What matters in the decision.
WHAT ACTUALLY MATTERS
Speed Whether it is maintained Whether it works on phones properly Whether you can achieve your design with it Whether you could leave it later
WHAT MATTERS LESS THAN PEOPLE THINK
The demo looking impressive The number of included layouts Bundled extras
HOW TO CHECK SPEED BEFORE COMMITTING
Run a speed test on the theme's own demo site.
That tells you the floor before you add anything.
HOW TO CHECK MAINTENANCE
When was it last updated. How many active installations. What do recent reviews say.
An unmaintained theme becomes a security problem.
THE LOCK-IN QUESTION
If the theme stores your content in its own format, leaving means rebuilding.
Ask before committing.
FREE OR PAID
Good free themes exist. Paid does not guarantee quality.
Paid usually means support and updates, which has value.
WHAT TO AVOID
Themes from unknown sources Nulled or pirated themes, which frequently contain malware
