One of the highlights of 2012 was the large number of excellent free WordPress themes released into the wild by benevolent open sourcers. I have compiled 20 of the most popular free themes featured on WPMU.org during last year. Cheers, and here’s to an even more vibrant WordPress theme design community in 2013.
SimpleCorp
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Workality
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
MeetGavernWP
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Responsive
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Clean Retina
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Pilot Fish
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Meeta
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Gridly
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Veecard
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Origin
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Workz
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Prosume
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Oxygen
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Orion
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
svbtle
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Adapt
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Retouch
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Sundance
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Twenty Twelve
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
Adelle
WPMU.org Summary | Download | Demo
No javascript required, no third part chat engine, just fully featured chat right in your own database on your own WP sites - couldn't be easier.
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Fully integrated with the SEOMoz API, complete with automatic links, sitemaps and SEO optimization of your WordPress setup - this is the only plugin you need to help you rank your site number 1 on Google - nothing else compares.
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It's now incredibly easy to start your own Q&A site using nothing more than WordPress - The Q&A plugin simply and brilliantly transforms any site, or page, into a perfect support or Q&A environment.
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Out of all the WordPress ecommerce plugins available, MarketPress has got to be the winner - easy to configure, powerful functionality, multiple gateways and more. A simply brilliant plugin!
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Now there's no need to pay for a third party service to sign up, manage and send beautiful email newsletters to your subscriber base - this plugin has got the lot.
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To get a wiki up and running you used to need to install Mediawiki and toil away for days configuring it... not any more! This plugin gives you *all* the functionality you want from a wiki, in WordPress!!!
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Take, set and manage appointments and client bookings without having to leave WordPress. Appointments+ makes it easy.
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Would you like to add Facebook comments, registration, 'Like' buttons and autoposting to your WP site? Well, The Ultimate Facebook plugin has got that all covered!
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If you're thinking about starting a paid, or just private, membership site then this is truly the plugin you've been looking for. Easy to use, massively configurable and ready to go out of the box!
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This is probably the best selection of free WordPress themes I’ve ever come across. They’re easy on the eyes, standard layout, responsive, and free (of all things). Thank you for sharing this collection with us web designers, Sarah!
I almost didn’t look at this post, since there are so many “best themes of 2010″ being made. But I’m glad I did, because there are some that I missed the first time I saw them mentioned.
Workality’s links are 404ing, so perhaps it’s not free any longer. Even the developer’s link in his comment is broken.
Origin, Oxygen, and Hatch are still free, but other AlienWP themes are paid.
Hi Lane,
I’ve had a trouble with my server recently and sadly that was the same date with this great article.
Workality has still free version and it can be downloaded anytime from workality.ca
I appreciate Sarah including Workality in this great collection.
Sarah, as always, you and WPMU continue to amaze me. Thanks for the valuable resource! I shared your post at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/110185167026781740484/stream/47baaad9-4173-4f33-91e7-dcacc675c0c5. Keep up the great work!
This post is one of the reasons that WPMU is one of the select few blogs included in my RSS feeds.
Thanks Daniel! I appreciate you reading :)
Really good quality themes…Thanks for sharing
There are some really nice themes here, but way too many of them have (by default) absolutely tiny font sizes. Obviously we can fix that, but tiny fonts were a bad trend 5 years ago, and are quite inexcusable now.
75% of these are really appealing and super functional.
I tried Gavrick free, and thought it was pretty horrible in trying to manipulate. But, that’s my own personal opinion. I really tried to like it, but couldn’t.
Thanks for this wonderful gathering of others!
Great collection of WordPress themes. Wondering if they are listed in any order?
Another best FREE WordPress Theme developed in 2012: http://www.designwall.com/wordpress-theme/wallpress/