Best WordPress Themes for Bloggers(Data-Driven Study)
Today, you're about to discover the most popular WordPress themes that actually help bloggers make money. Insights from 32,499 monetized websites running ads through Mediavine, Raptive, and other networks.
The Data: What 32,499 Sites Reveal
I didn't guess. I pulled the data from existing websites. 32,499 monetized websites running ads through Mediavine, Raptive, and other networks. Sites actually making money, not just talking about it.
GeneratePress
- Under 30KB load
- SEO optimized
- 500 sites license
- Lifetime: $249
Astra
- 240+ templates
- Under 50KB
- Unlimited sites
- Lifetime: $199
Kadence
- AI powered
- Modern design
- Unlimited sites
- Lifetime: $799
Top 9 WordPress Themes by Usage
- 1GeneratePress5,056 detections
- 2Astra2,656 detections
- 3Kadence2,436 detections
- 4FoodiePro975 detections
- 5Mediavine Trellis928 detections
- 6Newspaper910 detections
- 7Acabado880 detections
- 8Divi698 detections
- 9Hello Elementor523 detections
Notice something? The top three are all lightweight frameworks. No bloat. No fancy animations that crater your Core Web Vitals. Just fast, clean code that lets your content and monetization shine through.
What's the Best Theme on Mediavine?
Mediavine Theme Report: Diving into the Mediavine subset, we analyzed 7,317 sites to find out which themes are most popular among Mediavine users.
The Winners:
- 1.GeneratePress – 847
- 2.Kadence – 799
- 3.Trellis – 781
- 4.Foodie Pro – 651
- 5.Custom Theme – 636
- 6.Astra – 362
- 7.Brunch Pro – 135
- 8.Divi – 129
- 9.Genesis – 109
- 10.Hello by Elementor – 87
We did not combine different frameworks or themes, and counted them separately. However, if you combine the different Trellis themes it would be number 1.
GeneratePress takes the top spot with 847 unique detections.
For example, Foodie Pro in the number 4 spot is actually built on the Genesis framework, along with many other themes by the same company.
Roughly 8.7% of Mediavine WordPress sites have a custom theme. Determining just how much customization would require a lot more analysis, which I'd love to pursue if there's enough interest. For now, we know that 600+ site owners at least placed their theme files behind a branded/custom directory.
During the cleanup phase of the data, I noticed a couple of design agencies that were commonly used, so I gave them their own grouping. The primary two agencies were Pixel Me Designs (57 detected custom themes) and Once Coupled (25 custom themes).
Trellis is Mediavine's framework, so it should come as no surprise it appears high on the list. The standard detection labeled "Trellis" was found on 781 websites, while the variations of the theme Wisteria, Birch, and Bamboo appeared on a combined 86 more websites. When combined, that's more than GeneratePress.
What's the Best Theme on Raptive?
Next, let's look at the Raptive subset, where we analyzed 2,500 sites.
The Winners:
- 1.GeneratePress – 562 detections
- 2.Kadence – 528 detections
- 3.FoodiePro – 305 detections
- 4.Astra – 236 detections
- 5.Restored316 – 176 detections
- 6.Genesis – 81 detections
- 7.Newspaper – 73 detections
- 8.Trellis – 71 detections
- 9.Divi – 68 detections
- 10.Seasonedpro – 59 detections
GeneratePress again tops the list with 562 detections.
Kadence (528) and FoodiePro (305) are also popular choices. Astra, Restored316, and Genesis round out the top themes with 236, 176, and 81 detections respectively.
Other notable themes include Newspaper (73), Mediavine Trellis (71), and Divi (68). There are plenty of custom themes on Raptive. Since it was harder to find identifiers, this dataset is much smaller, but it's interesting that Mediavine (rival ad network) was the 8th most popular theme.
Why These Themes Win for Monetized Sites
Here's what kills monetized websites: bloat.
Every unused feature. Every fancy animation. Every oversized image slider. They pile up like dead weight, dragging your load times down. Your visitors bounce. Your ad viewability tanks. Google ranks you lower.
The themes that actually work solve this problem by not creating it in the first place.
They're lightweight. They load in under a second. They're built for publishers who need to serve ads, affiliate content, and multiple images without murdering their Core Web Vitals scores.
