Hey there Sea Changers. Today I am going to take a look at the old upgrade debate with my GeneratePress Free vs GeneratePress Premium review. I have been working with the GeneratePress WordPress theme for quite a while and have really found it to work really well with not only this website, but also others that I run across a number of different niches.

GeneratePress Free vs GeneratePress Premium - header

Recently on one of these sites, I was trying to make some changes to the menu structure and layout and realized that I couldn't do so without a theme upgrade which led me to a decision between:

  1. Finding another theme that allows me to do what I can do.
  2. Upgrade my current theme to allow me to make my changes.

So, if you use the GeneratePress theme and wondering whether an upgrade is for you, let's check it all out below…

What is a WordPress theme?

Ok, so the first thing we probably need to do here is quickly outline what we are looking at so we are clear on exactly what it is that we are comparing. So for those of you new the world of web development, WordPress is a website builder that allows for site creation via a visual editor without the need to write or edit code.

Part of this process includes the use of themes which, once loaded onto your site manage its overall appearance such as:

  • Colours
  • Layout
  • Inclusions
  • Speed
  • Navigation
  • Menus
  • And so on

This again means that you can adjust the settings of the above – much as you would a word processing or graphic design platform – without having to know HTML code etc.

There are 1000s of themes available on which to base a WordPress site with many available in both free, and paid upgrade versions. One thing to keep in mind here however is that in general, most WordPress themes are created and sold by third party developers as compatible addons to the main website editor.

This means that the functionality included can vary greatly depending on the needs and intentions on the website including:

  • Blog
  • Ecommerce
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Food & Drink
  • Holiday
  • News
  • Photography
  • Portfolio

In general, the rule of thumb is that if you choose a theme closely related to what your site is about, then you should be able to customise it to your needs.

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Ok, when it comes to the GeneratePress free vs premium debate, it really depends on the functionality that you need. So let's check it all out below…

Why upgrade to a premium theme?

Upgraded themes – generally referred to as ‘Premium' themes – provide access to greater customisation and functionality options. This is similar to most software platforms where basic functions are provided for free with advanced options available at a price.

These are not always required and are usually only considered as the site grows and more options are needed (such as in my case). Additionally, many new websites chop and change between themes are number of times until the owner settles on one they like. Only then would I recommend upgrading to the premium version of your chosen theme.

Note: In this instance we are discussing the process of paying for an upgraded version of your theme in order to add some extra functionality and customisation. This does not include theme updates which are implemented by the theme developer from time to time for reasons such as fixing bugs, improving functionality or enhancing user interfaces etc.- you should never be charged for a plugin update.

Let's now go back to our GeneratePress theme and highlight the differences between the free and premium versions below:

GeneratePress Free vs GeneratePress Premium - kickstart stripe

GeneratePress Free

Ok, so if you check out the Generate Press website (yes, most themes have their own website) we can see it described as “a lightweight WordPress theme that focuses on speed, stability, and accessibility”. It is considered a multipurpose theme – i.e. can be used for most of the purposes outlined above – and is one of the most popular themes available within the WordPress editor (3,474,685+ downloads).

Those downloading the GeneratePress Free theme for their website can expect the following functionality and customisation options:

Functionality

  • Plugins
    • Addition of any plugin compatible with free version of GeneratePress
  • Base functions of Workpress Editor such as:
    • Posts
    • Pages
    • Media
    • Comments
    • Customization – See below
    • User Management
    • Tools
    • Settings

Customisation

  • Site Identity
    • Site title
    • Tagline
    • Logo
  • Layout
    • Page width etc.
    • Header width and alignment
    • Navigation location alignment
    • Sidebar inclusion for site, page and post
    • Footer width and alignment
    • Blog page view
  • Colours
    • Background, text, link, title and hover colours
  • Typography
    • Fonts – Body and headings
  • General
    • Changes to site structure
    • CSS caching
  • Menus
    • Main menu customisation
  • Widgets
    • Site-Wide Widget management
  • Home page settings
    • Pivot between static home page and blog page as home page
  • Additional CSS
    • Customised CSS management

All in all, in my experience, this is a very good base theme with enough functionality to build a professional looking website.

