Free Bootstrap Themes, Kits and Templates for 2017

If you are just starting to learn Bootstrap, we have created a series of tutorials called 14 Days of Bootstrap 4 that can help you.

In this post, I will present you a list with top free Bootstrap themes, templates and kits, for 2017.

Bootstrap is an open-source Javascript framework developed by the team at Twitter. Bootstrap is the most popular HTML, CSS, and JS framework for developing responsive, mobile first projects on the web. It is a combination of HTML, CSS, and Javascript code designed to help you build user interface components. Bootstrap was also programmed to support both HTML5 and CSS3.

You can’t go wrong with Bootstrap as it was used to develop one of the best social media sites; Twitter. It is an excellent tool for website developers to create epic websites. This literally is the best framework for fast and responsive website development.

There are many great web developers and designers out there who have created amazing free themes and templates using Bootstrap. We want to help them by spreading the word and sharing their work with our readers. So, we compiled a list of free front-end templates designed for Bootstrap that we thought are beautiful and worth sharing.

Keep in mind that BootstrapBay is a marketplace for premium Bootstrap themes, templates, and kits.

What is a Bootstrap Theme?

Bootstrap themes have many features and advantages. Some of those benefits include the following:

Built on an HTML, CSS and JavaScript Framework
Programmed to support HTML5 and CSS3
Free bundle of tools that helps you create websites and applications
Have many design element including typography, forms, buttons, etc.
Feature JavaScript extensions that can be used
Easy for beginners to use and to get started.

A bootstrap template is a mock website that has been fully designed on a bootstrap basis. Generally, its components are the HTML pages, the CSS code, the fonts, js code and the various images that are part of the design. They are generally designed to achieve a purpose: personal website, CV, corporate website, vertical landing page, e-commerce website, personal portfolio etc.
The designers try to include all the required pages for the kind of website chosen: for example, if you get a template for a corporate website, you may find a product page, a contact us page, a client testimonial page, etc. Normally there are more than you need and you just have to pick the one you are interested in.

You can even find templates coming with a deck of several versions of every page, you just have to choose. To adapt the template to your purpose, you will need to have some general HTML/CSS/JS knowledge in order to replace the content by yours but it is not that difficult.
The hardest part is trying to modify the design. If you don’t plan on doing that, it’s like plug and play, and automatically responsive. The only drawback is that you may share the design with a couple of other folks.

How to use the Bootstrap Templates:

Using Bootstrap themes (free or paid) is actually easier than you might think. There are many sources of themes, and many are free. So, if you’re on a budget, the free templates do their job just fine.

1. Get your theme files

Once you find the theme you’re looking for, download it and save it to your computer, preferably somewhere easy to find.

2. Unzip the archive

Unzip the files so you can get the Bootstrap theme folder out of the zipped file. There is normally a documentation folder that has assets, CSS and JavaScript files. The HTML page(s) will be in the theme folder and you use that to add your own content. There could be multiple HTML pages with different styles on each one.

3. Theme Customization

Before you make any changes to your theme files, make sure you make a copy in case you want to revert back or something happens to it. You’ll be able to edit the code with the editor of your choice. A little bit of HTML and CSS knowledge will come in handy for any changes you would like to make.

Basic details for customization:

The style of your page can be edited with CSS (colors, columns, width, etc.).
The content of your page is HTML, you need to know the basic tags in order to customize it.
JavaScript is how the browser on your page interacts with things such as hover effects or animations.

But first, let’s talk about the pros and cons of using a bootstrap theme.

Pros and Cons of Bootstrap Templates

Pros

It comes as a great solution for back-end developers because all the pieces are ready to be picked and used out of the box. And no design skills or creativity is needed to customize a Bootstrap kit. What is more, a new project can be created within a really short period.

It has a lot of built-in features which save your time. Among main benefits are the responsive layout, custom form elements, typography, JS interaction, cross-browser compatibility and so on.

The popularity of Twitter Bootstrap has given an impulse to never-ending theme releases. With these themes, you can even apply a design which is created by someone else. Bootstrap theme packages contain many plugins and libraries which will add even more interactivity to your app.

Cons

There can be moments when you are not the only one who liked and applied a specific Bootstrap theme. And the website that you develop might look like a twin brother to someone else’s one. Unfortunately using a default Bootstrap theme is not the best way to get a great design.

The main issue is that you are using outside-in approach. You put content into predefined boxes and it results in a design that feels like it is made by a robot, without any proportions or harmony. The same story fits typography. Whether you use one font or another the grid stays the same, which results in a non-harmonic typography.

The bootstrap theme has its own approach to the HTML structure, and it does not fit well to what is done by a developer. For example, Ruby on Rails provides a set of help methods to be used in template files. By using these functions developers can write more efficient and clean code.

