Timber

by jarednova

View on WordPress.org

64 Quality Score

Active Installs

19/30

At 20,000 active installs it has a small but dedicated developer audience, which is expected for a tool this technical.

Update Freshness

11/25

It was updated May 2025 and is tested against WordPress 6.8.5, so the codebase is current, though the PHP 7.2.5 minimum is dated.

User Rating

15/15

A 98 out of 100 from 71 ratings is exceptional, reflecting strong satisfaction from the people who actually use it.

Support Health

8/15

Zero support threads and zero resolved tickets looks bad on paper, but Timber's audience mostly relies on GitHub and documentation rather than the WordPress.org forum.

WP Compatibility

11/15

Compatibility scores well, with recent testing on WordPress 6.8.5, though the older PHP floor and absence of forum activity leave some uncertainty about edge cases.

Scores higher than 13% of indexed plugins

About

Helps you create themes faster with sustainable code. With Timber, you write HTML using Twig Templates http://www.upstatement.com/timber/

Active Installs 20k+

Rating ★★★★½ 4.9/5

Last Updated 2025-05-31 8:07pm GMT

Requires WordPress 5.3.0+

Tested Up To 6.8.10

Requires PHP 7.2.5+

Security History

2 known vulnerabilities, all patched

1 High 1 Medium

Most recent: July 24, 2025

View details ▸

What It Does

Timber is a developer tool that lets you build WordPress themes using Twig templates instead of mixing PHP directly with HTML. It separates presentation from logic, so designers and front-end developers can work in clean .twig files while pulling WordPress data through Timber's helper functions. In practice it turns theme development into a faster, more maintainable workflow for anyone comfortable with templating.

Who It's For

This plugin is built for experienced developers and agencies building custom WordPress themes from scratch. It fits teams that already use Twig, want cleaner separation between PHP and markup, or maintain complex publishing and enterprise sites where theme code needs to stay readable over years. If you are writing bespoke themes and find raw PHP templates painful, Timber is aimed squarely at you.

Who Should Skip It

Skip Timber if you use a page builder, block theme, or starter template plugin, since none of those need Twig. Non-developers and anyone who only edits existing themes will gain nothing from adding a templating layer they have to learn.

The Bottom Line

Timber scores 67.29 out of 100, dragged down by its small install base and lack of forum activity, but the 98 percent user rating tells the real story for developers. It is a focused, well-maintained tool that does one job, separating Twig from WordPress PHP, and does it well. Treat the overall score as a reflection of niche reach, not quality of the product itself.

Pick Astra Sites if you want finished designs you can import in minutes rather than writing templates yourself.

Templately 88/100

Choose Templately for a large library of ready-made Elementor and Gutenberg blocks and pages.

Extendify 87/100

Go with Extendify if you want quick pattern libraries for the block editor without any code.

Kadence Starter Templates 85/100

Kadence Starter Templates is the better option when you need full site kits designed around the Kadence theme.

Starter Sites & Templates by Neve 84/100

Pick Neve's collection if you are building with the Neve theme and want pre-made designs bundled in.

Use Cases

WordPress theme developer custom theme design agency freelance web designer front-end developer portfolio Twig template user sustainable WordPress coding rapid theme prototyping design system implementation HTML-first web development WordPress customization studio