Creating websites in languages that read right to left can be tricky without the proper WordPress theme support. RTL (right to left) languages include Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu, and more.
In this comprehensive guide, we will share the 21 best WordPress themes with RTL support to help you build the perfect website.
Contents
- What is RTL and Which Languages Read Right to Left?
- Why You Need an RTL WordPress Theme
- How to Choose the Best RTL WordPress Themes
- 1. Astra
- 2. Divi
- 3. OceanWP
- 4. Neve
- 5. Astra Pro
- 6. GeneratePress
- 7. Newspaper
- 8. PopularFX
- 9. Jupiter X
- 10. Schema
- 11. Sydney
- 12. Astra Child Theme
- 13. Genesis
- 14. Sahifa
- 15. NX
- 16. Shapely
- 17. Flatsome
- 18. Orfeo
- 19. Education Base
- 20. voiced
- 21. Bricks
What is RTL and Which Languages Read Right to Left?
RTL stands for right to left and refers to languages that are written and read in a right to left direction. This is opposite to left to right (LTR) languages like English that read left to right horizontally.
Some of the most common RTL languages are:
- Arabic
- Hebrew
- Farsi (Persian)
- Urdu
- Syriac
- Thaana (Dhivehi)
- N‘ko
- Yiddish
When creating a website in these RTL languages, you need a WordPress theme that can adapt and display the text, menus, widgets etc properly right to left.
Why You Need an RTL WordPress Theme
Using a regular left to right WordPress theme will create issues when using RTL languages. Here are some problems you may face:
- Menus and text will still display left to right leading to a poor user experience.
- Layouts will be reversed with sidebars on the wrong side.
- Text alignment and justification will be incorrect.
- Images and embedded videos will not flip automatically.
This is why it is important to use a dedicated RTL WordPress theme for right to left languages. The theme will take care of flipping the site layout and displaying all the elements properly right to left.
Some RTL themes also come with integrated translation tools and multilingual support. This allows you to create a website with multiple language versions including English and RTL languages.
How to Choose the Best RTL WordPress Themes
When selecting an RTL WordPress theme, here are some important factors to consider:
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Dedicated RTL Support: The theme should explicitly mention RTL layout capability and right to left language support.
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Responsive Design: Pick a responsive theme that adapts to mobile devices. This ensures your site looks great on all smartphones and tablets.
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Translation Ready: Themes that are translation ready allow you to release multilingual sites more easily.
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SEO Optimized: Choose a theme that follows WordPress SEO best practices to improve search visibility.
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Page Builders: Opt for themes that integrate with page builders like Elementor for drag and drop customization.
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Support and Documentation: Themes with good support and docs make it easier to resolve issues.
Keeping these criteria in mind will help you find the perfect theme for your RTL website.
Next, let‘s take a look at the 21 best WordPress themes with RTL support.
1. Astra
Astra is one of the most beginner-friendly free WordPress themes. It comes with an easy-to-use page builder and hundreds of customizable design options.
The Astra theme has dedicated support for RTL layout. It also works seamlessly with multilingual plugins to create translated versions of your site.
Some key features include:
- Drag and drop page builder integration
- Responsive mobile-friendly design
- Custom layouts and colors
- Translation ready with WPML and Polylang support
- Fast performing and SEO optimized
- Detailed documentation
Astra is the perfect solution to launch your RTL website quickly and easily.
2. Divi
Divi is a popular premium WordPress theme by Elegant Themes. It is packed with features and comes with the powerful Divi page builder for unlimited customization options.
Divi has built-in RTL language support and works great for building websites in right to left languages.
Some notable features:
- Visual page builder with drag and drop editing
- 100+ layout packs and over 800 premade templates
- RTL layout support and translation ready
- Responsive design suitable for blogs, businesses, and online stores
- Custom colors, fonts, and design elements
- Built-in split testing
- Good technical support
With Divi, you can create beautiful RTL websites for any niche without coding.
3. OceanWP
OceanWP is a fast, lightweight, and customizable WordPress theme. It has a free core version along with premium addons and demos.
For RTL sites, OceanWP enables you to convert the default LTR layout into a right to left layout with a single click. It also works nicely with multilingual plugins.
