I. Recommended WPBakery ThemeForest WordPress Themes: Salient, Uncode, Impreza
For those new to WordPress, lightweight themes like Astra or Blocksy are often ideal starting points. Renowned for their efficiency, these themes are perfect for beginners eager to launch a website quickly.
However, if your goal is to create a “professional-grade” website—whether it’s visually stunning or packed with robust functionality—these lightweight options may require seasoned designers to pair them with third-party plugins to achieve the desired outcome. In such cases, the premium creative themes available on Envato ThemeForest often emerge as more suitable choices.
ThemeForest Theme Recommendations
These themes offer creatively rich pre-built templates, highly flexible customization options, and professional-grade design, empowering you to craft an impressive website in a short amount of time.
One License, One Website, Lifetime Updates
A standout feature of ThemeForest’s licensing model is its value: each theme is a one-time purchase (typically priced between $59 and $69), with one license corresponding to a single website and including lifetime updates. For users focused on building a single site, this approach is both cost-effective and hassle-free.
Six Months of Author Support
Every theme purchase comes with six months of support from the author team. Should you encounter any theme-related issues during use, you can expect professional assistance from the team within a reasonable timeframe.
Today, we’re spotlighting three themes—Salient, Uncode, and Impreza—each backed by author teams renowned for their exceptional support.
As the inaugural blog post from WP Misuzu, we’re excited to introduce these three popular Envato ThemeForest creative themes, built on highly customized versions of the WPBakery Page Builder. Our aim is to help you discover how they can elevate your journey to creating a professional website!
II. Salient: The king of one-page websites, blending stunning design with top-notch performance!
Salient is one of my personal favorite themes, and the WP Misuzu website was meticulously crafted using it! On the ThemeForest platform, Salient remains a popular choice, particularly for users seeking a high visual impact.
Salient Theme Highlights
Salient is renowned for its “one-page” design, delivering a smooth scrolling experience paired with eye-catching animation effects that captivate visitors from the moment they arrive.
It features a custom-built Salient WPBakery Page Builder, developed by the Salient team. Even users without extensive technical expertise can effortlessly create distinctive, professional websites with this intuitive tool.
What Types of Websites Are Best Suited for Salient?
Salient boasts a remarkably versatile range of applications, making it especially ideal for the following website types:
- Blogs: Flexible layouts and design options enhance content presentation, making it more engaging.
- Corporate Websites: Its frontend design blends aesthetics and elegance, perfectly showcasing brand identity—just as seen on the WP Misuzu website.
- Small E-commerce Stores: For those selling a limited or specific range of products, Salient is more than capable. With native WooCommerce support, it seamlessly integrates shopping functionality.
Of course, if your aim is to build a medium-to-large e-commerce site, themes more specialized in e-commerce features (such as WoodMart or XStore) might be better suited. That said, this doesn’t mean Salient can’t handle larger e-commerce needs—it simply may require additional high-quality WooCommerce third-party plugins, much like Astra or Blocksy.
Salient’s Standout Feature
In its v17.0 update (released on September 17, 2024), Salient introduced support for the View Transitions API, enabling smoother and more natural page transitions. This enhancement significantly elevates the user experience, particularly on one-page websites, offering visitors a seamless visual flow.
Supported Editors in Salient
- Salient WPBakery Page Builder: The core editor, built on WPBakery Page Builder and deeply customized by the Salient team, provides an intuitive drag-and-drop interface and a wealth of design options.
- Additional Support: Salient is also compatible with WordPress’s native Gutenberg editor, though pairing it with Salient WPBakery is recommended for the best results.
With its powerful visual design capabilities and flexible functionality, Salient undoubtedly stands as an excellent choice for crafting professional websites!
We warmly invite everyone to test the desktop performance of the WP Misuzu homepage using PageSpeed Insights, where it typically achieves an impressive score of 95-98. While some might think a score above 90 on desktop isn’t particularly challenging, the standout feature here is this: WP Misuzu accomplishes this without relying on any third-party Minify plugins, thanks entirely to Salient’s built-in Minify functionality!
III. Uncode: A WPBakery Creative Theme on Par with Salient
If Salient reigns as the king of one-page websites, then Uncode stands as a paragon of creativity and flexibility. As one of ThemeForest’s premier themes, Uncode utilizes the Uncode WPBakery Page Builder as its core editor, extensively customized from the standard WPBakery foundation to deliver a distinctive design experience for users.
