Astra and Hello Themes with ClassicPress

In this blog post, we explore the process of experimenting with Astra and Hello themes for ClassicPress themes. We also take a look at the new ClassicPress default theme. In particular, I was interested in compatibility of some largely popular WordPress themes with ClassicPress, without having to depend on page builders and (of course) blocks.

इस ब्लॉग पोस्ट में, हम ClassicPress थीम्स के अनुकूलन पर केंद्रित हैं, जिसमें Hello, Astra और नया ClassicPress थीम शामिल हैं।

Note: This post is a “companion writeup” to my other post titled “Where To Find Themes for ClassicPress“

Experimenting with Astra and Hello Themes Astra theme on ClassicPress 2.2

Introduction: Compatibility Check and Experimentation

Astra theme screenshot 1 — Astra theme layout example.

Astra child theme screenshot — Astra child theme customization.

We delve into child theme creation, functions.php, footer.php, and style.css file customization, and test compatibility with the latest version of ClassicPress.

हम चाइल्ड थीम निर्माण, functions.php, footer.php और style.css फ़ाइल अनुकूलन पर गहराई से जाते हैं, और ClassicPress के नवीनतम संस्करण के साथ संगतता की जांच करते हैं।

Astra Theme with ClassicPress 2.2

Astra theme on ClassicPress 2.2 Astra theme variation

ClassicPress, a fork of WordPress, is a content management system that offers a variety of themes for customization. With its default install coming with themes based on WordPress Twenty Fifteen, Twenty Sixteen, and Twenty Seventeen, ClassicPress provides a solid foundation for customization and creativity. In this post, we delve deeper into this subject, exploring the customization of Hello, Astra, and the new ClassicPress theme.

Hello (Elementor) Theme with ClassicPress 2.2

Hello theme on ClassicPress Hello theme basic layout

Elementor theme for ClassicPress Elementor-based visuals

Need for Experimenting with Astra and Hello Themes

There wasn’t a specific need to change themes, but as an enthusiast, I wanted to check the compatibility of these themes with the new version of ClassicPress, having previously tested out the Astra theme in 2021. The process involved creating child themes for each and customizing functions.php, footer.php, and style.css files to suit my needs.

I also tested the default ClassicPress theme, as well as Astra, Hello and GeneratePress themes from WordPress.org.

Update March 2026

Astra Child theme for ClassicPress Astra child theme

About page for child theme for Astra About page customization

Screenshots from a child theme I had developed for Astra, with assistance from modern LLM tools.

Links and Resources

My previous posts on themes and resources for ClassicPress and where to find themes for ClassicPress.

To learn about other themes for ClassicPress, you can visit this discussion.

!(Astra theme index page)https://avmedia.gumlet.io/arc/cpress/astra-hello/index-page.jpg?dpr=1.2&q=80&format=auto) Astra theme index page.

Conclusion

Both Hello and Astra themes worked well with ClassicPress, eliminating the need for blocks, as well as Elementor or any other page builder. Using LLM tools, I was able to achieve a variety of styling and functionality. Plugins, of course, would make the customization and user experience even better. This exploration further solidifies ClassicPress as a versatile platform for website building and customization.

Background: WordPress Themes on ClassicPress (2020 to 2024)

Child theme of Astra Earlier layout testing

WordPress themes on ClassicPress were a hit or miss in October 2020. When I was writing the draft for this post to share experimenting with Astra and Hello themes, I recalled my initial experiences.

I largely tested with versions 1.3 and 1.2 of ClassicPress, which were the most recently released versions around that period. Choosing a compatible theme is crucial for both aesthetics and functionality.

2025 Update: This year, we also explored backend optimizations for podcasting infrastructure, focusing on decentralization and latency reduction.

WordPress Theme Compatibility and Testing

During my testing, I worked with multiple ClassicPress versions and themes from different developers.

Rams, Hemingway, Iwata, Miyawaki, McLuhan
Astra, OceanWP, GeneratePress, Neve, Sydney
Go Theme by GoDaddy and themes from alx.media

Based on my testing, themes supporting WordPress 4.9 (without blocks) worked best.

Converting a WordPress Site to ClassicPress

I initially installed WordPress and then used the ClassicPress migration plugin.

Server used: 1 GB / 1 vCore VPS (Virmach)
Future roadmap questions for ClassicPress remain relevant
Preferred themes: Baskerville, GeneratePress, Rams, TextDash

Wrapping it Up: It has been a reassuring experience finding multiple themes that work well with ClassicPress.

Images: Astra Gallery

Additional Astra Theme Screenshots

Astra child theme content width customization.

Have you experimented with Astra or Hello Themes on ClassicPress? Share your experience.