6 Free Parallax WordPress Themes

WordPress themes are one of the key reasons that this content management system is so popular. With HTML5 and CSS3 becoming the gold standard of web design, responsive themes have become the best option for website owners wanting pages that really stand out on a visual level. Also, with improvements to these themes come improvements in how content is viewed, and nowhere is this more evident than when a site uses parallax scrolling.

So what is parallax? This is where a website gives the visitor a great deal of depth from a single page. This is achieved by having background images scroll more slowly than content in the foreground. This same technique is used in video games to allow players to become more immersed in the digital environment. Below are some great examples of themes that incorporate parallax elements for a more modern WordPress look:

1. Moesia

The standout with this theme is that the front page is broken into “blocks” and each block can have it’s own parallax background. This is perfect if you have a number of services, products or other information you want to show in a single page, providing a very clean, corporate look. The great thing is that you can try this theme out with a basic version or purchase the pro version for only $30.00.

2. OneEngine

This is a multipurpose WordPress theme that fits all of your important information onto one page. While this has many similarities to Moesia, it is 100% free. So this is perfect for updating your website design with a parallax enabled theme if you aren’t quite ready to try a paid theme.

3. Bootstrap Parallax

Built on the popular Twitter Bootstrap framework, this WordPress theme demonstrates the layering that is possible with parallax scrolling, and is actually a little better than OneEngine or Moesia. This is again a free theme without the need to purchase a full licence.

4. Aldehyde

Another WordPress theme built on the Twitter Bootstrap framework, Aldehyde comes with a responsive slider. It is best suited for use on WordPress blogs or online magazines rather than for business or ecommerce websites.

5. Parallax (Cyber Chimps)

A lovely clean design that incorporates a parallax scrolling option for the home page, this WordPress theme is a good starting point. While Cyberchimps does offer paid alternatives, their free parallax theme has a lot of options already built in.

6. Radiate

A beautiful design for a professional looking blog without the price tag, Radiate comes with a selection of primary colours to choose from, as well as that all important custom CSS for when you want to tweak a few things to make it your own.

All of these themes can be downloaded and tested for free, so they are great starting points when you are thinking about using parallax scrolling for your next website design.

6 Free Parallax WordPress Themes