Best Minimalist WordPress Themes

This collection of minimalist WordPress themes represents the best minimalist themes available for WordPress. Often in design less is actually more, and a minimal WordPress theme design can really make your content and pictures stand out and look great. While there are different opinions of what qualifies as minimalistic design, we define minimalist theme design as a design style that emphasizes simplicity with little unnecessary graphic design elements with a focus on content and simplistic beauty.

These minimalist themes will transform your standard WordPress blog into a great looking site that will really stand out and keep people coming back. This is a dynamic gallery that is updated often.

Thesis Theme
Thesis is a powerful, high quality WordPress master framework that makes it easy for anyone to run a professional, customized blog or website. Thesis comes with one of the most comprehensive Option Panels that allows you to easily control and customize almost every aspect of the framework with ease. You can select the font style and sizes, colours, the number of columns (1, 2 or 3 columns), the order of those columns and the exact width of each individual column – all without having to dig into the pages of code. Thesis also boats the strongest SEO of any WordPress theme on the market. Some very well know internet personalities and SEO “gurus” use Thesis.

thesis wordpress theme

If you think the base Thesis layout pictured above looks a bit basic, you’re probably right, so check out some of the awesome Thesis customizations here.

Thesis Design Options Page

New Features in 1.7

New SEO controls and details
Options Manager – allows you to backup, save and restore custom Thesis settings
Completely reorganised options page – now five main pages under the Thesis Options: Site Options, Design Options, Page Options, Custom File Editor, and Options Manager
Increased efficiency
Includes more JavaScript libraries – Add jQuery, jQuery UI, Prototype, MooTools, and others with a single click
New homepage controls
Flexible new comment system
Easy 301 redirects for affiliates
New hooks and headline filter
Ready for internationisation
Improved core element defaults
Dramatically improved code quality

Key Features

Thesis Options Panel – one of the most comprehensive theme options panel in a premium WordPress theme. Allows you to easily control and customise almost any aspect of the framework with ease. You can customise everything including, font styles, what you want to appear in the navigation menu, page titles, your RSS feed, what meta data shows on your post / page, how your archive page shows up etc.
Layout Options – Thesis gives you a multitude of column and width options to choose from. You can select the number of columns (1, 2 or 3 columns), the order of those columns and the exact width of each individual column – all without having to dig into the pages of code.
Features and Teasers – Thesis gives you an option called ‘features and teasers’ that allows you to have a front page that is more of a magazine style showing featured posts and short excerpts of other posts with thumbnails.
Colour Control – Thesis allows you change the colour of virtually every element of theme. Easy change text, border, link, background colours etc
Automatic Thumbnail Generation – Thesis will automatically resize pictures and generate thumbnails for your posts.
No coding experience required – The Thesis option panels allow you to command your site with ease without requiring detailed knowledge of HTML, PHP or CSS.
Future Proof Customization System – Allows modifications with a custom style sheet meaning you can modify your theme and protect it against any future upgrades.
Less Plug-ins Required – some of the capabilities that you would normally use plug-ins for are built into the theme. For example SEO options, Google analytics or other header and footer code, navigation menu options etc can all be managed in the theme options panel.
Pixel Perfect Typography – Thesis has polished typography with finely-tuned geometrics for maximum legibility. You can select what type, and size, of font you want in all the different sections of the theme.
Hooks – Thesis has a custom hook architecture that allows you to add to, subtract from or modify the functionality of your Thesis installation. It allows you to isolate all of your custom changes to just two key files. This makes your Thesis installation easy to customize, and easy to upgrade.
Rich Style Classes – Thesis features built in classes to help you make important content stand out, and add some pizzazz to your site. You can add a drop-cap, alert box, a note box, or even wrap text around adsense ads etc.
Customisable Multimedia Box – Thesis includes an optional fully customizable multimedia box which can be used for rotating random images, video, advertising or your own custom code.
Search Engine Optimization – Thesis boasts the strongest SEO of any theme on the market today thanks to its expertly-coded HTML + CSS + PHP framework.
Support – Access to documentation and a great support forum managed by talented and helpful staff
Continuous Improvement – Thesis is continually being upgraded and improved and new featured added. When you purchase thesis you get access to lifetime updates.
Much More – read about more Thesis features here

Price:
Personal Licence: $87
Developer’s License: $164

Demo & Release Page | Download

Canvas
Canvas can be used as a clean and minimalistic WordPress theme or a fully featured theme framework. It has a huge amount of backend design control (90+ options) that allow you to easily customise every element of the theme to make the design, layout & typography exactly as you want. It also includes 5 different site width options, 6 layout options for the content/sidebars, custom widgets, custom navigation builder, and a child theme friendly structure with custom hooks to easily customise the theme via the use of child themes.

