Free themes or custom?

[Serious]

When it comes to WordPress, do you use free themes or buy/build your own?

 

[Andy Haskins]

Free themes are great but if you want to get serious then there are some incredible premium theme options out there that really won't set you back much in the grand scheme of things. Consider some of the following:

Themeforest Wordpress Themes - Anywhere from $30 up for high quality code, some responsive, lots of features and shortcodes. You can't go wrong.
WooThemes - A bit more pricey than Themeforest but again, high quality themes.

If you're just starting out, free themes will certainly get you on your feet so don't be afraid to use them.

 

[Luke]

I've done pretty much everything. I've used free themes, I've modified free themes, I've bought themes (ThemeForest FTW!), I've outsourced theme development, and I've created my own themes. I would recommend if you're just starting a project/site to just use a free theme and modify it to your needs. As the site grows and you start making money then you can reinvest that money into outsourcing a custom theme. If you're a developer like me you'll probably start itching to create your own custom theme for it and if it's going to be worth your time (it's making you money) then I definitely recommend it.

I spent $x,xxx on my current blog design about 5 months ago and I've recently started making my own custom version of the current design. I can't help it, I think I can improve on it!

 

[K]

Custom every time - but if your on a budget some paid themes are great!

 

[IMsights]

Both. Some free skeleton themes are great for creating landing pages. For other sites I like Catalyst theme which is dead easy to customize.

 

[goldbiz]

Paid for Genesis framework and bought Dynamik Website Builder to build my own. Too easy and complete control over my site.

Not enough time to do it all, though. Future sites I'll pay for custom, but using these tools, so I can tweak anytime I want.

 

[Andy Haskins]

Paid for Genesis framework and bought Dynamik Website Builder to build my own. Too easy and complete control over my site.

Not enough time to do it all, though. Future sites I'll pay for custom, but using these tools, so I can tweak anytime I want.

That can be half the problem, finding the time to do these things!

 

[Emvee]

If you're starting out use free themes - plenty available out there including ones from Theme Forest and Studiopress who give a few out themes free. A word of caution while using free themes - links in the footer can have a negative impact on your SEO so be sure to remove them. Also, don't pick up a free theme from just anywhere because it could contain malware.

Buying themes - if you would like to give a premium look to your site, pick one up from Theme Forect or Studiopress the most popular ones.

Developing your own theme - for a high level of customization for your site, makes it stand out.

 

[hiimjeremy]

I think it's all going to depend on the site. Free Wordpress themes can work for a lot of campaigns, but when you want to take that extra step I would definitely suggest a more Premium theme.