The WordPress landscape in 2025 is drastically different than it was just a few years ago. With the maturation of Full Site Editing (FSE), the ubiquity of block-based design, and the push for “Interaction to Next Paint” (INP) performance, developers need tools that balance speed with modern standards. Building a theme from scratch is no longer efficient for most commercial projects. Instead, professional developers rely on frameworks to handle the heavy lifting of security, SEO, and core functionality.
If you want to streamline your workflow without sacrificing quality, here are the 7 Popular WordPress Theme Frameworks You Must Consider for your 2025 development projects.
1. Genesis Framework (StudioPress)
Even in 2025, Genesis remains a cornerstone of the WordPress community. Known for its “parent-child” theme relationship, Genesis provides a secure and SEO-optimized foundation. It allows developers to use “hooks” and “filters” to modify layouts without ever touching the core files.
- Best For: Developers who want a rock-solid, secure, and SEO-friendly foundation with long-term support.
- Why in 2025? Its clean code and lightweight architecture make it perfect for achieving the high performance scores required by modern search engines.
2. Sage (Roots)
For the modern developer who prefers a “stack” similar to Laravel or Rails, Sage is the undisputed leader. It integrates modern build tools like Webpack, Browsersync, and Blade as a templating engine. Sage pushes WordPress development into the modern era by allowing for a more organized, “dry” (Don’t Repeat Yourself) codebase.
- Best For: Advanced developers who want an enterprise-level workflow.
- Why in 2025? Sage is built for the “app-like” web, making it ideal for headless WordPress setups or complex custom web applications.
3. Underscores (_s)
Created by Automattic (the people behind WordPress.com), Underscores is not a “framework” in the traditional sense, but a “starter theme.” It gives you a 1,000-foot head start with just the right amount of lean, well-commented code. There are no bells or whistles—just the essential PHP, CSS, and JS to get a theme running.
- Best For: Purists who want total control over every line of code without starting from a blank page.
- Why in 2025? It is the ultimate foundation for building custom Block Themes that adhere strictly to WordPress core standards.
4. GeneratePress (Framework/Theme Hybrid)
While technically a theme, the premium version of GeneratePress functions as a powerful framework. Its “Elements” module allows developers to create custom hooks, headers, and layouts visually or via code. It is widely considered the fastest-loading theme on the market in 2025.
- Best For: Rapid prototyping and sites where performance is the number one priority.
- Why in 2025? With a footprint of less than 10kb, it is the easiest way to pass Google’s Core Web Vitals with flying colors.
The Strategic Choice: 7 Popular WordPress Theme Frameworks You Must Consider
When choosing between these frameworks, you must evaluate your team’s skill level and the project’s specific requirements:
- Do you need high-end logic? Go with Sage.
- Do you need a lean, SEO-ready base? Choose Genesis.
- Are you building a modern Block-based site? Look toward Underscores or Frost.
5. Cherry Framework
Cherry is an open-source framework that offers a massive variety of shortcodes and widgets. It is highly modular, meaning you can choose which features to “turn on” for your project. This prevents the “bloat” that often plagues other framework-based themes.
- Best For: Developers building feature-rich business websites that require specific UI components like portfolios and team sections.
- Why in 2025? Its latest version is fully compatible with the Gutenberg editor, allowing for a hybrid approach of classic coding and modern block building.
6. Gantry Framework
Developed by RocketTheme, Gantry is a powerful, versatile framework that works across both WordPress and Joomla. It features a sophisticated “Layout Manager” that allows you to drag and drop visual elements to create complex grid structures without writing a single line of CSS.
- Best For: Agencies that manage multi-platform clients and want a unified development experience.
- Why in 2025? Its “Timber” integration allows for advanced Twig templating, which is a favorite for developers moving away from traditional PHP layouts.
7. Frost (The Future of Block Frameworks)
Frost is the newcomer that has taken the 2025 WordPress world by storm. It is a “Full Site Editing” (FSE) framework designed specifically for the era of blocks. Frost provides a clean, minimalist design that serves as a canvas for the WordPress Site Editor.
- Best For: Developers who want to embrace the future of WordPress and build sites entirely within the Block Editor.
- Why in 2025? As WordPress moves further away from the “Classic Editor,” Frost provides the most modern, native experience available today.
8. Why Frameworks are Essential in 2025
The complexity of modern web standards means that a solo developer can no longer keep up with every security patch, browser compatibility update, and performance optimization. By using one of these 7 Popular WordPress Theme Frameworks You Must Consider, you are essentially “outsourcing” the maintenance of your foundation to a community of experts.
Frameworks provide:
- Consistency: Every project follows the same structure, making it easier for teams to collaborate.
- Security: Frameworks like Genesis are audited by security experts to ensure they are resistant to common exploits.
- Efficiency: Features like “Breadcrumbs,” “Pagination,” and “Grid Systems” are pre-built, saving you hours of coding.
9. Conclusion: Which Framework Wins?
There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer. If you are a developer who loves the command line and modern JS, Sage is your best friend. If you are looking for the most stable, corporate-friendly option, Genesis is the winner. For those looking to the future of the Block Editor, Frost is the way to go.
The key to building custom themes faster in 2025 is not working harder, but working smarter. By selecting the right framework from this list, you ensure that your next WordPress project is built on a foundation that is fast, secure, and ready for whatever the future of the web brings.
