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Fastest Shopify Themes: Our Top 10 Picks [Tested]

June 22, 2024
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

Looking for a lightning-fast Shopify theme for your online store? We’ve got you covered. We’ve rigorously tested all Shopify themes to compile a list of the 10 fastest, focusing on speed, performance, and user experience.

We tested the page load speed and performance of these Shopify themes on real domains, not just in preview mode. We examine the Home, Collection, and Product pages using the Uptrends Speed Tool to check both mobile and desktop optimization. This way, you get reliable recommendations you can trust to enhance your online store’s speed and SEO.

Now, let’s get started!

Theme NameVendorNicheRatingsKey Features Download
DawnShopifyMultipurpose4.5/5Chic and minimalist design, Media-forward product page, Advanced customization optionsGet Theme!
PrestigeMaestroooFashion4.5/5Elegant design, 30+ highly configurable sections, Lightning-fast performanceGet Theme!
BlumSalesHunterThemesFashion5.0/5SEO Optimized, Mobile Friendly, 20+ distinctive layouts and animationsGet Theme!
ElectroSalesHunterThemesMultipurpose5.0/5Powerful Product Comparison, Mobile Friendly, 30+ SectionsGet Theme!
ParallaxOut of the SandboxFashion4.8/5Creative control, Conversion-focused checkout, Popular parallax scrollingGet Theme!
ResponsiveOut of the SandboxMultipurpose4.8/5Easy-to-customization, Product-popping features, Highly customizable design
Get Theme!
LoftTrailblaze MediaHome & Decor4.6/5SEO Optimized, Mobile FriendlyGet Theme!
ImpulseArchetype ThemesFashion4.8/5Mobile Friendly, Powerful promotions, 20+ section optionsGet Theme!
TasteShopifyMultipurpose4.4/5Spacious design, Showcase product quality, Adjust layout and stylingGet Theme!
SenseShopifyMultipurpose4.4/5Fresh and bright design, Enhanced product understanding, Advanced customization optionsGet Theme!

Dawn

Dawn emerges as the flagship free theme from the Shopify 2.0 update, prioritizing speed, simplicity, and a minimalist design that highlights product imagery and ensures an immersive shopping experience.

Dawn emerges as the flagship free theme from the Shopify 2.0 update, prioritizing speed, simplicity, and a minimalist design that highlights product imagery and ensures an immersive shopping experience. It’s the fastest and most beginner-friendly Shopify theme available, designed to keep the focus sharply on your products. 

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.1 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 99/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.2 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 86/100

Ratings:

Users have had varying experiences with the theme. Some appreciate its simplicity and speed, while others desire more robust features and better integration with updates. I personally have a great experience with the theme’s ease of use, chic but simple design, and support from Shopify. I just wish that this theme had more presets to explore and play with.

Key Features:

  • Media-forward product page
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Cross-selling
  • FAQ page
  • Press coverage
  • Product reviews
  • Promo banners
  • Lookbooks
  • Product options

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Ultra-fast loading timesOnly one default preset
High customization without needing to codeSome issues with updates and third-party app integrations
Ideal for visual storytelling
Support from Shopify
Lots of features

Best For:

  • New merchants who want a professional-looking store without investing in a premium theme
  • Small to medium-sized fashion and apparel stores

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Prestige

Prestige is a Shopify theme that embodies elegance, luxury, and a high-end aesthetic

Prestige is a Shopify theme that embodies elegance, luxury, and a high-end aesthetic. With its clean and minimal design, this theme is optimized to highlight premium brands and their products through elegant visual storytelling and advanced customization options.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Load Time:
    • Homepage: 2.4 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 97
    • Collection Page: 2.3 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 99
    • Product Page: 3.0 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 97
  • Mobile Load Time:
    • Homepage: 2.3 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 78
    • Collection Page: 4.9 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 90
    • Product Page: 2.2 seconds, PageSpeed Score: 64
  • Average Speed Score: 82

Ratings:

Prestige is a popular choice, loved for its modern design and ease of use. Customers appreciate how professional it makes their products look, while others highlight its elegance and intuitive layout. However, some users have reported issues with customer support and some functionality.

Key Features:

  • Cart notes
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Slide-out cart
  • Sticky cart
  • Countdown timer
  • Cross-selling
  • Animation
  • Before/after image slider
  • Color swatches
  • Enhanced search
  • Mega menu

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Luxurious and high-end designSome users report slow support responses
Highly customizable with minimal effort requiredHigh price
Optimized for performance across devices
3 presets to choose from

Best For:

  • Luxury and high-end brands
  • Fashion boutiques and apparel stores
  • Stores selling jewelry, watches, and accessories
  • Lifestyle brands focusing on home decor, furniture, and related products
  • Businesses selling high-ticket items

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Blum

Blum is a vibrant and inviting Shopify theme that is perfect for creating an eye-catching online store. Its clean, modern look features bold colors and fonts that make your products stand out.

