Websites using Underscores

Okay, let s break down Underscores (assuming you re referring to the website builder and no other company with the same name) and cover its overview, revenue (if available), alternatives, pricing, and customer care details.

Understanding Underscores (As a Website Builder)

Underscores by Automattic, is most likely referring to the _s theme. It is a WordPress starter theme designed for developers, not a fully-fledged website builder for end-users. It s essentially a blank canvas to build custom themes from. The official website can be found at underscores.me.

Overview:

• Purpose: A minimal, bare bones WordPress theme intended as a starting point for creating custom WordPress themes. It provides a basic structure, some common functionalities, and a clean foundation.
• Target Audience: WordPress developers, theme designers, and anyone comfortable working with code (HTML, CSS, PHP). It s not for beginners who want a drag-and-drop website builder.
• Key Features:
  • Clean, well-commented code.
  • Mobile-first responsive design.
  • Basic theme structure (header, footer, sidebar, etc.).
  • Customizable functions and templates.
  • Support for accessibility best practices.
• Development by Automattic: Automattic is the company behind WordPress.com and a major contributor to the open-source WordPress project. This means Underscores benefits from Automattic s expertise and commitment to quality.
• Open Source: Underscores is free to use and modify under the GPL (GNU General Public License).
• Not a Drag-and-Drop Builder: It doesn t offer a visual interface or drag-and-drop functionality. You need to write code to customize it.

Revenue:

• Free and Open Source: Underscores itself does not generate direct revenue. It s a free tool provided by Automattic as a contribution to the WordPress community.
• Indirect Revenue: Automattic likely benefits indirectly from Underscores popularity because it encourages developers to build on WordPress, strengthening the WordPress ecosystem and potentially leading to more usage of their other paid services (like WordPress.com hosting, Jetpack, etc.).

Alternatives:

Since Underscores is a starter theme, its alternatives are other starter themes or theme development frameworks. Here are a few:

• Other Starter Themes:

  • Sage: A more opinionated starter theme using a modern development workflow (Composer, Webpack, etc.). More complex, but can result in a more streamlined theme.
  • Bones: Another popular starter theme with a focus on HTML5 Boilerplate and responsive design.
  • JointsWP: Based on the Foundation framework.
  • Genesis Framework (StudioPress): A premium framework (not free) with a focus on SEO and security. Provides a robust base for building themes.
  • Custom Theme Development from Scratch: Some developers prefer to start with a completely blank theme, writing all the code themselves.

• Visual Theme Builders (For Non-Coders): If you re not a developer and need a visual website builder, these are completely different tools but provide an alternative way to create WordPress websites:

  • Elementor: A very popular drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress.
  • Divi Builder: Another widely used visual builder, often bundled with the Divi theme.
  • Beaver Builder: A user-friendly page builder with a clean interface.
  • WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg): The built-in WordPress editor is increasingly powerful and can be used to build entire sites with the right block themes.

Pricing:

• Free: Underscores itself is completely free to download and use. There are no subscription fees or licensing costs.
• Cost of Development: The cost associated with using Underscores is the time and effort required to develop a custom theme on top of it. If you hire a developer, you ll pay their hourly or project rates.

Customer Care/Support:

• Community Support: Since Underscores is open source, there s no dedicated customer support team. Support primarily comes from:
  • WordPress.org Forums: The WordPress support forums are a great place to ask questions about Underscores.
  • Stack Overflow: A Q&A site for programmers; use the WordPress and theme-development tags.
  • Online Tutorials and Documentation: Many websites and blogs offer tutorials and guides on using Underscores.
• Automattic Resources: While Automattic doesn t provide direct support for Underscores, their developer documentation and blog posts might contain helpful information.

In Summary:

Underscores is a valuable tool for WordPress developers who want a clean, well-structured starting point for creating custom WordPress themes. It s free, open source, and backed by Automattic. It s not a website builder for beginners; if you need a drag-and-drop interface, consider alternative visual page builders like Elementor, Divi, or Beaver Builder. If you re comfortable with code and want full control over your theme s design and functionality, Underscores is an excellent choice.