canvas wordpress theme

Layout Options
canvas layout options

General Styling Options
canvas styling options

Custom Navigation (drag and drop customisation)
woo custom navigation

Features

Customize any element – 90+ options to tweak colours, borders, font-sizes, font-families etc
Upload background & header imagery via the backend
Easy change site width – easily change between 5 different site widths (980, 960, 940, 880 and 760 pixels) and also an option to box your layout in.
6 Layout Options – choose between 6 different layouts for and order of content/sidebars (full width, 2 col left, 2 col right, 3 col left, 3 col middle, 3 col right). Canvas also lets you specify individual layouts per post or page
Custom Widgets – Tabs, Flickr, Twitter, Adspace, Search etc
Child Theme Friendly – custom hooks makes it a lot easier to customize the theme via a child theme without touching any code in the main parent theme
Custom Navigation – allowing you full customization over how your navigation should be structured
Backend options panel – make simple changes without editing code, like adding your own logo, changing to an alternate colour style, adding Google Analytics code
Cross browser compatible
Auto-sizing thumbnails
Localized for translations
Custom page templates

Price: Standard: $70, Developer: $150
Demo & Release Page | Download

Nautilius
A multipurpose, minimalist WordPress theme from Viva Themes that can be used for a business website, professional blog, portfolio or other purposes. The theme features an attractive front page slider with various transition effects, advanced theme options panel, integrated blog, portfolio and post templates plus more.

Nautilius WordPress Theme

Features

Very lightweight and fast loading theme
Advanced theme options panel
Attractive front page slider with different effects for your choice
Additional portfolio category and post template
Post thumbnail function
4 level dropdown main navigation
Additional Blog and Full width page templates
5 Widget positions
Threaded comments
Integrated blog pagination
Easily switch from image to text logo
Compatible with all major browsers
Delivered with .png source files (.psd files available in the forum)
Localization support and multilingual ready
100% tableless CSS design
CSS and XHTML valid
Theme translations available in 15 languages

Price: Nautilius Theme: $45
Demo & Release Page | Download

Press WordPress Theme
A stylish multipurpose minimalist WordPress theme from Obox Design which could be used as a gallery, portfolio, product listing page or stylish personal blog. The theme features a customisable homepage with each row being its own widget, 7 colour scheme options, and the OCMX-Live content management system that gives you incredible control of your theme and website.

press wordpress theme

Price: Single: $50, Developer: $100
Demo & Release Page | Download

Bloggingstream WordPress Theme
Bloggingstream is a multi-use minimalist WordPress theme from WooThemes that could be used as a magazine website. The theme features an integrated lifestream, 2 different layout options, 7 ad spaces to help you make money, a theme options page, 11 different colour schemes and more.

Price: Single Use: $70, Developer: $150
Demo & Release Page | Download

iBlogPro4
A clean and light premium WordPress theme from Pagelines. The theme includes feature page templates, theme options panel, drop down multi tier navigation menu, shortcode functionality, optional iForum bbPress addon and more.

iBlogPro4 Premium WordPress Theme

Features

Feature Page Templates
Page Templates—including a left sidebar option
Drop down multi tier navigation menus
Localisation Ready
Widgetized Areas
Fully widgetized 5 column footer
Theme Options Panel
Shortcode Ready – shortcode functionality that allows you to display dynamic content like a google map
SEO-tuned theme markup
Supports widgets, tons of plugins and custom CSS
iForum bbPress addon

Price: $75
Demo & Release Page | Download

WP Advanced Newspaper Theme
WP Advanced Newspaper is an advanced modified version of the original WP Newspaper Theme which contains a variety of new features and a new layout. The theme features an eye catching featured posts section, unique newspaper layout, automatic image resizer, and an integrated theme settings page to tweak the layout.

Price: Standard: $59, Developer: $179
Demo & Release Page | Download

BlogNews WordPress Theme
BlogNews is a stylish multi-purpose minimalist WordPress theme from Gabfire Themes. The theme has two different homepage layout options: magazine style (pictured below) or an optional blog style format (see demo). The theme also features 6 different colour schemes, serif or sans-serif font styles, automatic thumbnail generation and a built-in theme settings panel with 74 different options.

blog news wordpress theme

Price: Standard: $59, Developer: $179
Demo & Release Page | Download

The Journal WordPress Theme
The Journal is a classy minimlaist magazine style WordPress theme from WooThemes. The theme features a carousel slider and tag based highlights section on the homepage, neat typography, 6 widgetized areas and 10 different styles to choose from.

the journal wordpress theme

Price: Single Use: $70, Developer: $150
Demo & Release Page | Download

Daily Edition
A clean and sophisticated minimalist WordPress theme from WooThemes. The theme includes a unique featured content slider on the homepage, a customisable homepage layout with lots of modules which can be enabled or disabled, 16 colour style options and much more.

