Have you ever wondered how many WordPress themes actually exist—free and premium combined? And beyond that, how many premium WordPress themes have been sold across the internet over the years?
If you’re involved in WordPress development or theme design, you’ve probably guessed the numbers are big. I had the same curiosity, so I went deep into public data, marketplaces, theme shops, and industry reports to get the clearest possible picture for 2026.
Let’s break it down—starting with how many themes exist at all.
How Many WordPress Themes Are There in Total?
There is no single official number, because WordPress themes are distributed across many platforms. But using publicly available catalogs and conservative estimates, we can get very close.
Free WordPress Themes (WordPress.org)
The official WordPress.org theme directory currently lists:
- 14,000+ free themes (2026)
These are actively listed themes, not counting deprecated or removed ones. This number grows slowly each year as quality requirements have increased.
Premium WordPress Themes (Marketplaces + Independent Shops)
Premium themes are spread across large marketplaces and hundreds of independent theme shops.
Major Marketplaces
- ThemeForest (Envato): ~10,000–12,000 WordPress themes
- TemplateMonster: ~6,700 WordPress themes
- MOJO Marketplace: ~300–400 WordPress themes
- Creative Market & others: ~3,000+ combined
Independent Theme Shops
Theme companies like Astra, Elegant Themes, StudioPress, Themify, ThemeIsle, Kadence, MyThemeShop, CyberChimps, and many others typically maintain small but focused catalogs (5–50 themes each).
Across hundreds of such shops, this adds roughly:
- 5,000–7,000 premium themes
Total WordPress Themes Available (2026)
- Free themes: ~14,000
- Premium themes: ~20,000–26,000
Estimated total WordPress themes (free + premium): 35,000–40,000
This number represents unique themes, not installs or sales.
How Many Premium WordPress Themes Have Been Sold?
Premium theme sales are heavily concentrated in a few large platforms—but spread across the entire ecosystem, the numbers are substantial.
ThemeForest: The Giant in the Room
ThemeForest remains the largest premium WordPress theme marketplace.
Based on publicly visible sales counters, average theme pricing ($50–$60), Envato author earnings disclosures, and third-party industry analysis:
- 10+ million premium WordPress theme licenses sold on ThemeForest alone (by 2026)
- $500+ million USD in gross theme revenue
To put that in perspective:
- Avada alone has sold hundreds of thousands of copies
- The top 1–2% of themes account for most sales
- WordPress themes represent the majority of ThemeForest’s revenue
TemplateMonster: Older but Still Relevant
TemplateMonster reports over 5 million total customers across all products.
Factoring in WordPress’s share of their catalog, historical pricing, and active product counts:
- ~1 million premium WordPress themes sold
- $50–100 million USD in revenue
Astra (Brainstorm Force): Free at Scale, Paid at Volume
Astra is an interesting case.
- 1,000,000+ active installs (free theme)
- Premium upgrades sold separately (Astra Pro & bundles)
Even with a conservative conversion rate:
- 80,000+ premium licenses sold
- $5–10 million USD in revenue
Themify, StudioPress, ThemeIsle & Other Independent Shops
Smaller theme companies don’t generate ThemeForest-level volume—but collectively, they matter.
- Themify reports 100,000+ users
- StudioPress themes power hundreds of thousands of sites
- ThemeIsle, MyThemeShop, Kadence, and others operate at similar scales
Combined estimates across independent theme shops:
- ~500,000 premium themes sold
- $20–30 million USD in revenue
Grand Total: Premium WordPress Themes Sold (All Time, Up to 2026)
| Source | Estimated Premium Themes Sold | Estimated Revenue |
|---|---|---|
| ThemeForest (Envato) | 10,000,000+ | $500+ million |
| TemplateMonster | 1,000,000+ | $50–100 million |
| Astra (Brainstorm Force) | 80,000+ | $5–10 million |
| Independent Theme Shops | 500,000+ | $20–30 million |
| Total | 12–15 million | $700–800 million |
These figures exclude subscription-based models like Elegant Themes (Divi), Envato Elements, and hosting-bundled themes. Including those would push the numbers significantly higher.
Why This Matters
If you’re building or selling WordPress themes, this data tells a clear story.
- WordPress theme inventory is large
- Theme sales are highly concentrated
- A small number of themes generate massive revenue
- There is a proven, long-term economy around themes
WordPress continues to dominate the CMS market, and premium themes remain one of its most successful product categories.
This isn’t a shrinking space—it’s a mature, competitive, and still-growing one.
