Astra vs Essentials Theme comparison [2024] 💥
ASTRA THEME (Essentials vs Astra)
WP-Astra is the fastest Wordpress theme ever made...
In this comprehensive Astra Theme review for [2024], consider this impressive statistic: over 2,369,964 users have chosen Astra for their websites. The reason behind this widespread preference? Astra is not just developed, but meticulously crafted, akin to a custom sports car. It's engineered for creating visually stunning and highly responsive online shops, with loading speeds comparable to the swiftness of a cheetah.
The team behind Astra didn't just release a theme; they introduced a formidable force in web design, quickly rising in popularity akin to a hit record. In terms of performance, particularly speed, the only theme that approaches Astra's capabilities is Generatepress. However, when considering the overall excellence and features of themes, Astra stands out remarkably, much like a compelling, enigmatic protagonist in a blockbuster film.
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Understanding the importance of website speed is key: swifter websites tend to rank higher in Google's search results, likened to ascending a digital Mount Everest. Speed enhances user engagement, encouraging visitors to stay longer on your site, much like a magnet attracting and retaining attention. In today's digital landscape, website speed holds significant value, comparable to a coveted golden ticket in the realm of online success.
Choosing Astra means entrusting your website to experts in optimizing web speed. Picture your online store as a race car: the faster it performs, the more efficiently it guides customers through the checkout process. Astra is designed not just for aesthetic appeal, but also for exceptional speed, ensuring a swift and smooth user experience. It's akin to adding a powerful boost to your website, significantly enhancing its performance.
ASTRA 4.0 JUST GOT RELEASED
The recent release of Astra 4.0 represents a significant stride in the evolution of WordPress themes. I highly recommend starting with the overview video linked above to gain a quick understanding of its new features and enhancements. Following that, delve into the rest of this article for a more comprehensive exploration. Astra has long been a frontrunner in the WordPress theme market, continually improving and adapting to meet the dynamic needs of users.
Its latest iteration, Astra 4.0, further cements its status as an essential asset in any WordPress user's theme collection. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a novice in website design, Astra 4.0's blend of flexibility, power, and ease of use makes it an invaluable tool for crafting engaging, responsive websites.
SPECTRA 2.0 OUT NOW
The inclusion of Spectra 2.0 into the Astra Theme marks a significant enhancement to an already robust platform. Spectra 2.0, Astra's proprietary page builder, brings a new level of functionality and ease to website creation. While it is currently offered for free, the prospect of a future paid version indicates the potential for even more advanced features and capabilities.
Astra has always been recognized as a top-tier theme, but the integration of its own page builder, complete with a suite of diverse widgets, elevates it to new heights. This advancement not only enriches the user experience but also solidifies Astra's position as a comprehensive solution for website building, catering to both novices and experienced developers alike.
ASTRA FREE & PRO: RATING
Interested in Astra's standing in the realm of theme popularity? A visit to Wordpress.org illustrates Astra's remarkable acclaim – it's widely celebrated, with an abundance of 5-star ratings. The statistics are noteworthy: the free version of Astra has been adopted by over a million websites. When including the Pro version, the total reaches an impressive 1.6 million. This popularity underscores Astra's significant impact in the web design community, akin to a major event drawing a large and enthusiastic audience.
ASTRA WEBSHOPS
Consider Astra as the essential ally in enhancing your online store's sales. It goes beyond mere aesthetics to effectively convert visitors into customers. An online store utilizing Astra can be likened to a high-performance sports car in a field of bicycles – it stands out for its superior speed compared to other themes. Interested in seeing how Astra outpaces its competition? Visit this page on the Astra website for speed test comparisons with over 50 other leading themes. These tests, resembling a contest of efficiency, are meticulously conducted by SEO experts, highlighting Astra's exceptional performance.
On the aforementioned page, there's detailed information about the combination of Astra and WooCommerce. A swiftly loading webshop is not only advantageous for user experience but also highly favorable for Google's search rankings. With Astra, envision your online store rapidly ascending Google's SERP, similar to an accelerated boost. It's akin to equipping your shop with advanced optimization tools for search rankings, thereby attracting a significant influx of visitors. This leads to a notable increase in both visitor engagement and their appreciation for your site, paralleling the crescendo of excitement typically seen during a grand celebration like New Year's Eve.
