Finding a great template for your Joomla site can be a challenge. There are tons of free Joomla templates out there, but to be honest: Most of them are junk. Finding quality free Joomla templates is important to ensure you can work smoothly with the content, modules and other extensions you want to include.
In this post I take a look at 9 high-quality free Joomla templates. Made by some of the most renowned template providers in the Joomla community.
All of these templates are made for Joomla 1.5.
As an additional bonus: If you're not sure about what commercial Joomla template provider you want to put your money in, these free Joomla templates will provide a kind of test-run to see how they build their Joomla templates. Who knows, you might end up liking their templates so much that you want the full package. I know I did :)
Here's a comparison chart for the 9 free Joomla 1.5 templates in this post:
| Free Joomla template | # of module positions | Color styles | # of columns | RTL support | Source files included | K2 support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockettheme Quasar | 60 | 6 | NA | Yes | Fireworks PNG | No |
| Rockettheme Afterburner | 18 | 8 | NA | NA | Fireworks PNG | No |
| JoomlaPraise DailyPraise | 9 | 2 | NA | NA | NA | No |
| Joomlapraise Genesis | 8 | 8 | 1 or 2 or 3 | NA | NA | No |
| Joomlapraise Demi | 15 | 13 | NA | NA | NA | No |
| Joomlapraise Praisecorp | 15 | 3 | NA | NA | NA | No |
| Joomlapraise Default | 12 | 3 | 1 or 2 or 3 | NA | NA | No |
| AdminPraise Lite | NA | 4 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Joomlapraise DailyPraise Redux | 14 | 14 | 1 or 2 or 3 | NA | Fireworks PNG | Yes |
So, without further ado, here are the 9 free Joomla 1.5 templates:
Quasar
Provider:RocketTheme
Description:
Quasar is the first Free / GPL Joomla 1.5 template released by RocketTheme to be built with the new Gantry Framework 2.0, that made its initial debut with Dominion Jan 10. With Gantry, Quasar becomes a very powerful and feature rich template, on an almost comparable level with our Club Templates, in terms of functionality.
The Gantry template framework is truly impressive. You can control the template in ways I haven't seen in any Joomla template before.
Features:
- Gantry Framework 2.0
- RTL Support
- 6 Style Variations
- SEO Optimised Layout
- Custom Typography
- CSS Dropdown Menu
- 4 Module Variations
- 60 Module Positions
- FF3.5, Opera 9.6, Safari 4, IE6,7,8 Compatible
- W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS 3 Valid
- Adobe Fireworks PNG source included
Get the free Joomla template here
Afterburner
Provider:RocketTheme
Description:
Afterburner is the fastest Joomla 1.5 template ever and is completely free. The theme balances speed and search engine optimisation with a full feature set. The template is based on the standard SEO layout used in club templates, and is therefore fully dynamic and collapsible.
One of the secrets to the speed of this template is the fact that it uses one (1!) single image file for all design elements. This is accomplished by creatively using the image file as a background image. The image is thus loaded just once in to the browser and shown in different ways. Very nicely done!
Features:
- Speed Optimisation
- SEF Optimised Layout
- Advanced Colour Selection
- Suckerfish Dropdown Menu
- 8 Preset Styles - Light / Dark Variations
- 18 Module Positions
- FF3.5, Opera 9.6, Safari 4, IE6,7,8 Compatible
- W3C XHTML 1.0 Transitional. W3C CSS 3 Valid
Get the free Joomla template here
Daily Praise News & Magazine Template
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:
Create a news or magazine website quickly and easily with this free Joomla template! Easily switch between these template themes to change the entire feel of your site, then customize to your liking.
Features:
- Nine module positions
- Two color themes
Get the free Joomla template here
Genesis
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:
Genesis is an updated version of our popular Joomla! 1.5 contest entry that we submitted almost three years ago. This free Joomla template is super simple and clean as well as upgraded to support the newest version of Joomla!
Features:
- 8 module positions
- 8 color styles
- 1, 2 or 3 columns
Get the free Joomla template here
Demi
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:
If you're a fan of clean and simple, Demi is for you! Use the Free Demi template for all of your website needs. Demi is a great free Joomla template for just about any website. From non-profit, to corporate blogs.
Features:
- 13 Color schemes
- 15 Module positions
- Choose header font, font color, link color
Get the free Joomla template here
PraiseCorp
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:If you're new to Joomla! or just want a free Joomla template that's easy to setup, PraiseCorp is for you! Easy to use and can avail various features.
Features:
- 3 Color schemes
- 15 Module positions
- Choose Custom Fixed or Fluid Width, background color etc.
Get the free Joomla template here
Default
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:
Tired of overly complex template clubs? This free Joomla template is simple and easy to customize to your liking! Consider yourself an artist and this template is your canvas.
Features:
- 12 module positions
- 3 color styles
- 1, 2 or 3 Columns
- Custom Fixed or Fluid Width - Quickly change the overall width to a pixel or percentage.
- Custom Element Module Heights - Everyone wants their module heights to match. Easily set and change the height of the Element modules.
Get the free Joomla template here
Admin Praise
Provider:TapTheme
Description:
AdminPraise features and all new Joomla! administrator layout that's optimized for the web and the iPhone! While using AdminPraise, your Joomla! site transforms when viewed from the iPhone. It also got tips for new Joomla administrators.
Features:
- 4 great color themes!
- Custom Quick Icons
- Page memory
- iPhone friendly
- New accordion menu
Get the free Joomla template here
DailyPraise Redux
Provider:JoomlaPraise
Description:
Out with the old, in with the new. DailyPraise Redux is a complete reconstruction of the old version, complete with modern design, code techniques, and compatibilities. An advanced free Joomla template you can enjoy for a long time.
DailyPraise Redux is designed for the K2 CCK component from JoomlaWorks.
Features:
- K2 CCK Compatibility
- 14 Color Combinations (2 themes and 7 menu colors)
- Light or Dark Themes
- Includes Adobe Fireworks Layered Artwork
- 14 module positions
- 960 Grid Layout
- 1-3 Column Layouts
- Collapsible Modules
Get the free Joomla template here
So, that was 9 completely free Joomla templates for you!
