Magazine websites are always popular and the best thing about them is that you can create a magazine on almost any topic imaginable. Whether you want to cover a wide range of topics or focus on one or two closely related topics, it has never been easier to start a magazine website.
When it comes to magazine themes, they need to fulfill a few very specific goals. First of all, they need to be able to display a lot of content. Second of all, they need to have an attractive design. Finally, they need to have organized layout which makes it easy to display the content in a neat fashion, making it easier to read. This can make choosing the right magazine theme quite difficult.
So How Do You Choose The Right Theme?
Choosing the right magazine theme is not an easy task, given there’s plenty of themes geared for magazines out there. The best option would be to choose the theme whose design you really enjoy which also has all the necessary features you might need. Here are a few things to keep in mind. The most important feature to look for is the responsive design. Considering the fact Google is penalizing websites that aren’t mobile-friendly, you absolutely cannot forego this one.
You should also look for a theme that offers ad space so you can monetize your hard work.
Naturally, you should also be on the lookout for customization possibilities which will allow you to tweak the look of your magazine to your liking and give it some branding.
Are There Any Downsides To Free Themes?
Even though the themes on this list are free, that doesn’t mean they lack in features or have poor aesthetics. In fact, most of the themes, feature clean code that follows the best coding practices and have a number of features mentioned above which will help you create a powerful magazine website.
They even offer support through their forums so you don’t have to worry about getting stuck at any point in time. All things considered, if you’re on a limited budget, there is absolutely no reason to immediately spend money on a premium theme.
Best Free Magazine WordPress Themes
We know choosing the right magazine WordPress theme can be daunting so we did the work for you. Keep reading to find the perfect theme for your magazine website and if you know of any free theme that should be on the list, email us or leave a comment with a link below.
ProBlogg
ProBlogg is a responsive WordPress theme that is perfect for personal websites, corporate blogs, news websites and other frequently updated websites. And yes, it is available free of charge as well as any other WP theme on this list.
The ProBlogg theme looks pretty clean thanks to a well-organized layout and elegant typography. However, it is not only beautiful but also mobile-friendly, search engine optimized and cross browser compatible. It should also be mentioned that ProBlogg is loaded with many features: an image carousel highlights the most important posts and images; a fixed navigation bar ensures easy navigation; hover effects add some interactive feel to post thumbnails, and so on.
One more reason why you might want to download this theme is that you like using free WordPress themes from trusted theme companies. The thing is that ProBlogg comes from Dessign.net, a company that has seven years’ experience in WordPress theme development.
Numinous
Numinous is a great magazine WordPress theme, considering it has a responsive design, prominent advertisement spots to help you make more money, and a clean layout that supports lots of content. You can use it for different kinds of magazine sites, including news, food and technology magazines as well as viral content sites. You’ll also love the featured posts feature, which allows you to highlight your best content.
This template integrates nicely with social media, allowing you to promote your website on different platforms. We also like that the template is translation ready since it makes it easy to display your magazine in different languages and reach a global audience. Besides, the Numinous theme is fast loading, and it provides beautiful typography and color options so you can easily advance your brand.
Metro Magazine
From Rara Theme comes Metro Magazine, a flexible and powerful free magazine WordPress theme. This one features an advertisement spot in the header to boost your earnings, and you can also display your social media icons at the top so people can easily connect with you on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Your site will look beautiful and work correctly on all device types since the template is fully responsive.
The breadcrumb feature is a great addition especially for magazines with lots of content, which need enhanced navigation options. Add personality to your site by displaying author bios and translate your site into different languages to reach a global audience. Finally, the Metro Magazine comes with a set of custom widgets that make it easy to display things like social links, featured posts, popular posts and recent posts.
EasyMag
Easymag is the first theme on our list and it features a clean and modern design. The theme starts off with a header area that includes a slider and a grid layout of most popular stories. A breaking news widget is also available so your visitors can stay on top of most important news. The homepage also features a number of ad spots in the header, the sidebar, and in between homepage sections.
The theme is easy to customize and you can upload your own logo, header and background images, change colors, and much more. What makes this theme stand out is the ability to construct the entire homepage with widgets which means you don’t have to touch a single line of code. On top of that, the theme is completely responsive so even visitors on mobile devices will be able to stay on top of the news.