To sum up, using Bootstrap themes fits perfectly when you want to leave things as they are. Otherwise, it will take you a lot of effort to fully integrate Bootstrap into your application and fix all the bugs that can be revealed.

We are often asked by beginners how to choose between free vs premium Bootstrap themes. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Pros and Cons for Free Bootstrap Themes

Benefits of Bootstrap Free Themes

The biggest benefit of a free Bootstrap theme is the cost since it is free. It lowers the barrier to entry to start a product, a business, a personal blog or whatever you have in mind.

However hearing the word free makes many people cautious. Why would someone give you a free Bootstrap theme when others are selling premium themes? What’s the catch?

Often people think free themes are low quality. It’s quite the contrary.

But why are they giving it away for free?

There are lots of benefits of giving and sharing.

It helps theme Bootstrap developers sharpen their skills because, during the review process, the theme review team audits their code and suggest improvements.

It also gives them a chance to make their bootstrap theme available to a large user base where people can use it, give feedback, and suggest improvements.

Other advantages are building the reputation as a skilled Bootstrap developer, building a portfolio, getting paid jobs for customization of those free themes or even developing a custom Bootstrap kit or theme for clients.

Cons of Free Themes

1. Limited support options – Free Bootstrap themes developers offer support through communities forums, but they are not obliged to reply to support queries.
2. Limited Features and Functionality – Even though Bootstrap free themes support most standard Bootstrap features, many of them don’t offer extra features like creating buttons, using shortcodes, creating landing pages, etc.
3. Not so Unique – Bootstrap free templates are used by a lot of websites and blogs, so your website will not have a unique design. Also, there are usually limited options to customizing the visual appearance of free themes. Paid Bootstrap themes have more features, available plugins and so on.
4. No Obligation – Free Bootstrap themes are distributed with no warranties, so if something goes wrong, you are pretty much on your own.

How to get started with a Bootstrap Theme
Before starting, be sure to have a code editor and some working knowledge of HTML and CSS. If you’re just starting out in web development, start learning from here: https://bootstrapbay.com/blog/install-twitter-bootstrap/

Where to learn to code: 50 best resources when learning to code https://bootstrapbay.com/blog/50-best-resources-learning-code/

Now that you have all the skills to get started, let’s dig in with these beautiful 10 Bootstrap free Themes:

10 Amazing Bootstrap Free Templates:

1.Material DashBoard

Material Dashboard is a free Material Bootstrap Admin with a fresh, new design inspired by Google’s Material Design. Developers are very excited to introduce their take on the material concepts through an easy to use and beautiful set of components. Material Dashboard was built over the popular Bootstrap framework and it comes with a couple of third-party plugins redesigned to fit in with the rest of the elements.

Material Dashboard makes use of light, surface, and movement. The general layout resembles sheets of paper following multiple different layers so that the depth and order are obvious. The navigation stays mainly on the left sidebar and the content is on the right inside the main panel.

This product came as a result of users asking for a material dashboard after Creative Tim released our successful Material Kit. They developed it based on feedback and it is a powerful bootstrap admin dashboard, which allows you to build products like admin panels, content managements systems, and CRMs.

Try Material Dashboard Free here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/material-dashboard

2. Gaia Bootstrap Template Free

Gaia Bootstrap Template is the Free Demo of Gaia Bootstrap Template PRO which is a multi-page Bootstrap template designed to be easy to use and stylish. If you are trying to create a new website, presentation page or blog, this is definitely a great fit for you. It offers 9 example pages with multiple sections that look amazing in any combination.

Gaia is also the name of the Greek goddess of Earth, which was one of the inspiration for this template. All color tones used throughout the Bootstrap template are found through nature, soft for the eyes and visually appealing. The main variations follow shades of brown and black. The typography has a light feel and we made use of edge-to-edge images wherever we could.

Besides the Bootstrap templates that you can use as they are, just changing the images and text, Gaia also has customization. The color options for the buttons make it easy for you to choose what best fits your needs. According to the main color palette, you will also find multiple filters, text variations, and labels.

Icons are provided by Pixeden.

Try Gaia Bootstrap Template Free Here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/gaia-bootstrap-template

3. Paper Kit

Paper Kit is a free Bootstrap UI kit that can get you going in a new creative direction! To say the least, it’s different since it’s not material, flat or iOS inspired. Bootstrap developers hope the kit will help you make your mark and create something new. Using it is extremely convenient since it offers fully responsive design and elements that are easy to use.

They created this kit having paper and drawings in mind. They tried to focus on pale colors, beautiful typography and thoughtful drawings. If you like the result, you can use it in your projects for free. You can import it in an old project and make it look fresh, or you can start a new one. It’s very easy to use and to integrate.

Every element in the kit comes in a fresh color scheme, that goes from light blue to orange. Check out the live preview to see how they fit!

