New owner, old question
Kadence vs Next.js: A Block-First Theme Under New Owners, Against Custom Code
Type kadencewp.com into a browser in 2026 and you land on liquidweb.com. The theme is still free, still block-first and still good. What changed is everything around it: the owner, the plans, the product names. Here is what that means next to a Next.js rebuild.
October 6, 2026 · 12 min read
The short answer
Choose Kadence for a block-editor WordPress site on a modest budget, especially if buying theme, blocks, security and memberships from one vendor appeals to you. Choose Next.js when speed, custom features and long-term stability decide revenue. As of October 2026, Kadence's paid plans run $99 to $499 a year and are priced per site.
On this page
- Same theme, new landlord: who sells Kadence in 2026
- Blocks first, Customizer second: what Kadence gets right
- One vendor for theme, blocks, shop, security and members
- Where Kadence keeps up with Next.js, and where it falls behind
- What the new Kadence plans cost, and what the footnote says
- Kadence's rough edges, straight from the support threads
- Choosing between Kadence and a Next.js build
- What a Kadence migration carries over, and what it does not
- Stay or move: a verdict for each kind of Kadence site
Same theme, new landlord: who sells Kadence in 2026
Kadence's old homepage and pricing page now answer with permanent redirects to Liquid Web's software section. On wordpress.org the theme's author is listed as Nexcess, and the documentation lives at docs.nexcess.com. In May 2026 Liquid Web folded several brands into the Kadence name: SolidWP became Kadence Security, Iconic became Kadence Shop Kit, and Restrict Content Pro became Kadence Memberships. The premium theme add-on is now called Kadence Theme Kit Pro.
None of that changes the code on your pages tomorrow. It changes the paperwork. Purchases made before May 2026 are legacy, grandfathered plans that keep their pricing while the subscription stays active. Let one lapse and the terms say you will need one of the new plans to get access back. Some owners missed the news entirely: in a forum thread about a security plugin suddenly renamed Kadence, staff said the announcement email had landed in many users' spam folders. Our Kadence review follows the ownership story in full.
Blocks first, Customizer second: what Kadence gets right
Kadence earned its following honestly. As of October 2026, wordpress.org counts 500,000+ active installs of the free theme, rated 98 out of 100 across 455 ratings. It was built around the block editor rather than retrofitted to it. Page layouts come from Kadence Blocks, a free plugin with 600,000+ installs, and the theme can optimize the core Group block if you turn that setting on.
- A free Performance panel. Customizer > General > Performance offers local Google Fonts with optional preload, CSS preload, and toggles for microdata, the lightbox and scroll-to-ID. Plenty of themes charge for less.
- CSS split by component. Header, content, footer and sidebar styles load as separate files, and in version 1.5.2 the only front-end scripts that need jQuery are WooCommerce ones.
- Two real headers. Desktop and Tablet/Mobile are built as separate headers in the Customizer, so the phone layout is designed rather than squeezed.
- Plugin manners. The theme ships integration stylesheets for LearnDash, LifterLMS, GiveWP, bbPress, Polylang, Rank Math, SureCart and others, so common plugins look like they belong.
Liquid Web says Kadence is 'rated #1 for web accessibility' without saying by whom or how, so file that under vendor claims. How the real settings play out on a live page is in the Kadence speed guide, and the block-editor details are in Kadence with Gutenberg.
One vendor for theme, blocks, shop, security and members
The 2026 pitch is consolidation. Where a typical WordPress site collects plugins from five companies, a Kadence Pro customer gets the theme, the blocks, WooCommerce tools, memberships, a firewall with two-factor login and virtual patching, and daily backups with one-click restore, all from one account. That is a genuine answer to plugin sprawl, and it deserves credit.
It is not the same as having no sprawl. A fully kitted Kadence site still runs a list like this:
- The Kadence theme, configured in the Customizer
- Kadence Blocks for layouts, and Kadence Starter Templates for the first import
- Theme Kit Pro for Hooked Elements, Conditional Headers, the Ultimate Menu and WooCommerce addons
- Shop Kit, the former Iconic plugins: WooThumbs galleries, Flux multi-step checkout, swatches, quickview, wishlist and bundles
- Kadence Security and Kadence Memberships, the renamed SolidWP and Restrict Content Pro
- Caching, forms, analytics and whatever else the business needs
One brand on the invoice, still a stack of separate plugins loading on every request, each with its own update. And one company now owns more of your site's moving parts. That cuts both ways: fewer vendors blaming each other, and one support queue standing between you and a fix. The general case is made in WordPress plugins vs Next.js.
