With the changing landscape of social media, you may start to ask yourself how you can better communicate with your customers and leads. Enter the humble newsletter.
Newsletters are an essential channel for your business, a place where you can stand out, and where — if done right — you can win customers. Building a newsletter email list is a key component for running a successful ecommerce store.
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You’ll need to keep your newsletter top of mind when picking your WordPress theme. Below we gather 20 themes that get the job done. Explore responsive templates, newsletter plugins, and extended functionality that will keep bringing people back to your platform.
Table of Contents
- What is a newsletter?
- The Benefits of a Newsletter-Friendly WordPress Theme
- The Best WordPress Newsletter Themes
What is a newsletter?
A newsletter is a subscription that users sign up for and receive in their inbox. You can use a newsletter to talk to your customers and subscribers about anything — new products on your website, new blog posts, updated terms of service, and more.
Newsletters do one very important job: They bring your audience back.
While in this day and age, it may seem old school to have an email newsletter, it can be a key component of your omnichannel marketing plan. You can get content directly in front of your customers without the noise of social media channels.
And, if done right, your WordPress theme can be your newsletter client.
The Benefits of a Newsletter-Friendly WordPress Theme
Building a WordPress site with your newsletter top of mind will give you an easy starting point to build your list. The themes that we’ve gathered in this post are built for people who want to grow engagement, and therefore, have extended newsletter support.
These themes offer mobile-ready pages you can send via your newsletter tool of choice. Some even have a built-in email service plugin.
These themes make building a newsletter easy as 1-2-3.
The Best WordPress Newsletter Themes
1. Seedlet
This free WordPress theme is as aesthetic as it gets, making it the perfect blank canvas for your website and newsletter. It offers responsive layouts and charm for days, which hopefully encourages your users to return.
The Seedlet WordPress theme supports the Gutenberg editor. You’ll have no trouble integrating modern email service providers with plugins and blocks.
What we like: Seedlet is a minimalist design that’s incredibly easy on the eyes. There is a serene color palette that you can customize, and the demo template is easy to reproduce.
Limitations: The features on this theme are not as robust as some themes on this list.
Price: Free
2. Astra
Astra has been hyped as one of the best WordPress themes for whatever your business needs may be. We’ve tested it and can agree. Regardless of what your business sells or offers, Astra has beautiful templates that can help you easily create a professional-grade website.
Astra supports plugins from major email services and has excellent templates to help you create landing pages that convert visitors to subscribers.
What we like: Astra is a modern theme with plugin support, so you can add your email sign-up forms easily. Plus, the beautiful templates allow you to create lovely, lead-generating landing pages.
Limitations: The Astra interface can be confusing for those with little design experience. The pricing for templates can also add up if you purchase one from the library.
Price: Prices start at $59 annually.
3. OceanWP
If you’re a new WordPress user, you might like the OceanWP theme. It plays well with other page builders like Elementor, so you can avoid the Gutenberg editor. Plus, demo options are easy to import onto your own site.
What we like: The blog-like layout that encourages users to subscribe. You’ll also find plugin support for you to create your subscription form with ease.
Limitations: While a free plan is available, you’ll need to pay for extra features. The overall monthly price of the pro theme may give you sticker shock.
Price: Prices start at $54 a year.
4. Divi
Divi is an advanced WordPress theme that offers its own unique interface for creating pages and customizing your WordPress website. That means that it’s easy to generate landing pages and blocks within pages to feature your newsletter sign-up widget.
Like Astra, Divi is a lightweight theme which means it can be optimized easily for mobile experiences and reduces load times.
What we like: The custom Divi interface is used by many themes in the marketplace. These themes have mobile and responsive layouts that increase form sign-up across devices.
Limitations: Some themes and add-ons can add up in cost, especially from boutique theme designers. Likewise, there is no free version of the theme.
Price: $80 annually
5. GutenType
As the name implies, GutenType is a Gutenberg-first WordPress theme that is as beautiful on desktop as it is on mobile. Made with Gutenberg and RTL, your WordPress website will have a modern and elegant feel.
This theme is great for those who want to boost their creative portfolio and attract new clients with an associated newsletter.
What we like: There is a library of pre-built pages and layouts to help you get started, regardless of what type of website you’re building.
Limitations: You may have minor sticker shock on this theme, and no free version of this theme.
Price: $69
6. SmartMag
SmartMag offers a newsletter and newspaper-friendly theme for WordPress. The theme boasts ample support for newsletter widgets and blocks, including major email services like MailChimp.
You can drop in custom code for additional service providers to the sign-up forms. Use the sidebar or a page to draw attention to your newsletter sign-ups.
What we like: This theme has newsletter-friendly plugins, blocks, and sign-up forms available. You also get extensive social media integration options to boost your omnichannel campaigns.
Limitations: This theme is not as modern in design as some of the others on this list.
Price: $59
7. Kicker
Kicker positions itself as an ultra-fast Gutenberg-first WordPress theme. Whether you’re building a business or creating a review website around your favorite hobby, Kicker is flexible enough to get you started.
Connect your favorite email service provider to your blog, and you’ll be off to the races.
What we like: Kicker has newsletter pop-ups with seamless MailChimp integration. There are minimal and beautiful designs available straight out of the box.
Limitations: There’s very little we dislike, but we’d get it on sale if you can wait for one.
Price: $59
8. MagazinePro
Get your newsletter sign-up form just about anywhere you want it with the MagazinePro theme. Built on the Genesis Framework, this response theme has a pleasing design sensibility with easy default color schemes.
What we like: You can use Gutenberg blocks to put your newsletter sign-up form just about anywhere.
Limitations: If you want this theme, be ready to pay. The sticker shock on this one for a self-hosted site is real, folks.
