Speed is a major advantage over your competition. If you can’t be the best, just be the fastest, and you’ll outperform the majority of your competitors!
In e-commerce, where emerging businesses need to distinguish themselves, finding the best optimized Shopify theme has proven to be more important than ever.
Choosing a fast and well optimized Shopify theme can significantly boost your store’s speed, enhance user experience, and ultimately, increase your sales.
With themes being such a vital part of your e-commerce success, in this article, we’ll go over the 10 fastest Shopify themes in 2024 so you can choose the most suitable one for your niche.
We gathered the details of each theme using the theme detector feature of our custom tool Koala Inspector. You can try our Shopify theme detector feature to reveal the Shopify theme powering any store for free.
What to Look for in A Fast Shopify Themes?
Feel free to check out our table and details of each theme below. But before we get into the top 10 fastest themes, we also feel it’s important to cover some elements that make a theme fast and responsive.
While you might be surprised that some of the fastest themes are free themes, there is a trade off vs free and paid themes. Paid themes offer far more functionality and features but at a cost of a slower store.
You should always consider the features you need before prioritizing speed.
On that note, here are some key features you should take into account when looking for a fast Shopify theme:
Optimized Code & JS
Do you want to reduce your bounce rate and keep your potential customers? When you want to buy something, and it takes ages to load, it’s off-putting, to say the least. That’s why you need a theme with optimized code and Javascript.
- Prioritized Content Loading. When the theme uses less code, it loads much faster. Additionally, some Shopify themes offer intelligent loading where features load in order of importance.
- Asynchronous JS Execution. Asynchronous JS Execution means that while a long-running task is being performed in the background, your theme will be responsive to other events. The Javascript should be optimized so that it doesn’t block the rest of the page, and you don’t have to wait until the long-running task has finished.
- Modular Approach. With the modular approach, separate program functions are divided into independent pieces when coding. When you need a specific function, Javascript enables only the modules you need to deliver the specific function.
Minimalist Design
When choosing a Shopify theme, try using the ‘less is more’ approach. An uncluttered, visually appealing theme with more whitespace will do the job faster.
- Simple Clean Design. This includes straightforward navigation, clarity, and optimized theme usability. When you remove unnecessary elements, your theme carries a lighter burden.
- Less Reliance on Apps. By reducing external dependencies, such as the jQuery JavaScript library, your theme’s load time is minimized.
Smart Image Optimization
Do you want to keep the best image quality possible but not compromise on theme speed? In that case, this is what you should keep an eye out for:
- Image Compression. Without modifying large images in a way that you reduce the format but don’t make any significant sacrifices on quality, your theme might be slowed down by the image metadata.
- Lazy Loading. This refers to the theme loading the image only when it comes into view, reducing unnecessary load time.
- Webp & AVIF Image Capabilities. Both of these are formats for compressing images while entirely keeping or losing a minimal amount of quality.
Responsive Design
No wide customer base will check your e-store exclusively from a desktop. You must do your research on the fastest Shopify themes. Whether a theme is highly responsive is measured by how it performs on different devices.
Great responsive design needs to be fast on mobile. For optimal performance, the design’s layout should be adjustable to the screen of various devices. It’s recommended that you test the responsiveness of the design on a mobile device and check its theme speed.
10 Fastest Shopify Themes
We’ve gathered data on the top 10 fastest themes for Shopify in 2024, let’s look into each theme in more detail including some speed tests carried out using Google lighthouse.