GeneratePress Premium

As mentioned above, upgrading to a Premium theme provides access to increased functionality and customization options. However, in many cases (this one included) upgrading also provides access to extra services and support. In regards to the Generate Press Premium version, this includes:

  • All premium features
  • Full access to the Site Library
  • Updates
  • Premium support
  • Use on up to 500 websites

Additionally, added functionality is included as per below:

GeneratePress Free vs GeneratePress Premium - premium functions

In terms of actual use, the main changes you will see here are:

  • Ability to add more menus to the site (3 in total)
  • Ability to change colours in more places such as menus, buttons, forms and so on
  • Font and layout adjustment to individual website elements such as menus, footers, headers etc.
  • Addition of background images to pages and posts
  • Greater CSS management
  • Greater efficiency via the use of the Generate Blocks plugin templates and buttons

Why did I upgrade?

My original reason for upgrading was to allow for greater control over the layout of my site. As it had grown, I wanted to enhance the navigation and formatting to allow for greater management of monetization options such as landing pages and buttons (for sales and CTAs).

Since the upgrade has been installed however, I have really been able to enhance the overall look of the site via the adjustment of colours and fonts at a more granular level (posts, menus and headers etc.).

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How much does it cost

Costs to upgrade to the Premium version of GeneratePress are as follows:

GeneratePress Free vs GeneratePress Premium - costs
Click Here to Upgrade

Conclusion

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And there it is – my outline of the difference between the Generatepress premium vs free WordPress themes. I hope it was helpful and gives you the information you need as you ponder your own theme upgrade however as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share.

Oh, and especially comment if you have installed the GeneratePress Premium WordPress Theme on your website – I would love to hear about your experiences.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate or GeneratePress.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own WordPress website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.

Introducing Wealthy Affiliate, My #1 Recommendation for Setting Up Your Own Online Business

wealthy affiliate new home page

When I started, I knew I wanted to work online, but had absolutely no idea where to begin! You see I had watched friends of mine run a sales party to sell essential oils and someone asked if they could just sell them online?

Then, as I sat on the bus heading into my office job, I started to wonder if I could do just that, sell essential oils online.

Anything to stop having to catch this bus to and from work every day right!

The trouble was, as I mentioned above, I had no idea how to even start.

So of course I started to look around online and found all these courses! They all promised me riches then took my money but left me with no riches!

Then I stumbled across the program that didn’t promise me riches, but told me it could help me get started even with no experience!

So I did that, joined Wealthy Affiliate that was it, and the rest as they say, is history!

But it doesn’t come without work!

That is the key here! I began on their starter membership and did the training! I then joined as a member and did some more training!

Each night after work, I would do a little more, then a little more.

And to cut a long story short, after 10 months I realized I didn’t really like writing about essential oils, so I sold the site for about $2000. But I had learned so much that I started another – about fishing and camping!

Then, after 18 months (by which time it had earned me close to $10k), I was offered $17k for the site, so I sold it too.

Now, through my travel blog, I’ve been able to fund my passion for travel and explore different places around the world.

In the past few months, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some amazing destinations, including Bali, Los Angeles, Dallas, Vancouver and Las Vegas.

The success of my travel blog has allowed me to fully fund my travels and explore new destinations with my family.

Steps to Creating a Successful Travel Blog - Me at Whistler

Try the Wealthy Affiliate as a Starter Member and Build your First Hub!

As you start your journey, Wealthy Affiliate is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And as I have mentioned, I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

To get you started, Wealthy Affiliate has recently introduced the Hub.

The Hub

The hub is an AI based niche and website creation tool that will get you up and running with the foundation of your OWN business in just a few minutes. This includes:

  • Your website – hosted and inclusive of a WordPress editor
  • Your brand
  • Your ‘done-for-you’ research
  • Your blueprint
  • A task list that is going to help you drive the creation and growth of your business moving forward.
Wealthy Affiliate Review 24 - Hub screen

The hub makes the website creation process simple which allows you to get started on the training with a solid base and understanding of the processes.

All you need to do is choose your subject – which is known as your ‘niche’ – and follow the steps on the screen.

Oh, and as you run through the training below you may realize that what you created above is not exactly what you want. That’s ok, you can just create a new hub!

Wealthy Affiliate Training

Then as you continue your journey, the Wealthy Affiliate Hub is there for you with the most comprehensive training package I have ever seen – And I have used a few in my professional career trust me.

Above we discussed the use of the Hub to set up a website. Once you have done this, you will be able to access the “Step-by-Step Core Training”.

This is available to all members including starter members and will give you everything you need to know to continue to create your online business.

Wealthy Affiliate Review 24 - step by step core training

Member Training

There are also Live weekly classes taught by REAL industry experts on a range of topics like artificial intelligence (AI), SEO, YouTube, WordPress, PPC marketing and more.

wealthy affiliate master training

Great, What Else Does Wealthy Affiliate Have To Help You?

