Marketing
21 Free WordPress Themes for Every Kind of Freelancer
When you’re launching a freelance business, chances are, you don’t have a huge budget to spend on getting a custom-designed website (developers are expensive!). Luckily, there are plenty of freelancer WordPress themes to choose from.
Fortunately, you don’t need to blow your budget to get a professional, well-designed website—all you need is the right free WordPress theme.
WordPress is a great platform for freelancers and business owners of all types—and there are a TON of free WordPress themes out there to help you get the look and feel you want for your website.
Let’s take a look at some of the best free WordPress themes for freelancers:
What to Look for in a Free WordPress Theme
The best free WordPress theme for you is going to depend on your goals, your clients and your business model. But there are a few key elements that you should look for in any free WordPress theme—no matter what kind of business you’re in.
Before you decide on the best free WordPress theme for your business, make sure it is:
- SEO-friendly. Most WordPress themes come with built-in search engine optimization (SEO) capabilities, which can help you rank better in search engines like Google and get your website in front of more would-be customers.
- Responsive. More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices—which is why it’s so important that your website looks just as amazing on mobile as it does on desktop. Make sure that any free WordPress theme you choose is mobile responsive (which means your website will look polished and professional no matter how or where your visitors access it).
- Compatible with drag-and-drop page builder plug-ins. A free WordPress theme is a great place to start building your website. But, chances are, you’re going to want to change some elements, move a few things around and customize it to fit your needs. There are a number of themes that have built-in drag-and-drop capabilities, or are compatible with drag-and-drop page builder plug-ins. The best part? No coding necessary.
Must-Try Free WordPress Themes for Every Kind of Freelancer
Ready to jump into the best free WordPress themes for freelancers? Here are our top picks (separated by the freelance industry they serve best):
General
There are a number of extremely versatile free WordPress themes out there. Whether you’re a consultant, an artist, an ad agency or just about anything in between, going for one of these versatile, well-designed themes is a great way to go.
Let’s take a look at some of the best general freelancer WordPress themes for your business that won’t cost you a dime:
Astra
This WordPress theme can help you create a sleek, polished website across a variety of industries—making it an ideal choice for a variety of freelancers. And because it offers a variety of features and integrations (including e-commerce storefronts and page builders), it’s easy to fully customize the theme to suit your needs.
OceanWP
Do you want to create a blog, a portfolio site, a storefront or a more business-focused website? Because OceanWP has got you covered. Plus, this versatile theme has over 3,000 five-star reviews!
Hello Elementor
Sometimes, less is more. The Hello Elementor theme offers a simple, straightforward framework that could work for just about any freelancer or business type.
Writers
As a freelance writer, your focus is on words. However, if you want to build your business, find new clients and get your writing out into the world, you also need to focus on building a professional web presence. And a free WordPress theme is a great way to do it.
Some features to look for in a free WordPress theme for writers include:
- A blog (people want to read your words!)
- Portfolio capabilities (to showcase your work)
- Simple, straightforward design (let your writing shine)
Here are some of our picks for the top complimentary freelancer WordPress themes for writers:
Wisteria
If you want your writing website to read like a magazine, check out the Wisteria theme. This free WordPress theme is streamlined, clean and lets your content take center stage.
Cherry Blog
With the Cherry Blog theme, you can easily organize your posts and work samples into a variety of categories—and then showcase them in an eye-pleasing grid on your homepage.
Opus Blog
If you want to incorporate more graphics and photos into your website design and writing, the Opus Blog theme, which places a heavy focus on impactful visuals as well as written content, could be a great option.
Artists and Designers
If you’re a freelance artist or designer, it goes without saying you need a well-designed website; not only do you need a place to showcase your work, but the quality of your website design will speak to your caliber as a visual artist.
However, not all artists and designers are web designers. So if website design isn’t your thing, a free WordPress theme is a great way to get the professional, well-designed look you need to take your artistic business to the next level.
As an artist or designer, some of the features you’ll want to look for in a free WordPress theme include:
- Portfolio capabilities (to showcase your work and/or samples)
- Sleek design (you’re a visual artist—and your website needs to reflect that)
- Opportunities to include plenty of imagery and media (after all, you’re creating art)
Here are some of our favorite gratis freelancer WordPress themes for freelance artists and designers:
Dank Portfolio
Let your art speak for you with the Dank Portfolio theme, which puts your work front and center.
Neptune Portfolio
Make it easy for your clients to review your work with the Neptune theme. It organizes your art or graphic design samples in a simple, streamlined way.
Advance Portfolio
As an artist, it’s all about your portfolio. And, as the name implies, the Advance Portfolio theme allows you to expand your portfolio and showcase your work in a visually impactful way that’s sure to grab your website visitors’ attention.
