Why Astra Is My Go-To WordPress Theme

Let’s talk about the WP Astra Theme…

WordPress theme comparisons invariably include Astra^† — it’s one of the most recognised and widely used themes in the ecosystem. It has earned its place as a benchmark theme but even in doing so, people still ask a fairly predictable set of questions about it. I’ve been using it for over 8 years (it was released in 2017, so I’ve seen it evolve), 5 of those as a Pro user, and it is the starter theme for BMCS and my niche sites. So rather than a generic pros/cons list, here’s my open assessment of the Astra theme – based on that experience – centered around some of those questions.

“Free or Pro — Which one should I choose?”

This is probably the most common question, and my simple answer is: it depends what you’re planning on building.

Astra Free is the theme; Astra Pro is a companion plugin that extends it.

• The ‘Free’ version offers all the basic features you’d want from a theme backed up with an extensive set of customisation options.
• The ‘Pro’ version extends the theme options for the header/footer builder, site layouts, along with providing additional modules, deeper customiser controls and hook support. Pro is therefore only useful if you choose to use Astra as your theme.

It is important to understand the distinction between the two, so here are 3 examples from my portfolio to clarify and also expand on my simple answer:

• NauticalBits.co.uk (Pro Required) – Most of the site is driven by Astra with ‘Pro’ modules used extensively to build out the design – Header Builder (desktop off-canvas menu – Pro only), Sticky Header, Site Builder, Page Headers and WooCommerce.
• BlackPudding.Club (Pro Optional) – I chose to build out every template (post, CPT, archives) in Elementor so all I really needed was the Astra engine as I was using alternative tools to drive my design and build. Whilst ‘Free’ would suffice, I used ‘Pro’ for the extended features of the header/footer builder as it provided a neater solution than trying to do the same thing in Elementor.
• BMCS (Free) – The site you are looking at now. Nearly everything is built out in Astra, with an odd hook code snippet to inject an Elementor template. I could build out the design I wanted without the Pro addon, just a little manual coding.

So yes, it depends what you’re planning on building, and if you know exactly what you are trying to achieve, it should become much easier to decide whether you need the Pro addon or not^†.

“What are the customiser options?”

I’ve already shared my approach to setting up WordPress which includes ‘Customise the Basics‘. And this is one of the areas where Astra stands out. Many of your must-have design options can be set right from the start of your project and that is just what I do:

• Global Colours – Add the brand colours and apply to headings, text and backgrounds
• Global Typography – Add the brand fonts and apply to Body and headings
• Container Settings – Stay with the default or go narrow/wide (or more with Pro)
• Button Styling – Apply the brand colours and unique styling
• Single/Archive Page Layout – Apply the card layout I want for archive pages
• Header/Footer Design – Add Logo, navigation placeholder, social links etc

The upshot, especially if you are building a content-led site, is the design framework is done. CSS fine-tuning can be managed via the customiser and individual page design elements managed as part of the content creation.

As a footnote, as this is not the way I tend to operate, if I wanted a quick site build then Astra would help make that happen. I would even argue it is preferable to using a ready-made site template (if that’s your thing), given it probably takes the same amount of time to customise from scratch as it does to update your site template to match your requirement.

“Does it actually play well with page builders?”

I believe the official line is Yes. I can only speak directly about Elementor given it is the one I tend to use in tandem, and the answer is a confirmed Yes.

Astra’s approach is to handle the structural, performance, and speed side of things and then take a back seat once a builder takes over layout — it’s not fighting Elementor for control the way some themes can. And as I have already mentioned, there are times when that’s exactly the setup I want: theme handles the foundation, builder handles the page-by-page design.

“Is it good for WooCommerce?”

In my experience, Yes. You need the Pro addon for maximum benefit given the really useful additional customisation options.

My Nautical Bits Demo is a great example with some of the Pro features on display.

“Is it actually as fast/SEO-friendly as it claims?”

This is where I can speak with more authority than many reviews, since I’ve been in the driver’s seat for a while not just taking it out for a test spin for clicks. Astra’s own code is lightweight and quick — that part of the claim holds up. You can install the theme and run your own speed tests to verify that.

