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Top 15 WordPress Frameworks for Plugin and Theme Development

The word “Development” means the way of coming into presence or making something new or doing much better what exists. And as Development for WordPress frameworks for plugins and themes means a code library that applies as a foundation.

The WordPress Development Frameworks aids to optimize your site and helps expand your business growth. To clarify, it holds the core code plus wraps the design elements and initial features. Hence, it’ll be easier for you to transfer the layout, complete design, and functions so that you can do it the way you like.

You know that frameworks are two types if you’re a developer. One is in-house, and another is independent structures.

For example, a well-known company uses in-house structures to develop its themes or plugins. Such as Tesla Framework for TeslaThemes, or Zoom Framework for WPZoom.

On the other side, independent has a Free and Premium options structure that anyone can use. Such as Genesis or CherryFramework.

WordPress Development Frameworks for Developers:

A developer uses it with its customize options to help a site grow. Because WP themes or plugins have limited sources of customization options, trim code options, and tools, a developer loves to work with a development structure. And it’s easy to make massive changes with its vast code libraries and WordPress theme development tools.

Besides, a developer also looks for some extra features, like custom hooks, premade widgets, dragdrop features, and many more. Following are some bullet points that will make you clear why developers love a development structure:

  • Vast Range of Built-in Functions
  • Massive Communities and Resources
  • Priority Based Support
  • Speeds up and Performance Development
  • More Secure and More Efficient
  • Constant Update
  • And Much More

Now you understand better what qualities a developer prefers in a development structure.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at what are available for developers in the current market:

Sage WordPress theme development tool

Sage

introduces an open-source modern WordPress starter theme with the latest development workflow, and it’s free to use. And the Sage directory holds all of its functionality to meet the needs of the site you create. You’ll have the choice to clarify its meta data like URL, Description, Name, Author, and Version. Also, you can pick a distinct CSS structure.

Besides, you’ll have the power to write stylesheets through SASS, and allow you to check JavaScript errors . Also, it enables you to do browser testing synchronized with it. And it comes with the most recent Bootstrap version. And after installation, it allows you to change Bootstrap with Tailwind, Tachyons, Bulma, or a blank slate.

Also, Sage works with Laravel’s Blade templating machine. In a word, it’ll let you create a well-organized and maintained template in no time to use.

Underscores

Underscores

Underscores the most used starter theme frameworks that come to develop your next, new, and most engaging templating. It’s a modern workflow that transforms your project into a more enjoyable experience with a prebuilt command-line interface. And to prevent your code copying, it contains custom templates to keep the code clean and tidy.

Besides, wrap with a valid 404 template, 05 CSS layouts, a custom header, and much more options to use.

On a quick note, it’s written on CSS, PHP, SCSS, and JavaScript languages and licensed under GPL-2.0.

Boilerplate

Boilerplate

Are you looking for WordPress plugin development tools to build an ideal, organized, and object-oriented basement? In this case, Boilerplate comes forward with a handy solution for you. It includes specific files from the repository to erase, a readme file, the core project changing list, and the source code directory.

Yet, it stands on Plugin API, Coding, and Documentation Standards to help you make your private upcoming big thing. Each class, function, and variable is covered well within the doc, so it’s easy to describe your work and go. Also, it sorts out so , like the WP Plugin Repo.

On a quick note, it builds with an object-oriented process that will make it easy for you to put the public, dashboard, and shared code. to learn more or try.

Timber

If you’re a developer and want to transform HTML into featured rich WP themes with an intuitive, balanced, and pretty friendly interface? Well, in this case, Timber boosts you to build faster, customized templates with more authentic code. You’ll be able to compose HTML using Twig Template Engine and also be able to wash up your template code.

Other than that, it’s eminent for developers who mind about writing proper, tenable code. Also, it ties up the designers and developers teams to work together. Besides, it includes Functions, Twig Tools, ACF Cookbook, Gutenberg Block Editor, Debugging, Video Tutorials, and more.

Also, it’ll let the power take favor of Twig and other Timber features after installed and activated in the plugin directory. Visit Timber to learn more or try.

CMB2

Do you looking for a developer’s toolkit to build custom fields, forms, and meta boxes? Don’t waste time searching elsewhere because CMB2 is at your doorsteps. It’ll give you the power to build mind-blowing meta boxes on post edit screens to use. Also, it’ll give you the ability to build a meta box to use on the post edit screen.

Also, it lets you make custom forms to manage user meta and shows on user profile pages. And if you want to use CMB forms even at the front end, you’ll be able to do it with its flexible API. Also, building your field styles enables you to make fields with a custom API hook.

Besides, it’s secure to pack with any project and will load only to the latest version on the system. .

Piklist by

Piklist is a WordPress plugin development tool built to inspire fast development. It’s a modern, fast, and compact plugin that simplifies many complex jobs and joins functionality not usually exist at WP Core. You’ll have the power to do either simple/complex custom fields or treaty-driven forms with it in no time.

It’ll also boost you drive your business in modern times and the future. In Piklist, every aspect is customizable, like workflows, fields, forms, and even looks. Also, it decreases spare code, spreads Core APIs, has a community forum, and more.

In a word, it’s a layer that runs between you and WP, and everything you create with WP will be even more excellent with .

ButterBean

it was created as a part of the Custom Content Portfolio plugin. But it was more of a private experiment with a JavaScript framework and now packed with WordPress. And to clarify, it comes with an elegant mini-post meta-framework. But it stood on Backbone.js and Underscore.js and was built by .

Other than that, you may either work it as a distinct plugin or may drop it on your personal plugin. Because it was a meta box with tabs for plenty of content.

