WordPress Wednesday – The 50 Best WordPress Themes & Plugins From 2012

For Today’s WordPress Wednesday post is a collection of only the best free & premium WordPress themes & plugins that been released throughout the last year (2012).

Below are only the highest quality themes & plugins that is available for almost any type and style of WordPress based website you may want to build or modify.

25 Best WordPress Themes

1. Noteworthy – Free

Noteworthy is a theme that is proudly inspired by USAToday.com. Perfect for news and magazine style blogs and even photo galleries. The theme features social media buttons which are easily set up through a theme options page in the admin.

2. Tetris – Free

Tetris is a responsive Tumblog style WordPress theme created by AJ Clarke from WPExplorer.com. The theme features a masonry style homepage and archive pages to showcase your posts in a modern fashion and makes use of WordPress post formats so sharing different media types is extremely easy. Included are standard, gallery, audio, video, link and image post formats so whether you are a photographer or a video producer the theme will cater to your needs.

3. Photo – Free

Photo is a responsive gallery and photography WordPress theme. This is a simple theme perfect for photography, web designs, graphic art, or any other collection of projects that you’d like to share with the world. The sleek and clean layout brings visitor’s attention to your work, and the bold header emphasizes your logo or brand. All in all, this theme is a great option for a personal or professional portfolio.

4. Thoughts – Free

Thoughts is a simple responsive WordPress theme created for writers. The theme doesn’t have any widgetized areas, no sidebar or footer…it’s literally intended for your to share your thoughts and media. Included are support for standard, gallery, image, video, quote, audio and link post formats so you can share different types of content, the theme is fluid/responsive so it will work well on mobile devices and of course it’s Free!

5. Path – Free

Path is designed for multiauthor blogs and magazine style websites. But who am I to tell you what to do with the theme. Feel free to use it for whatever you like. It supports plenty of plugins like Gravity Forms, Co-Authors Plus, Smart Archives Reloaded and Social Path.

It’s responsive, it supports post formats, it’s translation-ready and so much more. You can set global layout in theme settings: one column, two columns or three columns.

6. Patus – Free

Patus has a clean & responsive layout that means it adapts to the screen resolution of the viewing device: your blog will be equally usable and good-looking on large monitors, laptops, tablet devices, and smartphones.

7. Pinzol0 – Free

Pinzolo is a brand new responsive WordPress theme featuring

• Theme customisation options in the new Theme Customiser
  • Custom header image and featured image header on posts and pages
  • Custom background and colour
  • Text, links and header colours
  • Edit the Header text
• Responsive layout for mobile and widescreen browsing
• Fixed menu
• Ajax loading for blog posts
• Designed to work well with our Photospace plugin
• Drop down menu and tiny Nav for mobile browsing

8. Foursquare – Free

The Foursquare Church has developed a simple and flexible WordPress theme that makes it easy for churches of all sizes to get up and running with a website in a matter of minutes

9. Suits – Free

Suits is a perfect choice for those looking for a business WordPress theme. This theme boasts easy-to-use admin options and many custom widgets.

10. Solio – Free

Solio is a single-page portfolio WordPress theme for creative professionals. Designed with creatives in mind, this theme is perfect any designer, artist, photographer, or developer that just wants an easy to manage, single page on the web with some recent work, whether or not they are available for hire, a contact button and some links to their social accounts.

11. Iridium – Free

Iridium is a WordPress theme to be used as a landing page for mobile apps. The homepage of the theme is built in such a fashion to showcase an iPhone app and its features, screenshot etc.Iridium comes with features like custom menu, featured thumbnails, custom header, theme option panel, etc.

12. One Pager – Free

OnePager is a free responsive Portfolio theme for WordPress sites. Based on egrappler’s previously released OnePager HTML Template it provides you the flexibility to either use static or dynamic version of OnePager.

13. Gym Extream – $45

Gym Extream is a wordpress theme specially designed for Gym and Fitness websites. This template is easy to modify and ready to be up and running out of the box. The PSD files included have been customized to allow fast skinning.

