When you decide to start off with your online business, there are a few major choices that you need to make. One of them is how to host your online space. With over 75 million of websites powered by WordPress, the giant open-source content management system hardly leaves any space for other platforms available on the contemporary web.
However, HTML5-based web resource still deserve our proper attention. With a number of innovative features and technologies, the latter can become a rock-solid foundation of any of your businesses. The ease and flexibility make up a perfect combination under the hood of HTML resources. So, which of these two solutions - WordPress themes vs HTML5 site templates - is a better option for your personal or business purposes?
Let's try to find this out today.
No matter what of these two options you choose in the end, both of them boast powerful communities that provide a number of ready-made themes and plugins, making it possible to get started with a website hassle-free.
Pre-designed templates have long become the preferred options of both beginner webmasters and pros. The functionality these store unders the hood allow you to get started with a web design of any level of complexity within a short period of time. In order for us not to speak without a proof, let's compare the opportunities that both of these solutions bring us on the examples of WordPress and HTML-based themes.
Two good examples demonstrating the functionality provided by WordPress and HTML would be the latest versions of the flagship theme from TemplateMonster - Monstroid Squared. Initially, this was a multipurpose WordPress design, which later on also joined the market of feature-rich HTML5 themes. So, let's take a look at what both versions of this giant design offer.
Monstroid2 - Multipurpose WordPress Theme
First of all, we should mention that both WordPress and HTML5 versions of Monstroid Squared are multipurpose designs. The popularity of the latter has gone far more broad in the recent years. Although there are sceptics claiming that fit-it-all solutions can hardly handle any specific task well, the chosen two ready-made solutions break such stereotypes completely.
Monstroid2 - Multipurpose Website Theme
Demo | DetailsReady-made pages
The availability of pre-designed pages and skins has become a necessity rather than a luxury. Building a website on the basis of a pre-designed solution means that you can get it launched on the web in the shortest run. Ready-made page templates will help you get the job done much quicker and with minimum investment of time and efforts. These free you from the necessity to do all the design job on your own. Simply choose a page that meets your needs the most and upload it with your content.
Speaking about Monstroid2 WordPress theme, the download package includes multiple variations of the default theme layouts, featuring dozens of header and footer styles, and blog layouts. The HTML5 version of the template boasts a collection of 400+ pre-built HTML page templates that can go live straight out-of-the-box.
Child Pages
Child themes have become an indispensable component of the majority of multipurpose ready-made website designs. These allow you to get started with a web resource of literally any micro-niche as quickly as possible.
Child themes are included in the download packages of both WordPress and HTML5 ready-made solutions. In both versions of Monstroid Squared template, these are available for free access. Whenever one needs to switch for a different theme, this can be achieved in a matter of clicks. All child templates include free demo versions so that you can check out how the elements of their designs look and feel before making the final decision to make a switch.
For example, Monstroid2 WordPress theme include up to a dozen of niche skins, whereas the HTML5 version of the template counts 80+ multi and one-page demos. The functionality included into the packs of child themes is similar to those featured in the default design, although sometimes it may require further enhancement.
Licenses
How many times can I install the chosen template? This is probably one of the major questions that we ask ourselves when selecting a design for our future web project. As a rule, theme providers offers several variations of the download packages of their designs. A standard set of the download packages includes:
a single site license with 1 theme installation,
a developer's license with the possibility to install one and the same design on several sites,
as well as a buyout license, which means that you become the only owner of the exclusive web design.
These are the download options that the HTML5 version of the Monstroid squared theme includes. As per the WordPress version, TemplateMonster uploaded it with GPL license, meaning that one and the same template can be installed on as many websites as one needs without the necessity to purchase any additional agreements.
Page Builders
The process of managing the layout of your future website can get much quicker and effortless due to various page builders. Their is a wide variety of such solutions available on the contemporary web. Some of them are free, others are available for download for a fee. Some others are pre-loaded into ready-made themes.
Speaking about Monstroid Squared, both of its versions include intuitive page builders, which were custom-made by the themes' developers and added to their download packages at no cost. Although they come under different names (Monstroid2 WordPress theme includes Power page builder, whereas Monstroid2 HTML5 theme features Novi page builder), both of these two solutions are intuitive visual composers, letting you bring the desired look and feel to your future website while simply tweaking the location of various web design elements within a user-friendly interface by means of drag-and-drop functionality.
eCommerce Features
It's no longer enough to use a theme that is focused on building a blog or business site only. The competition on the contemporary web gets much tougher, and you need to search for vaster opportunities to win the hearts of your audience. If you offer some kind of physical products or virtual services as part of your business, then it will be an impressive prerogative if you start selling these on the web.
The official web page of your business should reveal explicit information about all sides of your project. So, if you sell something at a retail store, sell it on your site as well. This is when eCommerce functionality will come in handy. As a rule, ready-made website templates come with eCommerce support. This means that if you wish to sell something online, you can add the respective features manually.
Speaking about the themes that we selected as examples for this post, both versions of Monstroid2 come with full eCommerce integration. They are are-loaded with eCommerce page templates and shopping options, which are intended to let the web audience feel the ease of making purchases on the go.
Extensions
WordPress undoubtedly boasts one of the vastest and most powerful communities offering both free and premium extensions for any purpose and for any business niche. WordPress.org is one of the most popular repositories of plugins, modules, and other extensions. Theme providers also do not lag behind. For example, TemplateMonster has broadened their collection of ready-made WordPress themes with WordPress plugins and modules that are compatible with all of their WordPress designs.
Monstroid2 WordPress template has adopted all of them and even more pro-quality extensions that are available in Cherry Framework 5. The latter, by the way, is the basis of the multipurpose design.
Plugins are not included in the download package of Monstroid2 HTML theme. However, the template is built in accordance to the latest web standards and supports all the major and most popular extensions available in the industry.
Also read:Final words
As you can see, both solutions - WordPress and HTML - can be used as starting points of any web project of yours. Things get much easier if you opt for multipurpose designs that store every single piece of functionality under the hood. It's up to you to decide if WordPress or HTML-based themes bring you the desired functionality that will help you get the most out of your online project. As per the two themes compared, in addition to certain differences, they have similar features as well.
For example, both templates come with regular free system updates, free 24/7 support, and detailed documentation. Both of them include free live demo versions, so go ahead to check them out and choose your own winner of the WordPress vs HTML themes battle.
