Before I begin this review of Thesis I have to admit to a certain degree of bias. I have, for sometime now, been utilising Genesis – a framework which I recommend most heartily and absolutely adore utilising. With this in mind I approached Thesis wondering if it could possibly live up to its own hype and Genesis… I also have an additional confessional. I haven´t bought a copy of Thesis – a client of mine, seeing my review of Genesis, and thinking he could persuade me away decided to let me have a play on his site. I was intrigued.

The Hype

The Thesis Theme framework is a premium template system for WordPress that is designed to serve as the rock-solid foundation beneath any kind of website.

Over 37,534 people rely on the airtight SEO, incredible design flexibility, and lightning-fast loading times that Thesis provides.

The hype is only equaled by its reputation and strong fan basis who swear no other framework will do for them. I know how much of a passionate advocate I have become of Genesis so, naturally, I was curious to see if this framework really was all it was meant to be.

Working with Thesis

Like Genesis the principle lesson to be learned is to stay away from the core code. Treat it like a distant friend who backs you up and strengths you, but you do not ever touch. This is because one of the strong advantages of these frameworks is they are constantly being refined and improved upon. To edit the core code would be to lose your changes during the next update. The following video, from their site, clearly introduces the way simple edits can be made to the design without actually digging in and editing any real code.

As you can see from this video a lot can be changed within this framework without any real coding knowledge – certainly a framework for any budding Designers whose knowledge of coding isn´t as strong as it could be.

If you want to take your designs a little further than the options page allows there is another alternative for you. You can opt to utilise a custom stylesheet or you can resort to the use of hooks. These hooks allow you to make your own additions to the framework  and gives you the ultimate flexibility. Granted this aspect really is for more advanced users who have knowledge of coding – although their are some plugins which simplify the process (OpenHook plugin being just one example).

Working with Thesis v Genesis

The billion dollar question. I firmly believe it comes down to your preference. I encountered the Genesis Framework first at a time when it was more in line with my budget and my expectations. I am more familiar with Genesis and I like the system of working with child themes in order to develop sites according to my own requirements. Whether it is because I have come to Thesis after using and falling in love with Genesis first or not, I don´t feel Thesis is for me yet. The options page is fabulous and makes simple customisations extremely easy – and I like the idea of adapting the design via the use of hooks… BUT I prefer the child theme configuration of Genesis.

Value for Money – Genesis v Thesis

[table style="dark" highlight="true"]
[thead]
[tr]
[th align="left"]Framework – Package[/th]
[th]Thesis – Developer[/th]
[th]Thesis – Personal[/th]
[th]Genesis – Framework Only[/th]
[th]Genesis – Pro Plus[/th]
[/tr]
[/thead]
[tbody]
[tr]
[td align="left"]No of Sites[/td]
[td]Unlimited License[/td]
[td]One Site License[/td]
[td]Unlimited Sites[/td]
[td]Unlimited Sites[/td]
[/tr]
[tr]
[td align="left"]Cost[/td]
[td]$164.00[/td]
[td]$87.00[/td]
[td]$59.95[/td]
[td]$299.95[/td]
[/tr]
[/tbody]
[/table]

Essentially Thesis has two purchase options. If you only have one site then you only need to purchase the personal option which will allow you one live website and one localized development server. If however you have multiple sites and/or are a Developer then you do need to purchase the Developer´s package at $164 – this permits you to use Thesis on an unlimted number of websites.

The advantage Genesis has over Thesis is you can simply chose to purchase the framework without child themes for just $59.95 and utilise it on any number of sites. This includes support. If you wanted you can then purchase individual child themes at $24.95 per theme or buy the framework with all themes included for $299.95

Support Options

To be entirely fair on both of these two framework promoters I cannot honestly review their support. I have no reason to utilise it. I can say both of them do offer support included with the purchase of their frameworks and reviews show they are both exceptional value for money.

The Conclusion

In the end, although I loved Thesis, I would always consider Genesis first and foremost my framework of choice. Its powerful and exceptionally easy to work with. Maybe this is because I came to this framework first in much the same way other Developer´s came to Thesis first and therefore prefer it. We often opt for the one we are more familiar with and used to manipulating to our own ends. That said Thesis is one hell of a powerful framework and I am not adverse to purchasing the Developer´s license for future projects – its ultra fast, SEO friendly and easily customisable.

If you want an exceptionally powerful framework upon which to build your own design then I would definitely recommend either of these two frameworks. The final choice of which I would say is down to your own preference – whether you prefer adapting child themes or making adjustments through options/hooks. The choice is yours! I had a very limited time with Thesis and would consider trying it again at a later date when time and finances permit! You never know, given enough time to fully learn the ropes I could become a convert…