Features

• Classes Schedule Management
• Gallery Management
• Facilities Management
• Slider Management
• Sidebar Management
• Powerfull Theme Options + Page Builder

This template comes in 8 pre made color variations. But it will only take one minute to create your desired color schemes by using theme options

14. Modernist – $40

Modernist is a beautiful wordpress theme made for people who need a great presentation of their work/company. We tried to bring something different on the market. High quality theme, that can be adapted easily for lot of work fields.

Light Skin: Dedicated for creative fields, architecture, design, photography, inspiration, agencies, freelancers. & Dark Skin: For architects, engineers, construction fields, building companies etc.

15. Self Titled – $45

Self Titled is responsive WordPress photography theme with unique custom-written slider. Works great for both portrait and landscape photography.

16. Elevation – $40

Elevation WordPress theme is a super theme which will help you present yourself or your company and showcase your work in an amazing way on all over the intern.

Features

• Fully responsive design
• Custom theme administration
• Photoshop files included
• Shortcode generator
• Google maps integrated
• Page templates included
• Translation options
• Color skins
• Documentation
• Contact form included
• and more…

17. SCRN – $35

SCRN is a single responsive portfolio wordpress theme. Perfect to promote your work or your business. Is compatible with all modern mobile devices. Other htan the minimalistic single page design, it also has a blog.

Features

• Responsive
• Advanced theme options panel
• Lots of shortcodes
• Fully localized
• Single Page
• Sticky Navigation
• HTML5 /CSS3
• jQuery-powered Contact form
• Social icons included
• and more…

18. Creative Skeleton $35

Creative Skeleton responsive WordPress portfolio theme is perfect for any kind of creative folks such as Designers, Photographer or even business websites could be powered by this colorful and creative theme!

Features

• Responsive design!
• Fixed or sticky navigation.
• Unbranded Options Panel (modified OptionTree 2 plugin).
• Lots of custom options to brand your website.
• Over 500 fonts from Google Webfonts library!
• Over 90 cool icons to spice up your design (2 styles: dark and light).
• Unlimited color options (you can customize every single page!).
• Unlimited portfolios.
• Two unique single portfolio layouts – Pile and HoverScroll.
• Custom built portfolio filter.
• Lots of great shortcodes! You can easily add accordions, tabs, sliders, blog posts, portfolio items, etc on any page you like.
• and more…

19. myHosting – $45

myHosting is responsive hosting and business WordPress theme that can be switched as hosting base and business theme, suitable for any desktop and mobile devices. myHosting theme has been coded with HTML5 and CSS3 Standards-compliant, there’s also 10 color skins available with myhosting theme,built with some custom post types and custom shortcodes to help you built your content easily, there’s portfolio with categories filter and another features.

20. Fit – $45

Fit is a premium WordPress theme designed mainly for fitness and gym website. It can also be used for any other type of website, especially for sports, spa, events etc.

Features

• Fully Localized (.po .mo included)
• 10 PSD files (Well organized)
• Complete HTML Version included
• Trainers Custom Post Type (With custom information like contact, quotes, etc.)
• Classes Custom Post Type (With custom information like difficulty level)
• Custom Template For Trainers & Classes
• Custom Widgets For Recent News, Trainers & Classes
• Light/Dark Color Scheme
• Options to change any colors of the website in the admin
• Responsive Design
• Contact Form Included

21. Gaida – $45

A multipurpose WordPress theme that allows user to really experience the content at a stunning size. Gaida is a mush-have WordPress theme for all creative thing. You can switch between Masonry and EqualHeight easily. Equal height get the height of the tallest grid, and that height will be set to the other grid, while Masonry measures all of the items you are serving and rearranges them in the best way.

Features

• Two layouts and two skins
• Masonry and EqualHeight powered grid.
• Responsive layout with option to turned off.
• Full localization support
• 5 Custom widgets (Flickr, PopularPosts, Post Count, Twitter, Quote)
• Post format support (Standard, Video, Audio, Quote)
• Automatically generated Youtube and Vimeo thumbnail
• Responsive slider with jQuery Flexslider
• Easy setup with theme options
• and more..