Blum is a vibrant and inviting Shopify theme that is perfect for creating an eye-catching online store. Its clean, modern look features bold colors and fonts that make your products stand out. I’d like the theme to have more customization options, but I’ll recommend Blum to any merchant looking to enhance their online store.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.4 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 95/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 60/100

Ratings:

Blum earns high praise on Shopify’s theme store. Users love how easy it is to set up and rave about the excellent customer support.  The quick and helpful support team makes using the theme even more enjoyable.

Key Features:

  • 20+ distinctive layouts
  • Animations
  • Mega menu 
  • Sticky add-to-cart 
  • Cross-sell options 
  • Quick buy 
  • Countdown timer 
  • Promo banners
  • Promo popups
  • Promo tiles

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
User-friendly setupSlower speed on mobile
Excellent customer supportLimited customization options
Cost-effectiveness
Optimized for mobile and speed

Best For:

  • Shopify store owners organizing flash sales and maximizing user engagement 
  • Stores that sell diverse products in apparel, gadgets
  • Startups and small businesses looking for an affordable premium theme

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Electro

The Shopify Electro theme impressed me with its sleek, tech-forward design. The vibrant color schemes and dynamic layouts will give your store a cutting-edge look, instantly drawing in customers.

The Shopify Electro theme impressed me with its sleek, tech-forward design. The vibrant color schemes and dynamic layouts will give your store a cutting-edge look, instantly drawing in customers. Working with this theme’s backend is a smooth experience, with its user-friendly interface making customization straightforward and efficient. In my opinion, it is one of the best multipurpose Shopify themes.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 97/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.5 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 79/100

Ratings:

Electro gets top marks with a perfect rating! Users consistently rave about its versatile design, user-friendly setup, and responsive support team. This reliable theme is clearly a favorite among Shopify users.

Key Features:

  • Product comparison
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Slide-out cart
  • Sticky cart
  • In-menu promos
  • Product badges
  • Image hotspot
  • Image rollover
  • Back-to-top button
  • Breadcrumbs

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Extremely fast load timesLimited ability to add custom fonts without support
High versatility and customizationMobile Page speed could be improved
Strong customer support 
30+ layout sections

Best for

  • Merchants or dropshippers in the electronics, tech, and audio industries
  • Stores that want a modern, high-tech aesthetic

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Parallax

Parallax brings a visually stunning and immersive experience to my online store. The parallax scrolling effect adds depth and elegance, making the site feel more dynamic and engaging.

Parallax brings a visually stunning and immersive experience to my online store. The parallax scrolling effect adds depth and elegance, making the site feel more dynamic and engaging.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 88/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.5 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 53/100

Ratings:

Parallax has garnered appreciation for its designs and features. Users also frequently commend the support team for their helpfulness and efficiency, enhancing the overall user experience.

Key Features:

  • EU translations (EN, FR, IT, DE, ES)
  • Full-width parallax images
  • Slideshows
  • Video
  • Testimonials
  • Slideout cart
  • Quick shop
  • Promotional banners
  • Sticky dropdown navigation

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Excellent customization optionsMobile PageSpeed score could be improved
Strong customer support responseHigher price
Creative parallax design
Many conversion-focused features

Best For:

  • High-volume stores requiring a sophisticated design with advanced features like scrolling and quick view options. 
  • Businesses that emphasize visual storytelling and user engagement.

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Responsive

Responsive offers a sleek design tailored to showcase full-width imagery and enhance brand visibility.

The Responsive Shopify theme offers a sleek design tailored to showcase full-width imagery and enhance brand visibility. It’s well-suited for stores emphasizing visual storytelling and product features, blending performance with aesthetics. The theme’s responsiveness ensures your store looks stunning and functions flawlessly on both mobile and desktop devices.

💡 Top Tip: See our list of 6+ Most Responsive Themes on Shopify

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.4 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 91/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 48/100

Ratings:

Responsive is a hit on the Shopify theme store, with a whopping 96% positive rating! Users love its flexibility and rave about how easy it is to customize. I personally like the support team for their helpfulness and responsiveness.

Key Features:

  • Full-width imagery
  • Mega menu
  • Sticky header 
  • Product reviews
  • In-menu promos 
  • Image zoom
  • Hero videos
  • Promo banners
  • Quick view & buy 
  • Age verifier
  • Back-in-stock alert

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
High customization optionsMobile speed could be improved
Excellent support for theme updatesManual back-in-stock notification
Versatile feature set for engagement
Look good on all devices

Best For:

  • Fashion and apparel stores
  • Lifestyle brands that focus on aesthetics and visual appeal
  • Smaller shops with unique products

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Loft

The Loft Shopify theme delivers a modern, stylish look that loads quickly - perfect for stores that value both design and performance.

The Loft Shopify theme delivers a modern, stylish look that loads quickly—perfect for stores that value both design and performance. Though minimalist in design, it’s a strong choice for an aesthetically pleasing and high-converting online store.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 82/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 50/100

Ratings:

Loft enjoys an impressive 92% positive rating on the Shopify theme store.  Users consistently highlight its clean design and praise the responsive, professional support team.

