The 10 best news and magazine WordPress themes on ThemeForest in 2026
Newspaper leads our ranking of ThemeForest news and magazine themes at 93.9, ahead of JNews (86.6) and SmartMag (82.9), on sales, ratings, updates and momentum.
Newspaper is the best news and magazine theme on ThemeForest by our numbers, with 93.9 out of 100. JNews is second on 86.6, SmartMag third on 82.9, and Soledad close behind on 82.4. What decided it: Newspaper has 157,608 lifetime sales, more than twice the next theme (Soledad, 60,469), it was updated 23 days before we pulled the data, and it is on both of Envato’s sitewide bestseller lists.
Every theme here is a paid theme sold on ThemeForest, Envato’s marketplace. If you want a free theme, read our list of the best free WordPress blog themes.
Short answer: For most news and magazine sites, pick Newspaper (93.9). To charge readers, JNews (86.6), which lists a paywall. For one theme that also covers a blog and a shop, Soledad (82.4). For viral lists and quizzes, BoomBox (54.3). On a budget, Newsmag (63.5) at $49.
Last updated: 15 October 2026. We re-run the numbers every month.
The top 10 at a glance
| # | Theme | Score | Lifetime sales | Rating (count) | Last update | Bestseller lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newspaper | 93.9 | 157,608 | 4.8 (8,013) | 22 September 2026 | Week + 3 months |
| 2 | JNews | 86.6 | 30,079 | 4.83 (1,005) | 14 October 2026 | Week + 3 months |
| 3 | SmartMag | 82.9 | 22,252 | 4.77 (955) | 22 September 2026 | Week + 3 months |
| 4 | Soledad | 82.4 | 60,469 | 4.87 (1,392) | 29 September 2026 | 3 months only |
| 5 | Foxiz | 78.6 | 8,762 | 4.87 (309) | 13 September 2026 | Week + 3 months |
| 6 | Jannah | 75.4 | 25,896 | 4.79 (1,941) | 12 April 2026 | Week + 3 months |
| 7 | Newsmag | 63.5 | 20,041 | 4.81 (1,288) | 25 September 2026 | Neither |
| 8 | BoomBox | 54.3 | 6,842 | 4.75 (510) | 13 October 2026 | Neither |
| 9 | The Fox | 54.2 | 6,579 | 4.78 (226) | 6 October 2026 | Neither |
| 10 | Pixwell | 54.0 | 5,902 | 4.85 (295) | 20 August 2026 | Neither |
How we scored them
We did not install these themes, so there are no lab numbers here. The score uses only Envato’s own public numbers for each item, in four parts out of 100:
- Adoption, 30 points: lifetime sales on a log scale. 1,000 sales scores 0; 100,000 or more scores the full 30.
- Satisfaction, 30 points: the star rating blended with 50 imaginary votes at 4.5, so an average from a few hundred ratings counts for less than one from thousands. A blended 4.0 scores 0, 5.0 scores 30.
- Maintenance, 20 points: an update in the last 30 days scores the full 20, sliding to 0 at 365 days, the same rule as our free-theme and plugin lists.
- Momentum, 20 points: 10 for each of Envato’s two sitewide bestseller lists the theme is on, one for the last week and one for the last 3 months.
The pool is Envato’s News/Editorial category, plus blog and magazine themes whose name says News or Newspaper, with at least 1,000 lifetime sales. That gave us 72 themes. A theme with no update in 365 days is out of the running: 23 are out, which leaves 49 ranked.
Each bestseller list shows only about 55 best sellers across all of ThemeForest, so a theme off both lists can still sell steadily; it just scores 0 on momentum. The full method is on how we rank.
1. Newspaper, 93.9
Newspaper – News & WooCommerce WordPress Theme is built for news, magazine and blog sites. Its ThemeForest page lists a front-end page builder, a cloud library of pre-made post and page templates, AMP, a review system, WooCommerce, bbPress and BuddyPress integration, and ads that can be inserted after a set number of paragraphs.