Welcome to the world of Astra, where customizing your online shop is straightforward and user-friendly, requiring no advanced technical expertise. A few years ago, such ease of use might have seemed fanciful, but today, Astra ensures seamless compatibility with a wide range of WooCommerce plugins. It effectively manages these integrations, much like a skilled coordinator overseeing a diverse array of components.
That's just the beginning. Astra comes equipped with a suite of contemporary features designed to elevate your webshop to standout status. Key features include Infinite Scroll, enhancing the shopping experience by providing a continuous flow of products; adaptable grid settings, offering a tailored display for your merchandise; an off-canvas sidebar for a sleek navigation experience; Quickview for expedient shopping; a dropdown cart for a delightful shopping surprise, and much more. Intrigued? Explore these capabilities here. Additionally, there's a selection of ready-to-use shopping demo sites available for one-click integration, simplifying the design process remarkably.
ASTRA: STARTER DEMOS
Prepare to be impressed by this remarkable aspect of Astra: it doesn't just offer templates but provides an extensive collection of 180 complete website designs. This is indeed substantial – each option is a fully realized website, ready for immediate use. It's akin to entering a repository where every resource is readily available at no extra cost. You can select a design, apply your branding, and quickly launch a sophisticated website. These demos, meticulously developed by Astra's expert team for compatibility with four different page builders, offer a diverse range of design possibilities. Astra sets a high standard in providing comprehensive and varied demo content, positioning itself as a leading provider in the realm of website templates.
Astra's responsiveness goes beyond the standard. It's as if the theme underwent specialized training to excel in mobile e-commerce. The focus isn't just on aesthetics; there's a concerted effort to ensure the mobile version of your site is exceptionally user-friendly. With the increasing prevalence of mobile shopping, this feature becomes increasingly crucial. In the near future, it wouldn't be surprising to see over half of online shoppers using their mobile devices, possibly while relaxing at home.
Additionally, Astra offers extensive customization options for the checkout process, shopping cart, and product pages, all without the need for intricate coding skills. A seamless checkout experience is vital as a complicated one can deter customers quickly. Astra ensures a fluid and enjoyable shopping journey. The Astra team's approach to e-commerce solutions isn't just innovative; it's a complete reimagining of what's possible in online retail.
ASTRA: LOADING TIME
Upon examination, it becomes clear that Astra takes loading times seriously, achieving remarkably fast speeds. Its performance in Google, GTmetrix, Y-Slow, and Pingdom tests is consistently outstanding, as if the theme has been optimized with a unique speed-enhancing formula. The results speak for themselves, demonstrating Astra's superior performance. When it comes to competition, Generatepress is the closest contender. The data presented below is telling – Astra regularly secures top rankings in speed tests, distinguishing itself significantly from slower-performing themes.
ASTRA: PAGEBUILDERS
Astra works as a whole with the Elementor page builder...
Using Astra is akin to having intuitive control over your website, offering both ease of use and enjoyment. It provides a streamlined panel and integration with the WordPress customizer for a seamless experience. Adding to its versatility, Astra pairs exceptionally well with renowned page builders, particularly Elementor. The combination of Astra Pro and Elementor Pro is a harmonious and efficient pairing, akin to two perfectly matched components. For those mindful of budget, both Astra and Elementor offer free versions. While these versions may have fewer features, they still provide a substantial and enjoyable user experience.
Elementor in Astra
ASTRA SCHEMA MARK-UP
Have you ever wanted to effectively communicate the contents of your page to search engines? This is where Schema markup plays a crucial role. These structured data snippets act as guides, aiding search engines in comprehending the context and content of your pages. It's akin to providing a clearer, more direct understanding of your site's content to search engines like Google. Astra simplifies this process by automatically incorporating Schema markup into your pages, as detailed here. This feature acts like an unseen assistant within Astra, working diligently to enhance your website's visibility and performance in search results, playing a pivotal role in your SEO strategy.
ASTRA + LEARNDASH
Envision yourself as a creator of online courses, with Astra and LearnDash serving as your essential tools. Developing an online course using Astra combined with LearnDash is a streamlined and enjoyable process, comparable to assembling a complex structure with ease. Astra offers a plethora of design options and features, enabling you to make your online course as captivating as a top-rated TV show.