22. SimpleStart – $35

SimpleStart – is clean and modern minimal WordPress Theme created to be easy to modify and customize. With a responsive design it is easily usable with any device, without removing any content! Can be used by portfolio, blogs and more.

Features

• Translation Support, Includes the .po and .mo files
• Responsive design
• Filterable portfolio
• Google web fonts (400+)
• Extensive admin panel
• Shortcode generator
• Blog post forat (Aside, Standart, Gallery, Video)
• Blog and Page left sidebar, right sidebar and without sidebar
• Custom post types for Portfolio
• Portfolio type – images, slider, vimeo, yuotube
• Easily upload custom backgrounds
• and much more

23. Portbook – Booklet WordPress Template – $20

Portbook is a simple portfolio in a booklet, using flip book effect to navigate to previous or next page. Its really fun and cool way to display your personal portfolio in minimal space.

Features

• Flip Book Layout
• 2 Feels : Light and Dark
• Light Box – to preview Image/Video
• Ajax Working Contact Form
• Jscrollpane (added on v2)
• Latest Tweets
• PSD Included
• Documentation Included

24. Plug – $40

Plug is a premium wordpress responsive business & personal portfolio theme. With a stylish and elegant design, plug will make your webspace rock on Internet. The theme is filled with amazing number of options and is really easy to setup with all the required instruction well documented.

Besides documentation we provide support to your every question or problem and try providing the best solution concerned.

Features

• Device Ready
• Unlimited colors
• 3 Different Sliders
• Cross Browser
• Powerful theme options panel
• Logo upload – for header
• Photo gallery page template
• Sitemap page template
• Full-width page template
• Custom 404 page
• Blog section for your regular posts
• More than 15 different shortcode options
• 4 different custom widgets Twitter, FLickr, Video and Tags
• Stylish menu with dropdown links
• and more…

25. Crucio – $40

Crucio is a modern, ultra-responsive magazine wordpress theme loaded with options. This carefully handcrafted magazine theme has a beautiful textured look with a strong focus on typography, usability and overall user-experiecne.

It’s very quick to setup and easy to customize, thanks to the intelligent admin panel, and the detailed documentation that is included.

4 built-in responsive sliders, 12 custom widgets, 14 short codes, portfolio and gallery options, and is translation ready. Crucio is very easy to work with and comes with excellent support!

25 Best WordPress Plugins

1. Fonts – Free

This plugin simply adds 2 buttons to your visual editor:

• A button for Styles
• A button for Sizes

2. WooCommerce Product CSS3 Tags – Free

A WooCommerce plugin that apply CSS3 Tags & Stitched Effect style design for WooCommerce product meta (SKU, categories and tags)

In WooCommerce Sidebar Panel, there will be a new menu link called ‘Product CSS3 Tags’ where you can update the options as below: * Enabled Product CSS3 Design * Show Product SKU * Show Product Categories * Show Product Tags * Use CSS3 Stitched Effect that apply for SKU and Categories * Product Tags Color Scheme * Change SKU text to any text you prefer (for example: Model, Product Code)

NOTE: This plugin requires the WooCommerce Extension and do checked option “Enabled Product CSS3 Design” to enable the module after activated the plugin.

3. WP Secure Image Protection – Free

Insert encrypted images with Domain Lock into pages and posts copy protected from right-click mouse-save, page-save, drag-n-drop and site grabbers.

Features

• Easy install.
• Upload and embed encrypted images using WordPress native media tools.
• Insert encrypted images into posts or pages using a media button.
• Images are displayed in a security applet supported on all computers.
• Ability to set varying levels of protection per page or post.
• Control which web browsers can access your protected pages.
• Checks for Java version and redirects for updates and install.
• Manage settings to control image display options.
• Domain locked images are safe from spiders and even your Webmaster.
• Page is also protected from right-click and drag-drop save of all media.
• Supported in all web browsers.
• Supported on Windows, Mac, Linux and handheld devices that use Java.