This matters more than any demo site can show you. When your income depends on organic traffic and ad performance, you pick themes proven to handle the load. That's what this data reveals - 32,499 site owners choosing performance over aesthetics.
Let me show you what makes each of these themes worth your time.
Deep Dive: The Top 3 Themes
GeneratePress
Why GeneratePress Wins
Tom Usborne built GeneratePress around a simple idea: WordPress doesn't need to be slow. Most themes kill your site with features you'll never touch. GeneratePress does the opposite.
- Blazing Fast: Loads in under 30kb
- SEO Optimized: Clean code loved by Google
- Proven Results: Powers 5,056+ profitable sites
Pricing & Packages
$59/year or $249 lifetime
Up to 500 sites, all pro modules, full site library, forum support
$59/year (1 site) or $99/year (500 sites)
Advanced Gutenberg blocks, pattern library, dynamic content
$149/year
Everything bundled - theme + blocks + future products, 500 sites
Who's using it: The Affiliate School (Jason Mills), Increasing.com (Jamie IF), The Website Flip (Mushfiq Sarker), Julian Goldie, Gotch SEO (Nathan Gotch), Ryrob (Ryan Robinson), Topical Map (Yoyao), Zyppy (Cyrus Shepard), 201 Creative (Jared Bauman)
Astra
What Makes Astra Special
Brainstorm Force built Astra with the same performance-first approach as GeneratePress. Under 50KB resources. Loads in half a second.
- 240+ ready-to-import designs
- Perfect for WooCommerce stores
- Deep page builder integrations
Pricing Structure
$59/year or $199 lifetime
1 site, all features
$79/year
Astra Pro + Elementor addons
Who's using it: Jesse Cunningham SEO, Adam Collins, Fat Stacks Blog (Jon Dykstra), Smash Digital (Travis Jamison and Karl Kangur)
Kadence
Kadence Advantages
Full transparency: I use Kadence on several of my sites, including oliver.com. It's fast, flexible, and the AI features genuinely speed up the design process.
- AI-powered design assistance
- Modern, fresh layouts
- Built for Core Web Vitals
Investment Options
$89/year
Theme Pro + Blocks Pro, unlimited sites
$219/year
Everything + Conversions + Shop Kit + 8,000 AI credits/year
$799 one-time
Everything forever, unlimited sites (my recommendation)
Who's using it: Oliver.com (me - old site),Observation Hobbies, Karl Hudson
What About the Other Themes?
The top three dominate, but the remaining themes tell interesting stories:
FoodiePro (975 detections)
Built on Genesis framework, massive in the food blogging space. If you're in recipe content, this is industry standard.
Mediavine Trellis (928 detections)
Purpose-built for publishers. If you're in Mediavine, Trellis makes technical sense. They optimized it specifically for their ad code.
Newspaper (910 detections)
Popular with news and magazine-style sites. More feature-heavy than the top three, but some niches need that layout flexibility.
Acabado (880) & Divi (698)
Both capable themes, but notice they rank lower in monetized site data. That performance tax matters when ads are in the mix.
The pattern holds across all variations: lighter themes dominate monetized sites. Flashy demos don't pay your bills. Fast load times and clean code do.
The Bottom Line
I analyzed 32,499 monetized websites to find this answer: performance beats features every time.
GeneratePress, Astra, and Kadence own the monetized website space for one reason. They're built for publishers who need speed, reliability, and clean code that doesn't fight against ads and affiliate content.
Quick Decision Guide:
- GeneratePress:Starting your first affiliate site with a tight budget - the free version might be all you need
- Astra:Need deep Elementor integration and extensive template library
- Kadence:Building a portfolio of sites - the $799 lifetime option pays for itself
But whatever you choose, choose from data, not demos. These 32,499 sites reveal what actually works when money's on the line.
Next Steps:
Pair your theme with fast hosting. I use WPX for everything - solid backups, quick setup, performance that matches these lightweight themes. Then focus on content that actually drives traffic and revenue.
Now your turn: Which theme are you running on your monetized site? Drop a comment in my SEO Reddit community and let's compare notes.
If this data helped you make a better decision, share it with another blogger who's still guessing at theme choice.