Astra vs TheGem Themes comparison 💥
Astra Theme (Astra vs TheGem)
Find out why Astra remains a top contender in WordPress themes...
In this comparison of Astra, we explore its popularity among over 2.3 million users worldwide. Known for its speed, flexibility, and robust integration options, Astra is a trusted solution for creating professional websites. From blogs to eCommerce sites, Astra provides the tools and features needed for visually appealing and high-performing designs.
When compared to competitors like Salient, Astra excels in its intuitive usability and feature-rich offerings. It goes beyond being a theme—it’s a comprehensive platform for crafting websites that perform exceptionally well in all areas.
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Website speed plays a crucial role in user engagement and search engine rankings. Astra’s lightweight build ensures swift loading times, helping your site stand out in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. With Astra, you achieve an optimal blend of speed and functionality to keep visitors engaged.
Astra 4.0 brings game-changing updates
The introduction of Astra 4.0 marks a significant milestone. This update offers improved customization options, faster performance, and an even more user-friendly interface. It’s designed to cater to both beginners and seasoned developers, enhancing the WordPress website creation experience.
Spectra 2.0 transforms website design
Spectra 2.0 enhances Astra with a powerful page builder. Featuring over 50 widgets and a streamlined design process, Spectra 2.0 enables users to create professional websites effortlessly. Its integration with Astra ensures compatibility and efficiency, making it a standout tool for designers.
A community favorite for WordPress
Astra has consistently received high ratings and positive reviews from the WordPress community. With millions of active installations and an impressive feature set, it has earned its reputation as a reliable and user-friendly theme for all types of websites.
Built for eCommerce excellence
Astra is optimized for online stores, offering seamless WooCommerce integration. Advanced features like Quickview, Infinite Scroll, and customizable grid layouts ensure an enhanced shopping experience, helping drive sales and customer satisfaction.
Effortless setup with starter templates
Astra simplifies website creation with a library of 180+ starter templates. These professionally designed templates cater to a wide variety of industries, providing a polished starting point for any project.
Speed and reliability you can trust
Astra’s lightweight architecture ensures consistent performance and fast load times, making it a top choice for performance-driven websites. Whether your site is large or small, Astra delivers reliability and speed that meet modern user expectations.
Works seamlessly with popular page builders
Astra integrates flawlessly with leading page builders like Elementor and Beaver Builder. This compatibility empowers users to design custom websites with ease, ensuring complete creative control and responsive designs.
Boost your SEO with built-in schema
Astra includes built-in schema markup, improving your site’s SEO by helping search engines better understand its content. This feature boosts your visibility and drives organic traffic.
An asset for online education
Astra integrates with tools like LearnDash and LifterLMS, making it an excellent choice for creating educational platforms. These integrations simplify course creation and provide a smooth experience for instructors and learners alike.
Custom headers and footers made simple
With Astra Pro, you can design custom headers and footers tailored to your brand’s style. These tools provide advanced customization options without requiring technical expertise, ensuring a cohesive website design.
Extensive features for every need
Astra’s expansive feature set includes advanced layout controls, typography options, and more. This versatility makes it a perfect choice for any website, from personal blogs to corporate platforms.
Affordable and flexible pricing
Astra offers exceptional value at $59 per year with unlimited site usage. For agencies and developers, the lifetime license provides unmatched flexibility and significant savings, making Astra an excellent long-term investment.
THE-GEM THEME (TheGem vs Astra)
The Gem Wordpress Theme deserves a closer look. The first thing that catches your eye is the stunning demo designs. Currently, it boasts around 70 one-click demo versions, each meticulously styled and unique. While other themes like Be Theme offer more demos, The Gem focuses on quality over quantity, offering high-caliber designs that truly stand out. Now, let’s dive into some of their demos.
TheGem is designed to be highly versatile, allowing you to create any type of website. This theme is the latest offering from CodexThemes, a well-known name in the theme world. TheGem comes with demos for various niches, from creative agencies to gyms and restaurants, making it both beautiful and functional.
Main Features of TheGem
- Over 70 custom design concepts for different niches
- Templates for more than 400 pages
- Emphasis on performance
- Custom post types
- Elegant designs
- Includes WPBakery Page Builder and Revolution Slider
- Optimized code for speed
- Supports both multi-page and single-page sites
- 2,600+ font icons
If you like any of the 70+ homepage designs, importing them is easy through TheGem’s control panel. Simply navigate to TheGem Import in your admin panel, and the wizard will guide you through the process.