Where Kadence keeps up with Next.js, and where it falls behind
The Kadence column describes a typical paid build: free theme, Kadence Blocks, Theme Kit Pro and, for stores, Shop Kit. The Next.js column is a custom build by a developer. The last column is that build with Athena CMS handling the editing and the upkeep.
| Kadence + plugins | Next.js build | Next.js + Athena CMS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | Lean theme with component CSS; Kadence Blocks and Shop Kit add their own files | Server Components keep most JavaScript off the visitor's phone | Same front end; the editor adds nothing to pages |
| Core Web Vitals | Good start; free local fonts and CSS preload help | LCP image, fonts and layout dimensions decided in code | Argus reports slow pages so they get fixed early |
| Hosting requirements | WordPress 6.3 and PHP 7.4 minimum; Liquid Web and Nexcess sell hosting too | CDN for prerendered pages, functions for forms and data | No WordPress server or database to patch |
| Security | Firewall, 2FA and virtual patching on Pro; Shop Kit 3.0.6 and earlier had an SQL injection advisory | Public site is static output with no admin area to probe | Aegis runs a daily intrusion and backdoor check |
| Plugin dependency | Kadence Blocks for layouts; Theme Kit Pro and Shop Kit for the rest | Packages locked in a lockfile and reviewed before release | No plugins at all |
| Maintenance | Fewer vendors, same plugin updates; the 2026 rebrand renamed a plugin in place | Developer updates dependencies on a schedule, with tests | Agents check links, forms and certificates |
| Updates | A lapsed license keeps working but loses updates and premium templates | Nothing reaches production without passing a build | Editors publish content; code changes stay with developers |
| SEO | Optional theme microdata; titles and sitemaps from an SEO plugin | Routes generate their own metadata and canonical tags | Iris handles titles and social cards; Atlas finds thin pages |
| Schema | Microdata toggle in the theme; richer schema needs Rank Math or similar | Typed structured data built from each page's fields | Updates itself as editors change fields |
| Page speed | Fast core; speed then depends on which blocks and shop features you use | Prerendered HTML; only interactive parts send JavaScript | Unchanged by edits |
| Mobile performance | Separate mobile header; breakpoint fixed at 1024px in theme CSS | Images sized per device by next/image, fonts self-hosted by next/font | Picasso sizes and describes every image |
| Custom development | Hooked Elements and a child theme builder; deeper work means PHP | Portals, dashboards and custom logic are ordinary work | Content types modeled on your business |
| CMS usability | Block editor plus Customizer: two places to look for one setting | Bring a CMS, or route edits through a developer | Plain fields, live preview, full version history |
| Ecommerce | WooCommerce with Shop Kit swatches, galleries and multi-step checkout on Pro | Custom cart and checkout, or a hosted commerce API | Built-in store plus Stripe-billed memberships |
| Scalability | Server-bound like any WordPress site; caching carries the load | CDN-served pages handle spikes without bigger servers | Matches the Next.js build |
| Hosting cost | Standard WordPress hosting; more for busy stores and member sites | Usage-based; frequently small for content sites | No plan tier to choose |
| Development cost | Low with 200+ starter templates and Kadence Blocks | More up front, because it is built to order | Quoted at a fixed price once we have audited the site |
| Long-term maintenance | $99 to $499 a year per site, plus legacy-plan rules | Occasional, planned and tested | No license lapses to manage |
| Content editing | Block editor with Kadence Blocks controls for layout and spacing | Only as good as the connected CMS | Edit, preview, publish, roll back |
| Integrations | Bundled styles for LearnDash, GiveWP, SureCart and more | CRM, booking and payment APIs wired in directly | Built in; Argus flags a failing form |
| API support | WordPress REST API; block settings ride inside post content | API endpoints live beside the pages in one project | Content reaches the front end by design |
| Headless CMS capability | Possible, but Kadence Blocks styling stays behind in WordPress | Reads from any headless source, WordPress included | Athena was built to feed a Next.js front end |
The Kadence column is shorter on vendor names than most WordPress stacks, because Liquid Web now sells most of the pieces. It is not shorter on plugins. For the row-level mechanics, see Core Web Vitals on WordPress vs Next.js and the rest of the WordPress vs Next.js series.