| Rank | Theme | Price | Rating | Mobile Speed | Shopify 2.0 Compatible | Developer | Customization Level | Theme Styles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eurus | $250 | 99% (135 reviews) | 91/100 | Yes | BSS Commerce (Shopify) | High | 2 styles (modern and contemporary) |
| 2 | SPOTLIGHT | Free | 58% (17 reviews) | 79/100 | Yes | Shopify | Low | 2 styles (Default, Bold) |
| 3 | Sunrise | $240 | 95% (118 reviews) | 76/100 | Yes | Rawsterne Web Design & Illustration (Shopify) | High | 4 styles (Spring, Beach Hut, Uplift, Digitale) |
| 4 | Ride | Free | 10% (10 reviews) | 69/100 | Yes | Shopify | Medium | Default |
| 5 | Bullet | $320 | 91% (23 reviews) | 69/100 | Yes | OpenThinking (Shopify) | High | 4 styles (Default, Midnight, Vision, Khaki) |
| 6 | DAWN | Free | 31% (173 reviews) | 67/100 | Yes | Shopify | Medium | 3 styles (Default, Cool, Warm) |
| 7 | Baseline | $350 | 100% (65 reviews) | 63/100 | Yes | Switch (Shopify) | Medium | 4 styles (Modern, Editorial, Minimal, Bold) |
| 8 | Expression | $280 | 91% (70 reviews) | 62/100 | Yes | Clean Canvas Ltd (Shopify) | High | 4 styles (Naturale, Oxford, Ocean, Innovate) |
| 9 | Blum | $170 | 100% (28 reviews) | 62/100 | Yes | SalesHunterThemes (Shopify) | Medium | 3 styles (Celia, Solie, Mondo, Crafts) |
| 10 | Shapes | $260 | 100% (45 reviews) | 60/100 | Yes | Switch (Shopify) | Medium | 4 styles (Bright, Light, Warm, Moody) |
1. Eurus
Eurus scored the highest in our speed tests and is currently the fastest Shopify theme. It offers built-in features such as multi-level navigation menus, customizable product labels, and promotional tools like flash sales and upselling. Additionally, Eurus prioritizes website speed and mobile optimization, ensuring seamless performance across devices.
Theme Details
Developer – BSS Commerce (Shopify)
Price – $250
Theme Styles – 5 styles (Puff, Breeze, Breath, Swirl, Whiff)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 91/100
Rating – 99% (135 reviews)
Customization Level – High
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 1.7 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 2.3 s
Total Blocking Time – 310 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.002
Speed Index – 2.3 s
Theme Features
- Multilingual support: EU translations, RTL, and Japanese support.
- Custom options: 11+ input fields for product customization.
- Conversion boosting: Product bundles, multiple pop-ups, unlimited product labels & badges, and product recommendations.
- Streamlined buying journey: Estimated shipping date & rate, pre-order, and re-order options.
- Well-organized navigation: 4-level mega menu, Event Calendar.
- Enhanced user experience: Speech search, comparison table, product attribute table, and SEO-customizable features.
Pros
- Highly customizable: 5 presets, 40+ powerful sections, and 80+ templates for all store sizes.
- App-free experience: 25 app functions integrated, no additional apps needed.
- Super-fast loading: Passes all Core Web Vitals metrics for optimal performance.
- SEO-optimized and Mobile-first: Unmatched user experience across devices.
- Free theme setup and design consulting.
Cons
- Might be overwhelming with many features at the beginning.
Who Is the Spotlight Theme For
- Physical Stores of all sizes want to integrate online and in-store sales.
- High-volume stores need outstanding features for regular promotions and offers.
- Dropshippers who would like customizable design and efficient product management.
2. Spotlight
Spotlight places your products front and center with a focus on bold imagery and video. Great for dropshippers who are active on social. This is not just the fastest theme, but it is also the fastest free Shopify theme available in 2024.
Theme Details
Developer – Shopify
Price – Free
Theme Styles – 2 styles (Default, Bold)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 79/100
Rating – 58% (17 reviews)
Customization Level – Low
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.5 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.3 s
Total Blocking Time – 190 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.035
Speed Index – 7.1 s
Theme Features
- Advanced filtering to allow for a faster shopping experience
- High scalability for fast adjustment
- Minimal setup steps that allow for a quick launch
- Simple layout optimized for quick launch
Pros
- Minimal design that easily loads
- Advanced product filtering for a fast shopping experience
- Focus on minimal image or script usage for fast loading
- No-disruption loading on mobile devices
Cons
- Limited customization options for users with specific design needs
- Limited varieties of theme style
Who Is the Spotlight Theme For
- Dropshippers who want quick setup and launch
- Perfect for start-ups, as it’s relatively easy to set up
- Social media-oriented businesses
3. Sunrise
Sunrise is a responsive Shopify theme that’s highly customizable. Using this theme can create a unique store with bags of personality to sell your niche products.
Theme Details
Developer – Rawsterne Web Design & Illustration (Shopify)
Price – $240
Theme Styles – 4 styles (Spring, Beach Hut, Uplift, Digitale)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 76/100
Rating – 95% (118 reviews)
Customization Level – High
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.5 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.0 s
Total Blocking Time – 580 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0
Speed Index – 5.6 s
Theme Features
- Fast and easily adaptable on mobile devices
- Minimal coding enables the theme to operate faster
- When loading, it prioritizes important features so as not to overwhelm the system
Pros
- It allows easy research so that customers can find desired items faster
- Designed to be clean and efficient
- Designed to work seamlessly with Shopify’s feature set
Cons
- Not as modern as other themes
- A one-time payment is needed to publish the theme on your website
Who Is the Sunrise Theme For
- Stores with a large number of products
- Businesses prioritizing speed and performance
- Brands in the fashion industry
4. Ride
Ride is a free theme by Shopify with a sleek, sports-centric design.
