Astra is one of the most widely used WordPress themes in the world, with over 2 million active installations. Developed by Brainstorm Force, it has positioned itself as a lightweight, highly customizable theme that works with any major page builder. In this review, we examine Astra Pro in 2026—covering its features, performance data, customization options, pricing, and how it compares to key competitors. For those interested in theme development, the WordPress Theme Developer Handbook is an excellent resource.
This review is based on testing Astra Pro 4.x on WordPress 6.7 with PHP 8.2, using both the default Customizer and Elementor Pro for page building.
What Is Astra?
Astra is a WordPress theme with a free version on WordPress.org and a premium add-on (Astra Pro) that unlocks advanced features. The theme is designed to be lightweight, fast-loading, and compatible with all major page builders—Elementor, Beaver Builder, and the Gutenberg block editor. For those new to theme development, the Theme Basics Guide provides a solid foundation.
Key statistics:
- 2+ million active installations
- 5,000+ five-star reviews on WordPress.org
- 240+ starter templates (Elementor, Beaver Builder, Gutenberg)
- Compatible with WooCommerce, LearnDash, and LifterLMS
Features Overview
Header and Footer Builder
Astra Pro includes a visual drag-and-drop header and footer builder—one of its most requested and distinctive features. You can arrange elements (logo, menu, search, button, social icons, HTML widgets) across three rows (above header, primary header, below header) and three columns each.
Header builder features:
- Transparent header: Overlays content with configurable background opacity
- Sticky header: Stays visible when scrolling, with customizable shrink and background change
- Off-canvas mobile menu: Full-screen or slide-in menu for mobile devices
- Mega menu: Multi-column dropdown menus with widgets, images, and icons
- Account links: Login/register/account links in the header
Starter Templates
Astra's Starter Templates plugin provides 240+ pre-built website designs that can be imported with one click. Templates are organized by category:
| Category | Template Count | Builder Options |
|---|---|---|
| Business / Corporate | 45+ | Elementor, Beaver Builder, Gutenberg |
| E-commerce | 30+ | Elementor, Gutenberg |
| Blog / Magazine | 25+ | Elementor, Gutenberg |
| Portfolio / Creative | 35+ | Elementor, Beaver Builder |
| Health / Fitness | 15+ | Elementor |
| Education | 15+ | Elementor, Gutenberg |
| Others (Restaurant, Real Estate, etc.) | 75+ | Varies |
Template quality is generally high, with professional design and responsive layouts. The import process takes 2-4 minutes and includes content, images, Customizer settings, and widgets.
WooCommerce Integration
Astra Pro's WooCommerce module adds store-specific features beyond the free version:
- Off-canvas cart: Slide-in cart panel without page reload
- Quick view: Product popup preview on the shop page
- Infinite scroll: Load more products as users scroll (no pagination click needed)
- Checkout customizer: Modern checkout layout, distraction-free mode, two-column checkout
- Shop columns: 1-6 column grid on shop and category pages
- Single product layout: Image placement, gallery style, related products display
For a WooCommerce store, Astra Pro's e-commerce features reduce the need for additional WooCommerce-specific plugins. See our WooCommerce themes comparison for how it compares.
Colors, Typography, and Spacing
Astra provides granular design controls through the Customizer:
- Global Color Palette: Define brand colors that apply site-wide with one change
- Typography: Font family, size, weight, line-height, and letter-spacing for headings, body, and individual elements with responsive controls
- Spacing: Padding and margins for all major layout areas (header, content, sidebar, footer, containers)
- Backgrounds: Background images and colors for individual page sections
Blog Layouts
Astra Pro's Blog Layout module provides:
- Grid layout (2-4 columns) with masonry option
- List layout with configurable image position
- Featured image custom sizes and aspect ratios
- Excerpt length control
- Post meta customization (author, date, category, comments, reading time)
- Infinite scroll or load more pagination
Performance
Astra positions itself as a performance-focused theme. Here are our test results:
| Configuration | Page Size | Requests | Load Time | PageSpeed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astra Free (no builder) | 52 KB | 9 | 0.9s | 98 |
| Astra Pro (Customizer) | 68 KB | 11 | 1.1s | 96 |
| Astra Pro + Elementor | 195 KB | 22 | 1.6s | 88 |
| Astra Pro + Elementor + WooCommerce | 240 KB | 26 | 1.9s | 83 |
Astra's base theme is lean—52 KB with no jQuery dependency. When combined with Elementor and WooCommerce, page size increases but remains competitive. Using WP Rocket alongside Astra recovers most of the performance lost from page builder overhead. For a comprehensive analysis of website performance, tools like Google Lighthouse can provide valuable insights.