Installing TheGem Theme
After installing TheGem, you'll need to install all required and recommended plugins. Once done, your admin panel will be more populated with new plugins and custom post types.
You can import any of the 70+ pre-designed concepts via TheGem Import, or customize your site through the theme’s customization menu if you prefer not to use these concepts.
Customizing TheGem
TheGem uses its own customization manager rather than the WordPress Customizer. While it offers extensive options, the need to preview changes instead of seeing them in real-time can be a bit cumbersome. The admin panel is divided into ten categories for easy navigation.
In the General section, you can set basic site information like layout and identity. Options here are limited to your logo and some basic functionality details:
Header Options
Under "Header", you can configure every detail of your site's header, including layout, alignment, and design:
TheGem offers a variety of header options, thanks to the dropdowns with multiple styles. In the Fonts section, you can choose and customize the fonts for your site. TheGem includes many Google Fonts, providing plenty of stylish options. If you need more, you can import additional fonts via the included Fonts Manager:
In the Colors section, you can set colors for every element on your site. While adjusting everything can be time-consuming, the extensive options ensure your site can look exactly how you want:
Background Settings
The "Backgrounds" section lets you customize backgrounds for different parts of your site, using solid colors or uploaded images.
Under the "Footer" section, you can enable or disable the footer and set custom text. While the options here are somewhat limited, it would be useful to have additional features like activating social icons or links.
Contacts and Socials
With "Contacts & Socials," you can add your address, contact information, and social media links. These social icons can be displayed in both the header and footer. It might have been more intuitive to place this section within the Header and Footer categories, but it’s helpful nonetheless.
Backup and Restore
The "Backup" feature is a fantastic tool within TheGem. It allows you to export a backup of all your theme settings. This means you can experiment with theme settings without worry, knowing you can always revert to a saved backup if needed. It's like having a safety net for your site's design configurations.
Custom Post Types
TheGem includes seven custom post types by default:
- News
- Portfolios
- Quickfinders
- Customers
- Galleries
- Teams
- Reviews
Custom Fields for Posts and Pages
TheGem offers a plethora of custom fields for creating posts or pages. When you add a new post or page, you’ll see various options at the bottom of the screen:
You can set everything from video backgrounds to custom layouts. For instance, if you want to move the sidebar for a specific post, you can do so using custom fields. These fields offer a lot of flexibility, giving you new ways to customize individual posts and pages.
Included Page Builders
TheGem comes with WPBakery Page Builder, providing both front-end and back-end editing options. This allows you to create pages through a drag-and-drop interface. Although WPBakery isn't my top choice, it’s a solid option that enhances the theme's usability.
TheGem and Elementor
TheGem now offers versions that come with either WPBakery Page Builder or Elementor, giving you the flexibility to choose your preferred page builder.
Fast Loading Times
In speed tests using Google PageSpeed Insights, TheGem achieved a score of 84 on desktop without any caching or image optimization. With some adjustments, it could easily score around 90, which is impressive for a WordPress theme.
TheGem vs Astra Conclusion
Thank you for reading this comparison of TheGem and Astra. Both themes are excellent, but Astra stands out for its superior speed and seamless performance. While both have beautiful designs, Astra offers more functionality for shops and better value with its unlimited site usage policy. If you have multiple websites, Astra is the more cost-effective choice. For another great alternative, check out the Divi Theme.
Rating Features with Stars ⭐
| Feature | Astra | TheGem |
|---|---|---|
| Page Builder | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Speed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Design Quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Customization | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Support | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| SEO Optimization | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Price | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Updates | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Integration with Plugins | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Documentation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
FAQs
1. Which theme offers better customization options?
Astra provides extensive customization options with its compatibility with various page builders and its powerful theme settings, while TheGem offers unique design concepts and flexible customization through its customizer.
2. Can I use these themes for a blog?
Absolutely! Both Astra and TheGem are versatile enough to create beautiful and functional blogs. Astra is known for its speed and SEO, while TheGem offers a range of stylish templates.
3. How beginner-friendly are these themes?
Astra is very beginner-friendly with its intuitive interface and detailed documentation. TheGem also offers a user-friendly experience but may require a bit more time to explore due to its extensive features.
4. Do these themes support WooCommerce?
Yes, both Astra and TheGem are fully compatible with WooCommerce, making them excellent choices for creating online stores.
5. Are there any unique features in TheGem?
Yes, TheGem offers unique features like custom post types for portfolios and testimonials, and it includes premium plugins like WPBakery Page Builder and Revolution Slider.
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