Today I am gonna talk about the truth of a claim by one of very popular WordPress Tutor that Kadnece is almost Copy of Blocksy theme without any offence and it is also going to be an Unbiased Review and comparison of Blocksy vs Kadence
Well before starting an actual comparison of both Kadence vs Blocksy, let me tell you some key points to note while choosing or comparing themes.
Kadence vs Blocksy Theme – Introduction
So let's start this detailed review with an introduction to the Kadence and Blocksy theme.
1. Kadence Theme
Kadence is a multipurpose theme built with the framework and features of Gutenberg (formerly Known as Block Editor). It was launched in somewhere march 2020 but only for testing purposes, the fully functional version came after a few months in the WordPress Theme repository. It comes in free, as well as the pro version, with a lot of really important features.
The most important thing to notice is, If you are a newbie blogger, you will not need to purchase pro version as FREE offers almost everything you need to create a basic-level blog website.
2. Blocksy Theme
As the name suggests, this theme is also developed on the framework of block editor and that's the main reason for this hype that Kadence is a COPY of Blocksy. It is also a multipurpose theme but mainly tilted toward blogging websites. This theme is offering a ton of premium features in their free version but even though they do not go viral due to less marketing.
Is Kadence an Exact Copy of Blocks?
I respect the work and dedication of both the KadenceWP Team and the Blocksy Team, and hence I will prefer to answer this in more detail because it is an unbiased review and I must reveal the truth in front of my audience.
Yes, it is true that Kadence has been launched after Blocksy and they have many similarities due to the same audience and framework. Telling it the exact copy of Blocksy is rude behaviour toward the developers as it takes time and dedication to create themes.
But I do believe one thing that the KadenceWP Team has taken a lot of inspiration from Blocksy without giving them any credit. Even taking a closer look revealed that both of them are offering the almost same type of customization settings and features.
But again they are not 100% similar and I had mentioned all FREE, as well as Pro, features below in the table to get a more accurate Idea.
Why is Kadence Almost Copied Blocksy?
I know using copied words seems offensive but it's only because my vocabulary is not too strong ;).
Let me tell you a factual thing about WordPress Themes. All themes that are submitted to the WordPress Repository must follow GNU GPL(General Public License) terms and conditions. But WHY right?
I know this might seem a little confusing but wait, give me a chance to explain it.
During the creation of any WordPress Theme, the developer needs to use a few pre-developed codes as the structural framework of the theme. These codes are provided by WordPress.Org which is an open-source project. Read WordPress Official Statement Here
So this means you are using some open-source component in your theme and hence you can not claim copyright according to GNU GPL.
What is GNU GPL and its Terms and Condition?
According to Wikipedia “The GNU General Public License (GNU GPL or simply GPL) is a series of widely-used free software licenses that guarantee end-users the freedom to run, study, share(Redistribute), and modify the software and its Code”
The term and conditions are very simple, If you have developed any software or project using GPL components, your project will be treated as GPL and anyone can play with it or even resell it. You can not claim copyright against them.
In our case, the software is referred for themes. So this gives you the right to resell any WordPress Theme and hence in case even KadenceWP have copied the exact theme which they never did (they modified the code a little), They are safe Legally.
Kadence vs Blocksy FREE Feature Comparison
As I have mentioned earlier both the themes are offering a lot of free features that many of the premium themes not offering. So let us compare what are those features in Kadence and Blocksy theme. You can also read my Astra vs Kadence Theme deatiled review and comparison here.
Here is the list of the top 30 features that are really important in any theme. I have compared it between Kadence and Blocksy.
| Feature | Kadence | Blocksy |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Layout Options | Yes | Yes |
| 2. Drag and Header Builder | Yes | Yes |
| 3. Footer Builder | Yes | Yes |
| 4. Sticky Sidebar | Yes | Yes |
| 5. Dark Mode | No | Yes |
| 6. Colour Pellets | Yes | Yes |
| 7. Typography Option | Yes | Yes |
| 8. Archive Layout Options | Yes | Yes |
| 9. Single Post Options | Yes | Yes |
| 10. WoCommerce Compatibility | Yes | Yes |
| 11. Product Quick View | No | Yes |
| 12. Ajax Add To Cart | No | Yes |
| 13. Product Gallery Styles | Yes | Yes |
| 14. Custom Products Field | Yes | Yes |
| 15. Pagination Types | No | Yes |
| 16. Image Aspect Ratio | Yes | Yes |
| 17. Enough Widget Areas | Yes | Yes |
| 18. Pagination Types | No | Yes |
| 19. Related Posts | Yes | Yes |
| 20. Integrated Schema | No | Yes |
| 21. One-Click Importer | Yes | Yes |
| 22. Social Links and Icons | Yes | Yes |
| 23. Global Button Settings | Yes | No |
| 24. Scroll to TOP | Yes | Yes |
| 25. Sticky Header | Yes | Yes |
| 26. CSS Preloading | Yes | No |
| 27. Transparent Header | Yes | Yes |
| 28. Lazy Loading | No | Yes |
| 29. Retina Ready | No | Yes |
| 30. Sticky Footer | Yes(Pro) | Yes |
| Ultimate Score out of 30 | 21 | 28 |
From the above feature comparison table, you can see that Blocksy is the ultimate winner in the free version with respect to the features.
