Astra vs X theme
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Best for: Solo freelance designers who need to ship polished client sites on short timelines using templates and AI drafts., Small agencies standardizing one fast, white-labeled theme stack across an entire client portfolio.
Read the full Astra review
Best for: Freelancers and small agencies that build multiple WordPress sites per month and want professionally designed, editable starting points., Small business owners and solo consultants who want a polished site without hiring a developer and are willing to learn a visual builder.
Read the full X theme reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Astra vs X theme: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Astra if
- You want a free WordPress theme to start with.
- You need flexible billing: yearly, one-time, or usage-based.
Choose X theme if
- You already trust theme.co's X theme for your site.
- You want a second option to compare against Astra.
Astra vs X theme: pros and cons
Astra pairs a genuinely fast, lightweight WordPress core with a large starter-template library, AI drafting tools, and support for Gutenberg, Elementor, and Beaver Builder. The trade-off is that its standout features, like advanced WooCommerce controls, custom layouts, and white labeling, sit behind the paid Pro add-on, and the ecosystem spans several plugins. Overall, it's a sensible, low-risk default for fast WordPress production.
Pros
- The free tier is a complete, usable theme — not a crippled demo — so real sites can launch at zero cost.
- Lean, modular code keeps pages fast, which is uncommon among themes offering this much built-in functionality.
- Compatible with the block editor plus Elementor and Beaver Builder, so you are not locked into a single editing workflow.
Cons
- The most differentiating features — advanced WooCommerce controls, custom layouts, white labeling — require the paid Pro add-on, so the free theme alone can feel basic.
- The experience is spread across several pieces (core theme, Pro add-on, template plugin, AI tools), which can feel fragmented to maintain and configure.
- Heavy template use has a downside — without deliberate customization, Astra-built sites can share a recognizable look.
X theme
X bundles the Cornerstone live builder and Design Cloud starter sites, so you edit right on the page and get theme and builder updates from one vendor. It's more tooling than a simple blog needs, and prices live on Theme.co rather than in our listing. Overall, it's a smart buy if you build WordPress sites regularly.
Pros
- Cornerstone edits render live on the actual page, so the builder view and the published site never diverge.
- Design Cloud supplies full pre-designed sites and individual elements, turning common project types into editable starting points instead of blank builds.
- The builder ships inside the theme, so theme and builder updates, compatibility, and support all come from one vendor.
Cons
- The breadth of options and tooling makes X heavier than minimal themes; a simple blog or brochure site may never use most of what ships with it.
- Cornerstone and Design Cloud are proprietary to Theme.co's ecosystem, so layouts, templates, and workflow knowledge do not transfer directly to other themes or Gutenberg-native builds.
- Cornerstone's control set is deeper than the native WordPress block editor, and beginners should budget real time to learn it.
Astra and X theme in detail
Astra
Astra is a multipurpose WordPress theme designed to serve as the base layer for nearly any type of site — blogs, business pages, portfolios, and online stores. The free theme installs directly from WordPress and covers core layout, header, footer, and styling controls. Around that core, the ecosystem adds pre-built template sites that can be imported and edited, plus AI integrations that help generate page content and layouts. More advanced capabilities, such as extended WooCommerce options and white labeling, come through the paid Astra Pro add-on.
Standout features
- Lightweight, performance-first core
- Pre-built starter templates
- AI-assisted site building
- Visual header, footer, and layout controls
- WooCommerce and conversion features
Use cases
- Fast client site delivery for freelancers
- Standardized agency workflows
- WooCommerce stores
- Blogs and content sites
X theme
X theme is a WordPress theme intended to serve as the foundation for an entire site, not a single fixed template. The centerpiece is Cornerstone, a built-in visual builder that renders edits in place as you make them, covering page content alongside layout and styling controls. Around that core sit Design Cloud starter designs, theme options, and customization entry points aimed at developers, letting the same product function as a quick-start kit or a base for fully custom builds.
Standout features
- Cornerstone live builder
- Design Cloud starter library
- Controls that scale with skill
- One vendor, one update path
Use cases
- Client sites for freelancers and agencies
- Small business and service sites
- Landing pages and campaign pages
- Developer-led custom builds
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Astra | X theme |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $8.25/mo Astra Pro + AI | See vendor page |
| Free plan | Yes | Not stated |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Flat price | — |
| Cost for 1 user | Free Full Comparison - Free Vs Pro plan, billed annually | — |
| Cost for 5 users | $8.25/mo Astra Pro + AI plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | — |
| Cost for 10 users | $8.25/mo Astra Pro + AI plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | — |
| Cost for 25 users | $8.25/mo Astra Pro + AI plan, billed annually · price per account (user limit not stated) | — |
| Plans | 5 | — |
| Prices checked | Checked Oct 24, 2026 | Prices not verified yet — see the vendor page. |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. | No tracked prices yet |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
Not enough published prices to compare team costs: check each vendor's pricing page.
- Only Astra has a free plan.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
