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DarkNews

by AF themes

A dark magazine theme for news and entertainment publishers.

4.8MagazineFreemium
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What DarkNews is

A dark magazine theme for news and entertainment publishers.

It sits in the magazine part of the theme market and is sold by AF themes on a freemium basis. A theme decides your layout, your typography and a large slice of your page weight, so it is the hardest thing on a WordPress site to change later.

Before you commit, record a speed test of your current site, then run the same test after you switch, on the same page, so you can see exactly what the new theme costs you.

What DarkNews looks like

The official screenshot from the WordPress.org theme directory, as published by the theme authors.

DarkNews WordPress theme homepage screenshot

See it running on a live demo site at the WordPress.org preview.

Real user ratings

Score

4.8/5

Reviews

30

Active installs

1,000+

Downloads

142K

Latest version

3.5.12

Last updated

2026-10-21

Figures come straight from the public WordPress.org theme directory API for version 3.5.12. You can check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing.

Where DarkNews ranks elsewhere

DarkNews does not appear in the published "best of" lists we track from WPBeginner, TechRadar, Kinsta, Themeisle and similar sites. That is not a mark against it - those roundups are short and skew towards the biggest names.

What changed in the latest version

v3.3.10Latest release
  • Update - Customizer optimization
  • Update - German language file
  • Update - Arabic language file
  • Update - French language file
  • Update - Italian language file
  • Update - Japanese language file
  • Update - Polish language file
  • Update - Portugese language file
v3.3.2
  • Update - Default admin panel
  • Update - Recommneded plugins
v3.3.0
  • Update - Security improvement
  • Update - Block Style improvement
  • Fixed - Some styling glitch

Release notes are the developer's own words, published on WordPress.org. Read the full changelog

How to install DarkNews

Try the live demo first, then install from the official source. It takes about five minutes.

Live demo preview of the DarkNews WordPress theme

Live demo

Open preview

Where to download it

DarkNews is in the free WordPress.org theme directory, so you can install it straight from your dashboard, or grab the zip from the listing.

WordPress.org listingDownload zip

The free version is enough to launch. The paid add-on from AF themes unlocks the extra layouts and modules.

Install it

  1. 1In your WordPress admin, open Appearance then Themes and click Add New.
  2. 2Search for "DarkNews", then click Install on the listing by AF themes.
  3. 3Click Activate once the install finishes. Your live site now uses DarkNews.
  4. 4Prefer to upload it? Download the zip from the WordPress.org listing, then use Appearance, Themes, Add New, Upload Theme.

Set it up after activating

  1. 1Run the theme's own setup wizard or starter site import if it offers one, on a fresh site only.
  2. 2Set your logo, colours, fonts and menus under Appearance then Customise or the site editor.
  3. 3Map your categories to the homepage blocks so each section pulls the right posts.
  4. 4Configure the article template: featured image size, sidebar, related posts and share buttons.
  5. 5Place ad slots deliberately and reserve their height so layout does not shift.
  6. 6Take a speed test before and after the switch on the same page so you can see the real cost.

Always try a theme switch on a staging copy first if the site is already earning.

Pros and cons

  • Dark reading experience is set up correctly out of the box.
  • Rated 4.8 out of 5 by 30 WordPress.org reviewers.
  • There is a free version you can trial before paying.
  • Works with the block editor and the mainstream page builders.
  • Colour scheme is hard to lighten without custom CSS.
  • Switching themes later means rebuilding page layouts, so choose deliberately.

How to use it

  1. 1Activate the theme and set your homepage to a static page or the theme's news template.
  2. 2Map your categories to the homepage blocks so each section pulls the right posts.
  3. 3Configure the article template: featured image size, sidebar, related posts and share buttons.
  4. 4Place ad slots deliberately and reserve their height so layout does not shift.
  5. 5Check reading speed on mobile once the homepage is full of real articles.

How it compares

Other magazine themes we recommend, with their public WordPress.org score where one exists.

ThemeRatingReviewsPricingBest for
DarkNews4.8/530FreemiumDark reading experience is set up correctly out of the box.
Newspapern/an/aPremiumAd slots, category templates and post modules are purpose built for publishers.
Jannahn/an/aPremiumBuilt-in review system saves buying a separate reviews plugin.

Guides that cover DarkNews

Several devices showing dark-themed website layouts on a stone platform at night
Themes10 min read

21 Best Dark WordPress Themes for 2026

Dark design suits photography, portfolios and premium products, but only when contrast, states and type stay readable.

Updated 10 September 2026

Alternatives

Other magazine themes

Newspaper

tagDiv · Premium

A news and magazine theme built for high article volume and ad placements.

Jannah

TieLabs · Premium

A magazine theme with review blocks, dark mode and strong mobile reading layouts.