages, and so on.

You can watch the following quick video to see how the block-based theme builder works.

Multipurpose – Fit For Any Type of Website

GeneratePress theme is not only ideal for the personal blog but you can create your website in any niche. You can even start your eCommerce website with the GeneratePress. 

You can create websites like 

• Blogs 
• eCommerce website
• News Website 
• Business
• Portfolio 

GeneratePress provides access to a Site Library that offers 99 different templates across various categories such as Business, E-commerce, and Blog.

Access to Site Library

GeneratePress theme gives you access to Site Library where you’ll find 99 beautifully designed templates that you can use to quickly build ANY kind of website.

The premade site templates include basic pages and demo content. So you can quickly design and customize your site however you want.

Quick note: You will get extensive documentation with all the pre-made templates in the Site Library. They also offer tutorials, so you can easily customize those templates.

Here is a preview of some popular GeneratePress site templates.

Catalyst

Catalyst is an elegant pre-made template that was created to cater to ANY type of website. It is built with GenerateBlocks and the block editor. That means you don’t need to get access to other page builders like Elementor or Beaver to customize it.

You’ll also get access to all the demo content like pages, menus, widgets, and plugins.

Prime

This pre-made template is an Amazon-inspired online shop built with WooCommerce Blocks. If you’re running an eCommerce store and looking to replicate Amazon’s design to woo your customers, this is a great template for you.

Crypto

Crypto is a perfect template to build your website in finance or cryptocurrency niche using GenerateBlocks.

Layout Customization

GeneratePress provides complete control over Layout that you can use to modify your website appearance.

Let’s evaluate the GeneratePress design and layout modification features.

Header and Navigation

The best part about using GeneratePress is that you can easily customize your website’s header. It can be customized in multiple ways including primary navigation, sticky navigation, mobile header, etc. 

You can use the Site Identity to change your site title, tagline, logo, logo width, etc.

Here’s what the Site Identity customization looks like;

As you can see above, you can change everything including the logo, logo width, retina logo, etc.

You can also set a different mobile header with a different logo of your site for those who are visiting your site from mobile devices. The best part? You can also make the mobile header sticky.

Here’s what the mobile header looks like;

You can also display a back-to-top button for easy navigation.

Menu Option

The menu option functions similarly to other themes. In the Free version of GeneraPress, you have access to one navigation menu, whereas the Paid version provides you 3 navigation menus. 

I’ve created multiple menus that I can switch between for my primary menu navigation, depending on my specific goals. For instance, during Black Friday sales, I modified my primary menu to highlight Black Friday-related deals.

Widgets Options

You can manage various sections of your website, including the header bar, footer bar, sidebar, and top bar, using widgets.

You can see in the image above,  that you can include up to 5 widgets in the footer section. This enables you to create multiple footer widgets that can incorporate various elements, such as links to important pages, affiliate disclosures, and popular posts.

GeneratePress provides multiple options, such as recent posts, calendars, categories, and custom HTML, to add to widgets.

All these widget options are accessible in both the free and premium versions of GeneratePress.

Page-level controls

Page-level controls are a standard feature in most WordPress themes, and GeneratePress is no exception. 

You have the option to customize elements such as the sidebar layout, footer layout, content container size, and the option to disable specific elements on a post. This control allows you to adjust your website’s look and features in detail as per your preferences.

Elements Module

The elements module is the MOST powerful module offered by GeneratePress Premium.

It allows you to make changes to your site header, sidebar, hooks, and footer. It offers you 4 MAJOR types of elements: Block, Hook, Layout, and Header.

1. Block (you can create blocks and display them at any location on your website including posts, pages, 404 pages, footer, etc)
2. Header (you can use page heroes to create powerful headers for your WordPress website)
3. Hook (it helps you add custom code to any location on your website)
4. Layout (this feature helps you create custom layouts to display on specific posts, pages, categories, or tags)

Also, there’s no limit to the number of things you can customize including Page Heros, sidebars, call to action, footers, etc.

Here’s what one of the modules (Page Hero) looks like;

As you can see above, you can literally customize everything including width, padding, text color, link color, background, color, and more. 

WooCommerce Module

If you’re running an eCommerce store using the WooCommerce plugin (WooCommerce is an open-source eCommerce plugin for WordPress), GeneratePress is a great theme choice for you.

The WooCommerce module provides theme styling options for the Shop and Product Pages. It gives you layout, color, and typography options for your WooCommerce elements.

Quick note: In order to activate the WooCommerce add-on from GeneratePress, you must have the WooCommerce plugin installed and activated. Only then you can activate the add-on in Appearance > GeneratePress.

