Soledad Theme Review: A Tool To Create Smart Websites (2025)

Ease of Use

I would rate the overall ease of use of Soledad at 3.8/5.

Here’s why:

• Setting up and registering the theme is straightforward, with available resources to guide you through the setup process.
• Extensive library offering various starting points for different website types.
• User-friendly interface for building pages without coding.
• Soledad can be quite overwhelming for newcomers because it has lots of features and settings. 
• It may take longer to learn everything, and there is room for improvement in reducing the large file sizes to enhance performance.

Installation Process

You can only purchase the Soledad theme from the Envato Marketplace.

The process of installing the theme is simple and easy. To begin, log in to your website’s admin panel and then proceed with the following steps.

• Go to appearance > themes > add new > upload theme
• Find the .zip file you downloaded and upload it
• Click the Install Now button

It will redirect you to another page where you click the activate link to complete the theme activation.

Theme Setup

After successfully installing and activating the Soledad theme, it will take you to a welcoming page. Here you need to complete three steps to complete the theme setup process.

First, you need to Install & activate the plugins by clicking the Install plugins button. It will redirect you to the Soledad plugins page. 

To import a demo, you only need to install Penci Shortcodes & Performance. Additionally, if you wish to use Elementor for building your site or accessing pre-built demo websites, you can install it.

However, to get additional features and functionalities to your website, you can install the recommended plugins.

⚠️ Note: This theme does not require any specific plugins to function properly. You can choose which plugins you want to use and activate them according to your needs and preferences.

Next step, to import demo data, just click Import Demo Now. If you receive the message Sorry, you are not allowed to access this page, it means you need to install or activate the Penci Soledad Demo Importer plugin.

On the Import Demo Data page, you will find a wide range of ready-made websites. You can import any demo version that aligns with your specific needs.

If your site is new, you can perform a full import as normal by using both the Import Demo Style and Import Demo Content options. However, if your site has old data, use only the Import Demo Style option.

After importing a demo, if you face any issues with the menu, go to Appearance > Menus, create or select a menu for your main navigation, check the “Primary Menu” box at the bottom, save changes, and refresh to see if the menu works properly.

Once you have imported the demo, you can deactivate the Penci Soledad Demo Importer. This will not affect any functionality of your website. Next step, you can customize your theme by clicking the Start Customize button.

Once you’re on the customization page, you’ll find a wide range of options to easily customize every general aspect of the theme to your liking.

Features

I would rate the overall features at 4.3/5.

Here’s why:

• Soledad easily works with WPBakery and Elementor page builder, letting you choose the tool that fits your preferences and skill level.
• Enhance your design with 40+ custom elements for Elementor and WPBakery, adding unique features like buttons, sliders, testimonials, and pricing tables to your website.
• Soledad offers 6,886+ homepages and demos, 230+ Pre-built Sites, and 1000+ Pre-built Blocks that align with your vision.
• Exclusive AI assistance to generate content outlines, introductions, and conclusions, boosting your content creation efficiency.
• The Food Recipe & Review systems allow easy creation and management of food-related content, perfect for showcasing recipes and including review sections on your website.

1. Theme Options Panel

Soledad’s Theme Options gives you the freedom to customize your website according to your unique vision and brand identity.

There are two ways to customize your website. For front-end adjustments, navigate to the Soledad > Welcome > Customize Style.

If you prefer backend customization, head to Soledad > Theme Options Panel. 

Keep in mind that both methods have their advantages. Select the one that aligns with your comfort level and preferred working method.

The Featured Slider helps you make a great first impression on your website visitors. It offers a wide range of content display options, customizable animations, and a responsive design to ensure a seamless view on any device.

If you configure your pages using Elementor or WPBakery page builder, you can use the Penci Slider element to display various pre-designed sliders.

Soledad comes with an impressive tool for creating engaging single post pages. You can create unique layouts for different content types like news, recipes, reviews, podcasts, and more, ensuring an optimal presentation for each.

For even greater flexibility, you have the option to combine elements from the single post with your chosen page builder (Elementor or WPBakery).

Soledad focuses on making your website fast and smooth. With its speed optimization feature, you can easily make your site lightning-fast.

Boost your website speed by minifying and combining files, and enabling lazy loading for images. It reduces HTTP requests by optimizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.

Now you can implement a table of contents (TOC) for your blog posts, improving readability and accessibility for your visitors. 

Table of Contents is valuable for lengthy posts, aiding accessibility for users. It adds a touch of visual appeal by seamlessly blending with your website’s design.

Soledad comes with an intriguing tool, the Ad Blocker Detector. Many internet users employ ad blockers to avoid intrusive or irrelevant ads.

It enhances your browsing experience. If you use ad blockers, Soledad can identify and send a personalized message to inform you about the significance of ads in supporting websites and creating content. 

However, if ads are a primary income source, it can significantly impact website revenue.

2. Blocks/Templates Cloud Library

The Blocks and Templates Library is a powerful feature available with the Soledad WordPress theme. Over 1300+ pre-built blocks and page templates help you build your website efficiently and creatively.

