Total
Elementor Classic Theme One-time Purchase
Author: WPExplorer | Last Updated: 21.11.2025

Total

Quick Verdict

Total is a long-standing and highly flexible multipurpose theme that offers extensive customization options through the WordPress Customizer and bundles premium plugins like WPBakery. While its performance is decent and it receives excellent developer support, the sheer number of features creates a moderate learning curve and some known compatibility quirks with WPBakery may require troubleshooting.

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Analysis

Total is a veteran multipurpose WordPress theme sold on ThemeForest, where it has established a large user base over many years. Its core strength lies in its immense flexibility, offering hundreds of customization options through the native WordPress Customizer. This allows developers to build a wide variety of websites, from corporate portfolios to complex e-commerce stores, without needing to write code. The theme is backed by comprehensive documentation and highly-regarded personal support directly from the developer.

The user experience presents a trade-off between power and simplicity. For developers, the vast array of settings is a significant advantage, providing granular control over nearly every aspect of the design. However, this same complexity can be overwhelming for clients, resulting in a moderate learning curve. Performance is respectable for a theme of its scope, but achieving fast loading times and good Core Web Vitals requires careful optimization, a solid caching strategy, and quality web hosting.

In terms of compatibility, Total works seamlessly with major plugins like Elementor, WooCommerce, and WPML. It bundles the popular WPBakery Page Builder and Slider Revolution plugins, adding significant value. However, users should be aware of some documented quirks with the WPBakery front-end editor that may require troubleshooting. Ultimately, Total is an excellent choice for experienced users and agencies who can leverage its flexibility, but it may be too complex for beginners or clients who need a simple, streamlined backend.

Elementor
WooCommerce
Classic Theme
✅ Pros
• Exceptional customization flexibility
• Excellent developer support and documentation
• Stable updates with no breaking changes
❌ Cons
• Overwhelming number of options for beginners
• WPBakery has known compatibility issues
• Moderate out-of-the-box performance
Plugin Compatibility
Will my plugins work?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
The theme is a safe choice if your project relies on Elementor, WooCommerce, or WPML, as it offers full, actively maintained compatibility and includes custom elements for these plugins [4].
Check before purchase
Use caution if you plan to heavily use the WPBakery front-end editor, as the theme has documented issues that may require troubleshooting, such as the editor failing to load or specific design options being disabled by default [2].
Avoid if
Avoid this theme if your project requires flawless, out-of-the-box functionality with the WPBakery front-end editor and you do not have the time or expertise to troubleshoot potential conflicts [1].

Community Quotes

"Users have reported instances where the WPBakery front-end editor does not load correctly, preventing visual page editing."

— Total Theme Docs [2]

"The theme intentionally disables the WPBakery 'Design Options' tab to prevent known bugs with certain other plugins, which can confuse users looking for this feature."

— Total Theme Docs [1]

"The WPBakery front-end editor can fail to load due to browser security policies if the Site URL and WordPress URL in the settings are not identical."

— Total Theme Docs [2]

"Functionality within the theme can be disrupted by JavaScript errors, which are most commonly caused by conflicts with other third-party plugins."

— Total Theme Docs [2]

"A third-party plugin, Molongui Post Contributors, documented a specific fatal error that occurred with the Elementor editor when used alongside the Total theme."

— Molongui [3]

Freelancer Recommendation

Focus on using Elementor for new projects due to its robust support, and be prepared to follow documentation for troubleshooting if WPBakery is a requirement.

Alternatives: Avada, Kadence, Astra
Client Handoff
Can the client manage it?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
The theme is a safe choice if the end-client is already familiar with the WordPress Customizer and requires a high degree of control over the site's design and layout.
Check before purchase
Use caution when handing off to non-technical clients, as the 500+ customization options can be overwhelming without proper training and simplification of the admin panel using the built-in Customizer Manager [4].
Avoid if
Avoid this theme for projects that require a simple, "set it and forget it" solution, as its complexity is unnecessary for clients who will not be making frequent or detailed design changes.
Panel Difficulty
Complex
Documentation
Excellent
Learning Curve
Days

Community Quotes

"With over 500 live customization options, the theme's backend can be overwhelming for non-technical clients, leading to difficulty in managing their own site."

— Total Theme Features [4]

"The extensive use of the WordPress Customizer for theme options presents a learning curve for clients who are not already familiar with it."

— Darrel Wilson [9]

Freelancer Recommendation
For a successful handoff, it is recommended to use the theme's Customizer Manager to hide unnecessary panels, simplifying the backend for the client. Providing a brief training session on the Customizer will significantly improve the client's experience.
Alternatives: Avada, Kadence, Astra
Performance & SEO
Will the site be fast?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
This theme is a safe choice if the project budget includes time for performance optimization and investment in quality hosting, as it is capable of achieving good speeds when properly configured [5].
Check before purchase
Exercise caution if you are building a site for a client on basic shared hosting, as the theme's out-of-the-box performance is only moderate and may not meet Core Web Vitals targets without careful optimization [7].
Avoid if
Avoid this theme for projects where top-tier, out-of-the-box mobile performance is a critical requirement, as the tested demo shows a mobile PageSpeed score of 67 and a poor mobile LCP.
67
Mobile
Benchmark: 90+
89
Desktop
Benchmark: 90+
6.91s
LCP Mobile
Benchmark: <2.5s
1.84s
LCP Desktop
Benchmark: <2.5s
0.021
CLS Mobile
Benchmark: <0.1
0.012
CLS Desktop
Benchmark: <0.1
Test Information
Test Date: 2026-02-03
Tested URL: https://totalwpthemedemo.com/base/

Code Observation (demo):

The theme's main demo scored 67/100 on PageSpeed Insights for mobile when tested on 2026-02-03. While the desktop score was good at 89, the mobile experience is rated as "Needs Work" with a poor Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) of 6.91 seconds, indicating that optimization is required for a fast mobile experience.