4. Symple Shortcodes – Free

Tired of using a theme with built-in shortcodes, switching themes and then losing all your awesome styles? No worries, this is why WPExplorer created the Symple Shortcodes plugin! Now you can add buttons, highlights, boxes, toggles, tabs, pricing tables…among other awesomeness and take them with you no matter what theme you decide to use.

Shortcodes Includes

• Social icons
• Buttons
• Highlights
• Box
• Testimonial
• Toggles
• Accordion
• Tabs
• Pricing Tables
• Columns

5. Simple Basic Contact Form – Free

Simple Basic Contact Form is a clean, secure, plug-n-play contact form for WordPress. Minimal yet flexible, SBCF delivers clean code, solid performance, and ease of use. No frills, no gimmicks, just a straight-up contact form that’s easy to set up and style for any theme.

Features of Simple Basic Contact Form:

• Plug-n-play – use shortcode or template tag to display the form anywhere on your site
• Sweet emails – SBCF sends descriptive, well-formatted email messages in plain-text
• Safe and secure – Simple Basic Contact Form blocks spam and filters malicious content
• Ultra-clean code – SBCF is lightweight, standards-compliant, semantic, valid markup
• Fully customizable – SBCF is easy to configure and style from the Settings page

6. No Weak Passwords – Free

This plugin forbids any user to choose any password from the “common passwords list” obtained from http://www.openwall.com/passwords/wordlists/, and requires any who are already doing so to reset their passwords.

7. Price Table – Free

This plugin gives you a drag and drop interface for building price tables. It also renders those price tables using pure CSS3. They have a clean, minimal design – so they’ll fit into just about any design

8. Quttera Web Malware Scanner – Free

The plugin scans the content of your blog for web-based malware in its various formats. The data is investigated on the remote servers by the Quttera malicious content detection engines. No files will be changed on your web-site. It adressess the malware hidden behind HTML, Javascript, Dynamic HTML, AJAX, Flash, PDF, or other valid programming languages and formats.

9. Encyclopedia – Free

Encyclopedia Lite is a state of the art WordPress encyclopedia / lexicon / glossary / wiki / dictionary plugin. It enables you to create, manage and present a knowledge base. Completely coalesced with your WordPress and fully compatible with all the cool publishing tools you like.

10. WP-Property – Free

WP-Property is the leading WordPress plugin for creating and managing highly customizable real estate, property management, and completely custom listing.

WP-Property comes with a numerous array of features, like custom property types, shortcodes, automatic image resizing, instant Google map insertion in your property details page with just an address and so on

11. Facebook AWD All in one – Free

Facebook AWD is an all in one Facebook capabilities for wordpress. Easy to install. Add Socials plugins, OpenGraph, Comments, FB connect and more. Publish your content to all your FB pages and on your personnal wall on Facebook Add Like button and comments to pages, posts and custom posts types, at top, bottom or both. Widgets and Shortcodes available for each Facebook socials plugins. Works in Facebook Tabs and Facebook Canvas! Use both SDK’s PHP AND Javascript

12. Sell Media – Free

The Sell Media plugin will allow you to turn any image, pdf, video, audio or document into a product that your visitors can purchase and download. If you can upload it into WordPress, you can sell it.

13. Authors WordPress Plugin – $6

The Authors plugin displays a microformated list of all authors that are members of your site, which is useful if you are running a multi-author site. Authors will have the ability to add links to their social profiles such as Behance, Delicious, deviantART, Digg, Dribbble, Facebook, Forrst, Flickr, Github, Google+, Grooveshark, Instagram, Last.fm, LinkedIn, Soundcloud, Spotify, Twitter, Vimeo, WordPress, YouTube.

14. Vaquita – Mega Accordion Widget – $4

This is a beautiful accordion widget. Accordion Widget with an unlimited number of elements.