You can effortlessly import any blocks/templates, streamlining your design process for a seamless experience. With Soledad’s Penci Cloud Library, designing your website becomes a dynamic and creative endeavor. 

Stay ahead of the curve with regular updates, ensuring your website remains fresh and on-trend. You can easily integrate this feature by simply following their video tutorial.

3. Single Post Builder

The single post builder is a powerful feature that allows you to take complete control of the layout and design of your blog posts and other content pages. 

It empowers you to craft unique and engaging experiences for your readers, going beyond the standard WordPress post format. Design your posts effortlessly with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.

You have unlimited layout possibilities, breaking free from templates, and can personalize everything from text to images. To customize the style, colors, and spacing in your site, simply go to Dashboard > Appearance > Customize > Single Posts.

Now, you can personalize each single post just the way you want.

4. Frontend Post Submission

Soledad’s frontend post submission feature allows users to submit blog posts, articles, or stories directly on your website. 

This user-friendly process eliminates the need for access to the WordPress admin panel and ensures a smooth and easily accessible submission post via the front end. It also allows you to choose from various content types, including text, images, audio, and videos.

You can customize the approval process and consider optional paid submissions using WooCommerce or GetPaid for an efficient user experience. To access this feature, you need to first install and activate the Penci Frontend Submission plugin.

Now you will find the Front End Submission feature in your Theme Options panel, providing you the flexibility to customize it according to your needs. To get detailed step-by-step instructions, you can check out their video guide.

5. Penci AI SmartContent Creator

The innovative Penci AI SmartContent Creator is a cutting-edge tool that simplifies content creation for your website. It provides a keyword, and the AI suggests suitable article titles for your post to grab your readers’ attention.

It saves your time and resources as the plugin integrates an AI image creation tool directly into your WordPress dashboard, ensuring a hassle-free experience.

With support for over 150 languages and full customization capabilities, this unique feature allows you to create engaging content that effortlessly connects with your audience.

To enable the feature, first, you need to install and activate the  Penci AI SmartContent Creator plugin.

After that, you can use the settings in the Theme Options to set up the Penci AI functionalities. Explore their video tutorial to gain a better understanding of how to optimize this powerful feature through step-by-step guidance.

6. Food Recipe & Review Systems

Soledad’s Food Recipe and Review Systems allow you to easily create a website where you can share your delicious recipes or express your thoughts.

The exclusive Penci Recipe and Penci Review plugins, seamlessly integrated into Soledad, provide instant activation, allowing you to fully customize your recipe and review posts. 

Whether you’re a chef or a budding reviewer, it is the perfect choice for both chefs and aspiring reviewers. It provides a complete and easy-to-use solution to showcase your culinary experiences and valuable opinions.

Enjoy the benefits of Google Rich Results and Structured Data support to improve the visibility and presentation of your food-related content.

Pre-Built Websites

Soledad’s pre-built websites offer over 230+ ready-to-use websites covering various niches like business, travel, fashion, photography, magazines, blogs, and more.

It’s a great option for users who want to launch their website quickly and with a polished look, even without design or coding knowledge.

Choose from a variety of styles, personalize with your content, and ensure a mobile-friendly experience, all designed specifically for your brand and goals.

Reliability

I would rate overall Soledad reliability at 3.8/5.

Here’s why:

• Soledad generally boasts good loading speeds,  often delivering results within the 2 second range. 
• Soledad ensures efficient website performance by maintaining a clean codebase and optimizing its assets.
• The theme focuses on security, following best practices, and working well with popular security plugins.
• Soledad’s development team regularly updates, fixing issues, and adding new features to make it work better.
• While performance is good, there is still potential for optimization, especially for users with demanding websites or complex setups.

Performance

Upon closer examination of speed and efficiency, I imported one of its pre-designed websites and evaluated its performance using GTmetrix.

Here are the results:

Soledad has achieved a B grade, boasting an 82% performance score, with a page loading time of 2.0 seconds and a full page size of 1.08 MB, meeting the average performance benchmark.

I have run GTmetrix tests on a couple of WordPress themes.

Here is how the Soledad theme compares to the others.

Theme	Fully Loaded Time	Total Page Size	Total Page Requests
Soledad Multipurpose WordPress Theme	2.0 seconds	1.08 MB	45
Astra Theme — Outdoor Adventure Template	905 milliseconds	1.54 MB	21
Flatsome WooCommerce Theme	1.0 seconds	348 KB	36

Honestly, I find the performance and page speed of Soledata to be unsatisfactory.

⛔ Warning: The results from GTmetrix aren’t conclusive and won’t always hold true as the themes continue to update. However, they are a good indication of the themes’ performance and speed insights.

The speed of your website isn’t solely determined by a top-notch theme like Soledad; it also heavily depends on the quality of your hosting service.

Updates and Maintenance

The Soledad WordPress theme consistently receives updates, bringing in new features and bug fixes for a reliable user experience.

Soledad’s latest update brings exciting new features, including diverse related post styles, clear identification of sponsored posts, and enhanced customization for headings in the Block Editor.