Daily Edition Premium WordPress Theme

Price: Single Use: $70, Developer: $150
Demo & Release Page | Download

Celebrity Gossip
A minimal WordPress theme which features a unique photo gallery layout for the home page. The theme features automatic thumbnail creation for the home page, a theme options admin panel to manage advertising, logo, layout options etc and comes in 3 colour styles: light, warm and dark.

Price Single Site: $35, Multi Site: $95
Demo & Release Page | Download

Prospectum WordPress Theme
Prospectum is a clean, minimalist business WordPress theme from Viva Themes. The theme features a fully widget based homepage with featured products / services slideshow, and a unique 2 level main navigation menu which shows sub pages.

prospectum wordpress theme

Price: $41
Demo & Release Page | Download

Minimal
A premium WordPress theme from Elegant Themes with a clean and minimalist design. The homepage features a page based design but also has an optional blog style layout. It also includes 2 unique colour schemes, drop down navigation menus, in depth theme options panel and more.

minimal wordpress theme

Features

2 unique colour schemes (light grey and dark)
Automated thumbnail resizing
Page based homepage layout
Optional blog style structure
Featured content slider on the homepage
Advertising management
Complete localisation
In depth theme options
Customisable content slider on homepage
Drop down navigation menus
Threaded Comments
Gravatar ready
PSD files
Valid XHTML + CSS
Smooth tabless design
Firefox, Opera, Netscape, Safari IE8 + IE7 + IE6 compatible

Price: ElegantThemes Club Membership: $19.95
Demo & Release Page | Download

Smoke & Mirrors
A stylish minimalist design personal blog premium WordPress theme from Obox Design. The theme includes a new Like and Unlike post voting system, automatic image resizing, menu control functionality, and the OCMX-Live backend options panel.

Smoke & Mirrors Premium WordPress Theme

Price: Single: $50, Developer: $100
Demo & Release Page | Download

Proudfolio
A stylish, minimalist portfolio gallery premium WordPress Theme from Proud Themes. The theme features a fully widgetised homepage, featured content slider, drop down navigation menu and more.

proud folio wordpress theme

Features

Unique and intuitive design
Fully widgetized homepage and sidebars (with drag-n-drop ease of use)
4 unique widgets created specifically for this theme
SEO and easy to understand HTML/CSS code
Quick theme installation and administration
jQuery slider on the homepage
Drop down navigation menus
Built in social sharing icons

Price Standard: $59, Developer: $99
Demo & Release Page | Download

Artistica
A minimalist gallery / portfolio premium WordPress theme from Proud Themes. The theme includes a fully widgetised homepage with 2 layouts, theme options panel, built in Flickr widget plus more features.

artistica wordpress theme

Features

Modern, clean design
Fully widgetized homepage (with drag-n-drop ease of use)
3 unique widgets created by us specifically for this theme
Theme Options Page – allows you to set-up your new theme in just a few minutes, no more file edits and/or hundreds of drop-downs and checkboxes
Banner ad management
SEO and easy to understand HTML/CSS code
Quick theme installation and administration
jQuery drop down navigation menu
Built in Flickr widget
Built in Cufon – with 10 fonts to choose from
Theme Support

Price: Standard Package: $59, Developer Package: $99
Demo & Release Page | Download

Structure
A modern, minimalist premium WordPress theme from Organic Themes. The premium theme includes a featured content Javascript slider, post thumbnail integration, portfolio page template, multiple colour options and enhanced theme control and layout options.

structure wordpress theme

Features

Multiple Colour Options
Theme Options
Widget Ready
Post Thumbnail Integration
Portfolio Page Template
Featured Javascript Slider
Enhanced Layout Options
Drop down navigation menus
Professional Design
Enhanced Styling
Auto Resizing Thumbnails
Full Support

Price: Structure Premium Theme: $69
Demo & Release Page | Download

Organic Block Theme
A stylish multipurpose premium WordPress theme from Organic Themes which could be used for a variety of purposes. The theme includes optional twitter feed integration, a featured content slider, 2 column portfolio page template, theme options page and more.

Organic Block WordPress Theme