Themes: Custom or Premium or Free?

[Quacker Jack]

I've always wondered what both administrators think as well as members about forum designs. I've seen plenty of overused free themes that numerous forum use that look good, as well as not-as-overused "premium" themes, as well as amazing custom themes that match the personality of the forum, at a possibly larger expense.

As both a member, and an administrator, what are your thoughts on these types of themes? Does it turn you off to see one versus another? Do you feel like the extra costs are worth it? What is the whole thought process here?

My personal opinion is a free theme is fantastic for little forums that aren't expecting to go big. It works out well for starter forums or hobbyist. A premium theme in my book is kind of a no-no. I don't see a real application to them because they are not unique, largely uncustomizable (is that a word?), and they typically hardly represent the "atmosphere" you are trying to set. I think the custom themes are the way to go if you have the money. The big thing is that they are unique and reflect exactly how you want your forum to look. Members typically love them as well.

 

[Kevin X Dragon]

As long as theme look good and it fits the subject of the forum I don't care if it is free (As long as it is overused) ,premium, or custom.

I think the custom themes are the way to go if you have the money. The big thing is that they are unique and reflect exactly how you want your forum to look. Members typically love them as well.

I disagree, if you want a high quality custom theme it will cost you a lot more than a premium theme. If you want an high quality and reliable support, but don’t have enough funds to get custom theme, a premium one is the way to go.

I don't know what you mean by uncustomizable because a lot of premium themes come in different colors and you can customize it your fitting. If you pick a theme with the core colors that you need, it is not too hard to reflect the subjective of the forum.

 

[Quacker Jack]

As long as theme look good and it fits the subject of the forum I don't care if it is free (As long as it is overused) ,premium, or custom.

I think the custom themes are the way to go if you have the money. The big thing is that they are unique and reflect exactly how you want your forum to look. Members typically love them as well.

I disagree, if you want a high quality custom theme it will cost you a lot more than a premium theme. If you want an high quality and reliable support, but don’t have enough funds to get custom theme, a premium one is the way to go.

I don't know what you mean by uncustomizable because a lot of premium themes come in different colors and you can customize it your fitting. If you pick a theme with the core colors that you need, it is not too hard to reflect the subjective of the forum.

Regarding your points, by all means, if you feel like a theme fits what you want perfectly, regardless of price go for it. I agree with you there. I am simply pointing out the flaws of not dishing out the additional money. Specifically, you may or may not find yourself settling on an already made theme that doesn't 100% match what you are looking for. I strongly feel though you shouldn't settle though too much, especially if you have the money. Personally, as a designer myself, I just need to get someone to code a theme in order to make my own custom theme, so the costs are pretty minimal. Sometimes though they can be $100+. I understand that those costs may not be attractive to starter forums. Having never bought a premium theme, I can't speak on the support you may or may not receive. By uncustomizable, I mean the ability to make major adjustments apart from the colors. For example, say you wanted to move a table somewhere else, or create a footer, or maybe move a menu nav. I could be totally wrong here, but I doubt most premium themes will give you free support to modify the overall design in such a way.

It is a battle of pro vs. cons, really.

 

[Pebbles]

Do you feel like the extra costs are worth it?

for a custom theme... yes... but only IF your forum has a large database of members topics and posts
and a good daily online traffic base

other wise.. its kinda waste of money

i dont care what type of design forum have
as long as the forum looks decent ​

 

[Quacker Jack]

Do you feel like the extra costs are worth it?

for a custom theme... yes... but only IF your forum has a large database of members topics and posts
and a good daily online traffic base

other wise.. its kinda waste of money​

Very true. I would probably say most starter forums need to establish a member base before they consider a venture like this.

 

[Geoffrey]

Honestly, as long as it is a good theme and I can stand to look at it, I don't care. I do get tired of the same free (or even premium) themes being used all the time, but I couldn't care less if you have a custom theme or not.

 

[Darth Retro]

What do custom themes generally cost to create?

 

[Adam Alan]

I disagree if you prefer a high good quality custom theme it will cost you you more than a advanced theme.
If you had like an high quality and reputable support but do not have enough funds for getting custom theme a premium you are the way to go.

 

[Mr.Panos]

When a forum is small, with 100 members and 3000 posts, it's better to have a free theme. When a forum is growing up, you can purchase a premium theme. Custom themes need much time, and as far as I know they have many problems.

 

[nationtalk]

We like the Joomla forums - once you get the hang of Joomla it really makes designing forums fun and easy.

 

[Ascent]

Every single successful forum I ran used a completely custom skin. I recommend all forum owners look into purchasing one (once some traction has been established) for their forum if they're serious about taking their communities to the next level. The return on investment includes increased conversions, a unique atmosphere, and a website that is seen as 'higher' value.

 

[Teg]

As long as theme look good and it fits the subject of the forum I don't care if it is free (As long as it is overused) ,premium, or custom.

I think the custom themes are the way to go if you have the money. The big thing is that they are unique and reflect exactly how you want your forum to look. Members typically love them as well.

I disagree, if you want a high quality custom theme it will cost you a lot more than a premium theme. If you want an high quality and reliable support, but don’t have enough funds to get custom theme, a premium one is the way to go.

I don't know what you mean by uncustomizable because a lot of premium themes come in different colors and you can customize it your fitting. If you pick a theme with the core colors that you need, it is not too hard to reflect the subjective of the forum.

That's not always 100% true. You can get high quality custom themes for little to no cost if you know where to look and know the right people.

Personally, I prefer the custom themes, by custom I mean my own. I love to design, so I'm always creating something new. I've given away several high quality themes in my forum career and I've designed a few for people who've asked nicely and caught me on a good day. Custom Themes FTW. In my opinion.