The integration of the 5 new slider animation styles, including Fade, Coverflow, Flip, Cards, and Creative, for a more dynamic and visually appealing look.

The new Penci Custom Heading element within Gutenberg lets you add unique heading styles for a more personalized touch. For more details on the update Soledad theme, you can visit the Soledad Theme updates guide.

Support

I would rate Soledad’s support at 3.6/5.

Here’s why:

• Soledad provides a variety of supports that offer helpful assistance to its customers.
• You can contact the author directly for personalized assistance. However,  the primary support is provided through their dedicated support system. 
• A support forum platform that is organized and designed to efficiently track and resolve issues.
• Helpful video tutorials for step-by-step guidance.
• The Soledad theme support system also provides a knowledge base and documentation.

Customer Service

Soledad offers various support platforms to guarantee effective customer service.

You can get support from:

• Email
• Support forum
• Community support
• Video tutorials and guides

An advantage is you can access their written documentation and video tutorials from your WordPress dashboard.

To access the available guides, simply go to Soledad > welcome. Just scroll down and you’ll find their documentation section.

Documentation

The official documentation page of Soledad is well organized, providing a variety of informative knowledge articles.

The good thing is you have the option to both read and watch to begin customizing your website. If you enjoy watching, take a look at their videos for step-by-step guides. 

Support Forum

Soledad’s support forum is an interactive platform that allows you to connect with other users, discover solutions, and gain insights from the community’s collective experience.

The forum creates a friendly and helpful environment. Users are encouraged to share knowledge, assist newcomers, and enhance their overall understanding of the topic.

You can save valuable time by using their powerful search function to efficiently locate existing threads that are relevant to your issue or question.

Community Support

Soledad is also available on social platforms like Facebook and YouTube. You can receive assistance through their Facebook page and Facebook group.

However, their community support is not available all the time. I checked their Facebook page and saw that the last post was published on June 11, 2022, but it’s already 2024 now.

Soledad has its official YouTube channel. They share video guides over there. It helps visual learners, and beginners, finding them easier to comprehend than written instructions.

However, Soledad has chosen to disable comments on their YouTube videos, which is a major drawback.

As a result, users are unable to ask questions, provide clarification, share their experiences, or participate in any kind of discussion regarding the video content.

Pricing

I would rate the overall pricing of Soledad at 4.2/5.

Here’s why:

• Soledad offers users exceptional value at just $59, making it a highly competitive choice among other top themes in the market.
• The license is limited to a single website, which may be a challenge for users managing multiple sites.
• You can get extended support for 12 months, but it will cost an additional $17.63.

However, to enhance user satisfaction, Soledad could offer a multi-site license, allowing users to use the theme across multiple websites.

Cost Breakdown

The pricing for Soledad is straightforward, offering lots of features for a reasonable cost. It’s easy to understand and provides excellent value for your money.

You can buy it directly from the Envato Market:

For $59, you’ll get access to the following:

• All the features Soledad offers
• Future updates
• 6 months of support from the PenciDesign

⚠️ Note: The downside of purchasing a theme from Envato Market is that the regular license is only for one website.

You can purchase Soledad only from Envato Market. However, keep in mind that there are some additional fees involved.

• Handling fees for using a credit card during purchase.
• Extended support for 12 months will cost $17.63.

Money Back Guarantee/Refund

Kindly be aware that the refund policies set by Envato Market are applicable as the Soledad WooCommerce theme is exclusively sold through their platform.

Here’s a summary of their refund policy:

Circumstance	Eligibility	Notes
Item is “not as described” or doesn’t work as it should	Yes	If the item is materially different from the description or doesn’t work as expected.
Item has a security vulnerability	Yes	If it can’t be fixed easily, you may be entitled to a refund.
Item support is promised but not provided	Yes	If you don’t receive the promised support, you may be entitled to a refund.
Items that have not been downloaded	Yes	If not downloaded within 30 days from the date of purchase.
Resolving disputes – asking Envato to help	Discretionary	If you and the author can’t agree on a refund, Envato may intervene.
You don’t want it after downloading	No	—
Item didn’t meet expectations or is of low quality	No	—
Change of mind	No	—
Bought by mistake	No	—
Lack of expertise to use the item	No	—
Item removed or author no longer active	No	Advised to download items immediately after purchase.
Purchase made over 180 days ago (supported items)	No	For Themeforest and CodeCanyon supported items.
Purchase made over 30 days ago (unsupported items)	No	For Themeforest and CodeCanyon unsupported items and other specified Envato Market items.

Final Thoughts

Soledad is an impressive WordPress theme that facilitates the easy creation of websites for personal or professional use. With its extensive range of designs, users can effortlessly customize their websites, whether opting for a simple or bold look.

The theme provides plugins for efficient content organization and social media sharing, enhancing overall functionality. It ensures a seamless user experience and is designed to make websites visually appealing on both computers and mobile phones.

However, for beginners, it might take a bit more time to get used to because there are many options to explore.

Overall, the best theme choice depends on your specific needs, and comfort level with WordPress. Soledad stands out as a well worth considering.