Key Features:

  • Color swatches
  • Stock counter
  • In-menu promos
  • Mega menu
  • Sticky header
  • Enhanced search
  • Mega menu
  • Product filtering and sorting

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
High-quality, modern designLimited built-in features compared to other premium themes
Strong customer support and quick response timesAdditional apps may be necessary for more features
Optimized for fast-loadingHigh price
Unlimited free trial

Best For:

  • Furniture and home decor stores
  • Stores selling handmade or unique artistic items
  • Brands that focus on a particular lifestyle or aesthetic

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Impulse

Impulse transformed the look and feel of my client’s store. Its sleek and contemporary design elements, bold typography, and clean lines create a polished and professional online presence.

Impulse transformed the look and feel of my client’s store. Its sleek and contemporary design elements, bold typography, and clean lines create a polished and professional online presence. The theme’s advanced product filtering and custom promotion tiles make highlighting featured items and promotions easy, enhancing the shopping experience.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.3 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 85/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.4 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 59/100

Ratings:

Impulse has a strong reputation as one of the best Shopify themes. Customers rave about its polished, professional look right out of the box – no complex customization needed. The developer team’s excellent support is also a big plus. My client store built with Impulse is also well-loved by customers.

Key Features:

  • Cart notes
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Slide-out cart
  • Countdown timer
  • Cross-selling
  • Product badges
  • Product reviews
  • Promo banners

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Extensive customization capabilitiesLimitations in mobile responsiveness, particularly with the Collections List
Top-notch customer support High price
Many built-in features
Clean and modern design
Mobile-friendly layouts

Best For:

  • Fashion, art, and lifestyle brands.
  • Beauty and skincare stores
  • Stores selling luxury or high-end products

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Taste

Taste is another free Shopify theme that makes a big impact with its minimalist design and bold visuals.

Taste is another free Shopify theme that makes a big impact with its minimalist design and bold visuals. This striking combination is perfect for specialty brands that want to grab attention and tell their story. Its clean lines and spacious layout create a stylish backdrop for gourmet products or high-end items.

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.4 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 97/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 2.2 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 79/100

Ratings:

Taste is visually appealing, but my testing revealed some functionality issues, particularly with the blog. Users seem to agree, praising the aesthetics but highlighting some limitations.

Key Features:

  • Cart notes
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Press coverage
  • Product reviews
  • Promo banners
  • Lookbooks
  • Product options
  • Product videos
  • Enhanced search
  • Mega menu
  • Product filtering and sorting

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Strong focus on visual branding elementsBlog functionality could be improved
Quick setup for a fast launchOnly one preset
Ideal for showcasing specialty products
Free to use

Best For:

  • Food and beverage stores
  • Cafes, bakeries, and restaurants that want to create an online presence
  • Health food stores, supplement shops, and organic product retailers 

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Sense

Sense offers a refreshing and dynamic design to energize your Shopify store. It blends a fresh color palette with soft gradients and curved elements, creating a welcoming atmosphere that guides customers through your product offerings. 

Sense offers a refreshing and dynamic design to energize your Shopify store. It blends a fresh color palette with soft gradients and curved elements, creating a welcoming atmosphere that guides customers through your product offerings. 

Loading Speed:

  • Desktop Average Load Time: 2.5 seconds
  • Desktop Average PageSpeed Score: 98/100
  • Mobile Average Load Time: 3.1 seconds
  • Mobile Average PageSpeed Score: 77/100

Ratings:

While I found some color-matching issues and problems with the discount display in Taste, I still love its overall design quality.

Key Features:

  • Cart notes
  • In-store pickups
  • Quick buy
  • Blogs
  • Cross-selling
  • FAQ page
  • Press coverage
  • Product reviews
  • Promo banners
  • Recommended products
  • Lookbooks
  • Product videos

Pros and Cons:

ProsCons
Fresh and engaging visual designGlitches with color themes and front-page discount display
Rich in features for comprehensive merchandisingOnly one preset
Supports a wide range of media types
Free to use
Support by Shopify

Best For:

  • Health and wellness products such as supplements, organic goods, and beauty products
  • Skincare stores and spas
  • Brands that emphasize eco-friendliness and sustainability

More Info / Download Theme Demo

Bottom Line

With these 10 fastest Shopify themes, your online store is poised for rapid success. Optimize site speed, enhance user experience, and drive conversions effortlessly by choosing the fastest Shopify theme tailored to your specific needs and brand identity.

FAQs

These Shopify themes prioritize efficient coding practices, streamlined design elements, and optimized image sizes to ensure fast loading times. Additionally, they leverage Shopify's robust infrastructure and caching mechanisms to enhance speed and performance further.

Absolutely, these themes are meticulously designed to ensure fast loading times and smooth performance on mobile devices.

Absolutely! You can definitely customize these themes without slowing down your store too much. Shopify themes are designed for speed, so small changes like colors, fonts, or layout shouldn't cause major issues.
Just be careful not to overdo it! Too many customizations or heavy scripts can drag down your store's performance. Optimize your images, and use Shopify's built-in features or lightweight apps whenever possible.

Yes, these themes are designed to handle heavy traffic loads efficiently, ensuring your store remains stable and performs well even during peak periods.

These themes integrate smoothly with apps on the Shopify app store, allowing you to extend your store's functionality easily.


Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.