Where to find website templates: free and paid resources

Introduction

A well-designed website is essential for standing out online, whether you're a business, a creative, or simply someone looking to build a digital presence.

That said, building a website from scratch can be a real challenge, both in terms of time and budget. This is where website templates come in — ready-made solutions that make the whole creation process far easier.

In this article, we'll explore the best platforms offering website templates to suit every need.

These resources fall into two categories: those offering free templates and those offering paid templates.

Whether you're a developer hunting for HTML/CSS templates, a business owner looking for a professional WordPress theme, or a content creator after Ghost themes, this guide will point you towards the best options for your projects.

Free website template resources

To get started, let's explore a few free options to help you launch your project at no cost:

1. The official Ghost CMS theme marketplace

The official Ghost CMS theme marketplace is the perfect place for content creators, bloggers and publishers looking for templates designed specifically for the Ghost platform.

This marketplace offers a range of Ghost CMS themes, from minimalist templates to more complex designs, all optimised for performance and user experience.

The themes available on the official Ghost CMS marketplace include both free and premium options, letting users choose according to their budget and needs.

Each template is designed to be easily customisable, with particular attention paid to readability and aesthetics.

What's more, as an open-source platform, Ghost CMS benefits from an active community that regularly contributes to improving the themes on offer.

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Pro tip
Looking to create a website or a blog? Go for Ghost CMS, one of the best options out there. Its powerful, easy-to-use platform, combined with an intuitive interface, lets you focus on your content without worrying about the technical side. With Ghost CMS, you can manage your content, optimise your SEO, monetise your articles and offer your visitors a smooth browsing experience.

2. W3Layouts

W3Layouts is a platform renowned for its vast collection of free HTML5 and CSS3 templates.

Whether you're after a design for a business site, a portfolio or a blog, W3Layouts offers a wealth of templates organised by industry and use case.

The templates available on W3Layouts are built with clean, easy-to-customise code, making them accessible to beginners and experienced developers alike.

On top of that, the majority of templates are responsive, ensuring an optimal user experience across every type of device, from desktop computers to smartphones.

3. HTML5 UP

HTML5 UP offers a collection of modern, responsive HTML5 templates, perfect for anyone looking to create a website with a clean, contemporary design.

All the templates available on HTML5 UP are free for personal and commercial use, making them an attractive option for a wide range of projects.

These templates are released under a Creative Commons licence, which means you can freely use and modify them as long as credit is properly attributed.

Each template is designed with a particular focus on simplicity and efficiency, offering flexible layouts that adapt perfectly to different types of content.

4. Free CSS

Free CSS is a must-have platform for developers and website creators looking for free HTML and CSS templates.

With thousands of templates available, Free CSS offers an impressive variety of designs suited to different types of website, including blogs, portfolios and business sites.

Users can easily filter the templates by popularity, publication date or site type, making it simple to find the perfect template for each project.

What's more, Free CSS provides templates that are regularly updated to reflect the latest web design trends, ensuring your site always looks modern and professional.

5. Themezy

Themezy is a platform that offers a variety of free templates for websites and emails, catering to the needs of designers and developers.

The templates available on Themezy include HTML/CSS files as well as Photoshop files for easy customisation.

These templates are particularly valued for their ease of use and flexibility, allowing users to adapt them effortlessly to their specific projects.

Whether you're working on a business site, a portfolio or an email campaign, Themezy offers templates that will help you create an attractive design with no effort.

6. Colorlib

Colorlib is a popular resource for anyone after free, high-quality templates for WordPress and HTML.

The templates offered by Colorlib are known for their modern design and responsive layouts, ensuring a smooth user experience across all devices.

The templates available on Colorlib are not only attractive but also optimised for speed and user experience — two elements that are crucial to a website's performance.

Whether you need a template for a blog, a business site or even a portfolio, Colorlib offers a variety of choices to suit a range of projects.

7. Start Bootstrap

Start Bootstrap is a platform dedicated to free, open-source templates built with the Bootstrap framework.

Whether you need a template for a landing page, a business site, a portfolio or a blog, Start Bootstrap offers a vast selection of well-structured, responsive templates.

These templates are especially well suited to developers looking for solutions that are easy to integrate into existing Bootstrap projects.

With their clean code and professional design, Start Bootstrap's templates are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to build functional, attractive websites quickly.

8. Templated

Templated offers more than 850 free, responsive HTML5/CSS3 templates, suited to a variety of web projects.

Designed with a minimalist style, these templates are perfect for users looking for clean, modern designs.

All the templates available on Templated are released under a Creative Commons licence, allowing free use and modification provided the authors are credited.

Whether you're building a personal site, a blog or a more complex project, Templated offers options that adapt to a range of needs with effortless integration.

9. Tympanus (Codrops)

Tympanus, also known as Codrops, is a platform that offers creative, high-quality and often experimental web design templates.

The templates available on Codrops stand out for their originality and their use of cutting-edge design techniques, making them an ideal choice for developers and designers looking to stand out from the crowd.

Codrops' templates are not only attractive but also serve to inspire and educate users on the latest web design trends.

This platform is particularly useful for those who want to explore innovative ideas and bring avant-garde design concepts into their projects.

10. One Page Love

One Page Love is a must-have resource for anyone looking for single-page website templates.

This directory offers a wide selection of free and premium templates, suited to portfolios, landing pages and personal sites.

The templates available on One Page Love are designed to offer smooth navigation and a pleasant user experience, while showcasing the content in a clear, concise way.