Theme Details
Developer – Shopify
Price – Free
Theme Styles – Default
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 69/100
Rating – 10% (10 reviews)
Customization Level – Medium
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.6 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.3 s
Total Blocking Time – 640 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.049
Speed Index – 5.5 s
Theme Features
- Uses minimal code for fast loading
- Easy and fast mobile device usage
- Easy and simple set-up
Pros
- Tested and optimized for speed
- Optimized for visual and textual storytelling
- Incorporates lady loading for images and other resources
Cons
- Limited design features
- Exclusively oriented towards sportswear retailers
- Not suitable for businesses that don’t have access to high-resolution imagery
Who Is the Ride Theme For
- The theme’s sports-centric design makes it perfect for sports stores
- Storytelling-oriented retailers will find longer-form text optimization useful
5. Bullet
Bullet is a fast, minimal theme with clean typography combined with a beautiful grid layout that looks great on all devices and is optimized for speed and conversion.
Theme Details
Developer – OpenThinking (Shopify)
Price – $320
Theme Styles – 4 styles (Default, Midnight, Vision, Khaki)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 69/100
Rating – 91% (23 reviews)
Customization Level – High
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.5 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.0 s
Total Blocking Time – 650 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0
Speed Index – 6.9 s
Theme Features
- Minimal theme for fast loading
- Extremely fast loading times
- Looks great and is easy to load on all devices
Pros
- Minimal design and code allow for fast loading
- High customization to preferences
- Optimized for speed, which enhances user experience
Cons
- Not suitable for beginners
- It has its fair share of bugs
- Might lack some advanced features that other themes offer
Who Is the Bullet Theme For
- Contemporary brands looking for clean and modern aesthetics
- In-person selling stores
- Brands that are looking to benefit from visual storytelling
6. Dawn
Dawn is one of the most popular free themes. Fast, flexible, and designed to be easily customized. This theme works across all store types and industries.
Theme Details
Developer – Shopify
Price – Free
Theme Styles – 3 styles (Default, Cool, Warm)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 67/100
Rating – 31% (173 reviews)
Customization Level – Medium
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.4 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.1 s
Total Blocking Time – 790 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0
Speed Index – 5.9 s
Theme Features
- Quick buy option available
- Supports large media with fast loading times
- Minimalistic design for faster loading
Pros
- Tested and optimized for speed
- Designed to handle efficiently large media files
- Continuously upgraded speed
Cons
- Overly simplistic for some tastes
- Limited customization options
Who Is the Dawn Theme For
- Perfect for business owners that want to get their store up and running quickly
- Businesses that are looking to make it easy for customers to find products
7. Baseline
The baseline theme puts a strong focus on typography, ideal for brand storytelling and a clean presentation.
Theme Details
Developer – Switch (Shopify)
Price – $350
Theme Styles – 4 styles (Modern, Editorial, Minimal, Bold)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 63/100
Rating – 100% (65 reviews)
Customization Level – Medium
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.1 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 2.3 s
Total Blocking Time – 1900 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0
Speed Index – 6.1 s
Theme Features
- Minimal setup steps
- High-resolution images are optimized to allow for fast loading times
- Images load consequently as the user scrolls down the page
- Product quick view option
Pros
- Allows you to display large media
- Text-centric layouts that won’t clutter and slow down your store
- Advanced filtering options for faster usage
Cons
- Not recommended for startups with limited funds due to cost
- Overuse of animations and effects might affect loading time
Who Is the Baseline Theme For
- Brutalist style enthusiasts
- Brands with editorial content
- Retailers with long product descriptions
8. Expression
Expression is a highly customizable Shopify theme with promotional and cross-selling sections, and focused on media optimization.