Once it’s activated, you can customize your eCommerce store however you want.

Here’s what the customization looks like;

Styling Controls

Typography
I appreciate GeneratePress’ typography feature, which stands out as more advanced than those offered by some other WordPress themes.

You can choose from over 200 font styles, including some popular Google fonts, to customize your website’s typography.

Additionally, you have the flexibility to adjust font size, weight, text transformation, line spacing, and paragraph margins to achieve your desired visual style.

You can also modify the heading text for H1, H2, and H3 along with the body text content.

Color Options

GeneratePress offers customization for multiple color elements, including backgrounds, text, links, link hover colors, and blog title hover effects.

I am using the GeneratePress premium version, which grants access to a global color palette, enabling me to fine-tune the colors for more specific elements of my website.

These options empower me to establish a distinct visual identity for BloggerPassion. I have customized the colors using my brand’s signature “blue” shade for crucial elements such as links, button backgrounds, and navigation text, aligning them with my brand identity.

How to Install GP Premium Theme

Firstly, you need to install and activate the GeneratePress free theme in order to use the GeneratePress Premium theme. Here’s the link to download the free version.

Then, you can visit this link to purchase the GeneratePress Premium.

Once the payment is done, you’ll be able to download the zip file of the GP Premium plugin.

Then, you can upload the premium version of GeneratePress from the Plugins section on WordPress.

Click on the Install Now button to continue and then activate the plugin. Once activated, you’ll get access to all the modules where you can install individual modules if you want.

Here’s what it looks like;

That’s it, you’re ready to go!

Pros & Cons of GeneratePress

Pros:

• GeneratePress is fully responsive
• It is one of the lightweight WordPress themes, taking up less than 10 KB of space on your page.
• It works flawlessly with all major page builders including Beaver Builder, Elementor, and more
• Access to a ton of pre-made templates in Site Library
• Wide range of color and typography options
• The ability to create your own custom blocks
• Gives you complete layout control 
• Extensive documentation and great forum support
• The ability to create your own copyright text
• It is one of the fast-loading multi-purpose WordPress themes available in the market
• Multiple blogs and page layout options
• You can use the GenerateBlocks plugin (which is free) to extend your theme functionality 

Cons:

• The free version of GeneratePress offers limited features (apart from that, we don’t see any major cons with GeneratePress)

GeneratePress Free vs. Premium – Which One to Choose? 

The GeneratePress free version is well-suited for beginners who are starting their blogging journey. However, when you compare the features side by side, you may notice that the free plan lacks some fantastic features available in the paid version.

With the paid version, you gain access to valuable additions like a theme builder, a site library, and enhanced customization options to elevate your blog.

Let’s delve into a feature comparison between the GeneratePress Free Version and the Paid Version.

GeneratePress Free Version Features:

• Mobile responsive
• Lifetime free access
• Basic support in the form of WordPress theme forum
• Use on unlimited sites

GeneratePress Premium Version Features:

GeneratePress Pricing: How Much Does GeneratePress Cost?

The GeneratePress premium version comes in two pricing plans

1. Yearly plan: This is the best option for those who’re on a tight budget as it costs you just $59 per year. Here’s what you’ll get with the Yearly plan.

• All premium features
• Full access to the Site Library
• 1 year of updates
• 1 year of premium support
• Use on up to 500 websites
• 30-day money-back guarantee

2. Lifetime plan: If you want to get access to lifetime updates and support, this plan is just for you and costs you $249 which is a one-time payment. Here’s what you’ll get with the Lifetime plan.

• All premium features
• Full access to the Site Library
• LIFETIME updates
• LIFETIME premium support
• Use on up to 500 websites
• 30-day money-back guarantee

If you are a full-time blogger with multiple websites then you can go with a lifetime plan.

So what are you waiting for?

How Good are Support and Documentation?

GeneratePress probably has the BEST support and documentation in place. 

No matter what GP template you want to customize, you’ll find plenty of helpful resources and documentation for it. Even if you’re using the FREE version of GeneratePress, you’ll find great support in the form of a support forum.

GeneratePress offers free support (even for free theme users) where you can ask any question related to GeneratePress to solve your queries.

If you’re a premium user, you can directly log into your account to post a topic to receive responses quickly.

When it comes to theme customization, documentation plays a KEY role. GeneratePress offers a HUGE knowledge base where you’ll find documentation for every template.

You get extensive documentation from general queries to customization to modules. 

Verdict: GeneratePress offers great customer support along with extensive documentation. 

