Over the years WordPress has become a very popular platform for creating blogs, websites, online stores, portfolios and you name it. Thus that being said, it lead to the creation of marketplaces specialized in selling premium themes and plugins.
Whether you plan to just buy some theme for your future website or if you plan to get into the premium theme business, you should look into our list of the most popular marketplaces for WordPress items.
Buy & Sell WordPress themes and plugins
This is a comprehensive guide on how to buy and how sell WordPress themes and plugins. So, let’s get started.
Buying themes and plugins for WordPress
Websites or marketplaces for selling WordPress premium themes and plugins are working in the following way. You register your account on their website. Then you can use that account to purchase the theme. Inside your profile, you’ll be able to download all themes and plugins you’ve purchased as well as their updates.
Selling your themes and plugins for WordPress
A similar thing is also with the selling of your own items, when you register an account for authors, you will be able to submit your theme and plugin for a review. If your items align with the guides and standards for theme and plugin quality, they will approve your item and it will be listed in the marketplace.
You will share the profit with the marketplace depending on the number of items sell and items exclusively. If you decide to become an exclusive author to a marketplace, it means that you won’t sell your theme or plugin anywhere else, except on their marketplace. This will benefit you in a larger share of the profit per item.
You can also deny the exclusivity and offer your item on other marketplaces, but your share will be significantly lower. It’s up to you to decide which course you will take and it might depend on your business model. Author exclusivity also prevents you from selling items on your own website, including any item add-ons.
Best WordPress marketplaces for buying themes
Now, if you are just a buyer, consider searching thru these websites and evaluate the themes before you make your purchase.
1. ThemeForest
ThemeForest is the largest WordPress theme marketplace and it’s owned by Envato. Envato also has other marketplaces for different item types, like CodeCanyon for PHP and JS scripts and WordPress plugins.
ThemeForest has a significant user base and maybe the largest base of premium themes for WordPress. They are offering all kinds of WordPress themes divided into categories.
You should also use the search to find the right theme for your website, consider going thru the theme reviews and comments. The reviews and comments are for real and you will see what people think about the theme you considering for purchase. If the theme is poorly rated and if the comments are bad or not replied to regularly, don’t buy that theme. Always aim for the 5 starts rated themes, if there are more than a couple of hundred 5-star reviews, the theme should be really good.
Also, use the ability to check the theme demo and ask pre-sale questions before you buy any theme. Some of the theme authors are also offering a theme test drive which will give you the opportunity to test the theme and see if it fits your needs.
2. Mojo Marketplace
The Mojo is the second-largest WordPress theme marketplace and it also offers great-looking themes and has a fair amount of authors available. It operates with similar principles as the ThemeForest, there are theme categories and advanced search options.
You can also check the theme reviews and comments and get a picture of the overall theme quality. Please, also check the live theme demo and ask any pre-sale questions before you buy anything.
3. Template Monster
The Template Monster is the oldest website template marketplace running for almost 20 years. It also offers premium WordPress themes and it’s a highly popular website with huge traffic and a lot of customers.
This marketplace operates on a bit different base, they are offering many add-on services with the themes, like setup & installation, paid essential plugin installation, and even the entire website building using the theme you buy.
Use search and category navigation to find the right theme for your website. Also, check the theme reviews and ask any questions you might have before you decide to purchase the theme.
4. Creative Market
The fourth-largest WordPress marketplace is a Creative Market. It is also very similar to the previously mentioned marketplaces and it operates on the same principles. You can find the WordPress themes using search, check the themes based on popularity, or via the categories.
This is a general creative marketplace where you can find graphics, illustrations, website templates, and WordPress themes. You should also check out the theme ratings, comments, and overall popularity before you make a purchase. The same rules are applied here, ask the pre-sale questions, and look at the theme’s demo in detail.
5. FlexiThemes
This is a smaller marketplace that features some 2000+ WordPress themes. It has a solid user base and the ability to purchase the membership which allows you to gain access to all themes instead of purchasing just one theme license.
If you are looking for cheaper themes and the ability to get the most for your money, this might be an interesting marketplace for you as it offers a membership package. They don’t offer theme ratings/reviews or comments so you should be making your decision based on the demos.