Thanks to an optimised layout and modern design, these templates are perfect for projects that call for an elegant single-page presentation.

11. HTML5xCSS3

HTML5xCSS3 is a platform that offers a vast collection of free HTML5 and CSS3 templates, perfectly aligned with current web design trends.

The templates offered by HTML5xCSS3 are not only responsive but also designed to suit a multitude of projects, whether business sites, blogs or e-commerce sites.

These templates are valued for their ease of customisation and well-structured code, making them accessible to beginners and experienced developers alike.

HTML5xCSS3 is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to create a modern site without starting from scratch.

Paid website template resources

If you're ready to invest in more advanced options, here's a selection of platforms offering paid templates:

1. ThemeForest

ThemeForest is one of the largest online marketplaces for premium website templates.

Whether you need a template for WordPress, HTML, Shopify or Joomla, ThemeForest offers a vast collection of themes suited to almost every type of project.

Each template on ThemeForest comes with detailed documentation and technical support, making it a popular choice among developers and designers.

What's more, users can read reviews and view examples of previous projects to make sure they choose the template that best fits their needs.

With thousands of templates available, ThemeForest is a valuable resource for anyone looking to invest in a high-quality website design.

2. TemplateMonster

TemplateMonster is a comprehensive marketplace for premium website templates, covering several CMS platforms such as WordPress, Shopify, Joomla and many more.

This site offers an extensive range of templates to meet a variety of needs, whether you're after a design for a business site, a portfolio or an online shop.

TemplateMonster stands out for its additional services, such as template customisation and installation support, giving users access to full assistance in building their website.

Each template is designed to be responsive, SEO-optimised and easy to customise, ensuring a quality user experience.

3. Elegant Themes

Elegant Themes is best known for its flagship theme, Divi, which is both a template and a powerful page builder for WordPress.

By opting for an Elegant Themes subscription, users gain access to a complete library of premium templates and plugins, designed to make website creation intuitive and accessible, even for beginners.

Divi stands out for its flexibility and ease of use, allowing users to design professional websites without needing any coding skills.

The templates provided by Elegant Themes are highly customisable, with a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the creation of complex layouts.

This combination of power and simplicity makes Elegant Themes a go-to choice for many website creators.

4. Creative Market

Creative Market is an online marketplace for creative resources, including website templates, fonts, graphics and much more.

The templates available on Creative Market are created by independent designers, making it a great place to discover unique, original designs suited to a variety of projects, whether for WordPress, HTML, Shopify or other platforms.

Each template on Creative Market is available for individual purchase, offering great flexibility for users looking for a specific design without committing to a subscription.

Beyond the quality of its templates, Creative Market stands out for its vibrant community and the support it gives to content creators.

This makes it an excellent resource for anyone looking to give their website a distinctive, professional look.

5. Envato Elements

Envato Elements is a subscription-based service that offers unlimited downloads of website templates, graphics, fonts, videos and much more.

For designers and developers working on multiple projects, Envato Elements is an ideal solution that gives them access to a vast library of creative resources for a single monthly fee.

The templates available on Envato Elements cover a wide range of platforms, including WordPress, HTML, Shopify and Joomla.

Each template is designed to be easily customisable and comes with comprehensive documentation, making it simple to integrate into any project.

With Envato Elements, users can find everything they need to create professional websites without having to buy each resource individually.

6. Mojo Marketplace

Mojo Marketplace is a platform that offers premium templates for WordPress and other CMS platforms, with direct integration to leading hosting providers.

This marketplace is particularly handy for those launching a website with a specific host, as it offers ready-to-use templates that can be installed in a single click.

In addition to templates, Mojo Marketplace offers professional services such as custom design and website development.

Users can therefore benefit from full assistance, from choosing the template to taking their site live.

With a wide range of templates available, suited to various industries, Mojo Marketplace is a solid option for anyone looking for a simple, effective way to build a professional website.

7. Template.net

Template.net offers a wide range of free and paid templates to meet various needs, including those of businesses, content creators and developers.

While Template.net is known for its professional templates, it also offers options suited to business websites, portfolios and other online projects.

The site runs on a subscription model, giving users access to a library of premium templates.

Each template is designed to be easily editable, and the platform emphasises ease of use, allowing even users with little technical knowledge to create functional, elegant websites.

8. Squarespace

Squarespace is an all-in-one website builder that offers premium templates designed to be highly customisable without requiring any coding knowledge.

Popular among creatives and small businesses, Squarespace stands out for its intuitive user interface and its attractive templates.

Squarespace's templates are optimised for all types of device, ensuring a consistent user experience across mobile and desktop.

Each template comes with built-in tools for SEO, analytics and marketing, making it easy for users to manage every aspect of their online presence from a single platform.

9. BigCommerce

BigCommerce is an e-commerce platform that offers premium templates specifically designed for online shops.

The templates available on BigCommerce are optimised for conversions and SEO, making them an ideal choice for businesses looking to build professional, high-performing online shops.

Each template is designed to deliver a smooth user experience, with built-in features such as product management, payment processing and marketing tools.

BigCommerce also allows extensive customisation of its templates, ensuring your online shop stands out through its design and effectiveness.

Conclusion

Building a successful website begins with choosing the right template.

As we've seen, there's a wide variety of resources available, ranging from free templates that offer simplicity and accessibility, to premium templates that bring advanced features and sophisticated designs.

Whether you're looking to save money or invest in a high-end design, this list of 20 platforms offers options for every need and budget.

By choosing the right template, you can dramatically improve the look and performance of your website, while delivering an optimal user experience.