Update: As many our readers liked our analysis of the best Shopify themes for SEO, we decided to continue and add all free Shopify themes to our list.
Now all free Shopify themes are included in best Shopify theme for SEO comparison.
Do Shopify Themes Perform Well? #
Not all Shopify themes are created equal. Some perform better than others. This was a pretty boring job, honestly; sometimes we wish we could just write about something more interesting. But we always try to fill in the gaps where we can.
Everyone just talks about Shopify themes for performance, but who is actually checking the themes? We decided to take a look at the top 7 Shopify themes and see how they stack up for performance.
Before we start #
Depending on whether you have short-term or long-term plans, you should choose the right theme for your store. Maybe you are just testing the waters and you don't mind having a website that's not fully optimized, but with nice animations and heavy graphics. In that case, you have to choose the theme which matches more with your business needs. For those looking to optimize their store's performance, it's crucial to consider themes that enhance speed and user experience. You can also explore strategies like conducting a sitewide A/B test in Shopify to further improve your site's performance.
Ideally, it's better to choose a theme which is optimized for performance and has a good speed score, because it is a crucial factor for the website ranking in search engines. If you have a Shopify website with the same content and the same ranking score as your competitor, but your website is faster, then you will rank higher in search engines. This is a universal rule for all websites.
All Free Shopify Themes #
We started with the free themes because we strongly believe that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a good theme. We found that the free themes are actually pretty good for performance. They are lightweight and fast, which is great for performance.
In this article, we will go through the following themes:
- Dawn Theme - Download Dawn Theme SEO Report
- Origin Theme - Download Origin Theme SEO Report
- Refresh Theme - Download Refresh Theme SEO Report
- Publisher Theme - Download Publisher Theme SEO Report
- Spotlight Theme - Download Spotlight Theme SEO Report
- Trade Theme - Download Trade Theme SEO Report
- Rise Theme - Download Rise Theme SEO Report
- Taste Theme - Download Taste Theme SEO Report
- Craft Theme - Download Craft Theme SEO Report
- Sense Theme - Download Sense Theme SEO Report
- Studio Theme - Download Studio Theme SEO Report
- Ride Theme - Download Ride Theme SEO Report
- Crave Theme - Download Crave Theme SEO Report
- Colorblock Theme - Download Colorblock Theme SEO Report
Best Shopify Theme for Performance: A Detailed Comparison #
This article compares seven Shopify themes based on performance and SEO metrics. Each theme was evaluated on core web vitals and performance to help you choose the best option for your Shopify store.
This is not a review of UX or design features, but rather a technical analysis of how each theme performs in terms of speed and page load.
Shopify Theme Dawn #
Dawn is Shopify's flagship theme, designed with performance and flexibility in mind. It's a great starting point for many online stores.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 99
- First Contentful Paint: 1.2s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 2.1s
- Total Blocking Time: 0ms
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 96
- Best Practices: 100
Dawn performs exceptionally well in both performance and SEO. It has quick load times, follows web best practices, and is highly accessible. The only areas for improvement are optimizing image sizes and eliminating render-blocking resources.
Shopify Theme Origin #
Origin is a versatile theme that caters to various product types and industries. It offers a clean, modern design that's easy to customize.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 74
- First Contentful Paint: 1.9s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 6.6s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 97
- Best Practices: 100
Origin scores well in performance and SEO but performs slower than Dawn. Its Largest Contentful Paint time is notably high, which affects user experience. Reducing unused JavaScript and improving image optimization can enhance performance.
Shopify Theme Refresh #
Refresh offers a minimalist design that puts your products front and center. It's ideal for stores with a focused product line.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 90
- First Contentful Paint: 1.7s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 3.4s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 61
- Accessibility Score: 100
- Best Practices: 100
Refresh is fast and performs well in speed metrics but has a lower SEO score. Improving image sizes, optimizing content for performance, and addressing render-blocking resources can help enhance its rankings.
Shopify Theme Publisher #
Publisher is designed for content-rich stores, perfect for businesses that rely heavily on storytelling and brand narrative.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 81
- First Contentful Paint: 1.9s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.5s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 100
- Best Practices: 100
Publisher provides a high SEO score and good performance, but its load times could be improved. Better lazy loading for images and optimizing server response times will enhance both performance and SEO.
Shopify Theme Spotlight #
Spotlight is tailored for showcasing high-quality imagery, making it an excellent choice for fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 85
- First Contentful Paint: 1.5s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 3.9s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 98
- Best Practices: 100
Spotlight is well-balanced between performance and SEO. It's fast but can benefit from further optimization in image loading. It's a solid choice for a balanced theme.
Shopify Theme Trade #
Trade is designed for stores with large catalogs, offering robust filtering and search capabilities to help customers find products easily.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 98
- First Contentful Paint: 1.7s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 2.0s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 85
- Accessibility Score: 96
- Best Practices: 100
Trade offers the best performance overall, with near-perfect scores in speed metrics. It is a top choice for store owners looking to optimize for performance, although it scores slightly lower on SEO compared to Dawn and Origin.