It has 157,608 lifetime sales, the most in the pool by far, and a 4.8 rating from 8,013 ratings. It was updated on 22 September 2026, 23 days before our pull, and it is on both bestseller lists (45 sales last week, 817 in the last 3 months). That is full marks on adoption, maintenance and momentum.
Who it suits: owners who want the most-bought theme in the category. Limitation: its satisfaction score, 23.9 of 30, trails five other themes in the top 10. Listed at $59 on ThemeForest on 15 October 2026.
2. JNews, 86.6
JNews – WordPress Newspaper Magazine Blog SEO Theme calls itself an all-in-one publishing theme. Its page lists 150+ homepage demos, a header builder, WPBakery and Elementor support, AMP and Facebook Instant Articles, paid post submission, and a paywall with paid content subscriptions.
It has 30,079 lifetime sales and a 4.83 rating from 1,005 ratings. Its update on 14 October 2026, one day before our pull, is the most recent in the top 10, and it is on both bestseller lists (11 last week, 260 in 3 months).
Who it suits: publishers who plan to charge readers. Limitation: adoption. At 30,079 sales it scores 22.2 of 30, 7.8 points behind Newspaper, more than the 7.3 points between their final scores. Listed at $59 on 15 October 2026.
3. SmartMag, 82.9
SmartMag – Newspaper Magazine & News WordPress targets magazines, newspapers, blogs and review sites. Its page lists 64+ demos, Elementor support, an archive builder for category and tag pages, dark mode, and a review system with percent, point and star ratings.
It has 22,252 lifetime sales and a 4.77 rating from 955 ratings. It was updated on 22 September 2026 and is on both bestseller lists (10 last week, 144 in 3 months).
Who it suits: review and tech sites. Limitation: 4.77 is the second-lowest rating in the top 10, and 144 sales in 3 months is the fewest of the five themes on both lists. Listed at $69 on 15 October 2026.
4. Soledad, 82.4
Soledad – Multipurpose, Newspaper, Blog & WooCommerce WordPress Theme is the broadest theme here: its page lists 6000+ homepage demos, Elementor and WPBakery support, header, footer, post and archive builders, a paywall, front-end post submission and a live blog plugin. Envato files it under personal blogs; it is in our pool because its name says Newspaper.
It has 60,469 lifetime sales, second only to Newspaper, and a 4.87 rating from 1,392 ratings, worth 25.7 of 30 on satisfaction, the best in the top 10. It was updated on 29 September 2026.
Limitation: it is on the 3-month bestseller list (227 sales) but not the last-week list, so it took 10 of 20 momentum points, which is why it sits 0.5 behind SmartMag. Who it suits: owners who want one theme for a blog, a shop and a news section. Listed at $59 on 15 October 2026.
5. Foxiz, 78.6
Foxiz – Newspaper News & Magazine WordPress is a mobile-first news, magazine and blog theme. Its page lists a front-end builder, dark mode, AMP, Web Stories, a paywall, podcast support, built-in schema, and settings that control each element separately on desktop, tablet and mobile.
Released on 29 March 2022, it is the youngest theme in the top 10, yet it is on both bestseller lists (11 last week, 242 in 3 months), close to JNews. Its 4.87 from 309 ratings ties Soledad for the best average here. It was updated on 13 September 2026, 32 days before our pull, which costs it 0.1 point.
Limitation: 8,762 lifetime sales, far fewer than the leaders, so 14.1 of 30 on adoption. Who it suits: news sites that care most about the mobile layout. Listed at $59 on 15 October 2026.
6. Jannah, 75.4
Jannah – Newspaper Magazine News BuddyPress WordPress Theme covers news and magazine sites with one-click demos, AJAX mega menus, light and dark skins, AMP, article and review schema, BuddyPress and bbPress integration, and web-based push notifications.