6. Templatic
The Templatic is yet another WordPress marketplace that offers great-looking themes & premium plugins for a fair price. They also offer membership-based access that allows you to download over 100+ themes.
This is not a multi-author marketplace and there are no public reviews and comments. So, if you are looking to but themes for Templatic, be sure to check the theme demo’s in detail and to ask your pre-sale question before you buy anything.
Best WordPress Marketplace for selling themes and plugins
Now, if you are looking for a way to become a theme author and sell your premium themes or plugins, check out these websites and details regarding the way to sell your items.
ThemeForest
ThemeForest is still the number one place to sell your premium WordPress themes and plugins. It allows the author great freedom and the ability to manage their theme shops with ease.
Another great thing is the exposure as ThemeForest is the most visited WordPress marketplace available.
Before you start, take the time to review the author’s guidelines here: https://author.envato.com/join
In recent years, there have been a lot of changes to the way ThemeForest listing and searching algorithm works, thus the new authors might have a hard time starting. The themes for new authors are making their way much harder as there is a lot of competition and many high-quality authors there.
However, if you plan to start a theme business, don’t give up. 🙂
If you produce a high-quality theme with awesome design and functionality, they will surely get noticed and the sales will start flowing.
Read our Best pieces of Advice for new ThemeForest authors:
- Build a great-looking theme and pay attention to details
- Offer the best items support you can
- Always reply to the comments as fast as possible
- Make sure that you place your theme in the proper category based on the theme niche
- Use accurate description and item title as it also affects website search and SEO
- Provide as many theme demos as you can, it upsells the theme
- Try building a theme test drive, people like to test before they make a purchase
- Engage in Envato’s forums to see how other authors are dealing with common issues
- Refund unsatisfied customers
- Be polite and helpful in comments and while providing support
- Go for 5-star ratings and ask happy customers to rate your items with 5 stars
You should also have your own website where you can enlist your themes, make your own demo pages, and provide support via the ticketing system.
If you don’t want to pay for HelpScout or Ticksy, you might consider installing FreeScout as an alternative.
Mojo Marketplace & Creative Market
Considering that the Mojo Marketplace is an alternative to ThemeForest, the same principles can be applied here.
Mojo market has a nice setup guide on how to sell and how to become an author here: https://mojosupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/200823136-Sellers
Be sure to go thru all these articles and get familiar with how things work at Mojo Marketplace.
Creative Market
This is the smallest marketplace for WordPress items and you will gain less exposure and sales. However, there is a rumor that you can enter this market easier than the above-mentioned ones so it could be good for a start.
If you plan to go for non-exclusivity you might consider presenting your themes on ThemeForest, Mojo Marketplace and Creative Market at the same time.
Please, take a look at this article on how to open up your shop at Creative Market and start selling: https://creativemarket.com/sell
Create your own Theme Shop or marketplace
If you don’t want to share the profit with the established marketplaces for WordPress products, and if you want to have complete control over the sales and customer handling, you can open up your own theme shop and marketplace.
Your own WordPress Theme Shop
You can build a Website and offer your themes to potential customers. This approach will not be easy as it sounds as you will need to market the website in order to gain visitors and potential customers. The website should be developed with the highest care and it should be a fully functional and nice-looking online shop.
Your theme shop will need to handle the payments and provide all aspects of an online store like invoicing, refund handling, support, analytics, and marketing.
If you do it right, you should have a solid flow of sales and fresh new customers.
Build your own WordPress marketplace
Starting a new WordPress marketplace website is also not so easy in terms of getting exposure and customers. The website can be easily built with WordPress + WooCommerce + Multi-vendor plugins like Dokan, WC Marketplace, or WC vendors. These plugins will allow the new authors to register and open up their theme shop on your marketplace.
There are also similar challenges like marketing, contact handling, support, refunds, and the rest. However, the most challenging fact is marketing as it can cost a fortune to gain a solid position for increased sales and profit.
Summary
Buying themes should not be a problem and we listed some useful marketplaces where you can get premium themes and plugins and decent support.
On the other hand, if you are getting into the theme production business, you might need to consider everything and build some wireframe business model for a start. If you have any questions related to that, feel free to share your impression or comments below.
