A top-grade WordPress theme options framework can be of great help to both developers and the users. For WordPress theme developers, these tools/platforms can help streamline the entire development process. Whereas for users, a rich options panel can bring day and night difference in usability and customization.
And so, for the purpose of this read, we have put together a list of the best WordPress theme options frameworks. Before we get started, let’s see what are the advantages of using a WordPress theme options framework.
Why Use A Top WordPress Theme Options Framework?
WordPress is by far the most popular CMS (Content Management System) on the planet, powering over 30% of all websites on the World Wide Web. As such, creating WordPress themes is growing into a profitable profession/business.
Now, to help you with your WordPress theme development efforts, the market has multiple tools or frameworks. These can streamline the designing process giving you access to libraries of optimized code snippets for faster development.
Likewise, there are theme options frameworks that integrate a dedicated options panel which gives the theme user extended control over the theme. Not only can these improve usability but it can also be listed as a useful feature to attract users.
Whatever be the case, there is no denying the fact that utilizing the best WordPress theme options framework can really help you take your development game to the next level.
Top WordPress Theme Options Frameworks
1. Bootstrap Framework
Starting off our list of the best WordPress theme options framework we have the super popular Bootstrap Framework. The open-source free-to-use CSS framework rose to popularity because of its super intuitive interface and powerful feature availability.
It is also one of the best spaces for designing mobile-friendly responsive websites, which is becoming more and more important.
Features:
- Follows a mobile-first approach with responsive design features built into its core.
- Tons of pre-styled content to streamline the designing process.
- Powerful customization options with many UI elements to let you control how your project is going to look and feel.
- Get access to tons of bundled JavaScript Plugins to help you create a richer UI & UX.
- Offers easy integration with third-party platforms and frameworks.
And much more.
2. Genesis Framework
Coming up next would be Genesis Framework – an open-source foundation for creating clean feature-packed WordPress themes and templates. The framework will help you create lightweight websites with optimized code and Schema integration helping you excel when it comes to SEO.
The theme also gives you access to unparalleled customization options which helps you take control over the site aesthetics.
Features:
- Clean optimized code for better SEO performance.
- Tons of layout options to help you with your customization needs.
- Advanced security protocols integrated to make it almost hack-proof.
- org integration to improve your SERP performance.
- Get access to tons of custom widgets and the option to create multiple widgetized areas.
And much more.
3. Unyson Framework
With over 1.5 million downloads and over 435 WordPress themes using the platform, Unyson is another one of the most popular WordPress Theme Options Frameworks.
It gives the end-user access to tons of customization options to give them full control over their sites’ look and feel. Whereas, the developer get access to loads of built-in extensions and add-ons to streamline the development process.
Features:
- Comes with a dedicated back-end drag and drop page builder compatible with built-in content and media shortcodes.
- Over 20 option types to give you and your users control over tabs, forms, boxes, and so on.
- Option to create and control unlimited dynamic sidebars.
- Create sliders with support for image and video-based content.
- Advanced SEO options to help users with their search engine rankings.
And much more.
4. Redux Framework
The Redux Framework is another popular option amongst WordPress developers as it serves as a complete all-in-one solution as a WordPress interface and panel builder. The open-source platform comes with full integration with the WordPress Options API giving you and your users full customization control over the WordPress themes.
Features:
- Flexible framework with access to over 30 field types and validation options.
- Gives you access to a clean and rich codebase to quickly create the options page for your users.
- White labeling allows you to push your brand to the forefront.
- Option to test the framework in real-time. This can help with your trouble-shooting needs.
- Completely open-sourced and backed by a huge community.
And much more.
5. Codestar Framework
The Codestar Framework is designed to help you build modern options panel for your WordPress themes and plugins. It is designed on the OOP paradigm and comes with a huge number of custom fields and options to help deliver a modern end result.
It also integrates with many WordPress core features and functionalities giving you and your users a much deeper control over everything.
Features:
- Tons of custom fields and options to create a rich admin panel.
- Builds on the default WordPress Customizer to help you with real-time customization.
- Lets you add custom meta box settings to your pages and posts.
- Option to add custom taxonomy settings to your tags, categories, CPT, and so on.
- Built-in shortcode editor to help you better manage your content.
And much more.
6. Gantry Framework
The Gantry Framework isn’t specifically created for WordPress, but can still help you create and deploy modern themes quickly and effortlessly. The Framework is super-intuitive itself and can also help you create highly flexible and easy-to-use admin panels to help your users as well.
Features:
- Features a dedicated backend layout manager to help you and your users control the design.
- Helps you create a unique and versatile admin panel that is virtually independent of any CMS concepts.
- Ajax powered admin panel to help create a super-fast user experience.
- Tons of rich built-in features like image picker, font picker, collections, and so on.
- Powerful Particle System that presents users with rich interface blocks.
And much more.
7. Vertex Framework
The Vertex Framework is an excellent WordPress Theme Options Framework that can save you and your users, tons of hours with design and customization. It comes with a set of features and functionalities that helps you lay out the core logic and structure of your theme.
On top of that, it lets you specify a set of customization tools and options for your theme to give your users considerable control over your theme.
Features:
- Amazing GUI interface to give you and your users control over your theme.
- Comes with a JavaScript Tool Set that gives you access to all the recent web technologies.
- Support for CSS and JS compression.
- Get access to the Flex Menu System to provide an advanced navigation system.
- Custom menu system with option to publish widgets to menu items.
And much more.
8. Cherry Framework
Cherry Framework is another free open-source WordPress Framework that can help you create and design stunning themes and plugins for the CMS. It gives you a modular system which streamlines the development process.
Besides this, the framework gives you access to tons of useful features including access to various post types and post formats and so on.
Features:
- Follows a modular system approach which makes development super easy and smooth.
- Option to expand the core framework with your own modules.
- Completely free and open-source with an active community.
- Follows the best coding practices to ensure security and stability.
- Access over 300 child themes specifically designed for the Framework.
And much more.
9. Zurb Foundation
And now for the final entry in our list of the best WordPress theme options framework, we have the Zurb Foundation. Similar to Bootstrap, this is another popular responsive framework for creating mobile-friendly websites.
The Framework can be used to create responsive websites as well as emails. It gives you a powerful library of HTML, CSS, and JS to streamline your designing process.
Features:
- Helps you design with a mobile-first approach. Perfect for creating responsive websites and themes.
- Everything is semantic which helps you use clean markup in your design.
- Highly customizable, boasting tons of tools to help you and your users take control of the layout, color, typography, and so on.
- Gives you a rich library of HTML, CSS, and JS at your disposal.
And much more.
In Conclusion
So these were our picks for the best WordPress theme options frameworks. Do let us know if you found the read to be useful and whether it helped you in any way. Developers are sure to benefit by picking the perfect platform for creating their next project. Whereas, this should give the average WordPress users an idea of what to expect with themes built on top of these frameworks.
With that being said, this is by no means an exhaustive list of all the best WordPress theme options frameworks. So if any of you experienced users/developers believe that we left out any good solution, then do mention them in the comments section.
Now you may also want to check out our picks for the best free WordPress child theme plugins for better theme customizations.