Price: $360
9. Ultra
Perfect for blogs of any kind, Ultra offers more than 140 pre-designed templates to choose from and a modern, minimal theme design. The only downside is the learning curve that may require advanced WordPress knowledge.
What we like: This is a responsive theme with loads of templates to choose from. You can also pick from lots of custom widgets, sidebar designs, colors, and so on.
Limitations: The skin designer is lightweight, but not good for a novice.
Price: $59
10. Hestia
Hestia is a WordPress theme built with businesses, rather than bloggers, in mind. It offers an enterprise-esque look and feel to give your business a professional edge. That includes a large header, parallax menu, columns with service icons, and so on.
What we like: You can use just about any page build you want to build beautiful landing pages for your newsletter sign-up funnels.
Limitations: Some may find the breadth of options overwhelming. This is not ideal for beginners.
Price: $99
11. Newspaper
Designed with magazines and newsletters in mind, Newspaper is a multipurpose WordPress theme that anyone can leverage for their website and platform. Add a store with WooCommerce to have a full-scale brand at your fingertips.
What we like: Premium widgets are free with support for newsletter sign-up forms. You can also use shortcodes specifically for newsletter setup.
Limitations: The out-of-the-box design leaves a little to be desired. Take time to browse the template library to get the most out of this one.
Price: $59
12. Weston
If you’re hosting an event and plan to send newsletters to a subscriber list of attendees, Weston may be the perfect platform for you. This is a sleek, modern theme with a corporate feel to give your event the professionalism it deserves.
What we like: This theme makes collecting newsletter sign-ups for your event a breeze.
Limitations: Weston may not be flexible for all kinds of websites.
Price: $33
13. Pixwell
The Pixwell WordPress theme has 30 pre-made demos that are included with the one-time purchase. And bonus: They’re all beautiful.
This theme is made to host professional-grade magazines, newsletters, and blogs, yet flexible enough to extend to other types of businesses and income streams.
What we like: You get the Ruby newsletter system, including pop-up design and export files. Plus, this fast and responsive design layout won’t slow down mobile devices.
Limitations: With the Elementor Plugin, you might run up some overhead costs.
Price: $59
14. MH Magazine
MH Magazine, aptly named from MH Themes, is a responsive theme optimized for SEO and ready for your online magazine.
Perhaps you’re creating a literary magazine. Or maybe you’re covering local sports, news, or weather. Whatever the reason, MH Theme is out of the box and ready for magazine-style layouts.
What we like: There is plugin support for major email providers. And, if you run into questions, there’s extensive documentation on the company’s website to help you get started.
Limitations: This theme’s look and feel are not as polished as some of the others on this list.
Price: $49
15. Uncode
Another professional-grade WordPress theme for developers looking to take their websites to the next level, Uncode has a lot to offer. From AJAX product filters for ecommerce platforms to its powerful proprietary WordPress website builder and beautiful layouts to back it all up.
What we like: This theme is available for single blog layouts, making it ideal for newsletter campaigns.
Limitations: The Page Builder may take some time to learn, but good for anyone who has used WP Bakery.
Price: $59
16. Davis
Built with writers in mind, Davis is a lightweight theme for anyone looking for a minimalist approach. You get the words right up front without any of the collateral often associated with bigger magazine templates.
This theme is ideal for integrating into a newsletter service, especially something similar to Substack.
What we like: This words-first design is a very easy-to-read website layout. Davis is also extremely lightweight, meaning it will load in a flash across devices.
Limitations: Scaffolding items are limited. The header, footer, and sidebar take customization.
Price: Free
17. McLuhan
Another entry from the Noren file, the McLuhan theme is a minimalist’s dream WordPress theme. With a customizable sidebar and a front page that looks sleek and legible, McLuhan is a great option for a newsletter website built with WordPress.
What we like: This theme is beginner-friendly and easy to use with the Gutenberg editor. There’s no need for extending the theme with an expensive Page Builder.
Limitations: This theme might confuse visitors coming to your site expecting a traditional blog format.
Price: Free
18. Orin
Orin is a beautiful, lightweight blog that scores points in the minimal design category. This pleasing WordPress theme is fully responsive for mobile devices. It looks great out of the gate, offers masonry and grid options for posts, and is customizable with a variety of post options.
What we like: There’s support for Gutenberg editor, making adding sign-up forms to any page a breeze. You’ll also have major plugin support, which will aid in building sign-up pages and sections.
Limitations: This theme is only available if using WordPress.org as a host.
Price: $19
19. Blueprint
Blueprint is a feature-rich, modern WordPress theme that offers light- and dark-mode settings. With a default template (and a library to back it up) that looks great out of the box, you’ll be set up to send your readers a newsletter in no time.
Multiple layouts of post archives make cross-linking from your newsletter easy on the user experience.
What we like: You can create beautiful and custom sign-up pop-ups that won’t be an eyesore on your website.
Limitations: The demo requires manual configuration and may require a developer.
Price: $69
20. Helion
Helion is another WordPress theme built with the modern framework of native templates and professional-grade features.
Choose your layout from an excellent library of templates, regardless of what type of website you’re building. That makes building your funnel categories, landing pages, and adding newsletter sign-ups a snap.
What we like: This theme uses the Elementor Page Builder which gives you complete control of page design. Helion is also compatible with the popular Mailchimp email service provider via a plugin.
Limitations: Adding prosperity page builders like Elementor can drive up overhead costs.
Price: $59
Get started with a newsletter-compatible WordPress theme.
Building an audience with your newsletter and WordPress website is a winning strategy in 2023. To get started, pick any of the themes above — considering time, budget, and learning curve — and an email service provider of your choice. Then, start building!
Have fun launching your new WordPress website and building a community. Through themes, plugins, and a little elbow grease, you’ll be able to grow your brand or blog website easily.