Freemius

If you have a headache about your WP business, no problem; here is a doctor’s site called Freemius at your doorsteps. It’s a modern standard of selling free and premium WP themes and plugins. It comes to enable developers to build a thriving business based on subscriptions.

So, if you’re a plugin or theme developer for WordPress and devoted to starting monetizing through it? Of course, you can and will be able to begin by joining the SDK to your plugin, theme, or addon.

Apart from that, it’ll also allow you to take benefits that come along with the Freemius platform. For example, the benefits like Automatic Updates, Affiliate Platform, Analytics, Usage Tracking, User Dashboard, Cart Abandonment Recovery, and .

Codestar Framework

It’s a popular, lightweight, and secure themes and plugins framework. It comes with Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) paradigm to expand custom fields and plenty of options. And it authorizes you to lead hierarchy, custom admin, and metbox to all your posts, pages, and sections. In a word, it’s the most modern and advanced structure that has all the ability to help you build your desired structure.

For example, it includes Nav Menu Option, Profile Option, Metabox Option, Widget Option, Comment Option, and many more frameworks. Also, it allows you advanced custom taxonomy settings for many fields like categories, tags, or CPT. Get the Codestar Framework.

Field Manager

It’s a developer toolkit that helps you build complex admin screens in WP with forms and meta boxes. It has a taxonomy and many post types to display separate fields and the Term context. Also, it wraps the layout under User, Tools, and Settings to display the submenu.

Yet, It has a robust library that makes the ultramodern development features a breeze. So, if you want to take it, then download and install it on your plugins directory and activate it.

On a quick note, it requires WordPress 5.8+ and PHP: 7.4+ to use. Visit to learn more or try.

Themosis

Themosis is a custom stack for WP that provides an object-oriented development framework for coding professional apps. And it integrates with helper classes made on some topmost popular PHP boxes. For example, the top PHP packages like Illuminate and Symfony.

So, it’ll let you use WP plugins to develop your own. Also, it enables you to make templates with mighty Blade or Twig machine. It’ll also empower you to put metabox, custom post types, fields, taxonomies, settings, admin pages, and more via built-in classes.

And most , by applying its elegant and candid code syntax, you’ll be able to develop enterprise-level apps and sites. Visit to learn more or try.

WordPress Plugin Template

It’s a powerful code template to build a flexible, standard plugin licensed under GPL created by . And to make your common task more easier, it comes with a vast library. For example, it adds post-type meta boxes displays settings fields. It unveils posts custom fields to manage standard admin functions.

Yet, it wraps some extraordinary features to give you the ease of access. For instance, it has Plugin headers, Readme.txt file, Main plugin class, Full and minified Javascript files, Grunt.js support, and more. Also, it has a library for registering a new post type and taxonomy with ease.

To clarify, it also includes a .pot file to meet the localization more easier.

Hybrid Core

Do you want a 100% open-source structure that is cost-free to download and gives you total control of your design? Don’t be anxious; here is a structure that meets your every need. It’s the top choice framework for solemn developers, and it’s named Hybrid Core. It appears with custom-built media to enable you to draw gallery, audio, and video attaches from the post content.

In other words, it’s created with WP theme developers in mind to help make the best theme by operating its some complex features. Without these facts, it also has more classic features to help, like Layouts API, Font Loader, Template System, Media Meta, Breadcrumbs, and many more.

But it also wraps the built-in filter hooks, so you’ll have no limits to customize it.

Pods

The Pods is a free, open-source, and PHP project published by Matt Gibbs on October 8, 2008. After its release, joined as a contributor, but in mid-2011, he became a primary developer. And its main goal was to build an interface and PHP codebase. Thus, you’ll be able to build, expand, and operate content types.

It also enables a basic user or developer to build and expand the custom post, content, taxonomies, comments, or media. Also, it helps your content organize and speed up the development. Besides, it empowers you to organize your content according to the data instructions and provides flexibility.

So, do you want to put your content anywhere on your site? Of course, you’ll be able to push the content by using its Pods Templates, Shortcodes, and Blocks.

Kirki

It’s a complete WordPress theme development tool to boost performance and security. In a word, it enables developers to build templates faster and with no trouble. And it forms with 100% WP Coding Standards, Simplified CSS generation, Live Previews, over 30+ custom controls, and more.

Also, it adds an optimization layer, Simplified API, Automatic postMessage Generation, Partial Refresh, GDPR Compliance, and many more. And it stores Google Fonts to give you the best performance and page speed check-out reactions.

Above all, Kirki wraps everything you need to build a theme more than ever. Visit to learn more or try.

Redux

If you want to build a site at a lighting-fast speed and block-based through some safe and trusted hands? In this case, Redux is your only friend and at your doorsteps. And to make you clarify, there are more than 1,000,000+ customers who already use it and approx 07 million+ downloads all over the world.

Besides, it has a supreme block editor called Gutenberg. And this block editor wraps more than 1000+ templates to give you hints on how your site will be. Or, if you want, you can take a sample template from there also to customize. It also helps you with Demo Preview, Filter, Automated install, Block Patterns library, and many more.

And most , it’s means it has clean code and inline documentation for rewriting with ease.

Summary

The WordPress Development Framework comes forward to help developers and users to work . So, the above-discussed listing is the best and most popular framework for plugins and themes developers found in current days. All the structures are and provide the users with a great experience with their distinct features.

And now it’s up to you how you want to build your desired site with them. But rest assured, all the names you see from this listing are Free, Open-Source, and get licensed under GPL. So, if you read the post , it won’t lead you astray.

But, if you have words about this post, please feel free to comment through the comment sections below. And if you like it, please share as much as possible with your friends and family, social sites, and whatnot.

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