WordPress Block Themes vs Classic Themes: A Beginners Guide

In today’s short 3 minute video I explain the key differences between WordPress Block Themes and WordPress Classic Themes.

WordPress Classic Themes are what most of our sites are currently running and they include Themes such as Kadence, GeneratePress, Astra, Divi, and our 18tags Theme.

WordPress Block Themes are a new type of Theme that are built entirely with Gutenberg Blocks, and they include Themes such as the WordPress Twenty Twenty Three Theme, Bricksy, and Spectra One. Spectra One is Astra’s brand new Block Theme, that I will be reviewing in the next few days.

It’s important to know the difference between a Block Theme and a Classic Theme so that you can make the right choice for your website.

Transcript

Are you trying to decide between using a WordPress block theme or a classic theme for your website? This beginner’s guide will explain the key differences between the two, as well as the benefits and potential drawbacks of each. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which theme type is best suited for your needs.

WordPress Block Themes vs Classic Themes: The Differences

  1. Customization and Design

Classic themes, such as Astra, Kadence, and Generate Press, rely on the WordPress customizer to modify their design. Each classic theme has a unique set of options, with some offering extensive customization while others have limited choices. Changes made in the customizer typically affect WordPress templates or theme styles, including fonts and colors.

Block themes, on the other hand, eliminate the need for a customizer. Built entirely from blocks, these themes allow users to edit templates directly in the WordPress site editor. This offers unlimited possibilities for layout and design, as you can alter page templates or create entirely new designs using Gutenberg blocks.

  1. Styles and Flexibility

With block themes, styles are managed through the site editor’s style options. This gives users more control and flexibility than classic themes. However, the learning curve can be steeper for those new to block themes compared to using a classic theme right away.

  1. Underlying Technical Architecture

Block themes boast a much simpler technical architecture compared to classic themes. This simplicity leads to several significant benefits:

  • Block themes are faster.
  • They can be built by designers without coding knowledge.
  • The combination of block themes and artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize theme building.

Classic themes often rely on add-on plugins to enhance their functionality, whereas block themes are inherently more powerful. However, the controls for block themes may currently be more challenging to use. As the technology evolves, it’s expected that these controls will become more user-friendly.

The Future of WordPress Themes: AI and Block Themes

As block themes continue to develop, AI integration may become the catalyst for users to make the switch from classic themes. The simplified architecture of block themes makes it possible for AI to assist in creating and customizing themes—an endeavor that would be much more difficult with classic themes.

Conclusion

In summary, WordPress block themes offer more flexibility and control than classic themes, but they may be more challenging for beginners.

However, as block themes continue to improve and AI integration becomes more prevalent, the ease of use and customization possibilities will likely surpass classic themes.


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