Is the hype behind Kadence themes justified?
- Are they the next great theme? Or just a copycat?
- How is their code quality?
- How are the features?
- How are their designs?
I share what I feel about Kadence Themes.
Kadence WordPress theme gets a THUMBS-UP from me
Kadence is American-made.
I like that it’s made in the US. I feel US coding is a safer bet than some of the coders in other countries that take on too many projects and chasing every random WordPress business idea.
Kadence is coded well enough.
The Kadence theme code is fast, lean, and functions well. Maybe some parts of it could have been coded better for developers but not really something that typical end users should be worried about.
Kadence has non-generic designs.
I like their non-generic designs. It’s a typical American business-casual hipster kind of vibe. I like it so much more over the generic look that many themes on Envato or ThemeForest have.
Kadence has many options.
The Kadence options are pretty nicely built into the native WordPress customizer. I was able to find all the usual theme options laid out in a sensible manner. Layout, header, footer, typography, WooCommerce, etc and etc. If you like being able to manipulate every tiny aspect of your theme, Kadence will allow you do it.
Kadence is easy to use.
Kadence was fun to use. I had no issues making changes and pushing things around to make them look exactly how I wanted. The added KadenceBlocks (free and paid versions available) give you a tight integration to do 99% of your heart’s desires. Whatever little block and widget-ey thing you want in your site, you can do it.
Who I recommend Kadence for…
Kadence is best for end users (non-coders) who like the Kadence built-in look and/or Kadence blocks.
If you like Kadence’s built-in designs, it’s a no-brainer for you! I actually did and I used it on my sister-in-law’s cake site (fyi, she neutered the home page design on purpose to shut down orders during lockdown).
Kadence vs GeneratePress/Astra/OceanWP
I like GeneratePress as the best DIY theme. It has all the similar options and also more developer-friendly with hooks and filters and can do more advanced things. But if you’re just a DIY-er, Kadence got you covered pretty well. I do like Kadence much more than Astra and OceanWP.
Try Kadence WordPress theme today (and don’t forget KadenceBlocks too)
I liked your review. Short, sweet and to the point. Good stuff. I got started on OceanWP and despite the looking-around-in-the-customizer-for-different-controls thing, you get a lot of functions that others don’t have (or I’ve not ventured out to check after the first few disappointments). I saw Adam and Ferdy do a review and thought it was strong enough to try it out. It seems similar to GeneratePress in different ways. I think I’ll move one of my new Astra-themed sites over to Kadence to give it a go. Thanks again!
Awesome. I’m glad it’s working out for you. Kadence does have some nice little features. 🙂
I use Genesis with page builders 😉 it’s speed is incredible. Under 1, without any optimization at all
Hi Johnny,
I love Oxygen. I really do. And I’m pretty fast these days to knock out a site. I also love the code blocks that allow the development of PHP. How easy is that compared with editing a template file? But I have this niggle at the back of my brain and its all to do with Gutenberg. Its true that block developing is now like a raging fire. I’m not sure if its going to replace page/site builders but I need to climb onboard and force myself to learn more about blocks. If for no other reason than to put together sites that are easy for my customers to edit without fear of breaking something. Kadence has been getting a good rap lately so I took advantage of the discounted LTD on their membership.
It is so weird…. like starting again! I think this is how I was when I first moved from Divi to Oxygen. I wanted to go straight back to Divi. But now wouldn’t touch it ever again. I don’t think I’m about to abandon Oxygen just yet, but having Kadence tucked under my belt will probably be a good thing.
Cheers.
John.
Blocks are super easy and fast. Whatever learning curve you’ll spend elsewhere, I imagine it’s much faster with Gutenberg. DIVI is awful…it’s simply not how WordPress should work.
Oxygen is awesome but not the best tool for every situation IMO.
did you happen to take a look at the blocksy theme and the accusations against kadence theme? looks like they ripped it off from blocksy. I would look into that again and maybe update the review 🙂 ( i know many affiliates didnt know, i found out myself later too )
I’ve already known about it for a while and hate to stir the pot of controversy. But it seems I will release a post with my thoughts on this.
Hi Johnny.
Is the perfomance of Kadence good like other themes such as GeneratePress or Astra?
Yes, indeed! Good and fast performance. Absolutely keeping with the current superfast lightweight theme trend. Give it a try!
kadence has many layouts in the free version, which is very good
I am really interested on Kadence, I use genesis but I need something woman blog, if it will be strong as now in future, it could be strong competitor to divi and genesis
Hi Jonhnny,
First of all, I really like your blog, it’s helpful.
And second, I have a question?
Kadence good for SEO, right?
Yes, it’s fine. Doesn’t hurt in any way.
I read this post & then i download the kadence, really good so far… I love the look..
Thx Johnny
Hello Johnny,
The CosmosWP theme caught my attention. It has a wide range of customization options and loads fast. But as far as I can see it is not very popular. I don’t know if they have issues that I’m not seeing or if it’s marketing related. Do you have an idea?
I don’t know it. Maybe it’s good, you compare it with the rest and you tell me.
Hey Johnny,
agreed! A long term Kadence user, now with Kadence theme, it’s another level up!
I thought that your comment about GeneratePress being more developer-friendly with the hooks might need updating after Kadence Hooked Elements was released – it’s pretty powerful (insert content anywhere without actual template editing).
Here’s my Kadence theme review https://nimble.help/fastest-wordpress-theme-picks/, where I mention your review too. Thanks for being the most trusted WP reviews source out there!
This Kadence Theme review is comprehensive and well-written. I love how it covers all the important aspects of the theme, from design to functionality. The in-depth analysis of the features is especially helpful in understanding the capabilities of the theme.
Hi,
This is an amazing indepth review of Kadence theme. I am using Kadence theme on all of my wordpress blog and i am really satisfied with the performance.
Thanks