Uncode Theme Highlights
Uncode boasts a modern and versatile design aesthetic, offering over 70 pre-built demo templates that span creative portfolios, corporate websites, blogs, and even e-commerce applications. Whether you prioritize visual creativity or practical functionality, Uncode rises to meet your needs.
Its standout feature lies in its “pixel-perfect” design control, allowing precise adjustments to everything from font spacing and image layouts to dynamic effects. This empowers you to craft a truly one-of-a-kind website.
What Types of Websites Are Best Suited for Uncode?
- Creative Portfolios: Ideal for designers, photographers, or artists showcasing their work, with visually striking effects that captivate.
- Corporate Websites: Offers professional and contemporary design options, perfectly suited for shaping a strong brand identity.
- E-commerce Stores: With flexible templates and robust WooCommerce support, Uncode excels for small to large-scale online shops.
Uncode’s Standout Feature
Uncode features a built-in adaptive image system that automatically optimizes image loading speeds based on the visitor’s device—an essential advantage for boosting website performance. If you’re aiming to create a site that blends stunning creative elements with e-commerce capabilities, Uncode is an excellent choice.
Supported Editors in Uncode
- Uncode WPBakery Page Builder: A highly customized version of WPBakery, this editor introduces exclusive content blocks and media grids while streamlining redundant or unnecessary elements, delivering a flexible and efficient design experience.
- Additional Support: Uncode is also compatible with WordPress’s native Gutenberg editor, though its primary strengths shine through the Uncode WPBakery integration.
With its exceptional creative freedom and practical versatility, Uncode proves itself a powerful ally in building professional websites!
IV. Impreza: Bringing an Elementor-Like Real-Time Experience to WPBakery
When you hear “Impreza,” you might first think of the iconic Japanese rally car brand “Subaru Impreza,” but here we’re spotlighting Impreza, a highly popular WordPress theme on ThemeForest.
Impreza Theme Highlights
Impreza’s most distinctive feature is its core tool, Live Builder, which elevates the WPBakery Page Builder into a real-time editing experience akin to Elementor—a capability that sets it apart from Salient and Uncode. With over 50 pre-built demos and more than 300 pre-designed pages, paired with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Impreza empowers even beginners to quickly create professional websites with ease.
What Types of Websites Are Best Suited for Impreza?
- Multi-Purpose Websites: Whether it’s a corporate site, blog, or portfolio, Impreza’s versatility meets a wide range of needs.
- E-commerce Stores: Deeply integrated with WooCommerce, it includes product pages and a grid builder, making it suitable for small to large online shops.
- Fast-Track Projects: The real-time editing of Live Builder allows you to tweak designs and see results instantly, ideal for time-sensitive projects.
Impreza’s Standout Feature
Impreza’s Live Builder is undeniably its flagship feature. Unlike the customized WPBakery frontend editing in Salient and Uncode, Live Builder delivers a true “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) experience. As you drag and drop elements or adjust styles, the page updates in real time—no saving or refreshing required. This significantly lowers the learning curve for beginners while boosting design efficiency for all users.
Additionally, Impreza includes several premium third-party plugins (such as FileBird Pro) and offers a Test Drive FREE option, allowing users to try it out at no cost to ensure it meets their needs.
Supported Editors in Impreza
- Live Builder: An enhanced tool built on WPBakery, it provides real-time editing with a seamless, Elementor-like experience.
- WPBakery Page Builder: The standard version is available, but Live Builder remains the star attraction.
- Additional Support: Compatible with WordPress’s native Gutenberg editor, though Live Builder is recommended for optimal performance.
With its innovative Live Builder and multi-functional design, Impreza stands out as a powerful choice for both novices and seasoned professionals building exceptional websites!
V. Does the Envato ThemeForest theme come with paid third-party plugins included?
One of the major draws of Envato ThemeForest themes is that they often come bundled with premium third-party plugins, allowing users to access a wealth of features at a reduced cost. However, it’s worth noting that these plugins are typically tied to the purchased theme and cannot be used independently with other themes or projects.
Salient
Salient stands out by offering fewer bundled premium third-party plugins compared to others, as its development team prefers to integrate custom-built features to minimize reliance on external tools. This approach ensures greater independence and stability for the theme.
Included Premium Third-Party Plugins:
- WPBakery Page Builder (Valued at $64)
Salient includes its own highly customized Salient WPBakery Page Builder, serving as the core editing tool. Built on the foundation of WPBakery, it has been deeply optimized and enhanced to provide an intuitive drag-and-drop design experience, seamlessly integrated with the theme’s functionality.