What the new Kadence plans cost, and what the footnote says
As of October 2026, Kadence sells three annual plans in place of the old add-ons and bundles.
| Price | What it adds | |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $99 a year | Theme + Blocks: 30+ blocks, 200+ starter templates, form builder, child theme builder, header and navigation builder, mega menus, dynamic content |
| Pro | $299 a year | Shop Kit for WooCommerce, content restriction, membership levels and subscriptions, firewall, 2FA, virtual patching, daily backups |
| Elite | $499 a year | A/B testing, popups and sale banners, behavioral targeting, white label and client portal, Kadence Central, 1,000 emails a month |
A footnote says plans are priced per site. The pricing page does not say how many sites each plan covers, and the terms FAQ still lists limits only under the retired plan names, so ask before you buy if you run more than one site. Refunds are offered for 30 days through a support ticket. Stop renewing and the products keep working, but updates, premium support and premium templates stop. On a store running Shop Kit, missed updates are not theoretical: a Patchstack advisory flagged a high-priority SQL injection in Shop Kit 3.0.6 and earlier. The Kadence pricing guide compares the plans in detail.
The third option
Athena CMS, with AI agents on staff.
Not a theme and not a blank Next.js repo. The content system we put behind every custom site: plain fields, a real preview, every version kept, and AI agents that handle the chores a plugin only nags you about.
- PicassoImages
- ApolloSite analysis
- AresCompetitor watch
- PrometheusContent holes
- AtlasPage depth and structure
- DelphiAI search visibility
and 12 more agents. Two come with Athena; the rest are monthly add-ons.
Kadence's rough edges, straight from the support threads
Every popular theme has a support forum full of bad days. These are the Kadence ones worth knowing in 2026.
- The empty drawer. On Kadence 1.5.1, one site's off-canvas mobile menu opened with zero items despite menus assigned to every location. The checks are in Kadence header builder mobile issues.
- A missing file. In 1.5.2 the Scroll To Top button did nothing because scroll-up.min.js returned a 404. The reporter marked it resolved after updating to WordPress 7.1.2 and Kadence Blocks 3.7.12.
- Content that changed under an update. One user reported a Kadence Blocks update removing internal links from posts, a lifetime license showing as UNKNOWN, and six tickets unanswered in six days. Related block errors are covered in Kadence Blocks invalid content.
- A retired forum. The old Kadence community forum closed in favor of direct tickets, so older answers found in search may be out of date.
- A fixed breakpoint. The desktop header shows from 1025px, so the mobile header takes over at 1024px and below, and we found no Customizer setting in the docs to move it.
Version 1.5.2, released July 24, 2026, is the newest free build on wordpress.org. For stores, see Kadence WooCommerce layout broken; for a site that got slower after an update, Kadence slow after update. Everything else starts at the Kadence repair hub.
Choosing between Kadence and a Next.js build
When Kadence is the better choice
- A brochure or service site built from one of the 200+ starter templates on the Essentials plan
- A team that likes the block editor and wants Kadence Blocks for layout instead of learning a page builder
- A small budget where $99 a year plus a weekend of configuration is the whole plan
- A simple WooCommerce store that Shop Kit's swatches, galleries and checkout can cover
- A course, donation or forum site on LearnDash, GiveWP or bbPress, which the theme already styles
- A marketing team that wants to run its own A/B tests and popups on the Elite plan
When Next.js is the better choice
- Membership is the business, with tiers, paywalled content and recurring billing that must never break
- You generate landing pages for every city, product or keyword from a database
- The site is a SaaS front door, a client dashboard or a booking system
- You need deep CRM, ERP or scheduling integrations that no block plugin offers
- You would rather not have a hosting company's software division hold your site's entire feature set
Owners on the left should stay and keep the stack disciplined; our Kadence developer service works with Hooked Elements, child themes and Shop Kit. If you are still deciding between themes, Astra vs Kadence and Kadence vs GeneratePress are the closest matchups.