Why OceanWP is a great choice:
- Lightning fast performance
- RTL layout switcher
- Translation ready and multilingual
- 100+ free and premium starter sites
- Drag and drop Elementor builder integration
- SEO optimized codebase
- Active development and support
OceanWP is the perfect free theme if you want a fast RTL website.
4. Neve
Neve is a trendy multi-purpose WordPress theme developed by ThemeIsle. It comes with a drag and drop frontend page builder for flexibility.
The Neve theme has built-in RTL support and also integrates with WPML for multilingual sites.
Here are some notable features:
- RTL language support
- Neve frontend page builder
- Responsive and fast performing
- Translation ready and WPML compatible
- Customizable header, footer, and layout
- 7 starter sites and demos
- Active community support forum
Neve is a great freemium theme choice for RTL blogs and business sites.
5. Astra Pro
Astra Pro is the premium version of Astra with advanced features and customization options. It retains all the RTL and translation capabilities of Astra while adding superior design controls.
Some benefits of upgrading to Astra Pro:
- More header, footer, and layout options
- Scroll triggered animations
- Advanced WooCommerce integrations
- Extra Elementor widgets and templates
- Access to all starter sites
- Priority support
Astra Pro is the best premium theme for RTL websites.
6. GeneratePress
GeneratePress is a super fast and lightweight WordPress theme optimized for speed and performance. It fully supports RTL layouts and translations.
Key features include:
- Super fast page speeds
- RTL and translation support
- Responsive mobile-friendly design
- Customize colors, fonts, layouts
- 100+ Elementor templates
- Works with all page builders
- SEO optimized code
GeneratePress is the perfect no-frills theme if you want a speedy RTL site.
7. Newspaper
Newspaper is a popular magazine style WordPress theme by TagDiv with RTL support. It comes with an easy-to-use visual theme options panel for customizations.
Some key highlights:
- Multilingual RTL support
- Drag and drop theme options panel
- Multiple unique demos and layouts
- Integrated with Elementor page builder
- Trending posts widgets
- Social sharing options
- Works for news, newspaper, magazine and review sites
Newspaper is the best RTL theme for online magazines and publications.
8. PopularFX
PopularFX is a modern multi-purpose WordPress theme suitable for all types of websites. It comes with RTL support and translation integration.
Notable features:
- One-click RTL layout
- Translation ready and WPML compatible
- Drag and drop ThemeLit page builder
- Header and footer builder
- 8 unique demos with 1-click import
- Fast and lightweight
- SEO optimized and responsive
PopularFX is a great RTL-ready alternative for creating modern websites.
9. Jupiter X
Jupiter X is a premium WordPress theme for businesses and online stores. It is powered by a visual page builder and works nicely for RTL sites.
Here are some of the key features:
- Dedicated RTL layout support
- Artbees page builder + templates
- WooCommerce ready
- Translation ready and WPML compatible
- Custom header, footer, colors
- 500+ template library
- Fast and responsive
Jupiter X is the perfect RTL theme for business and eCommerce websites.
10. Schema
Schema is a fast free WordPress theme optimized for speed and performance. It has built-in support for RTL layouts and multilingual translations.
Some of its features:
- RTL layout support
- Translation ready
- Ultra-fast page load time
- Lightweight and optimized
- Responsive design
- Elementor page builder integration
- Customizable colors and fonts
Schema is a great free choice for lean and fast RTL sites.
11. Sydney
Sydney is a versatile WordPress theme suited for blogs and businesses. It comes with multiple header, footer, and layout options to customize your site design.
For RTL sites, Sydney has dedicated support for right to left languages and translations.
Key features:
- Built-in RTL support
- Translation ready
- Custom page layouts
- Multiple header and footer designs
-Drag and drop customizer options - Responsive mobile layouts
- Demo content available
Sydney is an affordable premium theme for RTL sites of any kind.
12. Astra Child Theme
Instead of changing the main Astra theme files, you can use a child theme for customizations. This allows you to update the parent theme without losing changes.
Some advantages of using Astra child themes:
- Make design changes safely
- Add custom RTL stylesheets
- Override parent theme templates
- Develop custom features and code
- Protect customizations when updating Astra
Using child themes is a WordPress best practice, especially for RTL sites using the Astra theme.
