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Choosing a fast and reliable theme is crucial for anyone planning to build a WordPress website. While there are countless premium and free themes available, WordPress’s default themes often offer a balance of speed, customization, and compatibility right out of the box. In this post, we will examine the top 3 fastest WordPress default themes based on multiple performance metrics.
Fastest WordPress Default Themes Top 3
1 Fastest WordPress Default Theme: Twenty Twenty:
Overview:
“Twenty Twenty” is the default WordPress theme that comes pre-installed with every WordPress installation. This theme receives a new release every year, with each version being distinct. As a default WordPress theme, it’s designed for optimal performance, boasting a slim file structure and solid code.
Pricing:
“Twenty Twenty”, like all default WordPress themes, is entirely free.
Notable Features:
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- Consistently high-speed scores close to 100.
- Perfect integration with the latest version of WordPress.
- Based on the Chaplin theme, known for its flexibility and customization options.
- Comprehensive support for Gutenberg’s block editor.
- Compatibility with popular page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder.
- Mobile-responsive design with user-friendly elements.
- Advanced blogging interface with customization tools.
Performance Metrics for “Twenty Twenty”:
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- GTmetrix: Performance Score: 100, Structure Score: 97, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): 651ms, Fully Loaded Time: 1000ms.
- Pingdom: Performance Grade: 97, Page Size: 66 KB, Load Time: 323ms, Requests: 7.
- PageSpeed Insights (Mobile & Desktop): Both mobile and desktop versions scored a perfect 100 in performance.
- Byte Check: Time to First Byte: [Data not provided in this chunk].
Conclusions for Twenty Twenty:
“Twenty Twenty” showcases impressive speed and performance metrics. As a default WordPress theme, it sets a high standard for performance, making it a reliable choice for those seeking a fast and efficient theme.
The analysis will continue with further themes and their respective performance metrics in the next section.
2 Fastest WordPress Default Themes: Twenty Twenty-One:
Overview:
“Twenty Twenty-One” is the default WordPress theme introduced with WordPress 5.6. Like its predecessors, it’s a minimalist theme designed as a customizable blank canvas. The theme supports various features, including automatic feed links, responsive embeds, custom backgrounds, and more.
Pricing:
“Twenty Twenty-One” is a free WordPress theme.
Notable Features:
- Acts as a blank canvas with the block editor as its primary tool.
- New block patterns for diverse layouts.
- Full block editor support.
Performance Metrics for “Twenty Twenty-One”:
- GTmetrix: Performance Score: 100, Structure Score: 99, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): 550ms, Fully Loaded Time: 670ms.
- Pingdom: Performance Grade: 97, Page Size: 56.70 KB, Load Time: 667ms, Requests: 7.
- PageSpeed Insights (Mobile & Desktop): Both mobile and desktop versions achieved a perfect score of 100 in performance.
- Byte Check: Time to First Byte: 42ms.
Conclusions for Twenty Twenty-One:
The “Twenty Twenty-One” theme excelled in all performance tests, making it one of the fastest WordPress themes available. Its minimalist design and compatibility with the block editor make it an ideal choice for those seeking a clean and fast website.
3 Fastest WordPress Default Themes: Twenty Twenty-Two:
Overview:
“Twenty Twenty-Two” is a default WordPress theme launched with WordPress 5.9. It’s designed to be a flexible, lightweight, and customizable default theme, providing an excellent playground for testing blocks, patterns, and templates. This theme is perfect for exploring WordPress 5.9’s new features like full site editing, global styles, navigation blocks, and updated image galleries.
Pricing:
“Twenty Twenty-Two” is a free WordPress theme.
Notable Features:
- Inspired by the diversity and versatility of birds, the theme’s styles are lightweight yet strong, with a color palette inspired by nature.
- Built for the full site editing features introduced in WordPress 5.9.
- Every single page can be customized to suit your needs.
- Includes dozens of new block patterns and much more.
Performance Metrics for “Twenty Twenty-Two”:
- GTmetrix: Performance Score: 99, Structure Score: 98, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): 577ms, Fully Loaded Time: 661ms.
- Pingdom: Performance Grade: 97, Page Size: 504.90 KB, Load Time: 730ms, Requests: 8.
- PageSpeed Insights (Mobile): Performance Score: 74, First Contentful Paint: 1.1s, Speed Index: 1.5s, Large Contentful Paint (LCP): 4.1s.
- PageSpeed Insights (Desktop): Performance Score: 86, First Contentful Paint: 0.4s, Speed Index: 0.4s, Large Contentful Paint (LCP): 0.5s.
- Byte Check: Time to First Byte: 53ms.
Conclusions for Twenty Twenty-Two:
The “Twenty Twenty-Two” theme starts well with GTmetrix’s 99 performance score and 98 structure score. However, its PageSpeed Insights mobile score is lower than its predecessor. Despite this, most of its other stats, such as the PageSpeed Insights speed index and requests, are still outstanding. If you’re planning to use this latest default WordPress theme, ensure to optimize it for better performance.
Conclusion
Selecting a fast, reliable, and feature-rich theme is an important consideration when building a WordPress website. While numerous premium and free themes offer varying levels of performance and customization, WordPress’s default themes often strike a delicate balance between speed, versatility, and compatibility right from the get-go.
- Twenty Twenty: This theme sets a high benchmark with near-perfect performance metrics. It offers a wide array of features, including a mobile-responsive design and compatibility with various page builders. If you’re looking for a proven, versatile theme with impressive speed, Twenty Twenty is an excellent choice.
- Twenty Twenty-One: With top-notch performance metrics, this theme stands out for its minimalistic design and extensive support for block editor functionalities. It’s a go-to choice for those who want a clean, fast, and modern website without any fuss.
- Twenty Twenty-Two: While the theme’s performance is excellent overall, it does require some optimization, particularly for mobile. It is incredibly customizable and is built to leverage the full site editing features introduced in WordPress 5.9. It offers a perfect playground for those wanting to explore the latest WordPress functionalities.
In summary, all three themes offer compelling advantages, but your choice should align with your specific needs—whether that’s unparalleled speed, ease of customization, or the ability to utilize the latest WordPress features. These default themes set a high standard and make an excellent starting point for any WordPress project.
