This article is an update from the one I wrote almost 2 years ago about 10 Best Paid WordPress Themes of 2013. We’ll look into how those themes are holding up to today’s design standards as well as a few examples of how each theme is being used.
Panic Station ($45)
Looking at the live demo of this theme, we can still feel that the theme is modern, edgy, and premium. The diagonal navigation that flies out is still quite unique and the layout itself is very airy and free.
The websites using this theme appear to be mainly international such as businesses in Germany and Malaysia. That makes sense because the design strays from the mainstream white, clean background commonly used in United States and instead uses a multi-color gradient overlaying a full-size background image.
Weald ($40)
The main reason this theme was included in the list was because of how clean it was. Believe it or not, that point still stands true today. This theme used flat design before it blew up and became a popular style of web design. The colors used in the theme are very neutral and easy on the eyes.
Not surprising, the websites I found using this theme seem to be grassroots movement and creative types of websites.
Braxton ($45)
Braxton was one of my favorite themes in the list as it was a perfect fit for magazine websites. It has an amazing article slider at the top which uses full-sized imagery. The font used for article headings is Playfair Display and it is simply gorgeous.
This theme is being used anywhere from celebrity fansites to hair salon websites.
Simplicity ($45)
Simplicity was another theme employing flat design; however, the designer focused on trying to bring some dimension by using 3D shapes and shading to make objects seem as they’re protruding from the page. The theme is fully customizable and can be seen in two very different examples I found, including an ad network and nonprofit charity websites.
Chariot ($40)
Another flat design theme, what sets Chariot apart from Simplicity and Weald is that it is much more minimal. The colors are very toned-down and shapes are all solid-colored. The navigation is very simple yet elegant as well. Two examples that use this theme include a personal website for a web designer as well as a company that provides court services.
Atlas Directory & Listings ($55)
As mentioned in the original article, Atlas is mainly a directory and listings theme. Although you can always set it up so it fits your website, it would probably be too much work. That’s why if you need location-based data that utilizes Google Maps, this theme was one of the best options at that time.
This theme is currently being used for a motorcycle and vegan communities, which both depend on mapping information.
Barberry ($55)
As a primarily eCommerce theme, it’s not exactly a shocker to learn that it is being used by companies that sell kids' products and clothing. Since it fully supported the WooCommerce plugin, it had the advantage of being perfect for small online shops. You could literally install the theme and start putting your products up for sale right away.
Million ($45)
Million is a multi-purpose theme so it doesn’t have limits as far as which types of websites can use it. It has a distinct navigation which includes icons for each of the menu items.
The two examples that use the Million theme include a Yoga Gym and a wedding DJ. Although these two examples are very creative in nature, this theme can definitely be used for corporate websites as well.
Retro ($45)
I mentioned how skeuomorphism was going out of style at the time and how flat design was taking over. Although Retro theme still looks good today, it has a major problem where every website that uses it looks pretty much the same. When you use a theme that relies so much on skeuomorphistic elements, it’s hard to customize it.
The two examples such as the Spanish institute and fishing website both look nearly identical. In most cases, that’s a huge website identity problem.
Safarica ($40)
Safarica has been one of the most colorful themes on this list and it’s still true today. Even though it still looks good today, it hasn’t aged that well. The squared shapes are making the theme look a little dated. It kind of has the Windows 8 tiled look to it, which most of us have started getting tired of seeing by now.
The trucking company and business cooperative websites both use the Safarica theme. Their websites still look decent, but just a tad too boxy and dated.
Conclusion
So what did you think of the top 10 WordPress themes I selected in 2013 and which one is your favorite? Would you like to see the new list for 2015 and if so, which themes would you recommend?
Let us know in the comments.
