Which is better, Astra or Avada Theme? Analysis of their advantages and disadvantages

Both Astra and Avada are well-known classic WordPress themes. For beginners building a website, the question often arises: should I choose Astra or Avada? Here, Naiba will analyze how to choose between these two themes and which one is more suitable for you.

• Avada is the best-selling WordPress theme on Themeforest, and many foreign trade websites in China use it.
• Astra was launched later than Avada and is currently the fastest-growing WordPress theme.

NaibabijiHere, we will analyze the differences between these two themes from multiple aspects.

Overall Comparison

Avada and Astra: one is sold on a third-party platform, and the other sells through its own website.In terms of feature planningthey are also completely different, almost two extremes.

1. The Astra theme focuses on performance; the theme's code itself is only a few hundred kilobytes, very streamlined, and it achieves more features by installing add-on plugins.
2. The Avada theme focuses on features, known as the Swiss Army knife of themes; you can always find the features you use daily within the theme settings.

Therefore, in practical use, theworking methodsare also different.

1. After installing the Astra Theme, you can activate and use it directly. It provides the basic functions expected of WordPress, and more personalized features need to be achieved by installing corresponding extension plugins (it comes with a pro plugin itself).
2. The Avada Theme integrates all its features into the theme code, so the theme is relatively large. Regardless of whether you use the features or not, the code is all there. After activating the theme, you also need to browse and configure all the theme settings.

Furthermore, there are differences inpage builder support:

1. Astra is compatible with currently popular page builders, including: Elementor, Beaver Builder, Gutenberg, and Brizy.
2. Avada uses its own Fusion Builder Live page builder.

It cannot be said which page builder is better; these builders are all excellent.

Price Comparison

Next, let's compare the prices.

Astra	Avada
– Has a free version	– No free version
– Astra Pro annually: $47, $169, $249. – Astra Pro one-time payment: $249, $499, $699. – Purchasing the Pro version gives you access to all theme features, such as new navigation menus, additional layouts, WooCommerce integration, other color options, headers, footers, etc. – You will also receive a full set of starter templates – the size of the directory depends on the pricing tier you choose. – Support and updates are provided for the duration of your subscription.	– Regular License: $60. – The price includes future theme update package downloads and 6 months of technical support.
– 14-day money-back guarantee.	– No money-back guarantee.
– Can be used on multiple websites.	– Can only be used on one website.
– Higher-tier plans grant you access to additional plugins, such as WP Portfolio, Beaver Builder's Ultimate Addons, Elementor's Ultimate Addons, Convert Pro, Schema Pro, and SkillJet Academy.	– You will receive five bundled premium plugins: Fusion White Label, Convert Plus, Advanced Custom Fields PRO, LayerSlider WP, and Slider Revolution. Avada includes design optimizations and content presets specifically for these plugins.

Comparing based on pricing, we can observe:

1. Avada is cheaper, with a single price point of $60, which allows you to purchase and use it.
2. Astra uses tiered pricing; different tiers offer different features. While the one-time payment is relatively expensive, it allows for unlimited website usage.

It's worth noting that Astra has a free version, which can also be used to build some decent websites.

Feature Comparison

As mentioned earlier, Avada integrates all features into the theme code, whereas Astra has a very lean codebase itself, requiring the installation of the Pro plugin to extend functionality. You can disable Avada's features in the backend, but you cannot remove its code. In contrast, Astra's features need to be enabled one by one; the code for features you don't enable is not added.

Astra

Avada

Settings are integrated via the WordPress Customizer, allowing for real-time preview of effects. Compatible with multiple popular page builders, offering higher extensibility. Good performance, with overall code size of only a few hundred kilobytes, ensuring fast loading speeds. Provides over 100 demo templates. Layouts can be customized. Colors and fonts can be configured. Integrated with WooCommerce. SEO-friendly

The theme comes with its own options panel, which is extensive and comprehensive, offering a wide range of configurable features. Uses its own Fusion Builder Live page builder. Offers over 60 demo templates. Page layouts can be set and modified. Page layouts can be customized. Integrated with WooCommerce. SEO-friendly

In terms of features alone, if you are not very familiar with WordPress, Avada undoubtedly provides more features than Astra.

Theme Usage

The usage methods for the Avada and Astra themes differ.

1. The method for using Astra Pro is: WP Admin Dashboard > Themes > Add > Search for 'Astra' or upload and install. Then, Plugins > Add, and upload the Astra Pro plugin.
2. For Avada, simply go to: WP Admin Dashboard > Themes > Add > Upload the theme installation package.

However, to use the full functionality of Avada, you also need to install the necessary plugins from the theme's plugins page. Whether you install Astra or Avada, you will find that their interface differs from the demos you see, so we also need to import demo data to achieve the same effect as shown in the seller's display.

Astra Theme Usage

After installing and activating the Astra Theme and its Pro plugin, you will be prompted to activate the License in the upper right corner of the Astra Theme. The features available in the Astra Pro Modules can be enabled as needed. Any features you do not enable will not have their code inserted into the theme.If you want to import Astra's demo themes, you need to install the Starter Templates plugin. After installation, you will see the theme demo menu. All the demo templates shown in the image above are available for import.

During the import process, Astra also allows you to choose whether to import the entire demo or just the demo data for a single page, making it convenient to design your website pages yourself.

Astra's theme settings are integrated with WordPress's customizer, so making any changes is very intuitive, and you can see the results immediately after modification.

Avada Theme Usage

After the normal installation of the Avada Theme, enter the activation key to access all the feature settings panels. There will be an Avada menu in the navigation bar. Click on the Plugins option under this menu to enter the plugins interface. If you want to achieve the demo website effects, these plugins must be enabled.Avada's demo data does not require a separate plugin installation. Simply click on the Demo menu to access the demo templates that come with the theme.As long as you have purchased a key, you can import any of Avada's built-in demo data. For Astra, some advanced demo data require a higher-tier account version to be supported.When importing demo data in Avada, there is no option to import individual pages separately; you can only import the entire demo data at once. If the plugins required by the theme are not installed, you will be prompted to install them first. The same applies to Astra.Avada has a very large number of theme options, as shown in the image above. I think for friends who are new to WordPress, seeing so many setting menus will definitely be overwhelming.

Technical Support

First, it's important to understand that technical support only provides answers regarding the functional use of the theme and will not help you solve actual technical problems you encounter.

1. Avada includes only 6 months of technical support by default, which can be extended for an additional fee.
2. Astra provides technical support (for one year or lifetime) within the service period.

Both themes include comprehensive technical documentation and video materials (all in English). If you can understand English, you can find answers to most questions.

Summary

Both Avada and Astra are excellent premium WordPress themes. You can create beautiful and powerful websites with either one. Naibabiji's personal advice on choosing between these two themes is to select based on your own needs. The simplest way is to first look at the demos and see which theme's style is more suitable for the website you want to create. Astra focuses more on performance, with relatively smaller code. Features need to be implemented through accompanying plugins, essentially meaning the functional code is separated into standalone plugins. Avada integrates all features and has consistently maintained the top sales position, proving its solid capabilities. If speed is a priority, Astra is recommended. If features are a priority (e.g., you don't know exactly which features you'll need but want the theme to support them when you do), then choose Avada.Avada Download Link   Astra Download LinkRelated articles about the two themes:

1. Avada Theme Review: Pros and Cons of Avada Theme, Is It Suitable for Building Your Own Website?
2. How to Build a Website Using the Avada Theme? WordPress Avada Theme Usage Tutorial
3. Quickly build a corporate website using the free version of Astra Theme
4. Astra Chinese Usage Tutorial