How Does Thesis versus Headway Compare?

Table of Contents


Which is better? Thesis or Headway?

I am constantly asked my opinion on what the best WordPress theme is, what do I use or what would I recommend so I have decided to share my take on these two top of the line themes. I can’t help but laugh when I hear very sincere and enthusiastic people declare their  ‘expert’ opinions on Thesis and Headway.  The only problem is that the rest of us need a clear, what it means to our business comparison of these two super-star themes. 

Which one is right for your business?

If you haven’t heard yet, these two full-service themes for the WordPress platform offer the best SEO optimized function, better than all other themes combined.  Without question if you were to ask me for the bottom line on getting your website recognized on Google and found by Search Engines, no other theme makes the cut.  Without special tweaks or added plugins both Headway and Thesis create instant, powerful SEO integration for blog posts and pages.

Maybe it’s because this wasn’t always a feature we easily found in themes that the evangelists of Thesis have remained very loyal.  And for some good reasons.  Thesis is dependable and simple when it comes to exposing your content to a large audience across the Internet.

In my opinion, however, there is a BIG additional advantage that Headway brings to the table that sets it heads and shoulders above Thesis. 

Without sacrificing any SEO functionality, Headway brings some easy advanced design elements into the reach of anyone regardless of their experience level. This means that the average DIY'er can buy a copy of Headway and design a kick butt site without any additional skill sets.

Maybe you have noticed that Thesis themes tend to look rather uniform.  I have heard from many clients who are surprised by the limitations on customization that they are left with after investing in Thesis.  To put it simply, unless you know CSS coding your website will look basic and uniform just like every other Thesis based site. The goal, from a branding perspective, is to stand out, not blend in. You do not want to look like every one else and if the theme you choose limits and/or forces you to look like every one else without some serious coding, you might want to reevaluate your theme choice.

As many of you may be aware, I have a design background and resisted moving to WordPress but now I would not use anything else! In my search for the perfect theme, I tried all the major themes and without question, I confidently recommend Headway for simple customization.  Without sacrificing one bit of the built in SEO advantages of Thesis, Headway has a killer visual editor that allows everyone to design a customized, spectacular site without learning any custom CSS coding!

The dashboard inside Headway features a unique visually-based editor that allows customization of every detail of your website.  From colors, to fonts, to images and backgrounds, Headway makes the special details that will make your website shine accessible to you no matter your coding expertise—or lack thereof. You can make the changes and see them in real time before publishing the changes. 

Additionally, Headway offers skins – the option to transform the look and layout of your site without having to come up with all the specifics from scratch!  Thesis has only one basic look and no skins.

For those of you who love widgets (me too, by the way!) Headway is fully widgeted, except that the footer doesn’t allow widgets.  This is a very small sacrifice to make considering the amazing versatility of Headway along with all the SEO functionality you’d ever want!

So let’s finish breaking down the differences between these two super-star themes.

Both are similarly priced.  Both Headway and Thesis offer excellent SEO value, customer support and load up very quickly once installed. Additionally, both offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

Bottom line, Headway is an easy and visual way to build a custom site that stands out. Thesis requires more skill to design and customize.

Interesting to note…look who's using Headway on their own sites; Mari Smith (Social media expert and trainer), Rank Tracker (Website Traffic Services) and Security First (Security programs for workers) to name a few.

Check out Headway when you get a minute. I don't think you will regret it!

 

About Author

Comment Via Facebook
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

14 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Kim Wende
Kim Wende
12 years ago

Great article Kim! I have the Thesis theme but after reading your article it makes me want to get the Headway theme as it sounds like it is very user friendly. For now guess I will stick with Thesis. Thanks for the comparison.

Denise Sonnenberg
Denise Sonnenberg
12 years ago

Glad you focused on these two. I own both and have been considering trying out Headway's new version on a blog that will be forthcoming. I've really liked Genesis and the Studio Press child themes that I have been working with and am probably the most comfortable with. It's always good to get another opinion.

Gaynor Parke
Gaynor Parke
12 years ago

Thanks Kim great comparision. Just what was needed 🙂

lori
lori
12 years ago

You must have read my mind. I was wondering about this! Thanks for the information.

Michele
Michele
12 years ago

My husband and I are going to do a web site together. Thanks for this great info!

Lorrie
Lorrie
12 years ago

thanks. I will check it out! 

Mandy Edwards
Mandy Edwards
12 years ago

Thanks for the comparison.  I am always looking around at Word Press themes!

Jennifer Bennett
Jennifer Bennett
12 years ago

Great post Kim! I love the comparison as it is so easy to understand and see what the advantages are as this was something I was wondering about!  Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with us! 

admin
admin
12 years ago

Glad it was helpful!

admin
admin
11 years ago

Glad to hear this was helpful!

Kim
Kim
11 years ago

It certainly should be 😉

Kim
Kim
11 years ago

Thesis is a good theme but Headway is easier to work with from a design standpoint…in my opinion of course.

Erin
Erin
10 years ago

I think Genesis wins hands down over all of them! It is really easy to use, is SEO optimized and some of the new themes look fantastic!

Kim Garst
Reply to  Erin
10 years ago

I am currently using Genesis as well but I do stand by this article.

Get FREE Access to 51 Mini Digital Product Ideas that people will line up to buy!
35 Shares
Share
Tweet
Pin
Reddit
Email
Buffer
Share