An inviting store design can attract the attention of curious customers and convert casual browsers into enthusiastic buyers. Shopify store owners who are seeking to drive sales in the long-term should evaluate their store design to determine if it is the best possible match for their business. A pleasant and aesthetically appealing theme can truly elevate a Shopify store, while also improving customer experience.
We have compiled a list of the 8 best Shopify themes for 2024. They are perfect for different types of Shopify stores, with different options to fit a range of budgets. There are even themes you can install for free which still provide a seamless experience. Read on to find out more about the best themes available, and perhaps one of them might just be the theme you’ve been looking for!
1. Debutify (free)
Debutify theme is one of the most popular Shopify theme and not developed by Shopify. There are several reason why it's so popular.
Probably the most important one – it's free for startups. The second reason is the variety of templates – no matter if you plan to sell fashion, jewelry, or pets accesories, Debutify has them all (as part of the premium plan). And the last reason is the variety of built-in tools which will save you a lot of money on third-party apps. They have everything from cart discounts, upsells, bundles, etc. to help you drive more sales. Unfortunately, all the add-ons are part of the premium plan that starts at $29 per month.
Overall, Debutify is a great theme if you are starting and looking for some alternative to Dawn theme. It will allow you to build a nice store for free, but be ready to upgrade when you need additional functionality.
For some the design & UX may be a bit overwhelming. If you are looking for a simple free theme, check Refresh below.
2. Refresh (free)
One of the most popular themes on the Shopify Themes Store is Refresh, one of Shopify’s own themes. It stands out from other options because of its fresh, clean, and sleek design that draws visitors’ focus on the product.
For Shopify store owners who want to prominently feature their hero product without compromising aesthetic appeal, Refresh might be the perfect choice. This Shopify theme is also optimal for long-form content sharing, such as blog posts and FAQ pages, for you to tell your brand’s story and improve SEO. Moreover, it allows for plenty of flexible customization.
3. Minion ($250)
Designed with dropshippers in mind, Minion by Softali is a great option for Shopify store owners who want to replicate an online marketplace layout and feature a dynamic variety of products right from the home page. As such, this Shopify theme is a suitable option for Shopify stores which have consistently high sales volume and can handle a high number of transactions at any point in time.
Minion features 24 sections for easy customizability with 3 types of navigation options, so you can tweak it to your liking. This Shopify theme is also mobile-friendly, perfect for shoppers to browse through product pages seamlessly while on the go.
Compared to our first recommendation (Refresh), this Shopify theme costs $250 and will be a pricier option for many, especially first-time Shopify store owners. All things considered, it is a worthwhile purchase, especially for its intuitive design.
4. District ($220)
Style Hatch’s Shopify theme, District, comes with three different presents: District, Energy, and Coast. You can pick from these designs and select the one most appropriate for your business and products.
While this Shopify theme can be used across a variety of e-commerce niches, we recommend it for fashion and apparel stores, as the product listing format allows you to showcase different lookbooks and designs.
5. Upscale ($320)
Embody a sense of luxury with your Shopify store using Upscale, a theme by Loess Inc. Coming in at a cost of $320, it is a considerably pricier option aimed at luxury business and brands. It includes advanced navigation options as well as easy-to-use search and filter capabilities. Shopify store owners who opt for this theme can also choose from two presets—Gem and Silk, both of which perfectly encapsulate the feeling of opulence.
6. Flow ($350)
Eight Themes’ Flow is a Shopify theme which boasts a highly visual design, immediately attracting customers’ attention. The cost is $350, which makes Flow the priciest of the themes we’ve included in this guide.
It comes with three presets: Byron, Queenstown, and Cannes. The standout feature of this Shopify theme is the integration of ‘quick shop’ drawers which display all product information in a neatly condensed menu.
7. Craft (free)
Just as its name suggests, Craft is a Shopify theme that pays homage to craftsmanship. This is a perfect choice for small businesses and artisanal stores, with its authentic and sophisticated design. Plus, it comes with many options to tweak different design elements. Considering that this theme is available for free and designed by Shopify, it is a fail-safe option.
8. Responsive ($220)
Responsive is a theme designed by Out of the Sandbox, available for purchase on the Shopify Theme Store for $220. It allows store owners to include full-width visual banners to market their products. A dynamic theme, it adapts well to different device and screen formats. Its wide layout also flaunts products prominently, with customization options to fit brand storytelling efforts.
If you're looking for more options, you can check Shopify themes at ThemeForest. They usually contain plenty of additional functionalities that you would otherwise have with Shopify apps (for instance, wishlists, variant swatches, countdown timers, etc.). Instead of paying for the latter or dragging down your loading speed with too many apps installed, you can have the features you need already built-in.
For niche-specific theme selection, check out the following guides:
- Best Shopify themes for clothing stores
- Best Shopify themes for jewelry stores
- Best Shopify themes for single-product stores
Use tools to detect what Shopify themes your competitors are using
If you’ve ever come across a beautiful Shopify theme on a competitor’s store and want to find out what that particular theme was, we feel your pain. It can be difficult to detect what theme your competitors are using.
Thankfully, there are tools available to help reveal these exact themes. Our favorite one is Koala Inspector, a browser extension which is currently available for free on the Google Chrome store. Koala Inspector comes with in-built functionality to detect Shopify themes, so you know exactly which theme to pick for your own store. And when you do find a perfect one, it can bring your store to entirely new levels, delighting customers right from the home page.
This is a guest post by Koala Apps.
About the author:
Weeshyan
With 4 years of experience working with local and global clients on their branding and content marketing needs, Weeshyan is a customer-centric freelance writer based in Singapore, who enjoys coming up with coherent and resonant brand stories.
