Sydney vs Blocksy comparison [2024] π₯
SYDNEY THEME (Blocksy vs Sydney)
In this Sydney Theme review we take a look at the most important features of this theme was launched by aThemes, a professional company that offers some very good Wordpress themes through their website. In 2013 Charlie Livingston started aThemes as a one man company but nowadays they work with 6 programmers.
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Sydney theme review: Rating
If we check Sydney's rating on Wordpress.org, we see that practically all raters gave 5 stars except for a few haters. The theme is also quite well known among designers and is highly ranked on Wordpress.org for popular themes.
Sydney theme review: Demos
The Sydney theme offers about 12 modern demos that can be installed with 1 click. The choice is not too large, but since the theme is still very new, this will probably be expanded soon. Sydney also has 2 special Woocommerce demos from which you can quickly start webshops.
The great thing about demo websites is that they make a quick start. The website is already online but still with the wrong photos and texts. So put your own logo in it, adjust the texts and photos and you are well on your way to having your own website.
Sydney theme review: Webshops
I count only 2 demos for webshops in total. The theme is 100% compatible with Woocommerce, but if you are going to build a webshop then choose a theme like Astra or another theme from my top 10 for webshop themes. One can certainly build a good webshop with the Sydney theme, but there is simply better than this.
Sydney theme review: Speed
The Sydney theme is one of the fastest themes out there for Wordpress and should actually be in my list for fastest WP themes. Only the theme itself without additional plugins with only a well-configured cache plugin produced the result presented above. Check out a demo from Sydney itself and see how fast it loads. Of course you can optimize your website yourself for loading time. Follow this tutorial here.
Sydney theme review: Pagebuilders
The Sydney theme uses its own Building Blocks by default, but is compatible with Beaverbuilder and Elementor Pro page builder, one of the best out there in the field. I also definitely recommend installing Elementor for free if you're going to work with Sydney, but it's much better to buy the pro version.
Sydney: Google Fonts
With Sydney you don't need any additional plugins to have all Google Fonts. Sydney already has this built in as standard and you have more than 600 fonts available. You can set which font to use for each section, it all works perfectly.
Sydney theme review: Widgets
Sydney even offers some top widgets in the free version such as: Contact info, Video, Call to action, Clients, Employees, Facts, Latest News, Services Types, Lists, Social profiles, Testimonials, Skills, Timeline (Pro), and Latest news carousel (Pro). The theme is not only compatible with Elementor but with all top page builders so you can use the page builder that you like best.
Sydney: More features
Sydney has over 200,000 active installs and was downloaded much more often because it is simply a very good business theme for Wordpress. Sydney also offers the following features that I won't go into further: Frontpage Blocks, a very good SEO but unfortunately without Schema MarkUp, 100% Responsive on all devices, Parallax Backgrounds, Crelly Slider Support (Pro), and beautiful Full Screen Backgrounds. If Sydney has piqued your interest, I suggest you continue reading on their own website.
Sydney theme review: Conclusion
Sydney is a very good theme that has more impressive loading times. The demo layouts are beautiful, the theme set up is quick and easy. The theme is also very suitable for building shops with it, although it only offers 2 demos. The Sydney theme is ideally suited as a business theme and is 100% Translation Ready. If you'd rather dig a little further, I'd recommend checking out my list of the top 10 WP themes this year.
BLOCKSY THEME (Blocksy vs Sydney)
Blocksy is een razendsnel ladend minimalistisch Wordpress theme...
In this Blocksy Theme review, I'm going to spill the beans on why this theme is a total game-changer. Whether you're crafting a blog or setting up shop, Blocksy is your go-to partner. It's like peanut butter and jelly with Gutenberg β a perfect match. And it doesn't stop there; itβs like the best friend of all elite pagebuilders for WordPress. Seriously, it's that good.
BLOCKSY RATING
When we sneak a peek at Wordpress.org to check out Blocksy's rating, it's like looking at a sky full of five-star reviews! Almost everyone who's rated it gave it a dazzling 5 out of 5 stars, with only one lone ranger going for 4 stars. It's like finding a unicorn β a better average rating than what Blocksy has is almost mythical.