But I’d be a little sceptical of any review that implies a fast theme guarantees a fast site. I had page speed issues initially on this site, but it had far more to do with GSAP animations, dynamic JetEngine listings, and image optimisation than anything Astra itself is doing. The Astra theme gives you a clean, unencumbered starting point — it doesn’t do the rest of the performance work for you, and no theme genuinely can – if you (i.e. me throwing myself under a bus here) add enough “clutter” to your site it will invariably take longer to load.

On SEO specifically: clean code and mobile-first markup help, but Astra isn’t doing anything Rank Math and genuinely good on-page practice wouldn’t already cover. I wouldn’t choose a theme for its SEO claims — I’d choose it for not getting in SEO’s way, which is a different and more acceptable framing.

“Can I use it across multiple sites?”

The Free Astra Theme can be installed on an unlimited number of websites for free. There are no restrictions, licenses, or limits.

Multi site usage only becomes an issue when you are referring to the use of the Paid ‘Astra Pro’ Plugin. In order to use the Pro Plugin you must purchase an appropriate license to cover the number of sites on which you plan to use it.

For my situation — I’ve had 15 – 20 sites running on my Astra Pro License, and the number of sites was dictated by that license. If I remember correctly, when I first signed up the license covered ‘unlimited’ sites. That was subsequently reduced to ‘1000’ – still way more than I needed but a reduction, nonetheless. But, there is more to this story, which I will come to shortly.

So yes, you can use Astra across multiple sites (with tier restrictions on the ‘Pro’ version), but, I think it raises another question worth pointing out to you for consideration. Is a multi-site option actually a pre-requisite to buy today? In this current fast-changing environment I would seriously consider a full evaluation of the stack you use and how that is going to work in practice moving forward before committing to any high site tier package.

“What about pricing and licensing — upgrades, renewals, downgrades?”

In light of the last question, there’s something worth knowing upfront (and as far as I am aware this hasn’t changed):

You can upgrade a license by paying the difference, but there’s no downgrade path if you buy a higher tier than you end up needing – you just have to let the current license expire and replace it with the lower tier. If you are not sure, start low and upgrade if required.

“What is Astra doing with AI?”

Brainstorm Force, the tech wizards behind the Astra theme, have embraced AI in a similar vein to many of the other major players. They are adapting the technology to provide more powerful and useful products for their customers. They are even actively selling AI as part of their product ecosystem. I haven’t really experimented with any of it to date, so an assessment is going to have to wait.

But what I have noticed that comes with this, as I guess is the case for many theme and plugin providers, is that with the addition of AI tools comes a further repositioning of the license pricing options and site tiers – increased functionality with fewer sites. It is understandable from a business perspective. But, it is also frustrating from a user perspective, more so if you have bought into a lifetime plan that no longer exists.

All my core tools – Astra, Elementor, Crocoblock – have now added AI functionality to their toolkit and made adjustments to their standard package offering. The products they offer are very impressive but I no longer believe it is a straightforward exercise to blindly integrate them all – it’s just too much for the majority of site requirements. Ever since I started down the WordPress path, I’ve been refining a workflow around tools that I know and trust. AI is now asking me to reconsider whether that workflow still makes sense…

And this is one subject I want to cover in much further detail in the future.

“Is the Astra Theme any good?”

After more than 8 years, with nearly every current site I run using it, there is no other answer than yes — I’ve rarely had an issue with it, it gives me exactly what I want from a theme and it is constantly improving (added/upgraded features etc).

Having said that, I did encounter an issue recently that sent me on a wild goose chase looking for a problem that originated from an Astra theme update. I didn’t even think to check given my trust in the product. But sure enough, the problem had been identified and fixed by the Astra team in the time I was still searching for an answer. So product support is pretty top-notch too.

As a closing point, “Am I going to continue using Astra?” Having just built this site with it, I would have to say yes, of course. But, as I mentioned earlier, AI is changing some of the tools I use and making me rethink my current workflow. So perhaps the more honest answer is: ask me again after the next project!

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