Shopify Theme Rise #
Rise is a versatile theme that adapts well to various industries, offering a clean and modern design that's easy to customize.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 82
- First Contentful Paint: 1.6s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.7s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 96
- Best Practices: 100
Rise scores well in performance but falls short in speed compared to top performers. Optimizing its Largest Contentful Paint time is crucial for improving performance.
Shopify Theme Taste #
Ideal for speciality products and bold branding, catching a buyer's eye with bold headlines, thin strokes, industrial fonts, and a high contrast color palette on an understated background.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 78
- First Contentful Paint: 2.2s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.7s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 85
- Accessibility Score: 99
- Best Practices: 100
Shopify Theme Craft #
A refined theme that celebrates craftsmanship with subtle design that includes generous spacing and elegant typography to make your content shine.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 79
- First Contentful Paint: 2.0s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.8s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 99
- Best Practices: 100
Shopify Theme Sense #
An energizing theme featuring extensive product detail layouts, energizing your brand with a fresh color palette and soft gradients set against curved elements that gently guide buyers through your store.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 97
- First Contentful Paint: 1.5s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 2.4s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 99
- Best Practices: 100
Shopify Theme Studio #
A stylish theme with special attention to artists and collections, showcasing your curations with stylish typography and colorful accents to frame products and collections.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 77
- First Contentful Paint: 3.2s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 3.8s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 66
- Accessibility Score: 96
- Best Practices: 93
Shopify Theme Ride #
A distinct, dynamic theme that champions the world of sports with a winning combination of a dark background, bold typography, and accent colors that makes your sporting goods pop.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 95
- First Contentful Paint: 1.1s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 2.9s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 100
- Best Practices: 100
Shopify Theme Crave #
An eye-catching theme optimized for shopping on the go, cranking up the fun with bold colors and distinct shadows that demand attention from buyers while showcasing the personality of your brand.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 87
- First Contentful Paint: 1.6s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 4.0s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 100
- Best Practices: 100
Shopify Theme Colorblock #
A striking theme ideal for high-end fashion with atypical typography and customizable blocks of color that amplify products, creating a trendy lookbook feel.
View Demo | Download SEO Report
Performance:
- Performance Score: 84
- First Contentful Paint: 1.1s
- Largest Contentful Paint: 3.3s
SEO Strength:
- SEO Score: 92
- Accessibility Score: 95
- Best Practices: 100
That's it folks! #
After analyzing all fourteen free Shopify themes, we found that each offers unique advantages. Dawn and Trade excel in performance optimization, while Sense and Ride show exceptional performance metrics. Studio and Publisher are great for content-rich stores but may need some optimization.
Newer themes like Ride and Crave demonstrate strong performance, while Craft and Taste balance design with performance functionality. Though some themes need optimization improvements, the variety available means store owners can find options that match their needs for performance, design, and SEO.
Winner: Trade is the standout performer for Shopify themes, achieving the highest score for speed and efficiency.
P.S. Before you go #
To avoid any confusion, we want to clarify that all these themes are free Shopify themes. We don't promote any of them, and we don't have any affiliate links. We just wanted to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the best Shopify themes for Performance.
Want to audit your Shopify store's SEO performance? Our Shopify SEO specialists can help you optimize your store for better rankings and more organic traffic.
For a full Shopify Conversion Rate Optimization audit, please check our Shopify CRO Audit.
To see all our Shopify services, please check our Shopify Services.
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Glossary Terms in This Article:
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick Answers for Shopify Theme for Performance
- Which Shopify theme is best for performance?
- Based on our analysis of all free Shopify themes, Dawn remains the best overall theme for performance, with a score of 99 and excellent speed metrics. Several new themes like Sense and Ride also show strong performance scores of 97. You can learn more about the Dawn theme here. You can also download the PDF report here.
- Which theme has the best performance?
- Among the expanded list of themes, Trade still leads with a performance score of 98, closely followed by Sense (97) and Ride (95). You can check out the Trade theme here and download the PDF report here.
- Which are the newest Shopify themes available?
- Shopify has recently added several new free themes including Colorblock, Crave, Studio, Sense, and Ride. Each offers unique features and design elements while maintaining strong performance fundamentals. Visit the Shopify theme store to explore these new additions.
- How can I improve my Shopify theme's performance?
- Optimize images, reduce render-blocking resources, and implement a strategic content plan with effective caching strategies. For more details, see the Shopify theme store.
- How can I audit my Shopify theme for performance?
- You can use Shopify Performance Audit by cro.media to evaluate your theme's performance, speed, and user experience. For a detailed analysis, visit the Shopify Performance Audit page.
- Why is Largest Contentful Paint important?
- LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visual element to load, impacting both user experience and SEO. For details on optimizing LCP, visit the Lighthouse documentation.
- What is an ideal First Contentful Paint time?
- An FCP under 2 seconds is ideal for enhancing user experience and improving SEO. You can check FCP benchmarks in the web.dev performance scoring guide.
- What's the difference between Shopify Theme and Shopify headless website?
Sometimes it can be confusing to understand the difference between a Shopify theme and a Shopify headless website. A Shopify theme is a pre-built template which you can use to build your website.
A Shopify headless website is a custom website that is built using the Shopify API.
It is more flexible, and you can build a custom website with custom features. It is more expensive to build a Shopify headless website, but it offers greater flexibility and customization options.