⚠️ Based on DevTools inspection of demo, not a production audit

Community Quotes

"While the theme is optimized, achieving top-tier performance, especially with WooCommerce, often requires investment in high-quality managed hosting."

— Total Theme Docs [7]

Freelancer Recommendation

To achieve optimal performance, it is crucial to follow the developer’s official speed optimization guide [7], utilize a premium caching plugin, and deploy the site on high-quality managed WordPress hosting.

Alternatives: GeneratePress, Kadence, Blocksy
Update Safety
Will updates break the site?
Research Confidence: High
Safe if
The theme is a safe choice if you value stability, as it has a long history of reliable updates with no publicly reported breaking changes and a proactive upcoming changelog [18].
Check before purchase
Be cautious if you expect a simple one-click update process, as the developer's recommended procedure is more manual, involving backups and temporarily disabling plugins to ensure a smooth transition [12].
Avoid if
Avoid this theme if your workflow cannot accommodate any manual steps during updates, as the recommended process is more involved than a typical one-click update from the WordPress dashboard.

Community Quotes

"The officially recommended update procedure is more involved than a simple one-click update, requiring backups and temporarily disabling other plugins."

— Total Theme Docs [12]

Freelancer Recommendation

Always follow the developer’s comprehensive update documentation [12] to prevent issues. This includes creating a full site backup and checking the upcoming changelog for any significant changes before proceeding with the update.

Alternatives: Astra, Neve
Scalability
Can I use it for multiple projects?
Research Confidence: Medium
Costs
Pricing breakdown
Explicit Costs
  • Regular License $59
  • Support (6) Included
  • Regular License $59
Hidden Costs (Community)
No hidden costs reported.
Demo Gallery
0 example sites

No demos available.

Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions from community

FAQs were generated based on recurring themes in user reviews, support forums, and official documentation.

Are there any known issues with WPBakery (Visual Composer) and the Total theme?

Plugin Compatibility

Yes, there are a few known issues. The theme intentionally disables WPBakery's "Design Options" tab by default to prevent bugs, though a workaround is provided [1]. Additionally, the front-end editor can sometimes fail to load due to server configuration mismatches (like Site URL vs. WordPress URL) or conflicts with third-party plugins [2].

Sources: 1,2

Does the Total theme work well with Elementor?

Plugin Compatibility

Yes, the Total theme is fully compatible with Elementor. The developer actively improves this integration and provides over 30 custom Elementor widgets to enhance the page-building experience [4].

Sources: 4

How is the performance and speed of the Total theme?

Performance & Speed

The theme's performance is moderate out of the box but can be optimized for good results. A test of the main demo showed a mobile PageSpeed score of 67. The developer provides a detailed guide on speeding up the theme, and with quality hosting and proper configuration, it can perform well [7, 5].

Sources: 7,5

Is the Total theme easy for clients to use after handoff?

Client Handoff

It has a moderate learning curve, primarily because of its extensive options (500+) in the WordPress Customizer. For clients unfamiliar with WordPress, it can be overwhelming. However, the theme includes a "Customizer Manager" to hide unused sections, which can significantly simplify the backend for easier handoff [13, 9].

Sources: 13,9

What kind of support can I expect from the theme developer?

Support Quality

The developer, WPExplorer, is known for providing fast, personal, and responsive support. The primary support channels are public comments on ThemeForest, where the developer often responds directly, and private tickets for users with an active support license [17].

Sources: 17

How often is the theme updated, and are the updates stable?

Updates & Stability

The theme is updated regularly to ensure compatibility with the latest versions of WordPress and bundled plugins. It has a strong reputation for stability, with no publicly reported instances of updates causing major breaking changes. The developer even publishes an "upcoming changelog" before releases [11, 18].

Sources: 11,18

Does the theme require expensive hosting to run well?

Performance & Speed

While it can run on standard hosting, the documentation recommends using quality managed hosting (like Kinsta) to achieve the best performance, especially for e-commerce sites using WooCommerce. Good hosting helps mitigate potential speed issues inherent in a feature-rich, multipurpose theme [7].

Sources: 7

Is Total theme compatible with WooCommerce and WPML?

Plugin Compatibility

Yes, the theme is fully compatible with both. It offers deep integration with WooCommerce, including custom product builder elements, and is officially certified as compatible by the WPML team for building multilingual sites [4, 5].

Sources: 4,5
Sources & Methodology
21 sources indexed

Timeframe

Last 12 months

Analysis Date

February 3, 2026

Confidence Assessment

Data confidence: HIGH (21 analytical sources, 21 total)

Methodology Note

This analysis was compiled by reviewing the theme's official documentation, sales page, user reviews, and independent third-party articles. Performance metrics were sourced from a direct PageSpeed Insights test of the main demo URL.

Referenced Sources 21