Thesis VS Genesis WordPress Themes

Had some time to check out flexsqueeze it look really good and easy to use. In your opinion is it as easy as they make it look? Or do you have to recode some things to get it to work?

If no one has anything bad to say about it I might order it this weekend.

FlexSqueeze is the only premium WP theme I'm using at the moment, but I've been seriously considering Genesis, and all the WooThemes in general. I've got the sites bookmarked, and I'll probably be making an investment in Genesis and/or a WooThemes membership pretty soon. I considered Thesis for a while, but ultimately went with FlexSqueeze. I do like the look of the Genesis theme, though. It makes a really pretty site.

I am new to Thesis but so far I really like it.

Hey, Jason ...

I've never used Thesis, but I have Genesis. It's a solid theme framework.

It's not a point-and-click website design tool. You need to understand HTML and CSS to use it effectively.

If you understand how to dig into a css stylesheet, you can customize it pretty easily by creating a child theme and editing just the stylesheet.

I just finished working through a good book on building child themes in Wordpress using a theme framework. It's called Build Your Own Wicked Wordpress Themes . It covers the basics and more advanced stuff like how to add your own shortcodes to WP, how to create your own widgets, and how to add options to the admin area of WP.

The examples in the book use the free Thematic theme framework, so you can work through it without purchasing anything.

If your looking for something that's drag-and-drop, check out Headway. I've never used it, but it looks very interesting and I'm considering picking it up even though I can write my own code.

Roy

P.S. None of the links are affiliate links.

iThemes Builder looks pretty cool. Have you used it? What did you think about it?

Roy

I prefer Genesis. I also like Frugal

I'm a FlexSqeeze fan also. Simple, easy to use and versatile.

Ken

I believe that poster was speaking metaphorically.

I can code and I've made child themes before, but I'm lazier now.

I would actually recommend Solostream. For those that can't code, they have tons of theme options and the new DaVinici Framework rocks.

They also have a pre-configured squeeze page layout which should be useful for Warrior Forum members.

Solostream themes look great and are very easy to setup. You can see 2 layout examples of the Davinic framework in my footer link.

Chris, I disagree. Thesis has been around for 3 years and Genesis just over one. Thesis has over 33k users and Genesis 39k. I think they are pretty much on par with each other as far as how many community members they have. Now in terms of actual support, Thesis gets the edge if for no other reason than if you're looking to do something with Thesis, someone has probably done it before because it's been around so long. Genesis is definitely faster on the growth chart, but everyone is still kinda new at programming on the platform.

The one site you're talking about is Authority Rules which doesn't even really have much in the ways of content either. It looks like they were looking for some quick lead captures and not delivering value. I find it interesting that they're pushing CopyBlogger who, incidentally, merged with StudioPress, the owners of Genesis. Sounds fishy to me.

There's also two parked domains and one that switched away from WordPress altogether and is using Joomla as their CMS. The point is that the internet changes by the second. Sites come and go, and people change their minds. I wouldn't put much worth in the fact they have a site that switched to the product "the other guy" made.

I'm just playing Devil's Advocate here, so please don't take what I'm saying as a personal attack. It just sounded to me like you were bashing Thesis and so I wanted to take up the argument for the other side

Comparing Genesis to Thesis is like comparing apples to oranges, though. Brian Gardner himself (the developer of Genesis) even said this:

Someone earlier in this thread hit the nail on the head - it's like the Mac vs. PC debate and people will always argue for one side or the other. To simplify this for everyone, here's a quick breakdown of what each of the two frameworks does and then you make your own decisions:

Thesis
Uses it's robust Design Option panel and layout generator to customize the look and feel without touching any code. I believe there are 400 customizations you can make in total. It's also ensures that your site is HTML5 and CSS3 valid from the get go. It's benefits are ease of use, incredible documentation, stellar community, and the ability to change almost anything on your site with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Some of it's drawbacks are that if you can't find the customization that you want, you're going to have to know how to code in CSS and do it yourself. That means cracking open the built-in editor and writing your own hooks and functions into the thesis_hook_custom_template file. One other huge drawback for some is that it doesn't use native WordPress functions like post thumbnails and custom taxonomy although this has kind of been countered with version 1.8's introduction of the Loop API which enables you to use WordPress's conditional template tags. So basically it's great for some good looking simple sites, but falls short if you're looking to make a complex feature-rich site unless you're not afraid to dig in and write some code.

Genesis
Uses a parent/child theme structure for incredibly simple out-of-the-box functionality. With over 30 killer child themes available, you'd be hard-pressed to not find something that you'll like and you'll have your site up and running in minutes. One of the benefits would be that it is non-coder friendly - just plug in a child theme and you're done. It does have customizations but not nearly as much as Thesis has. However, being able to visually see the design through the use of the templates is a huge bonus for those who just want to set it up and go. Like Gardner says, they're "turn-key designs." It also uses native WordPress functions, so you don't have to custom code nearly as much as you do with Thesis. Things like post thumbnails and custom taxonomy is built right in. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of all is that you get to use it on *unlimited* sites. There's also no restriction on usage, so if you have a site you're doing for a client, you're allowed to use the Genesis framework. Another benefit is a very active community. Like Thesis, it's over 30 thousand members strong and they have devoted support staff. Unlike Thesis, Genesis has built up their numbers in just over a year versus the 3 years or so that Thesis has been around. Finally security is one of Genesis' best features. Audited by WordPress designer Mark Jaquith, you should never have to worry about your Genesis site being compromised.

Okay, now on to the drawbacks. Documentation is almost non-existent. If you don't mind asking the member forum for help, then you're sure to find someone to fix whatever ails you, but on your own it's abysmal. Design options are fairly limited. This is offset a bit by the themes they offer, but keep in mind, you have to buy each one separately (as you also need to do with Thesis) though the Genesis theme comes with your purchase.

*takes a breath*

I think I've pretty much covered everything. Sorry for the walls of text. It's late and I'm tired and I'm going to have to dig my car out of 8 inches of snow in the morning because it's not enough for us to close the office yet just enough to make my morning suck. Haha. The whole point is that they are designed for entirely different reasons and so people who use them will generally have entirely different needs. Both are excellent platforms and really, competition is good. Thesis paved the road for premium WP frameworks like Genesis and Genesis offered competition to Thesis as well as a model based on different principles that happens to serve a similar function.

And just remember, folks, at the end of the day it doesn't matter which of the frameworks you use, it's the CONTENT you put on your blogs that will ultimately drive your traffic, not the tools you use to make them. Happy marketing!

-LM

I found a really nice comparision of Thesis vs. Genesis here.