What a Kadence migration carries over, and what it does not
Kadence sites are friendlier to migrate than builder-heavy ones, because the content lives in the block editor. Each block stores its settings as attributes in the post's markup, so a script can read a row layout or an info box and map it to a Next.js component. The catch is styling. Much of what makes those blocks look right comes from the plugin's own styles, and those do not travel. We rebuild the design once, in code, and the content flows into it.
Shop Kit and Kadence Memberships need more planning. Products move into Athena's built-in store, and member areas are rebuilt as password-protected sections with login levels and Stripe subscription billing. Every URL is kept or permanently redirected. The step-by-step plan is at Kadence to Next.js, with redirect detail in WordPress to Next.js redirects.
What Athena gives a Kadence owner
Kadence Pro buyers pay for a bundle because they want fewer vendors. Athena takes that idea to its end: memberships, the store and the editing screen are part of the site, not plugins on top of it, and the upkeep goes to AI agents with one job each. Aegis checks daily for intrusions, in place of a security plugin with its own renewal date. Argus finds broken links and failing forms. Atlas spots orphan and thin pages, and Ariadne inserts internal links. Most agents draft and wait for your approval. See membership sites on Athena and switching from WordPress.
Stay or move: a verdict for each kind of Kadence site
Nonprofit or course site
Stay, if GiveWP or LearnDash covers what you do. Kadence styles both, and a rebuild would spend money the mission needs.
Membership business
Move. When paid access is the revenue, it belongs in a tested codebase with Athena's login levels and Stripe billing, not in a renamed plugin.
Small WooCommerce shop
Kadence Pro with Shop Kit is a capable kit for a modest catalog. Keep it updated and revisit when the catalog or the checkout outgrows it.
Agency
Elite's white label and client portal are built for you. Confirm the per-site pricing in writing before you put twenty clients on it.
Service business chasing leads
Move. Fast pages, custom forms and CRM routing are where a Next.js build pays for itself.
Not sure which card is yours? Ask for a free site audit. We review the Kadence site as it actually runs and say which path costs less over the next few years.
Questions people ask before they call
Kadence is sold by Liquid Web Software (Liquid Web, LLC, by Nexcess Corp.). The old kadencewp.com address redirects to liquidweb.com, the wordpress.org author is listed as Nexcess, and the docs live at docs.nexcess.com. In May 2026 SolidWP, Iconic and Restrict Content Pro were folded into the Kadence brand as Kadence Security, Shop Kit and Kadence Memberships. Our Kadence review covers what that means for owners.
As of October 2026 the pricing page does not say. A footnote states that plans are priced per site, and the terms FAQ lists limits only for the retired plan names. If you manage several sites, get the number in writing from Liquid Web before you buy. Our Kadence pricing guide tracks any change.
Kadence is built to be light, with component CSS and free local font loading. But a Kadence site still runs PHP, a database and a set of plugins on every uncached request. Next.js does that work once, at build time, and hands visitors finished HTML from a CDN. The Kadence speed guide shows how to get the most from the theme if you stay.
Yes. Kadence Blocks saves its settings as attributes in the post markup, so the text, images and structure can be read and mapped to components in the new site. The plugin's styling does not come along, so the design is rebuilt in code once. The full process is at Kadence to Next.js.
The products keep working, but you lose updates, premium support and premium template access. If a legacy, grandfathered plan lapses, the terms say you will need to buy one of the new plans to reinstate access. Running Shop Kit or Kadence Security without updates is a risk worth pricing in. Trouble activating a key is covered in Kadence Pro license not activating.
Keep reading
- Theme vs frameworkAstra vs Next.js: A Light Theme, a Heavy Stack and a Custom BuildAstra vs Next.js, row by row: the 2026 AI bundles, the 3-site Pro cap, Elementor and Spectra, real failure modes, and when Astra is still the smart buy.
- WordPress at its leanestGeneratePress vs Next.js: The Fairest Fight WordPress Can OfferGeneratePress vs Next.js, argued fairly: a sub-10kb theme, a $59 license for 500 sites, the coming template engine, and where a custom build still wins.
- Everything in WordPress vs Next.jsSee the section
Get a straight answer on your Kadence site
Tell us what your Kadence site runs and what worries you about the new plans. We will review it and tell you whether to stay, tune it or move.
Which of these sounds like you? (pick any)
Rather talk now? Call (210) 346-0848.