Paper Kit fully support Bootstrap3, since it is built on top of it. No worries there! Developers have redesigned most of its components, giving it a new look. If you are using a component they have not touched, it will gracefully fall back to the Bootstrap default.

Check Paper Kit, the free Bootstrap UI template here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/paper-kit

4. Get Shit Done Kit

Using Bootstrap straight out of the box doesn’t solve design. The team behind Creative Tim strongly believes in this argument and has made this Bootstrap kit following this perspective. Customization is vital for any project using Bootstrap.

So how can you enjoy the Bootstrap benefits and have a facelift for your project? Simply import the Get Shit Done Kit into your project or start building on top of it. It easy to use and integrate.

Using it is very simple and it will enable you to refresh you classic looking application. They provide all the necessary CSS resources. To get going, just include ‘css/get-shit-done.css’ in your HTML template. Your project will get the new look.

Every element in the Get Shit Done Kit follows a fresh color scheme going from azure blue to bright red. Check out the live preview to see the great effect!

Check the Get Shit Done Kit – Free Bootstrap Template Here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/get-shit-done-kit

5. Awesome Landing Page

Be amazed by the best looking Bootstrap landing page on the web! It comes with 5 beautiful and bright colors. Your new app deserves an amazing page to show all of its features. Clear visual, light colors and beautifully aligned elements – they all try to make the users aware of your great app features!

Build customer confidence by listing your users! Anyone who has used your service and has been pleased with it should have a place here! From Fortune 500 to start-ups, all your app enthusiasts will be glad to be featured in this section. Moreover, users will feel confident seeing someone vouching for your product!

With all the apps that users love! Make it easy for users to share, like, post and tweet their favorite things from the app. Making use of third app assets should be a must when you design your app. Be sure to let users know they continue to remain connected while using your app!

Grab this free Bootstrap landing page and create a beautiful website here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/awesome-landing-page

6. Coming Ssssoon

Free one-page item based on Bootstrap 3. Use Coming Sssoon Page to create following group users before actually starting your project! it is light, easy to use and it helps you be in contact with your audience.

Why have a coming soon page and a subscription?

Because social media spreads your message, but email and content marketing help you establish a connection with your customers.

If you start up with this mentality, it will bring you nothing but good. So, when you think you have a hint of a product, try to validate it! Get user engagement, create social media account, set up your MailChimp account and let people see it through a Coming Soon page.

It may sound complicated or you may be inclined to procrastinate, but every step of the way is now made easier. Creative Tim’s Coming soon page is a step in that direction. It is so easy to set up and customize to your needs. And it will help your customers get the main idea you are trying to create!

We encourage you to create honest connections with your potential clients. Take the first step and create a coming soon page, you’ve come to the right place!

Try the Coming Sssoon Page UI Kit here: https://www.creative-tim.com/product/coming-sssoon-page

7. Elate

Elate is a one page free html5 bootstrap template portfolio for freelancers, designers, developers and even agencies. It has a smooth parallax and animation effect on sections. Also packed with 4 ready to use styles. Download now and share!

Check it here: http://freehtml5.co/elate-free-html5-bootstrap-template/

8. DashGum – Free Dashboard

Framework Used: Bootstrap 3.2

DashGum is a simple & elegant admin panel. It comes with 15 pages to start your panel as soon as possible.

With DashGum you have charts, tables, a lot of panels, calendars, notifications, to-do lists and more. Grab our free theme and enjoy it.

If you need more, see our Premium Version with tons of features more. With 33 HTMLs and more than 40 plugins, the premium version comes with 4 different chart plugins, Email pages, Chat pages, maps, advanced forms and tables, file uploaders, inline editor, pricing tables, complete profile page and more.

Download from here: http://blacktie.co/2014/07/dashgum-free-dashboard/

9.Imperial

Imperial is a modern and creative Bootstrap one-page template best suitable for creative agencies, studios, digital design agencies or other similar businesses. The header comes with full screen hero part where you can introduce your company. Imperial also comes with a modern off-canvas mobile menu for better browsing and user experience.

Key Features:

Flat design
One Page Multipurpose HTML
Clean and commented code
Easy to customize
Components and elements compatible with twitter bootstrap
All elements 100% compatible with bootstrap!
Multiple Animations! easy to add to any element or area by adding a short class name
Unlimited colors
600+ font icons with many variations on sizes and types
Responsive layout
Working PHP Ajax contact form (Pro Version)

Download from here: https://bootstrapmade.com/imperial-free-onepage-bootstrap-theme/

10. Delicious

Delicious is a creative, free restaurant template. This free website template is focused for Cafe, coffee shop, hotel, winery business and any other Food related websites. This free html5 template uses HTML5, CSS3 and bootstrap3 framework. It is also contained Google fonts, good images, and jQuery for different dynamic effects. This bootstrap template is packed with a clean, flat and simple design for a one-page website.