We are often asked which website themes we recommend, more so in recent years with all the changes to WordPress. Currently, we primarily work with websites using the Kadence theme or the Genesis Framework, two of the more popular WordPress themes. Both these themes offer a variety of great features when it comes to design, customization, and even integration with Gutenberg. It’s also important to note that both themes have their own perks in terms of features and performance.
What is Genesis?
Genesis Framework is a theme framework, which means it serves as a foundation for building child themes and is usually primarily targeted towards developers and designers. While the Genesis Framework is a lightweight theme, it is not terribly user-friendly for non-developers. Users will need to have some coding knowledge, or purchase a child theme, to customize the design of their website.
Genesis tends to run more slowly since it is code-heavy. While it is a powerful option, it was not built for Gutenberg, WordPress’ native page and block builder and does not always integrate well without the help of a third party software or plugin.
What is Kadence?
Kadence is a newer theme that offers a wide range of customization options and a built-in page builder that was developed with Gutenberg in mind, which makes it easy to design and customize your website. It also includes many pre-designed templates and blocks for building pages and posts quickly, making the theme the more user-friendly option for the average user.
Kadence has a clean and modern design, which means navigating and customizing design options is simpler. Kadence blocks make it easy to change most design elements quickly and support page customizations for computers, tablets, and mobile devices. However, since the theme is relatively new, integration with some third parties might not be available yet.
How do you choose?
Both Kadence and Genesis have their own advantages and disadvantages. In terms of design, Kadence offers more options, while Genesis Framework is more minimalistic. Kadence has a more modern and sleek design, while Genesis is more traditional. Genesis is a foundational theme for building custom coded child themes. Kadence and its built-in page builder are a dream for swapping out customizations on your website.
Here are a few reasons why we at MRM now choose Kadence over Genesis Framework:
- Customization: Kadence and its pro blocks add-on offer numerous easy-to-use options per page or per block.
- Design: Kadence has a clean and modern design, which makes it easy to navigate and use.
- User-Friendly: Kadence is easy to use for those without coding knowledge.
- Flexibility: Kadence is flexible and can be used to create any type of website, whether it’s a blog, portfolio, eCommerce, or business website.
- Performance and Security: Kadence is optimized to be lightweight, efficient, and secure.
Ultimately, your specific needs, preferences, and technical knowledge will be the driving factors on which theme is right for you.
Because believe the design and performance capabilities with Kadence are impressive, we have chosen to focus on development in Kadence themes going forward. For all of our DIY-ers, our friends over at Restored 316 Designs just released another beautiful Kadence Child Theme! Any one of the library of Kadence themes there would serve you well!
Take all the details into consideration when deciding, and let us know if you have any questions! We’re happy to chat with you about a theme change for your website and how we can further support your dreams this year!
