How Starter Templates – AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg Affects Your WordPress Speed
How is this scored?
Our Benchmark Methodology
Every speed score on MakeWPFast is based on real performance measurements, not estimates. We install each plugin on a clean WordPress 6.9 setup (PHP 8.3, MariaDB, GeneratePress theme) and measure the difference in three metrics:
TTFB (Time To First Byte) — how many milliseconds the plugin adds to server response time. This is the most important factor (50% of the score) because it directly affects every page load.
Memory usage — how much additional PHP memory the plugin consumes per request (30% of score). High memory usage can cause crashes on shared hosting.
Database queries — how many extra SQL queries the plugin runs per page load (20% of score). More queries mean more database work on every request.
| Grade | What it means |
|---|---|
| A / A- | Negligible impact. Safe to install on any hosting. |
| B+ / B / B- | Light impact. Adds some overhead but manageable on most setups. |
| C+ / C / C- | Moderate impact. May noticeably slow down budget hosting. |
| D+ / D | Heavy impact. Will affect page load times. Consider alternatives. |
| F | Severe impact. Significant resource usage that hurts performance. |
Plugins marked "Not Yet Tested" have not been benchmarked yet. We do not estimate or guess scores — if there is no measured data, there is no grade.
Note: Benchmarks measure a plugin in isolation on a clean install. Real-world impact varies based on your hosting, other plugins, and how the plugin is configured.
Share This Badge
Add this performance badge to your site or README:
Performance Analysis
Starter Templates (astra-sites) is a collection of 300+ pre‑built website templates that work with popular themes like Astra, Hello, OceanWP and GeneratePress. It’s aimed at developers who want to launch a functional site quickly without writing code from scratch.
Our benchmark tests show the plugin adds only a couple of milliseconds to the first‑time‑load response time, uses about two megabytes of extra memory, and introduces roughly ten extra database queries. That’s a tiny impact that won’t be noticeable in normal usage.
If you’re looking for a zero‑overhead solution or already have a minimal theme stack, this plugin is overkill and should be skipped.
Maintenance Status
Last updated: 2026-02-04. Requires PHP 7.4+. Trusted by 2.0M+ active installations.
Benchmark data measured in an isolated Docker environment (WordPress 6.8, PHP 8.3, GeneratePress). See our full methodology.
Find slow plugins on your own site
WP Multitool scans your WordPress site for slow queries, memory hogs, and performance bottlenecks - in one click.
Alternatives to Starter Templates – AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg
| Plugin | Speed Score | Active Installs |
|---|---|---|
| Elementor Website Builder – More Than Just a Page Builder | C- | 10M+ |
| Classic Editor | A | 9M+ |
| Yoast Duplicate Post | A | 4M+ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Starter Templates u2013 AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg slow down WordPress?
Is Starter Templates u2013 AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg still maintained?
What are the best alternatives to Starter Templates u2013 AI-Powered Templates for Elementor & Gutenberg?
Plugin reviews, speed optimization guides, and error debugging — straight to your inbox.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. We respect your privacy.