Why I am Using Kadence instead Blocksy
At the beginning of this post, I mentioned that the features and looks of theme are subjective. Some of the KeyPoints about the reason for using kadence theme are mentioned below.
- I really love the Pro features of Kadence, especially Hooked elements and hence I stick with Kadence Pro. (I should mention that Blocksy also have the same feature)
- I am using Kadence Block Pro to create a blog post as well as to design my pages and hence I purchased KadenceWP Lifetime Membership which includes their all premium theme and plugin with lifetime updates and support. I have a detailed post on Kadence Membership Here.
These were the two main reasons why I stuck with Kadence and I will recommend you to go with any of them as they are very similar in features as well as look. I am using Kadence Pro with Kadence Block Pro as it fulfils my need.
Maybe I will switch to Blocksy in the Future but who knows future :).
Similarities in both Kadence and Bloksy
I have already mentioned that there are very much similarities in features and options of both themes. So now take a closer look on all those important Feature.
Header and Footer Builder
I will not say that both have exact same header builder but yes they do have similar header layout builder with few differences in widgets quantity and style layout. Let me show you the Header customization setting to understand similarties and difference in better way.
This type of header builder is not new in WordPress themes, there were many themes available before blocksy and Kadence in which these types of Header Builders was integrated so this is not something that has been copied.
Similarly, both of them have footer builder
Sidebar Customization
Both themes have plenty of widgets to add in the sidebar but Blocksy has done something really impressive when it comes to sidebar design customization.
From above you can see in the sidebar customization blocksy is easily dominating Kadence Theme.
So now let's move ahead and check to compare Pro version of both themes in term of the provided feature.
Features of themes are not constant, developers are continuously adding more and more features to make their theme up to the mark for their customers, and hence some of the features that are released after writing this post may not be found here. For complete features and pricing visit Blocksy Official Here and Kdence Official Here.
| Feature | Blocksy | Kadence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Multiple Conditional Sidebars | Yes | No |
| 2. Content blocks (Hooks) | Yes | Yes |
| 3. Advanced menu (megamenu) | Yes | Yes |
| 4. Multiple conditional headers | Yes | No |
| 5. Multiple conditional footers | Yes | No |
| 6. Floating cart | Yes | No |
| 7. | ||
| 8. | ||
| 9. | ||
| 10. | ||
These were the basic feature comparison between blocksy and kadence theme, but let us see few in-depth and detailed feature comparison so that it gets cleared up for you to choose a theme blindly.
Here is Video from WP Simple Hacks i which he describes all features and potential of both the themes.
Winner Of Kadence vs Blocksy Feature Comparison
In this detailed Kadence vs Blocksy Feature comparison, anyone can tell that Blocksy is a winner but wait, For you, the winner can be Kadence as it is for me due to its Whole package together with Kadence Block Pro, Kadence Shop Kit, Kadence Conversion and other premium plugins available in a bundle.
Final Conclusion on Kadence vs Blocksy
Both themes are almost common and hence it doesn't matter a lot which one you are choosing but let me tell you a few important things before you choose any of them
1. Go with the Kadence Lifetime membership Package if you are a passionate blogger or content creator as it will give you Kadence Theme + Kadence Block Pro for the unlimited website with lifetime support and updates.
Kadence Shop Kit and Kadence Conversion are also something you must consider as they give you full flexibility over your eCommerce and Pop-up designs.
2. Go with Blocksy If you just need a full-featured theme with a clean look and retina ready. Blocksy has a butter-like smooth experience which you will definitely like.
FAQ on Kadence vs Blocksy
Which is better, Kadence or Blocksy?
Well, both themes are best at their level but kadence offers some unique and important features in their pro version and hence Kadence Pro is better. But wait, If you are looking for the best free theme, go with Blocksy.
Is Kadence a Copy of Blocksy Theme?
Definitely No, they do have a similar framework, and many similar features with the almost same look but at many points, Kadence have many unique features that even blocksy pro does not have.
Which is Faster in Kadence and Blocksy?
Both the themes are built with the primary purpose of performance and clean look containing all necessary features and hence there is no major difference in load time of both themes.
Can we Create a Transparent Header in Blocksy Theme?
Yes, Blocksy theme offers Transparent as well as sticky header features in their free version which is available in WordPress Repository. You can create a transparent header in blocksy by just a toggle.
Do Kadence Have Transparent Header
Yes, Similar to blocksy theme, Kadence also has both a sticky and transparent header feature that can be activated in a single click.
I don’t know why you chose to go with Kadence…
I still feel Bocksy Lifetime Deal is worth buying…
Yes they don’t offer any block builder addon but it’s okk we can but it separately from kadenceWP
I hope my opinion match to many visitors looking for Blocksy and Kadence Review
I chose Kadence because it has an active development team and better support with extra features than blocksy and also it’s faster. If you want to use Block Editor then I recommend my visitors to go with Kadence.
Ultimately theme choice is subjective so go with whatever you think suits you better
Kadence makes the site speed is a little faster but being an artist and designer I like the clean neat look of Blocksy so I use Blocksy (free) theme.
Honestly telling you both are almost same so use according to your convenience and thanks for telling my visitors that you liked blocksy
I love Blocksy, Simple, convenient and easy to use