It has 25,896 lifetime sales and a 4.79 rating from 1,941 ratings, the second-largest rating base in the top 10. It is on both bestseller lists (10 last week, 253 in 3 months).
Limitation: its last update was on 12 April 2026, 186 days before our pull. That cuts maintenance to 10.7 of 20 and puts it below Foxiz despite nearly three times the sales. Who it suits: community news sites that want BuddyPress integration; check for a newer update before buying. Listed at $69 on 15 October 2026.
7. Newsmag, 63.5
Newsmag – Newspaper & Magazine WordPress Theme is a news and magazine theme with a front-end drag and drop builder made for publishing. Its page lists 14+ pre-built websites, AMP, a rating system, extra widgets (weather, social counter, newsletter) and responsive AdSense support.
It has 20,041 lifetime sales, a 4.81 rating from 1,288 ratings and an update on 25 September 2026. It scores 24.0 of 30 on satisfaction, above Newspaper’s 23.9.
Limitation: it is on neither bestseller list, so 0 of 20 on momentum. On the other three parts it scores 63.5, ahead of Jannah’s 55.4; momentum alone keeps it 7th. Who it suits: buyers on a budget. Listed at $49 on 15 October 2026, the lowest price in the top 10.
8. BoomBox, 54.3
BoomBox – Viral Magazine WordPress Theme is built for viral content: listicles, polls, quizzes, reactions and up/down voting, with trending, hot and popular rankings. A front-end uploader lets readers submit posts, and its page lists ad slots across post lists, sidebars and articles.
It has 6,842 lifetime sales and a 4.75 rating from 510 ratings. It was updated on 13 October 2026, two days before our pull, and is on neither bestseller list.
Limitation: 4.75 is the lowest rating in the top 10, worth 21.8 of 30. Who it suits: sites built on lists, quizzes and reader submissions rather than straight news. Listed at $59 on 15 October 2026.
9. The Fox, 54.2
Disclosure: one of our editors has a commercial relationship with this theme’s developer. It is scored on the same numbers as the rest.
The Fox – Minimal Magazine WordPress Theme for News & Blogs is for online magazines, news sites, newspapers and blogs. Its page lists 37 demos that import in one click, a built-in page builder and header builder (Elementor supported, not required), 7 single-post layouts, dark mode, a live-blog mode for breaking news and review posts with scores.
It has 6,579 lifetime sales and a 4.78 rating from 226 ratings. It was updated on 6 October 2026, nine days before our pull, and is on neither bestseller list.
Limitation: 226 ratings is the smallest rating base in the top 10, so the blend pulls it to 21.9 of 30 on satisfaction, 0.1 above BoomBox, whose average is lower at 4.75. Who it suits: editors who want a minimal magazine layout without a page builder plugin. Listed at $69 on 15 October 2026, joint highest in the top 10 with SmartMag and Jannah.
10. Pixwell, 54.0
Pixwell – Magazine WordPress is a magazine and blog theme with prebuilt sites for many niches, from recipes and technology to deals, local news and podcasts. Its page lists its own composer plus Elementor support, dark mode, AMP and schema for breadcrumbs and the site links search box.
It has 5,902 lifetime sales and a 4.85 rating from 295 ratings, worth 24.0 of 30, the same as Newsmag with 1,288 ratings. It was updated on 20 August 2026 and is on neither bestseller list.
Limitation: that update was 56 days before our pull, the oldest in the top 10 after Jannah (18.4 of 20 on maintenance), and its 5,902 sales are the fewest in the top 10. Who it suits: niche magazines and review or deal blogs. Listed at $59 on 15 October 2026.
Ranks 8 to 10 are effectively tied
BoomBox (54.3), The Fox (54.2) and Pixwell (54.0) are within 0.3 points of each other, too close to call. None is on a bestseller list, so pick on what each is built for:
- BoomBox: the most sales (6,842), the most ratings (510) and the newest update (13 October 2026). A viral-content theme, the odd one out for straight news.
