- Details
- Written by: Administrator
There are many totally free Joomla templates you can download and use without paying anything (for personal or business sites), including modern, responsive ones suitable for blogs, business, IT training, portfolios, etc
Β
β Totally Free Joomla Templates You Can Download
π From JoomlArt (Official Free Templates)
These are legitimately free, responsive templates that support Joomla 4 / Joomla 5:
-
JA Purity IV β Free multipurpose (business, blog, portfolio)
-
JA Stark β Business-oriented free template
-
JA Simpli β Light, clean, ideal for blogs and simple sites
-
JA Campaign β Great for promotional pages and calls to action
-
JA Purity III β Another free base template (less updated version)
π Great for beginners β official free downloads with no hidden costs.
π₯ From HotJoomlaTemplates
A large set of free Joomla templates for different site types, all available for direct download:
Examples include:
-
Hot Business β Clean business layout
-
Hot Bokeh β Full-screen responsive design
-
Hot Architecture β Business/agency style
-
Hot Restaurant, Cafe, Portfolio, Responsive Portfolio, and more
No membership or subscription required to download these free templates.
π Protostar (Joomla Default Starter Template)
-
Joomlaβs own free default template for Joomla 4/5
-
Simple, reliable, lightweight, easy to customize
-
Works great for blogs, corporate sites, portfolios
Itβs included with Joomla, and you can also download updated versions online.
π¨ Other Free Template Sources
1. TemplateFreeJoomla.com
Has older free Joomla templates in various styles that you can still download β though some may be designed for Joomla 3.x.
2. GlobbersThemes Free Templates
Hundreds of free Joomla templates you can try and use.
3. JooThemes.net βJoornalaβ Template
A free responsive Joomla 3 template based on Bootstrap that you can adapt for blogs or content sites.
βοΈ Tips When Using Free Joomla Templates
β Make Sure They Work With Your Joomla Version
-
If youβre using Joomla 4 or Joomla 5, prefer templates explicitly marked for those versions (like JA Purity IV, JA Simpli).
-
Older free templates may only support Joomla 3 β so check compatibility first.
β Responsive & Lightweight
Choose templates that are:
β Mobile-friendly
β Fast to load
β Minimal external scripts
This helps performance and SEO.
β Customization
Many free templates let you switch colors, layouts, menus, and header styles without coding.
β οΈ Be Careful With Very Old Templates
Some free templates on random download sites may be outdated or not secure β especially for older Joomla versions (2.5 / 3.x). Always prefer updated ones or those that support Joomla 4/5.
π Summary β Best Totally Free Templates
| Template | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JA Purity IV | Blog / Business / Portfolio | Updated for Joomla 4/5 β free |
| JA Simpli | Clean blog / simple site | Lightweight & responsive |
| JA Stark | Business / corporate | Free with modern layout |
| Protostar | Any purpose | Default Joomla starter template |
| Hot Business / Hot Bokeh / Others | Niche free designs | Wide variety from HotJoomlaTemplates |
Β
- Details
- Written by: Administrator
There are open-source Joomla templates, but itβs important to understand how open-source licensing works in the Joomla ecosystem
Β
π§ Open Source & Joomla Templates Explained
π Joomla Itself Is Open Source
Joomla CMS is fully open source under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which means you can use, modify, and redistribute the core code freely.
However, templates are a mix of code and non-code elements; not all parts must be GPL but many are licensed so you can use and modify them freely.
So when we talk about open-source Joomla templates, here are the categories:
β 1. Templates That Are Truly GPL / Open Source
These follow GPL or similar open-source licenses for most of their code. This means you can:
β Use them freely
β Modify them
β Distribute modified versions
Examples often include:
-
Templates from the Joomla Project itself (like Protostar)
-
Some community-created templates on the Joomla Extensions Directory (JED)
-
Templates released explicitly under GPL by developers
β οΈ Always check the license file inside the download β not all βfreeβ templates are fully GPL.
π Free & (Often) Open-Source Joomla Templates
Here are some sources where you can find free/open-source Joomla templates to download:
π§© 1. Protostar (Joomla Default)
-
Joomlaβs default starter template is open source and included with Joomla.
-
Fully modifiable.
-
Great base for building custom layouts.
π This is truly open-source as part of Joomla itself.
π§© 2. Community & Free Template Sites
These sites offer free Joomla templates β some may be GPL or freely reusable, but check the license on each download:
-
JoomlaTema Free Templates β business and multipurpose designs including Protostar and others.
-
Joomfreak β free Joomla templates from community developers (free to use & usually open source).
-
Free templates collections β sites like joothemes.net list free themes for Joomla.
-
RSJoomla! Free Templates β a few free templates from a developer (verify license on download).