Business and Consulting
If you work in the business and consulting realm, looking professional is a must. And one of the first ways potential clients will judge your level of professionalism—and whether they want to work with you—is through your website.
As a freelance businessperson or consultant, the top feature you should look for in a free WordPress theme? Clean design. You want to appear professional, organized, approachable and trustworthy to potential clients. A clean, minimalist website design is the best way to achieve that goal.
Here are our picks for some of the best professional freelancer WordPress themes—perfect for the business and consulting realm:
Apex Business
This versatile theme offers a variety of customization options and a sleek, streamlined design, making it a great option if you want to lend a sense of authority to your business or consulting website.
Creative Business
The Creative Business WordPress theme comes with a variety of features that are a must when building a business or consulting website. These include key homepage sections meant to drive business interest, including services, about us/why choose us and customer testimonials.
Geschaft Business
If you want your website to appeal to more tech-focused clients, the modern design of the Geschaft Business theme is a must-try.
Marketing and Advertising
If you want to make it in the marketing and advertising world, you need to show that you can market and advertise yourself—and that starts with your website.
As a marketing and advertising freelancer, some features you should look for in a free WordPress theme include:
- Portfolio capabilities. You need to show potential clients that you can effectively market and advertise their products or services—and that means sharing plenty of portfolio samples.
- Blog. One of the best ways to draw in new clients is to establish yourself as a subject matter expert or thought leader—and a blog can be a great way to build that reputation.
- Sleek, visually impactful design. Your website is your own form of marketing and advertising—and it needs to make an impact on your potential customers.
Here are some of the best freelancer WordPress themes for marketing and advertising that will help you show potential clients you know how to market and advertise your own business (and theirs too):
VW Landing Page
With plenty of customization options and vibrant, visually impactful design elements, the VW Landing Page is a great way to capture your ideal customers’ attention—and show them you’re the right marketing/advertising freelancer for them.
Digital Agency Lite
Showcase your marketing work, services and capabilities in a professional, authoritative and striking way with Digital Agency Lite theme. This theme also allows you to sell digital products—so if you have any marketing strategy guides, courses or eBooks you want to lay out for your audience, it’s a great fit.
Zita
Streamlined and responsive, the Zita theme is a great framework for a marketing or advertising website. This theme is compatible with a variety of drag-and-drop plug-ins, making it easy to customize to suit your needs.
Trades or Home Services
There are a variety of trade and home or commercial-based service businesses, including:
- Mechanics
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Home cleaners
- Landscape designers
- Contractors
And if you own this type of business, you need a website that delivers the information your clients need to know about your services. And you need to deliver that information in an approachable, visually appealing way.
If you’re in the market for a free WordPress theme, make sure to look for one that has:
- A strong balance of written content to educate clients about your services
- Attention-grabbing imagery to make your website feel more approachable
Here are a few of our favorites:
Make
The simple, straightforward design of this theme is an ideal choice for trades or home services. You can showcase both information about your services and imagery. But if you want to jazz things up a bit, you’re all set. This theme offers drag-and-drop capabilities, which make it simple to customize your website.
Expert Carpenter
As the name implies, the Expert Carpenter WordPress theme is specifically designed for service-based businesses. With a straightforward, user-friendly design, it’s easy to showcase your services to potential clients.
Flourish Lite
Thanks to strong imagery and a streamlined, grid-style layout, this theme allows you to grab your customers’ attention, and showcase your work and services at the same time.
‘Showcasers’
Event planners, models, fashion designers, caterers—there are a ton of freelance professions that require you to showcase your work to potential clients. And your website is the best place to create that showcase!
If your freelance business falls into this “showcaser” category, some of the features you should look for in a free WordPress theme include:
- Portfolio capabilities
- Multimedia integration
- Strong imagery (basically, anything that helps you wow your would-be clients and showcase your work!)
Here are a few of our picks for the best free freelancer WordPress themes that will help you showcase your work (and show potential clients that you’re a showstopper):
Uptown Style
This stylish theme has an elegant look that would be great to showcase more high-end work (like a florist or event planner).
Bard
Grab your customers’ attention, showcase your services, and put your work front and center with the Bard theme. This imagery-focused theme is not only great for “showcaser”-type businesses, but it’s also targeted towards beginners. So if you’re new to WordPress, this could be a great option.
Phlox
If you really want to showcase your work in a way your clients won’t soon forget, the vibrant, in-your-face Phlox theme is the way to go.
Choose the Best Free WordPress for Your Business
WordPress is an easy-to-use, budget-friendly way to build your freelance website. And now that you know what to look for in a free WordPress theme, you’re armed with the information to choose the right one for your freelance career. And with the right website, you can focus on putting your name out there. As a result, you’ll land more clients and take your freelance business to the next level.
This post was updated in March, 2020.