Paid Theme/Template or Free Theme/Template

[nomad]

I have over a dozen websites but none of my websites uses a paid theme/template. I have built all of my websites with a free theme/template. In my experience, if you can find your niche appropriate theme and you can customize your website with widgets and plugins, free theme/templates are perfectly fine. Having said that you get additional features if you use a paid theme.

 

[overcast]

Free themes can be good but it's always a good thing if you edit them and make your own brand out of them. Most of the time when you edit themes and prepare things custom that is always better. That is where the custom or the paid theme are going to work good.

 

[Henrywrites]

Free themes can be good but it's always a good thing if you edit them and make your own brand out of them. Most of the time when you edit themes and prepare things custom that is always better. That is where the custom or the paid theme are going to work good.

Paid templates will always give your website a better look as you will have more features to work on. It is an extra advantage that you will have over those making use of the free ones.

 

[Shortie]

I have used both free and paid themes myself and as much as I do like to have a more unique look on my sites sometimes, you can not always afford to have a paid theme on a site. I don't feel that people should feel they need to have paid themes to have a successful site as it's not always about the looks of the site but the information that is on the site. If you have good quality content that people want to read and be interested in then people will come to your site no matter what theme you are using whether it be free or paid.

 

[Jason2022]

I use a modified default theme for my XF forum and I'm totally happy with it. However, though, it's all about your opinion, your taste. If a paid theme fits the bill, why not?