Best Drupal themes
The top 10 Drupal 10 themes for every website. Premium and free, responsive and modern. From admin themes to complete frontend themes.
What to look for in a Drupal theme?
A good Drupal theme is more than just beautiful. Check these criteria before choosing:
- Drupal 10 compatibility: Check if the theme is up-to-date with Drupal 10
- Responsive design: Mobile-first is essential, Google penalizes non-responsive sites
- Performance: Clean code, few dependencies, good PageSpeed score
- Regular updates: Actively maintained themes receive security patches
- Customization options: Theme settings, regions, layouts without modifying code
Best frontend themes for Drupal 10
These themes are beautiful, fast and easy to customize
Olivero (default theme)
The new default frontend theme in Drupal 10. Modern, responsive and accessibility-focused.
- Built-in Drupal 10 (no install needed)
- WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliant
- Modern, clean design
- Fully responsive
Bootstrap
Bootstrap 5 integration for Drupal. Use Bootstrap's components and utilities in your Drupal theme.
- Bootstrap 5 framework
- Base for custom sub-themes
- Many sub-themes available
- Responsive and modern
Bartik
The old default theme until Drupal 9. Still available but replaced by Olivero in Drupal 10.
- Outdated design (2011)
- No longer actively developed
- Still responsive
- Use Olivero for new sites
Radix
Modern base theme with Bootstrap 5, component-based architecture and Sass support.
- Bootstrap 5 + Sass
- Component-based theming
- Gulp workflow for asset building
- Popular with agencies
Classy (deprecated)
Minimal base theme that adds CSS classes to markup. Removed in Drupal 10 but still available as contrib module.
- Deprecated in Drupal 10
- Only adds CSS classes
- Use Stable 9 or Starterkit for D10
- Not recommended for new projects
Material Admin
Google Material Design for the Drupal admin interface. Modern and clean.
- Material Design principles
- Modern admin interface
- Replaces Claro/Gin
- Responsive admin
Best admin themes
Admin themes determine how the backend looks. Choose a modern and user-friendly one.
Gin
Modern admin theme that replaces Claro. Sleek design, dark mode and focus on UX.
- Dark mode built-in
- Modern, clean interface
- Gin Toolbar for better UX
- Actively maintained
Claro
The default admin theme in Drupal 10. Modern and accessible, but fewer features than Gin.
- Built-in Drupal 10
- WCAG accessible
- Stable and well maintained
- No dark mode
Seven
The old admin theme until Drupal 9. Replaced by Claro in Drupal 10.
- Removed in Drupal 10
- Old, outdated interface
- Use Claro or Gin instead of Seven
- Only for legacy D9 sites
Tips for custom theme development
If you want to create your own Drupal theme
1. Use a starter theme
Don't start from scratch. Use Starterkit, Bootstrap or Radix as a base for your custom theme.
2. Create a sub-theme
Inherit from a base theme (Bootstrap, Radix) and only override what you need. This way you continue receiving updates from the base theme.
3. Use Twig templates
Drupal 10 uses Twig for templating. Copy templates from core to your theme and customize them. Use Twig debugging to see which templates are being used.
4. Use a build tool
Gulp, Webpack or Laravel Mix for Sass compilation, autoprefixer and asset optimization. Radix comes with Gulp setup.
5. Test responsive from the start
Mobile-first development is essential. Test your theme on mobile, tablet and desktop during development. Use browser devtools responsive mode.
Frequently asked questions about Drupal themes
What is the difference between a theme and a module?
A theme determines how your site looks (design, layout, styling). A module adds functionality (features, behavior). Themes are in /themes/, modules in /modules/. You can install multiple themes but only 1 is active (frontend) and 1 admin theme.
Can I use a WordPress theme in Drupal?
No, WordPress themes don't work in Drupal. They use completely different template systems (PHP/WordPress functions vs Twig/Drupal hooks). You can rebuild the design in a Drupal theme, but it's a complete rebuild from scratch.
Which admin theme is the best?
Gin is currently the most popular due to dark mode, modern design and better UX. Claro (default) is solid but fewer features. Material Admin is also good for teams who want Material Design. Install Gin with Gin Toolbar for the best admin experience.
How do I install a Drupal theme?
Via Composer (recommended): composer require drupal/themename. Then Appearance → Install and "Set as default". For custom themes: upload to /themes/custom/ directory and enable via Appearance. Admin themes are set as "Administration theme".
Are premium Drupal themes worth the investment?
For most projects not. Free themes like Olivero, Bootstrap and Radix are excellent. Premium themes (€30-100) can save time if they exactly match your design. But a custom sub-theme from a free base theme is often better and more flexible.
How do I make my Drupal theme faster?
Minimize CSS/JS, use CSS/JS aggregation, lazy load images, use a CDN for assets, avoid large libraries (jQuery), use Twig caching and test with PageSpeed Insights. Advanced CSS/JS Aggregation module also helps enormously. Also read: Make Drupal faster.
Do Drupal 9 themes work in Drupal 10?
Most Drupal 9 themes work in Drupal 10 after minor adjustments. Check theme compatibility on drupal.org. Bartik and Seven are removed in D10 (replaced by Olivero and Claro). Popular contrib themes like Bootstrap, Gin and Radix have D10 versions.
Ready to choose your Drupal theme?
Start with Olivero or Bootstrap, install Gin for the admin and host your site on fast Drupal hosting.