Theme Details
Developer – Clean Canvas Ltd (Shopify)
Price – $280
Theme Styles – 4 styles (Naturale, Oxford, Ocean, Innovate)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 62/100
Rating – 91% (70 reviews)
Customization Level – High
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 2.7 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 3.0 s
Total Blocking Time – 1080 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0
Speed Index – 6.1 s
Theme Features
- Product quick view option
- Enhanced search option available
- Loaded with all necessary tools without compromising on speed
Pros
- Speed tested and approved
- Flexible content-led design for a fast and efficient shopping experience
- 10+ years of proven track record in terms of speed
Cons
- Not suitable for start-ups, as it’s not the most budget-friendly option
- Some might find the theme and functions too basic
Who Is the Expression Theme For
- For brands who prioritize style, sophistication, and versatility
- Visual and textual storytellers
- High-volume stores
- Higher price-point stores
9. Blum
Blum is designed mainly for fashion and beauty businesses, offering a clean and modern aesthetic.
Theme Details
Developer – SalesHunterThemes (Shopify)
Price – $170
Theme Styles – 3 styles (Celia, Solie, Mondo, Crafts)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 62/100
Rating – 100% (28 reviews)
Customization Level – Medium
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 1.1 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 2.2 s
Total Blocking Time – 1720 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.077
Speed Index – 8.6 s
Theme Features
- Quick view feature
- The slide-out cart feature allows customers to make changes to the cart without leaving the current page
- Optimized for fast mobile use
Pros
- Simple setup steps for easy launching
- Clean and optimized code that ensures fast loading times
- Feature for running time-based promotions
Cons
- Not suitable for those looking for versatile customization
- Might be complicated for beginners
Who Is the Blum Theme For
- Fashion and beauty businesses
- Businesses who want to run time-based promotions
- Brands looking to optimize their store for mobile use
10. Shapes
Shapes is a masonry-style theme, perfect for contemporary brands with a story to tell.
Theme Details
Developer – Switch (Shopify)
Price – $260
Theme Styles – 4 styles (Bright, Light, Warm, Moody)
Shopify 2.0 compatible – Yes
Speed – 60/100
Rating – 100% (45 reviews)
Customization Level – Medium
Speed Details
First Contentful Paint – 1.3 s
Largest Contentful Paint – 2.2 s
Total Blocking Time – 3060 ms
Cumulative Layout Shift – 0.003
Speed Index – 10.4 s
Theme Features
- Minimal code that doesn’t burden the site and affect loading times
- Quick buy option available
- Enhanced search option
Pros
- A fast and efficient theme
- Advanced product filtering for product discovery
- Many customization features that don’t affect speed
Cons
- Expensive when compared with other fast-loading Shopify themes
- Might be too complex for beginners
Who Is the Shapes Theme For
- Perfect for brands that sell age-restricted products
- Businesses focusing on visual storytelling
Notable Mentions
There are a few other popular themes we tested that didn’t make the top 10. Here are the 2 most notable themes:
Plak
Plak markets itself as the fastest Shopify theme because of its lazy loading feature. While all the features tick every box we were looking for, the page itself has not been updated since 2020, there is no contact page, and we couldn’t find any live stores using Plak in 2024 to put it to the test.
While it sounds great, the lack of support and no updates means this one didn’t make our top 10.
Booster
The Booster theme comes highly recommended, and market itself as one of the fastest themes with quick page loading and highly customizable designs. We have to admit booster looks great, but we couldn’t find a demo store to put it to the test. So for that reason, booster misses out on our top 10 list.
Are paid Shopify themes faster?
Yes, paid Shopify themes are faster as they come with better-optimized code, leading to faster load times.
They tend to be more lightweight and include advanced features designed to improve performance without slowing down the site.
Are Shopify 2.0 themes faster?
Yes, Shopify 2.0 themes are built with speed in mind. Shopify 2.0 themes benefit from better architecture, faster loading times, and optimized code, resulting in a better overall user experience and faster site performance compared to original Shopify themes.
Which is the fastest Shopify theme?
Spotlight is the fastest Shopify theme based on our own testing with a mobile speed score of 79/100. Spotlight is not just the fastest theme, but it is also the fastest free Shopify theme available in 2024.
How do I speed up my Shopify theme?
There are 5 main ways to speed up your Shopify theme.
1. Use compressed images or an image compression app to reduce load times.
2. Minimize the use of apps and remove any apps that aren’t essential for your store.
3. Choose a lightweight theme like Spotlight or Dawn if you don’t need premium features, or optimize your current theme’s code by hiring a developer.
4. Enable lazy loading for images so they load as users scroll.
5. Use Shopify’s native features for faster checkouts, rather than relying on third-party tools.
