Hestia
Themeisle · Freemium · 4.8/5
A one page business theme with a material-inspired look.
Sy
Sydney
by aThemes
A business theme with a clean hero-led homepage and Elementor templates.
4.9BusinessFreemium
This link may earn us a commission. It never changes our rating.
What Sydney is
A business theme with a clean hero-led homepage and Elementor templates.
It sits in the business part of the theme market and is sold by aThemes 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 Sydney looks like
The official screenshot from the WordPress.org theme directory, as published by the theme authors.
See it running on a live demo site at the WordPress.org preview.
Real user ratings
Score
4.9/5
Reviews
794
Active installs
80,000+
Downloads
5.1M
Latest version
2.73
Last updated
2026-10-22
Figures come straight from the public WordPress.org theme directory API for version 2.73. You can check them yourself on the WordPress.org listing.
Where Sydney ranks elsewhere
| Publisher | List | Position |
|---|---|---|
| WPBeginner | Best WordPress Themes | #1 of 10 |
| NitroPack | Best WordPress Themes for Core Web Vitals | #6 of 8 |
Positions are read from the published articles themselves, so they reflect that publisher's order rather than ours. Lists get re-ordered over time, so follow the link if you want the current version.
What changed in the latest version
Sydney does not publish a changelog we can read automatically, so check the vendor's own release notes before you update a live site.
How to install Sydney
Try the live demo first, then install from the official source. It takes about five minutes.
Live demo
Open previewWhere to download it
Sydney is in the free WordPress.org theme directory, so you can install it straight from your dashboard, or grab the zip from the listing.
The free version is enough to launch. The paid add-on from aThemes unlocks the extra layouts and modules.
Install it
- 1In your WordPress admin, open Appearance then Themes and click Add New.
- 2Search for "Sydney", then click Install on the listing by aThemes.
- 3Click Activate once the install finishes. Your live site now uses Sydney.
- 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
- 1Run the theme's own setup wizard or starter site import if it offers one, on a fresh site only.
- 2Set your logo, colours, fonts and menus under Appearance then Customise or the site editor.
- 3Create a child theme or use the theme's own custom CSS panel so updates never overwrite your work.
- 4Set global colours, fonts and container width before you build any pages.
- 5Import a starter layout if one fits, then strip out demo sections you do not need.
- 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
- Simple to configure for small service businesses.
- Rated 4.9 out of 5 by 794 WordPress.org reviewers.
- There is a free version you can trial before paying.
- Works with the block editor and the mainstream page builders.
- Blog layouts are basic compared with dedicated magazine themes.
- Switching themes later means rebuilding page layouts, so choose deliberately.
How to use it
- 1Install the theme from Appearance > Themes, then activate it on a staging copy first.
- 2Create a child theme or use the theme's own custom CSS panel so updates never overwrite your work.
- 3Set global colours, fonts and container width before you build any pages.
- 4Import a starter layout if one fits, then strip out demo sections you do not need.
- 5Replace demo images with compressed WebP versions sized for the slot they sit in.
- 6Run a before and after check on our speed test so you can see the real page cost.
How it compares
Other business themes we recommend, with their public WordPress.org score where one exists.
| Theme | Rating | Reviews | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 4.9/5 | 794 | Freemium | Simple to configure for small service businesses. |
| Hestia | 4.8/5 | 563 | Freemium | Homepage sections are ready to fill in with almost no setup. |
| Colibri WP | 4.8/5 | 266 | Freemium | Editing happens in a fast live preview with no separate builder. |
| Go | 4.7/5 | 19 | Free | Design styles let you change the whole look in one click. |
Guides that cover Sydney
Themes12 min read
14 Best WordPress Themes for Affiliate Marketing in 2026
Comparison-friendly layouts, restrained scripts and templates that stay readable as your review library grows.
Updated 10 September 2026
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
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