You are setting up your first WordPress site. You search for a theme and two names keep coming up: Blocksy and Astra. Both are free. Both are fast. Both are beginner-friendly. So which one should you pick?
I have used both themes. I switched from Astra to Blocksy on The Passive Circle and I have not looked back. In this Blocksy vs Astra comparison, I will break down the key differences so you can make a confident decision today.
⭐ My Quick Verdict
For beginner bloggers and affiliate marketers, Blocksy wins. It has a better free version, cleaner design out of the box, and stronger Gutenberg support. Astra is excellent too, but its edge shows more for agencies and Elementor users.
| Feature | Blocksy | Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Free version quality | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Page speed | ⚡ Very fast | ⚡ Very fast |
| Gutenberg support | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Good |
| Design flexibility (free) | ✅ High | ⚠️ Medium |
| Starter templates | 60+ | 240+ |
| Pro price (starting) | $69/year | $69/year |
| Best for | Bloggers, affiliate marketers | Agencies, Elementor users |
| My pick | ⭐ Winner | Runner-up |
What Is Blocksy vs Astra? A Quick Overview
Both Blocksy and Astra are free, lightweight WordPress themes built for speed and flexibility. They are two of the most popular theme choices for bloggers, affiliate marketers, and small business owners in 2026.
Blocksy is developed by CreativeThemes. It was built from the ground up with Gutenberg in mind and focuses on clean, modern design with strong customization built right into the free version.
Astra is developed by Brainstorm Force. It is the most downloaded non-default theme on WordPress.org with over 2 million active installations. It is known for its massive template library and seamless Elementor compatibility.
Both are excellent. The question is which one fits your needs as a beginner.
Blocksy vs Astra Pricing: Free vs Pro Plans
Both themes have strong free versions. Neither requires you to pay anything to launch a professional blog. Here is how their paid plans compare side by side.
Blocksy vs Astra Pricing at a Glance
| Plan | Blocksy | Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, unlimited sites | $0, unlimited sites |
| Entry Pro | $69/year (1 site) | $69/year (3 sites) |
| Mid-tier | $99/year (10 sites) | $119/year (3 sites + extras) |
| Top tier | $149/year (unlimited) | $299/year (1,000 sites + bundle) |
| Money-back | 14 days | 14 days |
Verdict on pricing: Both start at $69/year for Pro. Blocksy gives you more sites at the mid-tier. Astra’s higher plans bundle additional tools. For beginners running one blog, both are equal on price.
Check current Blocksy pricing →
Blocksy vs Astra: Feature-by-Feature Comparison
This is where the real differences show up. I have tested both themes on live sites. Here is what I found on each key factor.
Which Theme Is Faster: Blocksy or Astra?
Both themes are very fast. Astra is famous for loading under 0.5 seconds and weighing less than 50KB. Blocksy is equally lean and scores 98/100 on PageSpeed Insights in most tests.
In real-world testing, Blocksy loads in about 0.6 seconds and Astra in about 0.5 seconds on average. The difference is too small to notice for a real visitor. Both themes will pass Core Web Vitals with good hosting.
⚖️ Speed winner: Draw
Which Theme Has Better Gutenberg Support?
This is where Blocksy clearly pulls ahead. Blocksy was built with Gutenberg in mind from day one. Every block renders cleanly. There are no spacing issues, no style conflicts, and no need for extra CSS to make things look right.
Astra is also Gutenberg-compatible, but it was originally optimized for Elementor. The Gutenberg experience works well, but Blocksy feels more native. If you write all your posts in Gutenberg like I do, Blocksy gives you a smoother experience.
✅ Gutenberg winner: Blocksy
Which Theme Is Easier to Customize Without Coding?
Both themes use the WordPress Customizer. But the options available in the free version are very different.
Blocksy free version lets you control your header layout, footer, sidebar, colors, fonts, and blog card style. All of this is available without paying. You can build a professional-looking site with zero upgrades.
Astra free version is more limited by comparison. Many advanced layout options, sticky headers, and blog design controls are locked behind Astra Pro. You hit the ceiling faster on the free plan.
✅ Customization winner (free): Blocksy
Which Theme Has More Starter Site Templates?
Astra wins here by a large margin. Astra has over 240 starter templates covering blogs, businesses, portfolios, and online stores. Most are available for both Elementor and Gutenberg.
Blocksy has 60+ starter templates. They are well-designed and cover all the basics. But if you want a huge selection to browse, Astra gives you far more choices.
✅ Templates winner: Astra
Which Theme Works Better with Elementor?
Astra was designed with Elementor in mind. Brainstorm Force, the company behind Astra, also makes tools that integrate tightly with Elementor. If you are committed to using Elementor as your page builder, Astra is the safer choice.
Blocksy also works with Elementor and there are no compatibility issues. But it is not Elementor-first. The tightest integrations are with Gutenberg.
✅ Elementor winner: Astra
Which Theme Has a Better Free Blog Design?
Blocksy looks more polished and modern out of the box. The default typography, spacing, and card layouts are cleaner than what Astra offers in its free version. I noticed this immediately when I switched.
