Kadence Theme Review 2024: Better than Astra?

Choosing a WordPress theme can feel crucial to your website’s success. In WordPress, there are an almost infinite amount of themes, free and paid, that you can choose from. 

The Kadence WordPress theme has been gaining popularity since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. 

Kadence has become one of the most popular WordPress themes today. Impressive, given that Kadence is a relatively new theme among over 31,000 options.  As of 2022, Kadence has more than 100,000 active installs.

Ultimately, however, a small share when compared to the go-to Astra theme with over 1 million active installations and a whopping 4.9-star rating out of 5,000 reviews!

Kadence WordPress Theme Overview

Kadence is a lightweight, flexible, and highly customizable WordPress theme developed by Kadence.

Kadence was launched in 2020, and in one year, Kadence was able to rack up more than 100,000 active installs. Many website owners and developers love Kadence because of its high customizability and speed.

Paired with Kadence blocks, the Kadence theme can help you create a stunning website.

Kadence recognizes that a great user experience and search engine optimization is achievable through load speed and responsive design. 

Astra WordPress Theme Overview

Like Kadence, Astra is known for its high customizability, speed, and flexibility. Astra was developed by Brainstorm Force in 2017, and in just three years, Astra had over 1 million in active installs.

Some might argue that the two are virtually the same. Both themes provide customizable templates, responsive block builders, and pre-built page sections. 

A few key features to compare include:

• Customizability and Ease-of-Use
• Key Features
• Page Builders
• SEO Optimized
• Integrations
• Pricing

Kadence vs. Astra: Customizability and Ease-of-Use

Both Kadence and Astra are known for their high customizability and ease-of-use. Here’s what you can customize with Kadence and Astra in the “Customize” settings.

Kadence:

• General
• Header
• Footer
• Global Colors
• Typography
• Buttons
• Page layout
• Blog layout
• Sidebar
• Search

Kadence also has a dedicated section which you can find in Appearance > Kadence.

Astra:

• General
• Header
• Footer
• Sidebar
• Global Colors
• Typography
• Layout Options
• Button Settings

Like Kadence, Astra also has a dedicated section which you can find in Appearance > Astra Options.

Kadence vs. Astra: Key Features

Kadence has loaded features included in the free version alone. 

Here are some of the features and options you’ll have with Kadence:

• Header/footer builder
• Global colors and palettes
• Global button settings
• Social media links and icons
• Advanced typography features
• Advanced layout features
• Custom blog layouts
• Scroll to top
• SEO optimized
• Sticky header
• Breadcrumbs
• Responsive controls

On the other hand, Astra also offers various features on their free version alone:

• SEO optimized
• Header/footer builder
• Customer sidebar
• Color management
• Typography
• Blog layout
• Fluid layouts
• Custom header/footer
• Mobile header design
• Mega menu
• WooCommerce ready

Kadence vs Astra: Page Builders

Both Kadence and Astra are compatible with some of the major page builders available in WordPress: Elementor and Gutenberg.

If you’re a fan of Elementor, Astra could be the better choice as they both work together. 

On the other hand, if you are happy with the default editor, Gutenberg, Kadence would be a better fit as they better complement each other.

Kadence vs. Astra: SEO

Kadence was coded and designed following the best SEO practices in mind. It is performance-focused and lightweight in that it only loads resources and elements that you need on your pages.

Like Kadence, Astra is SEO-optimized, fast, and primed for performance. 

Kadence vs. Astra: Pricing

If you purchase Kadence Theme Pro, it starts at $59 per year. You can get their Essential or Full Bundle for pro themes and blocks. 

Kadence Essential Bundle ($129/year)

• Kadence Theme Pro
• Kadence Blocks Pro
• Pro Starter Template

Kadence Full Bundle ($199/year)

• Kadence Theme Pro
• Kadence Blocks Pro
• Pro Starter Template
• Kadence Cloud
• Child Theme Builder
• Kadence Shop Kit
• Kadence AMP
• Kadence Conversions
• All themes and plugins of Kadence
• Access to all future products

Kadence also offers a Lifetime Full Bundle for a one-time investment that includes lifetime support, a shop kit, and access to the entire line of future products! 

The Kadence Lifetime Full Bundle currently starts at $649.

Astra, on the other hand, offers both an annual and lifetime payment for each of their bundles: Astra Pro, Essential Bundle and Growth Bundle. Annually, the bundles start at $49/month.

• Astra Pro ($49/year)
• Essential Bundle ($169/year)
• Growth Bundle ($249/year)

Lifetime Subscription:

• Astra Pro ($239)
• Essential Bundle ($499)
• Growth Bundle ($699)

With the Lifetime Growth Bundle, Astra offers an easy, 3-month installment payment at $249/month.

Astra Essential Bundle

• 180+ Premium Starter Templates
• WP Portfolio Plugin
• Choice of One Page Builder Addon
• Product Updates
• Premium Support
• Unlimited Website Usage
• Extensive Training
• Risk-Free Guarantee

Astra Growth Bundle

• Convert Pro Plugin
• Schema Pro Plugin
• Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder
• Ultimate Addons for Elementor
• Skilljet Academy Membership
• Astra’s Future Products
• Product Updates
• Premium Support
• Unlimited Website Usage
• Extensive Training
• Risk-Free Guarantee

Conclusion: Which is Better, Kadence or Astra?

Both popular themes are easy-to-use, lightweight, SEO-optimized, and work well with both of the standard WordPress page builders. 

If you’re looking for a quick, hassle-free website build, the winner is Kadence.

For complete customization from start to finish, choose Astra for its flexibility. With a bit of a learning curve, you could always outsource part of the build if you get stuck.

If you’re unsure, go with Kadence for a same-day website build that passes the google page speed test with a smooth, cross-device responsive design.