LearnDash, on the other hand, acts as the orchestrator of your website's structure, focusing on creating an environment conducive to learning and conversion. The synergy of Astra's design flexibility and LearnDash's structured approach results in more than just a website – it's the creation of an immersive digital learning environment. Embrace this opportunity to craft an exceptional online course experience.
ASTRA + LIFTER-LMS
When combining Astra with LifterLMS, you get a formidable pair in the world of online education. In this partnership, Astra excels as the design expert, offering you full control over your website's aesthetic and functionality. Whether you aim for the sophistication of a high-end magazine or the versatility of a multifunctional tool, Astra provides the necessary support.
Integrating LifterLMS into this equation enhances your site's educational efficacy. It creates a focused learning environment, minimizing distractions and optimizing user engagement. The synergy of LifterLMS's educational framework with Astra's design capabilities not only facilitates learning but also boosts conversion efficiency. Imagine a checkout process so seamless it feels like an extension of the learning journey itself. Together, Astra and LifterLMS elevate your website to the highest echelons of online learning platforms.
ASTRA HEADERS, FOOTERS, 404
Introducing Astra Transparent Headers, Astra Custom Header, and Astra Custom Footers – the PRO features that provide a sophisticated edge to your website. These tools serve as your digital design experts, allowing you to create customized headers and footers with ease and without the need for technical expertise. Envision crafting your site's header and footer to be as elegant as a tuxedo or as casual as sneakers, achievable through simple clicks. Even the typically overlooked 404 pages can be enhanced for a cohesive look. Moreover, you have the flexibility to tailor these elements differently for various user groups, offering a bespoke experience. It's like having both creative control and strategic oversight over your website's upper and lower navigational areas.
ASTRA: MORE FEATURES
Astra encompasses a wide range of features, and you can explore a comprehensive overview here. This extensive list showcases the breadth and depth of functionalities available in Astra. We recommend taking the time to review these features, as they collectively represent a significant array of tools and options that can enhance your website's capabilities.
ASTRA THEME REVIEW: CONCLUSION
This concludes my comprehensive review of the Astra Theme. For those who have followed through to this point, I extend my appreciation. It's clear that Astra is not just another option among many in the world of web design; it stands out distinctively. The Astra PRO version, in particular, offers enhanced capabilities compared to the free version, akin to the difference between gourmet and fast-food offerings. Personally, I favor the combination of Astra and Elementor, which allows for sophisticated and seamless web design. Astra is on par with the Divi Theme, known for its versatility and readiness to tackle various challenges. As for shortcomings in Astra? They are as rare as finding a needle in a well-organized, vast haystack.
ASTRA THEME REVIEW: ITS PRICING
At an annual cost of only $59, Astra offers remarkable value. Imagine having the capability to deploy on unlimited sites for such an affordable fee. This is akin to enjoying an expansive buffet at the cost of a simple snack. In contrast, many other themes often require separate fees per site, resembling pricey cafes with per-item charges. For those with a budget to spare, consider enhancing your Astra experience with one of their bundle packages, which frequently come with significant discounts, making them ideal for businesses striving for excellence in web design. Astra's policy of unlimited use, whether for a single website or multiple projects, underscores its commitment to providing exceptional value. If Astra were personified as a superhero, it would indeed be celebrated for its 'Value for Money'. Moreover, the lifetime deals present an opportunity akin to uncovering hidden treasure, offering long-term benefits and savings.
ESSENTIALS THEME (Essentials vs Astra)
ESSENTIALS THEME REVIEW
Essentials is one of the Wordpress themes that is rapidly emerging. Not surprising because the theme offers many special qualities and is 100% compatible with the most popular page builder out there, Elementor. The theme is suitable for any kind of webshop, blog or website. This theme excels in a huge number of demo websites and demo pages, just like another theme from Pixfort: Soledad. What immediately struck me is that they have copied a lot of Divi , the most popular theme there is. This includes the animations, the Shape Dividers and much more. Those are things that made Divi unique, but in Essentials you have a kind of Divi copy.
ESSENTIALS RATING
Below you can see the rating that Essentials gets from people who bought the theme, and I must immediately say that 4.96 is an absolute top score. Such high ratings are very rare and so I certainly expect this theme to rise even further in the rankings.
ESSENTIALS INSTALLATION AND DEMOS
Installing Essentials is very easy. The theme does not have a free version so you will have to buy it first and it can simply be installed via the standard Wordpress theme installer.