Notes:
Salient’s design philosophy emphasizes embedding key features directly into the theme, such as its unique Nectar Slider and robust animation and slider effects. This reduces dependency on additional premium plugins, fostering a self-sufficient design ecosystem. The result is a streamlined user experience and strong consistency with the theme’s core offerings.
Uncode
Developed by the Undsgn team, Uncode is celebrated for its modern design and exceptional flexibility. Compared to Salient, it includes two well-known slider plugins, which, while powerful, may impact performance due to their higher resource demands.
Included Premium Third-Party Plugins:
- WPBakery Page Builder (Valued at $64)
Uncode provides its tailored Uncode WPBakery Page Builder as the core editor. Enhanced from the standard WPBakery, it aligns with the theme’s design aesthetic and introduces unique features like Content Blocks, boosting design flexibility. - Revolution Slider (Valued at $109)
A premium slider plugin perfect for crafting intricate dynamic slideshows, ideal for showcasing portfolios or product pages. - LayerSlider (Valued at $25)
Another popular slider plugin offering diverse slideshow design options to enhance a website’s visual appeal.
Notes:
Uncode also incorporates native features like an adaptive image system and privacy tools, though these are built into the theme rather than provided as third-party plugins. While the included slider plugins are feature-rich, they may affect site performance, so we recommend using them thoughtfully based on your specific needs.
Impreza
Created by the UpSolution team, Impreza is a feature-packed, multi-purpose theme on ThemeForest. Among Salient, Uncode, and Impreza, it offers the most extensive collection of bundled premium third-party plugins, with a total claimed value of approximately $420, according to the official statement.
Included Premium Third-Party Plugins:
- WPBakery Page Builder (Valued at $64)
Impreza’s core editor comes with the exclusive Live Builder enhancement, delivering a real-time drag-and-drop editing experience for a smooth design workflow. - Revolution Slider (Valued at $109)
A premium slider plugin designed for creating complex dynamic slideshows, particularly suited for portfolios or product displays. - FileBird Pro (Valued at $39)
A media library management plugin that organizes images and other media files, improving efficiency in the WordPress backend. - WooCommerce Bulk Editor (Valued at $30-$50, depending on the version)
Enables bulk editing of WooCommerce product data, making it ideal for managing large product catalogs on e-commerce sites. - WooCommerce Multi Currency (Valued at $32)
A plugin supporting multi-currency switching, allowing WooCommerce stores to offer multiple currencies with seamless toggling on product pages and checkout—perfect for international e-commerce websites. - Font Awesome Pro ver.5 (Valued at $99/year)
Provides access to the Font Awesome 5 Pro icon library, featuring nearly 7,800 icons across free and premium styles (Solid, Regular, Light, and Duotone). Unlike many themes that only include the free version, this saves users the $99 annual subscription fee.
Notes:
Impreza’s claimed total plugin value of approximately $420 is based on the sum of each plugin’s standalone retail price, though actual value may vary depending on purchase timing or version differences. As of the latest version on March 18, 2025, the included plugins are subject to change with theme updates. We recommend reviewing the official description before purchasing to confirm the most current details.
These themes enhance their value with thoughtfully curated plugin bundles, tailored to different user needs while maintaining a balance between functionality and performance!
VI. Conclusion: Salient, Uncode, and Impreza
As we look to 2025, is the WPBakery editor still worth learning for beginners? To be candid, the standard version alone doesn’t offer anything particularly remarkable.
WPBakery’s strengths lie in its backend editor, which provides greater stability compared to Elementor and demands less from hosting resources. However, its limitations are equally apparent when stacked against Elementor—though we’ll spare the details here. When working with themes like Woodmart or Xstore that support Elementor, Samuel naturally gravitates toward Elementor as the preferred tool.
That said, the focus of this recommendation isn’t the standard WPBakery, but rather Salient, Uncode, and Impreza—three themes built on highly customized versions of WPBakery, each bringing its own unique strengths to the table.
Thanks to WordPress’s open-source nature, it has fostered a vibrant and diverse ecosystem. Whether newcomers choose to dive into the world of these three themes largely depends on personal preferences and specific needs. For instance, in the Uncode Facebook community, many users proudly call themselves “Uncoders,” taking pride in the websites they’ve crafted with this theme.
The ability of Salient, Uncode, and Impreza to consistently rank among the top on a fiercely competitive platform like Envato ThemeForest speaks volumes. Their bespoke, custom-built WPBakery versions not only enhance the editor’s practicality but also deliver a smoother, more professional website-building experience.
Curious to give them a try? We warmly invite you to visit Envato ThemeForest to explore more details!