BLOCKSY THEME REVIEW: SPEED
Blocksy might not be a speed demon on my list of fastest WP themes, but don't let that fool you. This theme, when teamed up with just a well-configured cache plugin, zips along at a pace that'll make you blink. The results above speak for themselves β it's like a sports car in the world of themes. And hey, if you're into fine-tuning your website's speed, check out this tutorial for some turbocharged tips.
BLOCKSY DEMO LAY-OUTS
Blocksy affectionately dubs its theme 'Starter Sites,' a term also favored by the even more renowned Astra theme, which shares a striking resemblance in style and substance. What's totally awesome is Blocksy's impressive collection of these Starter Sites, each one like a little gem ready to sparkle on the web.
BLOCKSY DEMOS FOR PAGEBUILDERS
The dazzling demo layouts above? They were whipped up using an all-star lineup of page builders: Gutenberg, Elementor, Brizy, and Beaverbuilder. Under each demo, you'll find a little note indicating which page builders can bring it to life. This is another way Blocksy mirrors the Astra approach, offering this handy compatibility feature on their Starter Sites too.
BLOCKSY'S EDITOR
By default, the Blocksy theme rolls with the Gutenberg Editor, which, to be honest, isn't exactly my cup of tea. But as you've seen above, this theme is a chameleon, adapting just as well to the elite page builders of your choice. So, swapping in your favorite editor? Definitely a smart move.
BLOCKSY BASIC FUNCTIONS
BLOCKSY: HEADER BUILDER
Even the free version of Blocksy comes with a real gem β a header builder (just check out the picture above). You can either pick one of the ready-to-go headers or tailor it to your heart's desire. Blocksy turns the task of creating your dream header into a breezy affair. And if you decide to go pro, the header builder gets a serious upgrade, allowing each of your pages to flaunt a unique header.
BLOCKSY THEME REVIEW: MEGA MENU
The mega menu is like the VIP lounge of the pro version β it's where the cool features hang out. Think snazzy options like adding icons or complete content blocks (thanks to Hooks). It's like having a magic wand for your menu β you can pop in pretty much any kind of content you fancy. Plus, the mega menu doesn't just stop at functionality; it also brings its A-game in design styles for those menu items.
BLOCKSY: WOOCOMMERCE SHOP
Blocksy isn't just good, it's like the secret ingredient in the recipe for building webshops β and yes, even the free version has got the chops. This theme waltzes perfectly with the popular Woocommerce plugin. Imagine delightful features like Quick View, Ajax Cart, and Gallery Styles already included for free.
It's like finding extra toppings on your favorite ice cream. The Pro version? Oh, it's like the cherry on top with Wishlist, Off-Canvas filters, Floating Cart, Off-Canvas cart, Search by SKU, and more. Crafting a shop that looks straight out of a high-fashion magazine becomes as easy as pie.
BLOCKSY: CUSTOM SIDEBARS
What I said about headers goes for sidebars too. Imagine being able to show a different sidebar on every page β it's like having a wardrobe full of outfits for each occasion. This is crucial, as you can see from the example above. A shop page obviously needs a different sidebar vibe compared to blog pages. It's like matching your shoes to your outfit!
BLOCKSY THEME REVIEW: CONCLUSION
Blocksy is the new kid on the block, fresh-faced and ready to help you whip up a snazzy shop, blog, or corporate site in no time. Its superpowers include Starter Sites, and the Header & Footer Builders, along with some nifty Webshop features. If you're still on the fence, take a peek at WP-Astra. It's a lot like Blocksy's sophisticated older sibling, with more bells and whistles and even more options to play with.
Blocksy vs Sydney Conclusion
Blocksy and Sydney are both good themes, and the free versions are certainly highly rated for a reason. But even though both Sydney and Blocksy are also worth their money in the pro version, I have to advise against them both because there are much better themes available for the same money and both themes are certainly not optimal for creating webshops. My tip is buy Divi, the best selling and valued theme in the world or possibly Astra if you want to work with a lightning fast theme.
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