So, let’s keep this short, Wealthy Affiliate is a one-stop-shop platform that provides:

  • The Hub – this is the starting point and uses AI processes to assist you in determining your niche and creating your brand.
  • Complete training programs to assist with the development of your own affiliate marketing website in your own niche.
  • Website creation and publishing tools including access to WordPress editors and themes.
  • AI Content article design and content creation
  • Domain name purchasing (you get a free domain when you upgrade to the Premium membership).
  • Website hosting, security and backup.
  • Online help and chat forums.
  • Weekly live training events.
  • 24/7 support.
  • Keyword access tools.
  • SEO assistance.

The platform has been active for over 15 years with the original developers and owners, Kyle and Carson, still extremely active in its day to day operations – especially as they rollout their AI capabilities.

wa first two steps

You Can Try it Yourself For Free

Now of course I can tell you all about how Wealthy Affiliate works (because it does) until I am blue in the face. But every other program out there – including the shams and scams – will tell you the same thing!

So how about you just try it for free yourself. The Wealthy Affiliate Starter membership is free to join and gives you access to everything you need to get started – all without the need to spend a cent!

With the starter membership, you get:

  • 1 Limited Business Hub
  • 1,500 AI Word Credits
  • Try the AI Author Platform (BETA)
  • 1 Practice Website
  • Jaaxy Starter
  • Limited Help & Support
  • Core Niche Training (8 Classes)

And of course I will be there to help you every step of the way as well!

Look, in the interest of transparency, whilst Wealthy Affiliate does offer a free starter membership, this is designed to give you a look around, have a practice and see if it is worthwhile for you – which is a really great option.

However, as with all new businesses, you will need to make some investment so if you are serious about making money online , you will need to upgrade to a premium membership as this will give you access to all the tools you need in the one spot to succeed!

Afterall, every business needs tools to grow!

So How Much Does This Really Cost?

Wealthy Affiliate does not use upsells once you join – but as I mentioned in the video, to succeed here you will need to invest in a membership. There are a couple of options that provide access to all the tools, training and assistance that you could need – and a free domain as well.

Wealthy Affiliate offers a trio of membership tiers, as detailed on their pricing page.

You can opt for the Starter membership at no cost, the Premium membership for $49 per month or the Premium Plus+ membership for $99 per month. That’s the full extent of it – and you can absolutely build your website without having to spend another cent.

You won’t encounter any unexpected additional charges or covert fees and as a Premium member, you’re equipped with all the essentials to initiate, develop and expand a thriving online enterprise.

Those who opt for the Premium membership are provided with

  • Hosting for their websites
  • A complimentary domain name
  • Access to hundreds of hours of current expert tutorials
  • Various marketing and research tools
  • Personal guidance from seasoned professionals in the field
  • And much much more

And for those of you who want to make a serious investment into your future, there are some yearly options as well below to give you peace of mind that you have a whole year ahead of you to get stuff done!

And Don’t Forget the Personal Coaching

Once you join, not only do you get plenty of assistance from me, but you also have access to expert coaching, support and mentorship from real industry experts.

I mean, you can have access to all of the top-tier affiliate marketing training in the world, but inevitably, questions arise, particularly during the initial stages.

With an exceptionally dynamic and engaged community that boasts over 2.7 million members, Wealthy Affiliate offers an environment where you, as a member, can fully immerse and leverage this network.

You’re never alone; you have the collective wisdom of an entire community at your fingertips, ready to assist at any moment.

Plus, there’s always-on, rapid-response website support to handle any technical queries you may encounter.

WA graphic

Wealthy Affiliate Works: Real Results From Real People

As I have mentioned a number of times, Wealthy Affiliate has helped me make real money online though its training and tools.

I have made money each month as well as a sale for $17,000.

But again, those promoting other programs will tell you the same thing!

So let’s get away from me and see what others are saying:

To start with, Wealthy Affiliate has a 4.9 out of 5 Star TrustPilot rating, which is a remarkable accomplishment in any industry, let alone the online business industry.

WA trust pilot image

And here are some of those reviews:

wealthy affiliate trust pilot

And this is what people are saying within Wealthy Affiliate as well:

home page - success at WA

So, Let’s Make a Decision!

Let’s be frank, you have read this far so why not go all in, click on the button below to get started on the way to your very online business.

And once you are in and have had a play around with the hub, look for the little envelope on the top right and there will be a message from me. It is of course automated so respond to let me know you are there and we can start this journey together.

(oh, and the profile is mine so you can find me that way as well)

wealthy affiliate envelope

See you there

Paul

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