TheNews
TheNews theme has an interesting 3-column layout which is perfect for putting the most important stories in the center of attention. The sidebars are fully widgetized and offer plenty of room to include category list, recent posts lists, social media widgets or feeds, and much more. Promote the most recent stories with a slider and take advantage of the ad places in the header and the sidebar to monetize your website.
The theme also integrates with WooCommerce so you can easily sell branded magazine merchandise or even subscription to digital issues of your magazine. Several page templates are available to add some variety to your magazine. You can also use custom widgets to link to your social media profiles and grow your following. Along with translation options, organized theme options, responsive design, and SEO optimization, this theme has a lot to offer so be sure to check it out.
eMag
eMag comes from the folks over at FlexiThemes and it comes with a two-column layout that includes a list of the most recent posts. It also has a slider to feature most popular or most recent stories. The sidebar has a handy tabbed widget which you can use to show recent posts, comments, and tags so your readers can find related content. You can also include a widget for your Facebook page and other social media links to grow your followers and instantly share your stories with them.
In terms of monetization, you can integrate Google AdSense ads or any other third-party ads. You can also offer ad space for sale to small business that are in the field your magazine is about. An advanced theme options panel is available to customize colors, fonts, upload your own header, and much more. There’s also a built-in contacts page so your visitors can easily get in touch with you. Finally, the theme looks great on just about any device and is SEO optimized to help improve your search engine rankings.
EasyBlog
Easy Blog is a great choice for anyone considering a travel, fashion, or even food magazine since the theme features beautiful featured images that are bound to draw the attention of your visitors and encourage them to read the entire story. A custom header is also available to tailor the look of your website to the theme of your magazine. You can show a list of trending posts in the sidebar as well as show a list of related posts below each individual post.
The theme customizer can be used to change colors, upload logo, and other basic settings. The theme also comes with 3 built-in widgets for recent posts, social icons to display your social profiles, and an advertisement widget to add banner ads. The theme is also completely responsive which means it will look great no matter which device your visitors are using.
ColorMag
ColorMag is a modern and responsive magazine WordPress theme suitable for newspapers or news websites. The theme has a small slider at the top which is combined with a grid of featured posts for an engaging header area, perfect for featuring the most popular stories. The rest of the homepage presents content in a grid layout according to different categories and the sidebar as well as the header area include ad spots so you can monetize your website with ease.
You can display your social media icons both in the header and in the footer of your website, increasing your chances of getting new followers. You can also take advantage of WooCommerce integration to sell magazine related merchandise. The theme is also translation-ready meaning you can offer your magazine in any language you desire and increase your readership. Along with several custom widgets and the ability to change the colors, the ColorMag theme is a great choice for anyone considering a news type magazine.
MegaMag
MegaMag is a child theme of First Mag, the free responsive magazine theme. This version comes with a dark color scheme and bold color accents to highlight different sections of the homepage. The theme shows featured widgets highlight the most popular stories from different categories, followed by a list of the recent news. It also has a lovely slider area which shows multiple images at once which is great for capturing your readers’ attention. Large featured images are another way to pull your readers in and several ad spots are perfect for integrating Google AdSense ads or even selling ad spaces to companies looking for more exposure.
The theme also supports WPReview plugin which makes this theme a great choice for anyone planning on posting product reviews. The theme options panel has all the tools needed to customize your website to your liking and you can also translate it to another language and attract a global audience.
NewsLayer
Consider the NewsLayer theme if you’re looking for a minimalistic design with plenty of white space to put your content into main focus. The theme features a lovely slider of your featured posts and follows the traditional two-column layout. It also has plenty of ad space and a responsive design which looks stunning on all devices and makes it easier to digest news while you’re readers are on the go.
You can add an online store to your magazine, maximizing your revenue potential and thanks to the SEO optimization, your website will certainly rise up in search engine rankings. The theme is easy to customize through the options panel which organizes related settings, making them easier to find. A selection of page templates are available so you can have sitemaps, contact forms, and pages without sidebars. On top of that, the theme is translation-ready and includes custom widgets to link to your social networks and display site content in the sidebar.
Epicurean Theme