- The Fox: a minimal magazine and news theme with its own page and header builder, updated 6 October 2026. $69 against $59 for the other two, and the fewest ratings (226).
- Pixwell: the best average (4.85 from 295 ratings) and niche demos from recipes to deals and podcasts, but the oldest update (20 August 2026) and the fewest sales (5,902).
Every theme we scored
| # | Theme | Score | Lifetime sales | Rating (count) | Last update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newspaper | 93.9 | 157,608 | 4.8 (8,013) | 22 September 2026 |
| 2 | JNews | 86.6 | 30,079 | 4.83 (1,005) | 14 October 2026 |
| 3 | SmartMag | 82.9 | 22,252 | 4.77 (955) | 22 September 2026 |
| 4 | Soledad | 82.4 | 60,469 | 4.87 (1,392) | 29 September 2026 |
| 5 | Foxiz | 78.6 | 8,762 | 4.87 (309) | 13 September 2026 |
| 6 | Jannah | 75.4 | 25,896 | 4.79 (1,941) | 12 April 2026 |
| 7 | Newsmag | 63.5 | 20,041 | 4.81 (1,288) | 25 September 2026 |
| 8 | BoomBox | 54.3 | 6,842 | 4.75 (510) | 13 October 2026 |
| 9 | The Fox | 54.2 | 6,579 | 4.78 (226) | 6 October 2026 |
| 10 | Pixwell | 54.0 | 5,902 | 4.85 (295) | 20 August 2026 |
| 11 | Sahifa | 46.8 | 29,936 | 4.78 (4,463) | 7 November 2025 |
| 12 | Mercury | 46.8 | 6,156 | 4.79 (201) | 21 May 2026 |
| 13 | Zeen | 46.7 | 5,824 | 4.85 (373) | 15 April 2026 |
| 14 | PenNews | 46.5 | 4,981 | 4.79 (198) | 9 June 2026 |
| 15 | Digiqole | 45.3 | 3,638 | 4.58 (172) | 24 September 2026 |
| 16 | Newsblock | 44.8 | 2,287 | 4.87 (52) | 24 August 2026 |
| 17 | The Voux | 44.5 | 8,774 | 4.34 (306) | 7 September 2026 |
| 18 | Valenti | 44.3 | 10,595 | 4.8 (926) | 14 January 2026 |
| 19 | Kicker | 44.1 | 3,181 | 4.8 (86) | 9 July 2026 |
| 20 | World Wide | 42.6 | 1,860 | 4.65 (188) | 13 October 2026 |
| 21 | The Issue | 42.6 | 3,722 | 4.5 (126) | 29 August 2026 |
| 22 | Neeon | 42.2 | 2,951 | 4.7 (90) | 15 July 2026 |
| 23 | Pressroom | 40.7 | 1,369 | 4.69 (108) | 12 September 2026 |
| 24 | Bangkok Press | 40.6 | 2,357 | 4.5 (315) | 13 October 2026 |
| 25 | Networker | 40.6 | 1,470 | 4.81 (36) | 1 September 2026 |
| 26 | Papr | 40.4 | 1,506 | 4.76 (62) | 19 August 2026 |
| 27 | Blabber | 40.3 | 1,376 | 4.76 (34) | 15 October 2026 |
| 28 | GoodLife | 38.5 | 3,046 | 4.49 (156) | 16 July 2026 |
| 29 | Mow | 38.2 | 2,170 | 4.67 (87) | 23 June 2026 |
| 30 | FlatNews | 37.8 | 1,051 | 4.77 (61) | 12 August 2026 |
| 31 | Blogar | 36.1 | 1,268 | 4.83 (40) | 26 June 2026 |
| 32 | InHype | 35.9 | 1,241 | 4.95 (43) | 25 May 2026 |
| 33 | Gillion | 35.8 | 4,498 | 4.62 (121) | 6 March 2026 |
| 34 | Benqu | 35.4 | 2,149 | 4.32 (97) | 29 August 2026 |