13. Genesis
Genesis is a popular WordPress parent theme framework that powers over 300k websites. It offers RTL support in all its child themes available in the StudioPress theme store.
Some key aspects:
- Hundreds of RTL-ready child themes
- Translation support via WPML
- Responsive and accessible design
- SEO focused codebase
- Sturdy security
- Polished templates and layouts
- Page builder integration
With Genesis and StudioPress themes you can pick from a wide range of RTL-supported designs.
14. Sahifa
Sahifa is a responsive WordPress blog theme with grid-based layouts. It has support for RTL languages and integrates with popular translation plugins.
Why it‘s a good fit for RTL sites:
- Built-in RTL support
- Translation ready
- Minimalist blog design
- Custom menus and widgets
- Featured posts carousel
- Social icons menu
- Affordable pricing
- Active development
Sahifa is a great budget-friendly option for personal RTL blogs.
15. NX
NX is a modern multipurpose WordPress theme suitable for business and eCommerce sites. It comes with RTL support out of the box.
Some notable features:
- RTL layout support
- WooCommerce integration
- Elementor page builder
- Header and footer builder
- 800+ font icon choices
- Custom widgets
- Demos available
- Developer API
NX offers a beautiful theme with RTL support for business websites.
16. Shapely
Shapely is a popular free WordPress blog and magazine theme. It has built-in options to switch the layout direction from LTR to a right to left RTL layout.
Here‘s an overview:
- One-click RTL layout switcher
- Translation ready
- Blogging and magazine design
- Featured posts slider
- Custom colors and fonts
- Social media icons
- Widgetized footer
- SEO optimized
Shapely is a great free choice for RTL blogging and magazine sites.
17. Flatsome
Flatsome is a top-rated WordPress WooCommerce theme built for online stores and retailers. It comes with RTL support for right to left languages.
Some useful features:
- Dedicated RTL layout
- WooCommerce ready
- Advanced marketing tools and options
- Beautiful products showcasing
- 500+ template pages
- Fast loading performance
- Top-notch support
Flatsome is perfect for launching eCommerce stores in RTL languages.
18. Orfeo
Orfeo is a clean and minimal WordPress blog theme that supports RTL layouts. It has a beautiful masonry grid-based post layout perfect for photographers and artists.
Key highlights:
- RTL language support
- Masonry grid blog layout
- Minimalist design
- Featured posts carousel
- Social links menu
- Affordable pricing
- Easy customization
Orfeo is a great choice for creatives looking for a minimal RTL blogging theme.
19. Education Base
Education Base is a WordPress LMS theme for online courses and coaching sites. It comes with RTL layout support and translation integration.
Here‘s an overview:
- RTL layout support
- Course builder and LMS plugins included
- Teacher profiles and student dashboards
- 6 premade demos
- WooCommerce integration
- BuddyPress and forums supported
- Secured code and regular updates
Education Base is the perfect RTL theme for online learning portals.
20. voiced
voiced is a modern WordPress theme for podcasters and online radio shows. It offers dedicated RTL support for right to left languages.
Some useful features:
- Built-in RTL support
- Podcasting and audio focus
- Show hosts profiles
- Guests and episodes custom post types
- Subscribe and share options
- Custom audio player
- SEO enhanced schema markup
- Template overrides possible
voiced is great for building RTL podcasting websites.
21. Bricks
Bricks is a modular WordPress theme built with Page Builder Framework. It works nicely for developing RTL websites.
Here‘s an overview of the features:
- Dedicated RTL support
- Modular system
- 200+ Elementor templates
- Header, content, footer builder
- 8 ready templates
- Custom widgets
- WooCommerce ready
- Fast and developer-friendly
Bricks offers a flexible toolkit for designing RTL sites with Elementor.
So these are some of the best WordPress themes you can use to create websites in RTL languages like Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, Urdu, etc.
All these themes are designed to seamlessly adapt to right to left layouts and text alignment. They make it easy to build RTL websites with no coding required.
We hope this detailed guide will help you pick the perfect theme to launch your next RTL website or blog!