For detailed theme performance comparison, see our WordPress theme speed comparison.
Pricing
| Plan | Annual Price | Lifetime Price | Sites | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astra Pro | $47 | $227 | Unlimited | All Pro modules |
| Essential Bundle | $137 | $377 | Unlimited | Pro + Starter Templates Pro + Ultimate Addons for Elementor/Beaver Builder |
| Growth Bundle | $187 | $497 | Unlimited | Everything + Convert Pro + Schema Pro + more |
The standalone Astra Pro at $47/year or $227 lifetime is well-priced. You can also get Astra Pro at PluginTheme.net under GPL licensing at a lower price point. The Astra Premium Sites Plugin provides additional starter templates.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lightweight base theme (~52 KB) with strong Core Web Vitals scores | Full potential requires Astra Pro purchase (free version is limited) |
| 240+ starter templates across multiple page builders | Some advanced features (mega menu, sticky header) require Pro + specific module activation |
| Visual header/footer builder with drag-and-drop arrangement | The number of Customizer options can be overwhelming for beginners |
| WooCommerce module with off-canvas cart, quick view, and checkout customizer | Blog layout options, while good, are not as extensive as dedicated blog themes |
| Lifetime pricing available ($227 for unlimited sites) | Some users report inconsistent support response times during peak periods |
| Active development with regular updates and new features | Starter template import occasionally fails on memory-limited hosting |
Astra vs Competitors
| Feature | Astra Pro | GeneratePress | OceanWP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontend Size | 68 KB | 45 KB | 112 KB |
| Starter Templates | 240+ | ~80 | 220+ |
| Header Builder | Yes (drag-and-drop) | No (hooks) | No |
| Mega Menu | Yes | No | No |
| WooCommerce (Free) | Basic | None | Extensive |
| WooCommerce (Pro) | Extensive | Basic | Via extensions |
| Lifetime Price | $227 | $249 | No lifetime option |
Astra offers the best balance of performance and features. GeneratePress wins on raw speed. OceanWP offers more free WooCommerce features. Your choice depends on whether you prioritize design flexibility (Astra), performance (GeneratePress), or free features (OceanWP).
Who Should Use Astra?
- Agencies and freelancers who need a versatile theme with extensive templates for diverse client projects
- Elementor users who want the cleanest, most compatible theme foundation for their page builder work
- WooCommerce store owners who want a fast theme with built-in e-commerce features
- Bloggers and content creators who want flexible blog layouts with responsive design controls
- Performance-conscious users who want speed without sacrificing customization options
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Astra free version good enough without Pro?
The free version is functional for simple websites. It includes the base theme, basic Customizer options, and compatibility with page builders. However, features like the header builder, mega menu, WooCommerce module, and advanced blog layouts require Astra Pro. For business or e-commerce sites, Pro is a worthwhile investment.
Does Astra work with the Gutenberg block editor?
Yes. Astra is fully compatible with Gutenberg and includes Gutenberg-specific starter templates. The theme provides proper styling for all default Gutenberg blocks and supports wide/full-width block alignment. For users who prefer Gutenberg over Elementor, Astra remains a strong theme choice.
How does Astra handle responsive design?
Astra includes responsive controls for typography, spacing, layout, and visibility. You can set different values for desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints across all Customizer options. The header builder includes a separate mobile menu configuration. All responsive settings use CSS media queries, not JavaScript show/hide.
Can I use Astra for a multilingual website?
Yes. Astra is compatible with WPML, Polylang, and TranslatePress. The theme's header builder can include language switcher elements, and all Customizer settings work correctly with multilingual setups.
Is Astra compatible with WP Rocket?
Yes. Astra and WP Rocket work well together. WP Rocket's CSS/JS optimization and unused CSS removal are particularly effective with Astra because the theme's clean codebase produces CSS that is straightforward for WP Rocket to analyze and optimize.
What is the difference between Astra Pro and Starter Templates Pro?
Astra Pro unlocks advanced theme features (header builder, WooCommerce module, blog layouts, etc.). Starter Templates Pro provides additional premium templates that are not available in the free Starter Templates plugin. They are separate products—Astra Pro does not include Starter Templates Pro unless you purchase the Essential or Growth bundle.
Get Astra Pro at GPL Pricing
Access all Pro modules including Header Builder, WooCommerce, Blog Layouts, and 240+ Starter Templates. GPL licensed for unlimited sites.
Browse Astra Pro →