| 35 | Newsy | 34.2 | 1,138 | 4.57 (44) | 3 August 2026 |
| 36 | Viseo | 33.6 | 1,331 | 4.37 (27) | 14 August 2026 |
| 37 | Saxon | 33.0 | 1,067 | 4.77 (56) | 25 May 2026 |
| 38 | MagOne | 32.8 | 1,294 | 4.88 (104) | 4 March 2026 |
| 39 | Woohoo | 31.9 | 1,068 | 4.73 (85) | 7 May 2026 |
| 40 | Read and Digest | 30.3 | 1,086 | 4.76 (38) | 24 April 2026 |
| 41 | Gloria | 29.6 | 1,322 | 4.68 (111) | 16 March 2026 |
| 42 | NanoMag | 27.9 | 1,025 | 4.52 (66) | 11 May 2026 |
| 43 | The Newspaper | 26.9 | 1,023 | 4.12 (17) | 18 June 2026 |
| 44 | Qoxag | 25.6 | 1,112 | 3.93 (41) | 6 August 2026 |
| 45 | Grand Magazine | 22.7 | 1,134 | 4.69 (58) | 17 December 2025 |
| 46 | Grand News | 21.8 | 1,685 | 4.47 (75) | 19 December 2025 |
| 47 | Vinkmag | 21.3 | 2,090 | 4.54 (69) | 29 October 2025 |
| 48 | Wikilogy | 20.3 | 1,139 | 4.03 (62) | 9 May 2026 |
| 49 | Coinflip | 19.3 | 1,292 | 4.44 (27) | 8 December 2025 |
| Out | Voice | 40.4 | 8,461 | 4.91 (691) | 29 August 2023 |
| Out | Vlog | 37.4 | 6,486 | 4.91 (243) | 30 August 2023 |
| Out | 15Zine | 37.0 | 8,032 | 4.81 (453) | 23 December 2021 |
| Out | Jarida | 36.7 | 8,066 | 4.78 (1,312) | 15 July 2024 |
| Out | Gridlove | 35.1 | 4,378 | 4.92 (245) | 28 August 2023 |
| Out | Herald | 32.6 | 3,919 | 4.83 (350) | 29 August 2023 |
| Out | MagPlus | 31.2 | 4,146 | 4.79 (194) | 27 April 2025 |
| Out | Bucket | 27.1 | 2,845 | 4.7 (353) | 4 March 2021 |
| Out | Presso | 26.2 | 3,103 | 4.65 (268) | 24 September 2024 |
| Out | Ubergrid | 24.7 | 1,899 | 4.77 (106) | 31 May 2019 |
| Out | Sense | 23.6 | 1,190 | 4.9 (82) | 14 April 2025 |
| Out | OldPaper | 23.0 | 1,967 | 4.67 (122) | 6 June 2023 |
| Out | NewsPlus | 22.8 | 2,333 | 4.59 (271) | 21 September 2024 |
| Out | Sprout | 20.9 | 1,086 | 4.78 (90) | 17 September 2024 |
| Out | Puzzles | 19.8 | 1,471 | 4.61 (118) | 30 September 2025 |
| Out | Volt | 19.5 | 1,911 | 4.51 (282) | 12 July 2024 |
| Out | NewsTube | 18.4 | 3,042 | 4.34 (201) | 16 April 2024 |
| Out | News247 | 17.6 | 1,132 | 4.64 (39) | 13 September 2025 |
| Out | Periodic | 17.0 | 1,933 | 4.41 (312) | 8 December 2022 |
| Out | Flow News | 12.0 | 1,259 | 4.24 (68) | 21 January 2025 |
| Out | Barcelona | 11.9 | 2,190 | 4.13 (141) | 22 February 2025 |
| Out | UpVote | 11.9 | 1,095 | 4.27 (59) | 10 November 2023 |
| Out | Journo | 9.5 | 1,158 | 3.83 (24) | 3 September 2025 |
What we left out, and why
23 of the 72 themes had no update in the 365 days before 15 October 2026, so they are out of the running. The biggest sellers among them:
- Voice: 8,461 lifetime sales, rated 4.91 from 691 ratings, last updated 29 August 2023.