Astra free design is functional but more minimal. It gives you a blank slate to build on, which some users prefer. But for a beginner who wants a site that looks good from day one, Blocksy wins.
✅ Design winner: Blocksy
Which Theme Has a Bigger Community?
Astra wins this one clearly. With over 2 million active installations and 6,000+ five-star reviews on WordPress.org, Astra has a larger support community. There are more tutorials, YouTube videos, and forum threads about Astra than any other WordPress theme.
Blocksy has a growing community and responsive official support. But if you ever get stuck, you are more likely to find a quick answer online for Astra.
✅ Community winner: Astra
Blocksy vs Astra: Who Should Use Which Theme?
After testing both themes on real sites, here is my honest recommendation based on what type of site you are building.
Choose Blocksy if you are:
- A beginner blogger starting your first WordPress site
- An affiliate marketer who wants a polished design without paying for Pro
- Someone who uses Gutenberg as their primary editor
- Someone who wants more customization options for free
- Building a content blog focused on SEO and organic traffic
Choose Astra if you are:
- A freelancer or agency building sites for clients
- Someone who prefers Elementor as their page builder
- Someone who wants the largest selection of starter templates
- Building an online store with advanced WooCommerce needs
- Someone who values a massive support community
I chose Blocksy for The Passive Circle because I write all my content in Gutenberg and I wanted a great-looking site without spending money on Pro in the early months. It was the right call.
If you eventually need client work or Elementor-heavy builds, Astra becomes more compelling. But for a solo affiliate blog targeting Google traffic, Blocksy is the better starting point.
Is Blocksy or Astra Worth It for Beginners? My Honest Answer
✅ Pick Blocksy if…
- You write all content in Gutenberg
- You want a polished free design
- You are building an affiliate blog
- You want more free customization options
- You are a solo blogger on a budget
✅ Pick Astra if…
- You use Elementor as your builder
- You build websites for clients
- You want 240+ templates to browse
- You want the largest support community
- You need advanced WooCommerce features
Both themes are free and both are worth trying. But you only need one. Install the free version of Blocksy first. If after a few weeks you feel limited, try Astra. You can always switch later. Most beginner bloggers who try Blocksy stay with it.
I switched from Astra to Blocksy after two months. The cleaner free design and better Gutenberg experience made the difference for me.
Want to go deeper on Blocksy before deciding? Read my full Blocksy theme review where I cover every feature, speed test, and pricing detail. And if you are still picking your hosting, check my Hostinger review for beginners before installing any theme.
Once your theme is live, the next priority is your email list. I use systeme.io alongside Blocksy for landing pages and email funnels. It is free to start and connects with any WordPress theme perfectly.
And if you want to start getting organic traffic fast, read my guide on how to get traffic to your new blog. It covers the exact steps I used to get my first 100 visitors with zero budget.
Frequently Asked Questions: Blocksy vs Astra
Is Blocksy better than Astra for beginners?
For most beginners, yes. Blocksy gives you a better design, more customization options, and stronger Gutenberg support in the free version. Astra is better suited for agencies, Elementor users, and those who need a massive template library. If you are starting a blog or affiliate site, Blocksy is the safer first choice.
Which theme is faster: Blocksy or Astra?
Both themes are extremely fast. Astra averages around 0.5 seconds load time and Blocksy around 0.6 seconds. The difference is too small to affect SEO or user experience in practice. Both pass Core Web Vitals easily on good hosting. Your hosting provider has a bigger impact on speed than the theme you choose.
Can I switch from Astra to Blocksy later?
Yes. You can switch WordPress themes at any time without losing your content. Your posts, pages, and images all stay intact. Only the visual design changes. I switched from Astra to Blocksy on The Passive Circle and it took about two hours to reconfigure the design settings.
Do Blocksy and Astra both work with Elementor?
Yes. Both themes are fully compatible with Elementor. However, Astra was built with Elementor as a primary use case and integrates more tightly. Blocksy works well with Elementor but is more optimized for Gutenberg. If Elementor is your main tool, Astra is the stronger match.
Is the free version of Blocksy good enough to launch a blog?
Yes, absolutely. The free Blocksy theme is more than enough to launch a professional blog or affiliate site. I launched The Passive Circle on the free version and ran it for months before upgrading to Pro. You do not need to pay anything to get started.
Which theme has better SEO: Blocksy or Astra?
Both themes are built with SEO best practices in mind. They use clean, lightweight code that helps with page speed, which is a direct ranking factor. Both include proper schema markup and work seamlessly with RankMath and Yoast SEO plugins. For SEO purposes, either theme will serve you well as a beginner.
The Blocksy vs Astra debate comes down to your use case. For beginner bloggers and affiliate marketers using Gutenberg, Blocksy is the better starting point. For agencies and Elementor power users, Astra has the edge. Both are free, both are fast, and both can take your site far. Start with Blocksy, get your first posts published, and worry about upgrades later. The theme matters less than the content you create.
