Unattractive layout can lead to 38% of online buyers completely abandoning your store. In fact, if your store visitors have poor experience, 90% of them will prefer buying from competitors. 

You definitely don't want to lose customers. Therefore, selecting the right theme is crucial. It’s fundamental for building a successful Magento 2 online store. 

Two popular Magento 2 extensions options are Luma, the default theme, and Hyvä, a newer, performance-focused alternative. Which one should you use for your store?

Let’s find that out in today’s blog!

What is Luma?

Luma is the default theme included with Magento 2. It offers a basic storefront layout and functionalities, making it a good starting point for new stores. Luma is also widely compatible with various Magento 2 extensions, simplifying integration with additional features.

Benefits of using Luma

Economic and Readily Usable

Luma comes bundled with Magento 2, eliminating the cost of purchasing a separate theme. It's readily available for use as soon as you install Magento 2, saving you valuable setup time.

Customization Potential

Luma's code structure is relatively straightforward, making it easier for developers to tailor the theme's appearance and functionality to your specific requirements. This allows for some level of design customization to match your brand identity.

Extensive Extension Compatibility

As the default theme, Luma enjoys broad compatibility with numerous Magento 2 extensions. This offers a wider range of functionalities you can easily integrate into your store to enhance its capabilities, such as loyalty programs, marketing tools, and payment gateways.

What are The Drawbacks of Using Luma?

Performance Issues

Luma can be relatively slow due to its complex codebase and numerous built-in features. This can increase website loading times. Consequently, user experience becomes worse. And it can quickly translate into higher bounce rates and lower conversion rates.

Professional Magento 2 development can reduce performance issues. But it still isn't a viable option to improve your SEO score. 

Limited Design Flexibility

While Luma is customizable, its basic structure can limit creative freedom compared to some other themes. 

Achieving a unique and modern design might require more extensive development effort and potentially involve additional costs.

Maintenance Challenges

Keeping up with Magento 2 updates while maintaining customized Luma themes can be time-consuming and require ongoing developer involvement. 

Therefore, you need to spend more on Magento 2 development services. This can strain your resources and impact the efficiency of managing your online store.

What is Hyvä?

Hyvä is a relatively new theme specifically designed for Magento 2 development. It takes a different approach compared to Luma, focusing on performance and flexibility. 

Hyvä utilizes modern tools and a lightweight architecture to deliver a fast and developer-friendly experience.

What are the benefits of using Hyvä?

Since Hyva is based on a lightweight architecture, it offers several benefits:

Superior Performance

Hyvä boasts significantly faster loading times compared to Luma. This is achieved through its lean codebase and focus on essential functionalities. 

Therefore, when you use Hyva theme extensions, you can offer your store visitors a better user experience, leading to improved SEO rankings and potentially higher conversion rates.

Enhanced Developer Experience

Hyvä leverages modern tools like AlpineJS and TailwindCSS, which are familiar and preferred by many developers. 

This makes Hyvä projects more efficient and enjoyable to develop and maintain. Developers familiar with these tools can quickly adapt to Hyvä's framework, reducing development time and costs.

Greater Design Flexibility

Hyvä's architecture allows for a high degree of design customization. Developers have more liberty to create unique and modern storefronts using Hyva theme extensions without being limited by the theme's default structure. 

This enables you to develop a visually creative and brand-consistent online store that stands out from the competition.

What are The drawbacks of Using Hyvä?

Limited Extension Compatibility

While Hyvä is actively growing and gaining wider adoption, its extension compatibility is not yet as extensive as Luma's. 

This might require finding alternative solutions or custom development for specific functionalities that you might need for your store.

Learning Curve for Developers

Developers unfamiliar with Hyvä's specific tools and framework might require some initial learning time to become comfortable working with the Hyva theme-compatible extensions. 

This can add to the initial setup time and potentially impact project timelines if your development team is not already familiar with Hyvä.

Additional Development Costs

Due to potential limitations in extension compatibility and the learning curve for developers, Hyvä projects might require more upfront development effort than Luma. 

This is especially true if extensive customization or integration with specific third-party solutions is needed. 

This can impact your initial budget considerations. 

Hyvä vs Luma: Performance Comparison

Choosing between Luma and Hyvä theme compatible extensions comes down to understanding their strengths and weaknesses. Here's a comprehensive comparison to help you make an informed decision:

Page Load Speed

• Luma: While functional, Luma's default state can exhibit slower loading times due to its complex codebase and bundled features. This can negatively impact user experience (UX) and SEO. Optimizing Luma for speed often requires additional development effort and expertise.

• Hyvä: Hyvä theme development prioritizes performance with a lean codebase and focuses on essential functionalities. This streamlined approach translates to significantly faster loading times, leading to a more positive user experience and improved SEO.

Core Web Vitals Scores

• Luma: Luma's inherent performance limitations can often lead to lower scores on Core Web Vitals metrics, a set of Google ranking factors that assess aspects like page load speed, interactivity, and visual stability. These lower scores can potentially hinder your store's visibility in search engine results.

• Hyvä: Hyvä's focus on performance typically results in higher Core Web Vitals scores, signaling a faster and more user-friendly experience for your customers. This can contribute to improved search engine ranking and organic traffic.

Mobile Friendliness

• Luma: Luma offers a mobile-friendly experience. However, it might not be as optimized for mobile devices compared to modern themes.

• Hyvä: Hyvä prioritizes mobile responsiveness. It ensures your store looks and functions flawlessly across various devices. This includes smartphones and tablets. Therefore, your store can cater to the growing trend of mobile commerce. 

Conclusion

Hyvä boasts a clear performance advantage over Luma. If fast loading times, SEO optimization, and a superior mobile experience are crucial for your Magento 2 store, Hyvä might be the better choice. 

However, if you have a tight budget, require extensive extension compatibility, and are prepared to invest in Magento 2 development, Luma can still be a viable option.