- Jarida: 8,066 lifetime sales, rated 4.78 from 1,312 ratings, last updated 15 July 2024.
- 15Zine: 8,032 lifetime sales, rated 4.81 from 453 ratings, last updated 23 December 2021.
- Vlog: 6,486 lifetime sales, rated 4.91 from 243 ratings, last updated 30 August 2023.
- Gridlove: 4,378 lifetime sales, rated 4.92 from 245 ratings, last updated 28 August 2023.
Gridlove’s 4.92 and Voice’s 4.91 are among the best averages in the pool, but neither has been updated since August 2023.
Three well-known themes are still in the running but rank low because their updates have slowed:
- Sahifa: 29,936 lifetime sales, almost as many as JNews, and 4,463 ratings, the second-largest rating base in the pool. Its last update was on 7 November 2025, 342 days before our pull, worth 1.4 of 20 on maintenance, and it is on neither bestseller list. It ranks 11th on 46.8, 23 days from our out rule.
- Zeen: rated 4.85 from 373 ratings, last updated 15 April 2026, 183 days before our pull. 10.9 on maintenance, 13th on 46.7.
- Valenti: 10,595 lifetime sales, 4.8 from 926 ratings, last updated 14 January 2026, 274 days before our pull. 5.4 on maintenance, 18th on 44.3.
How to choose
- Decide what the site is: straight news, a general magazine, viral lists and quizzes, or a publication that charges readers. BoomBox fits viral content; JNews, Soledad and Foxiz list a paywall.
- Check the last-update date on the ThemeForest page. Over 6 months (Jannah was at 186 days on 15 October 2026) is a reason to wait; over a year, skip the theme.
- Look at the rating count, not only the average. 4.87 from 309 ratings (Foxiz) is less settled than 4.87 from 1,392 (Soledad).
- Open the live demo from the ThemeForest item page and try it on your phone: the homepage, a category page and an article.
- Read the compatibility list on the item page: WordPress version, page builder (Elementor, WPBakery or the theme’s own) and WooCommerce if you sell.
- Check the price on the day you buy. Ours were listed on 15 October 2026.
- If you are switching themes, try the new one on a staging copy of your site first.
Questions people ask
What is the best news and magazine theme on ThemeForest in 2026?
By our numbers, Newspaper, on 93.9: 157,608 lifetime sales, 4.8 from 8,013 ratings, an update on 22 September 2026 and a place on both bestseller lists. JNews (86.6) and SmartMag (82.9) follow.
Is JNews better than Newspaper?
It scores 7.3 points lower, and the whole gap is lifetime sales: 30,079 against 157,608 costs it 7.8 points on adoption. JNews has the slightly higher rating (4.83 against 4.8) and the newer update (14 October 2026), and it lists a paywall.
Is Jannah still a good choice?
Its sales and ratings are strong (25,896 sales, 4.79 from 1,941 ratings) and it is on both bestseller lists, but its last update was 12 April 2026, 186 days before our pull. That drops it to 6th on 75.4.
Why does Sahifa rank so low when it sold so many copies?
It has 29,936 lifetime sales, but its last update was 7 November 2025, 342 days before our pull. That leaves it 1.4 of 20 on maintenance and 0 on momentum, for 46.8 and 11th place.
Why is Newsmag below Jannah when it was updated more recently?
Momentum: Jannah is on both bestseller lists (20 points), Newsmag on neither (0). Without momentum, Newsmag scores 63.5 against Jannah’s 55.4. Being off the lists only means Newsmag is not among the ~55 best sellers on all of ThemeForest.
