Astra is a versatile WordPress theme that can be used for various purposes such as portfolios, websites, businesses, and online stores. With over 1 million active installations, the free version of Astra has impressive support for page builder WordPress plugins, enabling you to customize your entire site through the WordPress theme customizer. Astra’s pre-designed templates can be easily imported with just a click, allowing for effortless customization. Upgrade to the Pro version for extended functionality, or take advantage of the numerous free extensions available. This article will delve into Astra’s popularity, guide you through the free version, and highlight the benefits of upgrading to Astra Pro.
Here is a glance at what you can hope to get when you use Astra:
Very quick performance
Page developer joining
Easy-to-understand interface
WooCommerce topic similarity
Availability prepared
Web optimization well-disposed markup
Interpretation and RTL prepared100% open source
Astra’s Best Features
Super Fast Speed and Performance
Astra is quickly becoming a top choice as one of the fastest-loading multipurpose themes available.
Designed with speed in mind, it has a small footprint of just 50KB, compared to the typical 300KB of other WordPress themes.
Astra has been optimized to perform well on speed tests such as Pingdom, Google Page Insights, and GTmetrix, as demonstrated by its almost one-second loading time and “A” rating on Pingdom.
To further improve performance, Astra’s developers have disabled jQuery, a common cause of slow loading times.
Although Astra alone cannot guarantee the fastest website speeds, when combined with other performance enhancements, it is a reliable solution for speed-conscious website owners.
In addition to the fact that Astra works well with a lot of WordPress modules, however, it was likewise planned explicitly to function admirably with page developer modules like Gutenberg, Beaver Builder, Elementor, Site Origin, Visual Composer, Thrive Suite, and Divi.
Indeed, Astra coordinates flawlessly with:
Extreme Gutenberg Blocks Library: exploit the amazing Gutenberg blocks library to tweak your site utilizing the WordPress Gutenberg proofreader. Add things like a data box, fastens, a group segment, a value list, social offer fastens, and even tributes, all with no code.
Extreme Addons for Beaver Builder: appreciate 60+ modules, 200+ line segments, and 100+ page layouts in the Template Cloud (which is a leading element of Astra) to tweak your site. Also, you can utilize the white mark highlight, which is incredible for building a legitimate organization.
Extreme Addons for Elementor: this module comes loaded with interesting Elementor topics and gadgets that add usefulness to your site to further develop the client experience and lift changes. It has perpetual plan alternatives, assists you with building your site quicker, is WooCommerce viable, and is interpretation prepared.
When utilizing the Astra subject, you can even tweak things on a page-by-page premise assuming you need to. This is because when Astra is actuated, other settings confine the editorial manager shows up (paying little heed to the presentation page developer you use), giving you the control you need to make a site that addresses your image.
WordPress Customizer and Real-Time Changes
The Astra theme utilizes the live WordPress Customizer for customization. The changes made to the site are visible in the preview panel, allowing you to see how the site will look before publishing. While this may seem like a standard feature in most WordPress themes, Astra stands out with its numerous customization options.
For instance, you can adjust typography globally for a consistent look and feel. You can also alter the appearance of sidebars, enable breadcrumbs, or modify individual post features such as the featured image, title, blog metadata, comments, category, and author. In conclusion, Astra is a versatile WordPress theme that offers website owners easy ways to make the changes needed for their perfect website.
Prepared to Import Starter Site
Astra offers over 150 pre-made templates to help you create your website. All you have to do is install the free Astra Starter Sites plugin. Before that, Astra allows you to choose your preferred page builder. This is a unique feature not found in many other themes. Once you select a page builder, you will have access to the Astra Starter Sites, organized into categories like blog, business, and eCommerce to make your search easier. Importing a template you like is as simple as clicking “Import Site”.
Astra is designed to be user-friendly for both beginners and experienced engineers. Despite being made for amateur use without the need to touch any code, Astra also offers plenty of opportunities for experienced engineers to customize their sites. With numerous hooks and filters for easy content management, Astra is also 100% open source, allowing you to access its code on Github if you choose. For non-engineers who want similar customization options, the Astra Hooks module provides a solution for creating unique content and code without any technical expertise. Additionally, Astra can be further expanded with modules, including many free options available on WordPress.org specifically for Astra users.
Astra Plans and Pricing
Astra can be downloaded from the WordPress Repository and will continue to be available for downloading in the future.
For those seeking advanced features, Astra Pro is offered in three premium plans:
Astra Pro ($59): includes all professional features, 20+ free starter sites, integrated email support, comprehensive training, and unlimited site usage. The Mini Agency Bundle ($169): includes all Astra Pro features plus 60+ free starter sites, a WP Portfolio plugin, and the option between Ultimate Addons for Elementor or Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder. The Agency Bundle ($249): includes all Mini Agency Bundle features, 60+ Agency starter sites, all developer plugins, SkillJet Academy, and any future plugins. A 14-day 100% money-back guarantee is also offered if Astra is not a suitable fit.
Pros and Cons of Astra Theme
It’s more than clear that Astra is a sublime topic and some even cause it to be the best WordPress subject. Alongside many advantages, it has a few boundaries. Along these lines, here’re a portion of the advantages and disadvantages of the Astra WordPress topic.
Pros
- Lightweight and Fast: Astra is a lightweight theme designed for speed and performance, which makes it ideal for fast-loading websites.
- Customizable: Astra offers a wide range of customization options, including a visual theme customizer, typography options, color options, and more.
- Mobile-Friendly: Astra is fully responsive and mobile-friendly, ensuring that your website looks great on all devices.
- Compatible with page builders: Astra is compatible with popular page builders such as Elementor, Beaver Builder, and more, making it easy to create custom pages and designs.
- Regular Updates: Astra is actively maintained and updated with new features and bug fixes, ensuring that your website remains secure and up-to-date.
Cons
- Limited Design Options: Although Astra offers a wide range of customization options, the theme does have some limitations in terms of the design options available.
- Requires a page builder: To get the most out of Astra, you will need to use a page builder, which can add extra cost and complexity to your website.
- Limited Built-in Features: Astra is a lightweight theme and does not come with a lot of built-in features. Some users may need to install additional plugins to add features such as a portfolio, pricing tables, and more.
What Does Astra Offer?
Astra is a popular WordPress theme known for its lightweight, customizable, and performance-focused features. It offers:
- Customizable designs: Astra offers pre-built templates and website demos that can be imported with a single click and customized to match your brand.
- Responsive design: The theme is optimized for all devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
- Speed optimization: Astra is designed to be fast and lightweight, with optimized code and minimal bloat.
- Integrations with page builders: Astra integrates seamlessly with popular page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, and Gutenberg.
- E-commerce support: Astra includes built-in support for WooCommerce, allowing you to easily set up an online store.
- Accessibility: The theme is designed to meet accessibility standards, making it easier for people with disabilities to use your site.
- Regular updates and support: Astra receives regular updates to ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress version, and offers dedicated support for users.
Final Thoughts
Astra is an exceptional free WordPress theme that offers a range of stunning pre-designed templates and a variety of free plugins to enhance its functionality. The theme’s customization process is made easier as all the options are conveniently located inside the WordPress theme customizer. Although the free version is robust, most WordPress users who use Astra for their live site will eventually upgrade to Astra Pro. With a starting price of just $59 per year, Astra Pro provides premium support and additional styling and layout options. By purchasing one of the higher-level premium packages, users also have access to premium Brainstorm Force plugins and the ‘Office’ pre-designed templates.
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