Kadence
by Kadence WP
Block-aware classic theme with deep customizer controls. Fast, builder-agnostic, popular with agencies.
- Lighthouse
- 95 / 100 Tested May 28, 2026
- Accessibility
- WCAG AA
- Last release
- May 22, 2026 v1.2.18
- WP.org rating
- 4.9
Kadence is a deeply customizable theme that bridges the classic theme world and the block editor era. The free version is unusually feature-rich for a freemium WordPress theme, including a header builder, footer builder, and theme blocks. Pro unlocks the template library, hooks system, and custom fonts. Owned by Kadence WP, now part of the Liquid Web and StellarWP family since 2022.
Pros
- Header and footer builder ship in the free tier
- Excellent Gutenberg block editor support out of the box
- Active development with frequent releases
- Strong agency-focused features like white labeling and per-page controls
Cons
- Template library locked to the Pro tier
- Customizer can feel overwhelming on first encounter due to depth of options
Pick Kadence when you want a free theme with builder-grade customization options and you plan to build custom designs without paying for premium tools. Excellent for agencies needing per-client theming flexibility.
Avoid if you want a strictly block-theme, FSE-based workflow. Kadence is fundamentally classic theme architecture with block features layered on, not a full-site-editing block theme.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kadence free?
- Yes. The free version is unusually feature-rich, including a header builder, footer builder, and theme blocks. Kadence Pro starts at $89 per year and unlocks the template library, hooks system, custom fonts, and white labeling for agencies.
- Is Kadence a block theme or a classic theme?
- Kadence is a hybrid: a classic theme architecture with deep block editor support layered on. It is not a full-site-editing (FSE) block theme. If you specifically need an FSE workflow, look at Frost or Twenty Twenty-Five instead.
- Does Kadence work with WooCommerce?
- Yes. Kadence ships dedicated WooCommerce styling and layout controls, and works well with both classic shortcode-based and block-based WooCommerce checkouts.
- Who owns Kadence now?
- Kadence WP was acquired by Liquid Web in 2022 and folded into the StellarWP product portfolio, alongside iThemes Security and Restrict Content Pro. The Kadence brand continues to ship independently.
Recent releases
- v1.2.18 May 22, 2026
WooCommerce 9.0 compatibility, header builder tweaks
- v1.2.17 April 30, 2026
Performance optimization on archive pages
- v1.2.16 April 8, 2026
Block editor compatibility fixes
- v1.2.15 March 18, 2026
Mega menu accessibility improvements
- v1.2.14 February 26, 2026
Custom font upload bug fix
- v1.2.13 February 4, 2026
Sticky header layout edge case fix
- v1.2.12 January 15, 2026
Customizer performance optimization
- v1.2.11 January 2, 2026
Maintenance release
| Product | Type | Price | Lighthouse |
|---|---|---|---|
 Kadence this | Hybrid | Free, Pro from $89 | 95 |
| | Classic | Free, Pro from $47 | 92 |
| | Classic | Free, Pro from $59 | 98 |
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Performance testing
Tested on Kinsta Starter (Google Cloud C3D, Iowa). Configuration: mobile, 4G simulated, cold cache. 5 runs, median reported. Raw Lighthouse JSON downloadable on request.
Data freshness
Last release tracked May 22, 2026. Release history maintained from the vendor's changelog. Vendor activity refreshed on every build.