Note: For an updated list of themes, please read: 10 Fantastic Free BuddyPress Themes For Your Community Site (2015 Edition).
When you first install BuddyPress into your WordPress site, it only comes with the default theme. To make your site truly our own, you may want to install a theme to enhance the look of your site and make it unique. Below is a list of BuddyPress themes whose designs impressed us. All of these themes are free to download and install on your site.
BuddyBase
Update: No longer available
BuddyBasic is a streamlined but highly functional framework for developers to use to build BuddyPress themes. It also serves as a good default theme.
Solitude | Demo | Download
The solitude theme features a two column fixed layout with a jQuery powered slider for the frontpage. This theme is easily configured through the themes option panel, and the theme is fully widgetized.
Ines | Demo | Download
Ines is a flowery BuddyPress template with sliders. It has a built-in social networking features such as a flickr panel and other features. The theme is fully widgetized.
Cosmic Buddy | Demo | Download
Cosmic Buddy is inspired from old orkut theme. It has a clean, elegant feel and a light blue color-scheme.
Bruce | Demo | Download
Bruce has an extensive option board, clean color scheme and is based on a grid layout. There are built in sliders on the front page – such as login slider, featured posts, and a tabbed slider. It is powered by the jQuery framework.
New Yorker | Demo | Download
New Yorker is a magazine-styled theme. It features a stylish fluid three columns layout.
Early Morning | Demo | Download
Early Morning is a child theme for the WordPress theme Buddymatic. It was created by Christi Antohe.
Spyker | Demo | Download
Spyker is a car-inspired theme for BuddyPress. This theme is gray-colored with light wooden effects.
Speed | Demo | Download
Speed is a TopGear-inspired theme. It features a three column, magazine-style, fluid layout.
Detox | Demo | Download
Detox is a magazine-style theme. It has flickr support, pagenavi support, a frontpage slider, an options panel, and related posts. Recent comments are also built into the theme.
Ice Sports | Demo | Download
This is a grey/yellow-colored sports-style theme. It is fully compatible with BuddyPress 1.2.
Sophia | Demo | Download
Sophia is a child theme created by Ian Stewart for Thematic. It is an elegant, minimalist theme.
Blogcastor | Demo | Download
Blogcastor is a simple designed theme with clean lines. It is a suitable theme for someone who wants to build a social networking site. It has multiple widget options and a lot of customization options.
Malleable | Demo | Download
Malleable is a child theme for the WordPress theme, Hybrid.
Fishbook | Demo | Download
Fishbook is a Facebook-inspired BuddyPress theme created by Michael Kuhlmann.
Bleeding | Demo | Download
Bleeding is a clean and well-structured BuddyPress child theme. It is not a standalone theme and needs the bp-sn-parent theme.
Avenue K9 | Demo | Download
Avenue K9 is a bright theme based on the default BuddyPress theme framework and is created by Michael Kuhlmann.
Magazine | Demo | Download
The Magazine theme, as it’s name suggests, is a magazine-styled theme. It has common magazine theme features such as a slideshow and featured categories.
Any suggestion the one that is actually easiest to plug-and-go with? Just seamless BP integration and easy to use, the beginner’s Buddypress theme?
Why do you lie about them being free?
All of these themes were free as of the date this post was published. It’s possible that some are no longer free.
It’s also possible that most of them are bad hacks and it takes another bad hack to just change the logo 😉
Like a kid in a candy store.
Now I have too much choice of professional themes.
Awesome problem.
some really nice and decent themes noted above there. BuddyPress is easy to get use to and can be transformed into a professional looking website.
I have just had my BP installed, and I am very happy with the look and feel.
I have also installed the Janrain Social Sign Up App. They all seem to integrate nicely.
I am looking forward to this site really helping the exposure of my new novel.
Emilio
These themes suck in comparison to the buddyboss. I have just installed bp and looking around, if I find nothing I will be back to purchase 🙂
Got Error like in most of bb themes Call to undefined function ; Fatal error: Call to undefined function bloginfo()
Hi ajit, are you using the latest version of WordPress?
I need one for http://Marketians.com. Please suggest.
Will BuddyBoss ever be graphic friendly? What I mean is will there ever be an option to add background images or background image in the header, etc.? It’s an awesome theme and works perfectly – but it looks too plain.
Rick,
I’ll add this to the request list. You can add this using CSS styling, however this is a technical fix.
Nice Theme collection. Thanks for the share. Recently I have installed buddypress on my website and searching some free buddypress template. The google gives your link. I think one of the template help me to developed my site. Specially I like the 3rd template “Ines” most.
Cool. Glad it was helpful for you.
hi michael, you should check out my free bp theme also. thanks
http://www.dezzain.com/wordpress-themes/mesocolumn/
its buddypress, woocommerce, jigoshop and bbpress compatible. cheers
Very cool
first of all i must say thanx deeply from my heart. you made my work a lot easier. I just want to know that wordpress is very unsafe for security purposes, these buddypress makes your website more unsafe. isntd. whats your opinion on this issue
Glad we made your work easier. WordPress is safe. The problem is just that it’s very popular and open source, so hackers do target it. But if you just back up your database you can always roll back to a backup if anything ever happens. In many years of using WordPress only once have I had a site get hacked, and I was back up and running the same day. Keep secure passwords and make sure to keep WordPress up to date.
How to setup backups: https://www.buddyboss.com/tutorials/database-backups/
Hi, I am trying to download the Ines theme and I still haven’t found where or how to, please I require your assistance.
Also I hope this would work well with the latest Wordpress theme.
Ify, I think you may be confusing us with another theme author. We do not sell that theme. Sorry.
Hello TJ,
The Ines BuddyPress Theme is on your page,
It says it is free and I would like to download it.
Thanks
it’s just a shame they are all ugly as hell and require way to much work to get them looking good.
Nice collection of BuddyPress themes.