Features

• Unlimited number of elements
• Personal style for each element
• Multilanguage
• Easy to use

15. Windows Phone Box – $9

Windows Phone Box is a good plugin that generates automagically review boxes for Windows Phone Marketplace Apps.

16. Tweetly – $8

Tweetly requires your clients/users to tweet the current page or post to their profile before displaying the locked content. This isn’t just any old unlocking plugin; Tweetly is a stylish CSS3 animated box that catches the eye instantly. It’s fast, uses no resources except what is already built it to WordPress.

This can be used to send out viral messages to everyone’s followers who tweet the current page or post. With over 500 Million Twitter Users, having a good content-filled site will drive traffic directly to your site using this lightweight plugin!

17. Content Reloaded – $11

Do you want to create a content background image? or an icon for the title? Here it comes, the plugin that gives you an easy way to set the post title icon and content background.

Using the awesome post meta dialog, you can attach the content background image per each post, set the background position and opacity. This plugin also supports custom post type, you can disable and enable it from the admin panel.

18. Styles With Shortcodes for WordPress – $25

Have you ever been in the situation where you have a great looking WordPress theme, but you are missing some custom styling for different elements? Maybe you don’t know PHP , CSS and Javascript and are not able to implement the cool feature you are missing.Styles with Shortcodes is the solution for this problem.

This plugin lets you customize content faster and easier than ever before by using Shortcodes.

19. ShortCode Kid – $17 (Single Site) or $27 (Unlimited Sites)

Shortcode Kid WordPress plugin allows you to create and insert professionally designed elements in your blog posts via shortcode without the need of HTML/CSS and Javascript knowledge. Shortcodes includes buttons, tabbed content, toggle box, notification boxes, image slider and more

20. The Countdown Pro – $6

The countdown functionality can easily be added to a content or sidebar area and let your users know the counts. With counting down and up functionality, gives you a full control to your counter. This plugin comes with shortcode generator and a mutli instances sidebar widget, packed with bunch of options.

All styles and scripts area pulled in the header section. Every each counter have their own selector that enables you to create specifics style or script to the selector.

21. RoyalSlider – $20

RoyalSlider for WordPress is a cross-device jQuery content slider with touch-based navigation and responsive layout. It has user-friendly admin area where you can manage slides, change slider settings, customize interface and add blocks-captions using custom WYSIWYG editor.

22. CCSlider WP – $18

CCSlider WP makes it easy to embed the CCSlider jQuery slideshow plugin in your WordPress theme. CCSlider is a unique slideshow plugin because of the fact that it supports 3D transitions!

There are 14 stunning 3D transitions available, and 16 stylish 2D transitions. You have the option for mentioning a 2D transition fallback for old browsers that don’t support HTML5 Canvas, which is used for producing the 3D transitions.

The plugin also supports HTML captions, autoplay of slides and custom transitions per slide. See below for a list of features available in the plugin.

23. uBillboard – $20

uBillboard is a Premium Slider for WordPress. It is a jQuery based slider with a multitude of transitions and options for you to be able to customize it to your needs while not overwhelming you with options you never wanted or needed. Version 3 is a revolutionary release with most of the codebase rewritten from scratch. This has enabled us to integrate many features that you have been requesting during the first year.

24. Advanced Store Locator for WordPress – $20

This advanced Store Locator enables you to add and manage all your locations and their related information, and making it easy for your users to search and locate your stores or businesses on a Google Map. This plugin comes with 2 type of display: on a Google Map or on a list. Your users can enter their own address to locate your closest stores.

The plugin also supports a street view display of your location!

25. Product Slider Carousel for WooCommerce – $12

The Product Slider Carousel for WooCommerce is a plugin for WordPress that allows you to create a responsive slider or carousel to showcase WooCommerce products either from specific product categories or simply all the featured products in the shop.

With minimal styling, easy to adjust colors to match your site and further tweak to fit your specific purposes, you can choose to display the “Add to cart” button so your users can directly add a product to their shopping cart.

Source : creativeproject[dot]wordpress[dot]com