GeneratePress Reviews from Users

So what are other user reviews about GeneratePress? Let’s find out.

On the WordPress Support forum, you’ll find 5 out of 5 stars for the GeneratePress theme.

The people who are using GeneratePress seem to be extremely satisfied with the theme. Have a look at some of the testimonials from users.

Top 3 GeneratePress Alternatives

Here are 3 handpicked WordPress themes you can try as an alternative to GeneratePress.

1. Astra

Astra theme is one of the popular GeneratePress alternatives which is used by over 1.6 million people around the world. 

Features:

• Astra requires less than 50KB of resources (that’s why it’s faster)
• Offers self-hosted Google fonts
• Astra comes with Schema.org code integrated
• Works with all WordPress page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Visual Composer, SiteOrigin, Divi, etc
• Astra is completely WooCommerce ready 
• It is SEO optimized and fully responsive 
• Use layouts to customize anything including headers, blogs, single pages, posts, etc
• 24/7 Support

How much does the Astra theme cost you?

Astra offers a free version that is suitable for beginners. You can download their free version from here. If you want to unlock all the features offered by Astra theme, you should go with their premium plans that are mentioned below.

1. Astra Pro: This plan gives you access to hundreds of customization options and costs you $47 per year and you can use it on unlimited websites. 

2. Essential Bundle: This plan gives you access to all the features of Astra Pro along with 

180+ premium starter templates and WP Portfolio plugin and cost you $137 per year. You can use it on unlimited websites. 

3. Growth Bundle: You’ll get everything in Essential Bundle in this plan and it costs you $187 per year. It also gives you access to the following things;

• Convert Pro Plugin
• Schema Pro Plugin
• Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder
• Ultimate Addons for Elementor
• Use on unlimited sites

If you want to grab the lifetime licenses of the above plans, here’s the pricing.

• Astra Pro costs you $227 (one-time fee)
• Essential Bundle costs you $677 (one-time fee)
• Growth Bundle costs you $937 (one-time fee)

All the plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee. So if you’re not happy with their products for any reason, they will refund 100% of your purchase.

Read: GeneratePress vs Astra: Who’s the REAL Winner?

2. Divi from Elegant Themes

Divi is not only a theme but it’s a complete design framework that helps you customize every part of your website including header, footer, single post templates, 404 error pages, etc. 

It also offers a visual editor along with over 800 premade website layouts to create any type of website. You need an Elegant Themes membership to use the Divi theme.

Features:

With Elegant themes membership, you’ll get access to the following.

• Get access to the Divi theme
• Get free access to the “Extra” magazine theme
• Get access to the Divi builder plugin
• Access to Bloom email opt-in plugin
• Access to Monarch social media plugin 
• Use on unlimited websites
• Gives you access to over 800 premade website layouts 

How much does the Divi theme cost you?

To grab the Divi theme and Divi builder, you’ll need Elegant Themes membership which is available in the following two pricing packages. 

1. Yearly Access: costs $89 per year

You will get the following features

• Access To Divi, Extra, Bloom & Monarch
• Hundreds Of Website Packs
• Product Updates
• Premium Support
• Unlimited Website Usage

2. Lifetime Access: costs $249 (one-time fee)

You will get the following features

• Lifetime Updates
• Lifetime Premium Support
• Unlimited Website Usage
• Risk-Free Guarantee
• One Time Fee
• Access To Divi, Extra, Bloom & Monarch
• Hundreds Of Website Packs

It also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. So if you don’t like your Elegant Themes membership, you’ll get a refund.

Read: GeneratePress vs Divi: Which is Best in 2023

3. Genesis Framework

If you’re looking for a professionally designed and SEO-optimized WordPress theme framework, Genesis Framework is just for you. You can also read our in-depth Genesis framework review to find all the details about it.

Features:

• Access to & support for the Genesis Pro plugin
• Use on unlimited sites
• The framework is free 
• Access a library of professionally designed & fully customizable blocks
• 20+ full-page layouts

How much does the Genesis Framework Cost you?

Genesis Framework is totally free and you can use it on unlimited sites. But if you want more features, you should go with their Genesis Pro option which costs you $360 per year. You’ll get the following with Genesis Pro.

• Powerful block library
• Content sections & full-page layouts
• Dynamic custom block builder
• Genesis Framework
• Access to all 35 StudioPress-made premium child themes
• Unlimited sites
• 24/7 chat support

Genesis Pro comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. So if you’re not happy with the Genesis framework, you can ask for a refund within 60 days of the purchase.

FAQs

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the GeneratePress theme. 

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