β οΈ Note: Some free template sites host older templates (e.g., for Joomla 3.x) β verify compatibility with your Joomla version (4/5).
π·οΈ Quick Guide to Identifying Open Source Templates
When you download a Joomla template, check for these:
π Look for a License File
Inside the template package:
-
LICENSE.txt -
GPL.txt -
A note in the documentation
If it states GNU GPL v2 or later, then the code is open source.
π Check Template Code Files
If PHP files include a GPL header at the top, that part of the template is open source.
π Mixed License Components
Some templates are partly GPL and partly proprietary (e.g., images or CSS assets). Only the GPL-licensed code is open source β be cautious with the rest.
π οΈ Practical Recommendation
If you want fully open-source (GPL) templates:
β
Start with Protostar (Joomla default) β fully open source
β
Search the Joomla Extensions Directory (Templates category) and filter by free/Open Source
β
Look for GPL-licensed templates from community developers
This way you ensure:
β Freedom to modify
β No licensing restrictions on redistribution
β Compatibility with open-source projects
- Details
- Written by: Administrator
Using Joomla 6.x, hereβs the important truth first, then safe, realistic recommendations.
Β
β οΈ Important Reality Check: Joomla 6.x
π As of now, Joomla 6.x is very new, and:
-
Most third-party templates are NOT yet fully compatible
-
Many βfreeβ templates you see online are Joomla 3 / 4 / early 5
-
Using incompatible templates = errors, security risks, broken layouts
So for Joomla 6.x, the best and safest approach is:
β BEST OPEN-SOURCE & SAFE OPTIONS FOR JOOMLA 6.x
π₯ Option 1: Joomla Core Templates (RECOMMENDED)
πΉ Cassiopeia (Default Frontend Template)
-
β Fully open source (GPL)
-
β Official Joomla Project
-
β Guaranteed compatibility with Joomla 6.x
-
β Secure, lightweight, modern
-
β Excellent for Blog, IT Training, Documentation
π This is currently the BEST production-safe choice for Joomla 6.
πΉ Atum (Admin Template)
-
Admin backend template
-
Fully open source
-
Joomla 6 native
π‘ Many professionals build serious business, blog, and training sites on Cassiopeia by customizing it.
π₯ Option 2: Cassiopeia + Custom Child Template (Best Practice)
Instead of chasing risky templates:
-
Use Cassiopeia as base
-
Create a child template
-
Customize:
-
Colors
-
Typography
-
Layout
-
Header / Footer
-
Blog style
-
β
Still 100% open source
β
Upgrade-safe
β
Future-proof for Joomla 6 β 7
This is how enterprise & government Joomla sites do it.
π₯ Option 3: Frameworks (Use With Caution)
Some frameworks may add Joomla 6 support later, but as of now:
| Framework | Joomla 6 Status |
|---|---|
| Helix Ultimate | β οΈ Experimental / partial |
| Gantry 5 | β Not Joomla 6 ready |
| T4 / T3 | β Not recommended |
| Astroid | β οΈ Early support only |
π For production, I do NOT recommend them yet on Joomla 6.
π§ Why Cassiopeia Is Actually Powerful (Not βBasicβ)
Many think Cassiopeia is βtoo simpleβ β but thatβs a myth.
You already get:
-
Responsive layout
-
Blog & category layouts
-
Grid system
-
Accessibility (WCAG-friendly)
-
SEO-friendly markup
-
Clean HTML (great performance)
You can easily build:
-
π° Tech blog
-
π IT training site
-
π’ Corporate site
-
π Documentation / knowledge base
π οΈ Recommended Setup for Joomla 6 Blog / IT Training
Template
-
Cassiopeia (default)
Content Structure
-
Categories = Topics / Courses
-
Articles = Posts / Lessons
Styling (No Heavy Extensions)
-
Custom CSS
-
Child template overrides
-
Core Joomla layout overrides
Extensions (Joomla 6 Ready)
-
Akeeba Backup
-
Admin Tools
-
Core Joomla cache
π Security & Performance Advantage (Big One)
Using core templates means:
-
β No hidden code
-
β No abandoned developer risk
-
β Faster security patches
-
β Lower attack surface
-
β Best performance
This is very important for:
-
Training institutes
-
Blogs
-
Public-facing sites
β What I STRONGLY Recommend You Avoid on Joomla 6
β βFreeβ templates claiming Joomla 6 without proof
β Nulled or modified templates
β Joomla 3/4 templates forced into 6
β Heavy page builders not yet compatible
π Final Recommendation (Clear & Honest)
If you want:
-
Open source
-
Free
-
Secure
-
Joomla 6 compatible
-
Future-proof
π Use Cassiopeia + child template customization
This is the best professional choice today.