Free WordPress themes are indeed totally free, with no strings attached. The lack of features in free themes makes them lean, and therefore typically faster to load. Premium themes will come with far more functionality out of the box. Ongoing support and updates mean premium themes are more secure in the long run.

What free WordPress theme should I look for?

The Dos And Donts Of Choosing A WordPress ThemeDo make a list of the features you want ahead of time. Dont choose a bloated theme. Do choose a responsive theme. Do keep color in mind. Do consider buying a premium theme. Dont choose a theme with a font thats hard to read. Do test the theme thoroughly.16 Feb 2017

Should I use a WordPress theme?

Your WordPress theme plays a crucial role in your sites SEO friendliness. A good looking theme can still generate poorly coded HTML, this could affect your sites performance on search engines. It could be difficult for beginners to analyze a themes source code on their own.