BlogArise

I used the free version of BlogArise for a few months and liked it. I then purchased the pro version and like it even more. Besides the fact that it’s an attractive theme, the customer support has been first rate. I have had several issues, and they get back to me overnight with the response. I really like that aspect. I would tell anyone who is looking for a well put together and attractive theme and an organization that stands behind it to go with BlogArise. UPDATE: The customer service continues to be very good and the theme is performing well.

• This topic was modified 1 month ago by threadi.
• This topic was modified 1 week ago by carlwein. Reason: update

Really impressed with this theme so far, I will play with it for a while but I am already thinking of upgrading.

I’ve been using this theme for a couple of weeks now. I really like it, it works great for my site, which is basically a glorified blog.

I like the overall layout and design of this theme. I switched over from Blog Magazine, which seems to have been abandoned by its developer. BlogArise feels and looks (imo) like a sleeker, cleaner version of Blog Magazine. I had to make a bunch of my own modifications to Blog Magazine to make it meet my needs, but with BlogArise I only had to make minimal changes, mostly with superficial things like color. The customization options in the free version are pretty good, and from I understand the Pro version has even more options.

The layout is clean without coming across as too professional, which is a good thing. Many of the similar WordPress templates I looked at came across as stiff, sterile, and uptight, like I was looking at a lawyer’s blog or something. BlogArise has the look and feel of a blogger who doesn’t take themselves too seriously and just wants you to enjoy the content. It looks “fun”, for lack of a better word. The developer also has several other themes that are similar to BlogArise but with some differences in appearance, and those looked pretty nice too. My second choice after BlogArise would have been Blogus, which while it looks slightly less “fun” also doesn’t look too sterile and uptight. I’d recommend it if you find BlogArise too festive for your needs.

I also liked the news ticker at the top. I ended up not using it for my own site, but others will definitely find it useful. I almost feel bad for not using it, and I may try to find a use for it in the future.

I did come across a few issues using the theme, but they were minor and easily fixable on my end. I see it’s still relatively new, just over 6 months old. It has the potential to become a powerful and indispensable addition to the ever-growing catalog of WordPress themes, and I look forward to seeing what the devs do with it going forward.

UPDATE 1/20/25: I’ve amended my review from 5 stars to 3. Why? Because the devs didn’t bother to reply to or even acknowledge any of my support requests.

In the last year, I made three different posts asking for assistance with issues:

https://wordpress.org/support/topic/changing-the-color-scheme/

https://wordpress.org/support/topic/feedback-and-possible-bugs/

https://wordpress.org/support/topic/responsive-images-not-working-3/

I’ll give them a pass on the first one, since, while it would have been polite of them to answer, it’s not up to them to teach me how to code WordPress.

However, the responsive image and video bugs in the second thread still persist to this day, over a year later. Zero acknowledgement from the devs on any of them. I even made another post a couple of weeks ago, and that too was ignored. I ended up turning to Reddit for help, and the fixes are absurdly simple, so I’m not sure why the devs haven’t bothered to patch them on their end a year later. Interestingly enough, a new version is released every single week like clockwork, with trivial fixes that are either minor back-end stuff or vague “styling issues” that are unnoticeable.

It’s pretty apparent that the “Themeansar” devs don’t really care about their users. I originally considered buying the pro version to support them devs, but I’m glad I didn’t, because why the hell would I support a dev who doesn’t provide their user with basic acknowledgement, let alone support?

I still stand by what I said about this being a decent template, but be prepared to have to fix the dev’s mistakes yourself, because they aren’t going to even acknowledge your requests for assistance.

• This topic was modified 1 year, 2 months ago by angryjerknxc. Reason: Updated review after a year of use

Excellent retro style theme, I liked it very much. Contacted support for assistance, and they were nice enough to reply fast enough. Kudos to the developers.

I had some issues with the free version of the theme and I contacted the support team. The answers were precise, fast and very polite. Thank you!