It is recommended to install one of the many ready-to-go designs. Essentials offers about 30 very nice complete designs for web shops in all niches out there, so furniture, tools, clothing, etcetera. The theme is still very new and there will certainly be many more website demos soon. In addition to the website demo, you can also choose from 585 individual page demos. All demos are available for both Elementor and WP-Bakery Pagebuilder, both page builders that you can use with this theme.
ESSENTIALS SPEEDTEST
We perform a speed test with the theme under quite optimal conditions, so with cache plug-in and all images optimized. This theme indicates that it is also specialized on loading times and the results are very good as can be seen in the image below, but there are much faster themes of course.
with optimized images and cache plugin
ESSENTIALS HEADER & FOOTER BUILDER
Essentials offers one of the best Header & Footbuilders that allows you to style your header just the way you want without any technical knowledge. Essentials also has a dozen standard header styles that can be installed with 1 click.
ESSENTIALS THEME REVIEW: PAGE BUILDERS
All material such as demos comes in Essentials for 2 good page builders. You can use both a tuned Elementor-Free and a tuned version of WP-Bakery page builder, however you want. If you are going to use Elementor it is definitely worth buying Pro version.
ESSENTIALS THEME REVIEW: ELEMENTS
The Essentials Theme is packed with elements, below I will discuss a few separately if you want to know more then check out their own site where you can find info all over all elements. I have to say that the quality and number of elements are impressive, this is a great theme. So much has been copied from Divi that there is no other option already has the Divi Theme even more gadgets.
ESSENTIALS SHAPE BUILDER
For example, as mentioned earlier this has been copied from Divi, the Shape-Builder is a great tool. You can create beautiful backgrounds made of shapes on pages as well as blog articles and in different sections if you want. These shapes can even move and colors can be adjusted very quickly.
ESSENTIALS POP-UPS
Divi had it and now more and more themes are coming with it, a built-in pop-up Builder. I must also say that Essentials did not just copy stuff but did its best to surpass Divi. This Pop-up Builder is great and offers a lot of standard pop-up layouts. All buttons in the menus can be linked with pop-ups and pop-ups appear, for example, when visitors lowered pages so that you can quickly tell them something with your pop-up.
WOO: ENHANCED PRODUCT PAGE
With Essentials you can also build a very professional webshop. There is no lack of the best possible features for Woocommerce as good themes specialized on Woocommerce such as Ocean-WP have. Enhanced Product Page allows you to display your products in different styles to enhance your products.
ESSENTIALS WOO: WISHLIST
Wishlists have been around in themes for a long time and are very practical. Your customers can record in their account what they want to order later in your webshop by clicking a heart next to the product.
WOO: SLIDING CART
Your shopping cart can be called up at any time and will slide in nicely from the right. I'll leave it at this because there is so much more that this theme can do, but via the button below you can view it all on Essentials own site if you want.
ESSENTIALS THEME REVIEW: CONCLUSION
This is one of the best themes out there to build both websites and web shops and it is rising in the rankings and with every upgrade it is better again. It works perfectly with the Elementor pagebuilder and that's great. I previously indicated that Essentials is a kind of copy of Divi, although Divi is even better, I think. Therefore, as good as Essentials is, I would rather take Divi if you want even more options.
Of course, a large team has been working on Divi for years and it is therefore a lot more stable and without errors. Also, Divi can be installed on as many sites as you want and it only costs $ 89 and comes with the Divibuilder full version! Essentials comes with Elementor, but that's the free version we're talking about then. Essentials costs $ 59 per website you have and is well worth the money, but if you have multiple websites then Divi is without doubt the better choice.
Essentials vs Astra conclusion
First of all, thank you for reading this Essentials vs Astra comparison to the end. These themes are both great and can be used for anything. Astra's strengths are the incredibly fast loading times and the flexibility with which everything functions, the beautiful design (also for shops) and the price. Essentials has many more settings and everything can really be adjusted, provided you can find these settings in the abundance of them of course.
Depending on what is important to you, one or the other theme may be more interesting. Please note that if you have multiple websites, Essentials will require you to purchase a separate $ 59 license for each, while Astra has great deals and renewal of your license costs only 40% over the next few years. Finally, half a year of support alone costs around 40 euros at Essentials, which is of course absurd. Winner: Astra.
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