Yup, another theme shop has seen their doors swing wide open and long sighs could be heard all across the WordPress land as competitors and consultants users begin wondering if this is yet another copycat or a fierce and growing competitor.
Authentic Themes, launched by AJ Clarke who is also part of WP Explorer, shared his thoughts on an announce post including some of the introductory pricing:
Packed with WordPress awesomeness, this theme subscription site is priced to please. Starting at just $40 per year, this bundle is super affordable and includes a solid mix of 100% GPL WordPress themes for any end user or designer. Why the low price? In the blog, it’s explained that, “we want people to use and enjoy our products.” So let’s dig into what you get with your membership, see what you can get for free and of course enjoy!
$40 per year? Sure, it won’t put a dent into your pocket, that’s for sure. Let’s take a gander at their lineup, shall we?
With over 20 themes to choose from right out of the gate (20 paid, 2 free) they’ve got what appears to cover the major base of users and site types, including themes for bloggers, businesses, magazines, photography blogs/sites, and portfolio.
My initial reaction to the offering was that I didn’t see anything extra-ordinary, or in other words, some radical implementation or design that struck me, but I did like how most of them appears slightly minimalistic and “clean” – clutter free perhaps.
I’m not sure if that’s in alignment with “authenticity” but they don’t look bad at all – in fact, I eyed one that I thought I’d like to try soon for starters.
Pricing is neat in that you can get access for $40 starting but that’s a yearly fee. They have a larger tier that’s “lifetime” for a one-time fee that’ll give you access forever. Now that could be attractive, especially if they keep developing and releasing more themes consistently.
They have an existing affiliate program and their knowledgebase is already setup and ready to be used for inquiring developers and designers.
Overall, what a classy presentation and I hope that they will find success in their new venture. Is it “yet another theme shop?” Time will ultimately tell it looks potentially promising!
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