Every WP Engine plan includes the full StudioPress theme library at no extra cost. StudioPress is the company behind the Genesis Framework — one of the most established WordPress theme frameworks in the ecosystem. Understanding what Genesis is, why it matters, and how to use the included themes is worth covering for anyone starting a new WordPress site on WP Engine.
What Is the Genesis Framework?
Genesis is a parent theme framework for WordPress, developed by StudioPress and now owned by WP Engine after its acquisition in 2018. A parent theme provides the foundational structure, security, and code standards that child themes build on top of. The Genesis Framework itself is not a visual theme — it is the underlying code layer that handles WordPress template hierarchy, SEO markup, accessibility, and security hardening.
Child themes built on Genesis inherit all of its structural benefits and add the visual design layer on top. This separation means that updating the Genesis Framework does not overwrite your design customisations, and that any StudioPress child theme you install starts from a solid, well-maintained foundation.
Genesis has a long track record: it has been actively maintained since 2010, has a large developer community, and is known for clean semantic HTML, built-in schema markup, and strong out-of-the-box SEO structure.
What Is Included with Every WP Engine Plan
WP Engine’s acquisition of StudioPress means all StudioPress themes are bundled with every WP Engine hosting plan. This includes the Genesis Framework itself and the full library of StudioPress child themes. These were previously sold individually for $59.95 per theme or as a package for $499.
To access StudioPress themes on WP Engine: log in to your WP Engine dashboard, navigate to your site environment, and find the StudioPress Themes section. Themes can be installed directly to your WordPress environment from there without needing to download and upload files manually.
The value addition is meaningful for new site builds: professional, well-coded themes that previously cost $60 to $100 each are included as part of your hosting plan.
Popular StudioPress Themes Worth Knowing
| Theme | Best for | Style |
| Altitude Pro | Businesses, agencies | Bold, full-width hero |
| Foodie Pro | Food and recipe blogs | Clean, editorial |
| Beautiful Pro | Lifestyle, creative portfolios | Elegant, typography-led |
| Centric Pro | Corporate, professional services | Minimal, structured |
| Executive Pro | Consultants, coaches | Professional, conversion-focused |
Genesis Framework and Gutenberg
Genesis has evolved alongside WordPress’s block editor (Gutenberg). Modern StudioPress themes built for Genesis 3.x are block-editor compatible and take advantage of Gutenberg’s full-site editing capabilities where appropriate. Older Genesis child themes built for pre-block-editor WordPress still work but may not take full advantage of Gutenberg’s layout tools.
For new WordPress sites on WP Engine starting in 2025 or later, the newer Genesis-based themes with Gutenberg compatibility are the better starting point. They produce cleaner code output, load faster with fewer legacy dependencies, and integrate more naturally with WordPress’s evolving editing experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use Genesis themes on WP Engine?
No. StudioPress themes are included at no extra cost, but you are free to use any WordPress-compatible theme on WP Engine. Many WP Engine customers use Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, Divi, or custom themes. The Genesis inclusion is a bonus, not a requirement.
Are StudioPress themes still being actively developed?
WP Engine continues to maintain and develop StudioPress themes. The library has received updates for Gutenberg compatibility and ongoing WordPress core compatibility. New theme additions have slowed since the WP Engine acquisition compared to StudioPress’s independent years, but the existing library is actively maintained.
Can I customise a StudioPress theme?
Yes. StudioPress themes are designed to be customised. The recommended approach is to create a child theme of the child theme if you need code-level customisations, so that theme updates do not overwrite your changes. Visual customisations via the WordPress Customizer, Gutenberg blocks, or a page builder like Beaver Builder work without child theme complexity for most design changes.
Does using Genesis improve SEO?
Genesis produces clean, semantic HTML with built-in schema markup and proper heading hierarchy, which supports SEO by giving search engines a well-structured page to index. It is not a magic SEO tool, but it avoids the bloated, poorly-structured code output of some commercial themes that creates technical SEO problems. Combined with Yoast SEO or RankMath, Genesis provides a solid technical SEO foundation.
