Introduction
First impressions matter. For WordPress users, the theme is the foundation of that impression. OceanWP has established itself as a versatile, high-performance theme suitable for both beginners and developers. With over 700,000 active installations and thousands of 5-star reviews, it remains one of the most popular free themes available.
History & Development
Created by Nicolas Lecocq in 2016, OceanWP was born from a need for a flexible, free base theme that reduces development time. Unlike themes that lock features behind paywalls, OceanWP offers a robust core with optional premium extensions. Today, it is maintained by a dedicated team focused on performance and compatibility.
Core Features
- Performance: Lightweight code optimized for speed and SEO.
- Responsiveness: Fully responsive layouts that adapt to desktop, tablet, and mobile.
- Page Builder Compatibility: Works seamlessly with Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Gutenberg, and more.
- WooCommerce Ready: Built-in features for online stores (popups, native cart styling, floating bar).
Free Extensions
OceanWP extends its functionality via free companion plugins:
- Ocean Extra: Adds meta boxes for page-specific settings (layout, sidebar, headers).
- Custom Sidebar: Create unlimited sidebars for specific pages.
- Posts Slider: Display recent posts in a carousel.
- Social Sharing: Add sharing buttons to posts and products.
- Stick Anything: Sticky elements for headers, footers, or widgets.
- Modal Window: Create popups for content or promotions.
Installation Best Practices
- Install Theme: Navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New and search for “OceanWP”.
- Use a Child Theme: To preserve customizations during updates, install and activate the OceanWP Child Theme.
- Note: The parent theme must be installed but not active. The child theme inherits all functionality.
- Install Ocean Extra: Activate the Ocean Extra plugin to unlock page-level controls.
Layout & Customization OceanWP offers extensive layout controls via the Customizer (Appearance > Customize):
- Site Layout: Choose between Boxed, Wide, or Framed layouts.
- Sidebar Control: Left, Right, Double, or Full Width per page type.
- Mobile Menu: Select styles (Fullscreen, Sidebar, Dropdown) and customize breakpoints.
- Demo Import: One-click import ready-made websites via Theme Panel > Install Demos.
Premium Extensions For advanced needs, OceanWP offers a bundle of premium extensions:
- Sticky Header: Fix the header on scroll.
- Full Screen: Create immersive full-screen layouts.
- Popup Login: Custom login/registration modals.
- Portfolio: Custom post type for portfolios.
- White Label: Brand the dashboard for clients.
- Elementor Widgets: Additional widgets for page building.
- Hooks: Insert code/content into specific theme hooks.
Pricing & Licensing Premium extensions are available individually or as a bundle (including all extensions + premium demos).
- Personal: Limited sites (e.g., 3).
- Business: Mid-tier sites (e.g., 6).
- Agency: Unlimited sites (e.g., 50).
- Licenses are available as annual subscriptions or lifetime payments.
- Check the official website for current pricing and discounts.
Support & Refund Policy OceanWP offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. Documentation and support tickets are available for premium users.
Verdict OceanWP is an excellent choice for users seeking a free, flexible foundation. Its modular approach allows you to add only what you need. For professionals requiring advanced marketing tools, sticky elements, or white-labeling, the premium bundle provides significant value.