Magento Hyvä Theme FAQ: 20+ Questions & Answers

According to BuildWith, there are currently 3.709 websites worldwide leveraging Hyva Themes, with this number steadily increasing. Despite its growing popularity, many store owners still harbor concerns about integrating Hyvä into their ecommerce websites.

If you’re among those with reservations about using the Magento Hyva Theme, this comprehensive FAQ article aims to address your most pressing questions regarding costs, compatibility, migration, and more.

Definition & Pricing

Question 1: What is Hyva?

Hyva is a collection of themes and tools combined into a frontend designed for Magento 2. They ditch heavy JavaScript libraries and complex rendering in favor of lightweight technologies like Tailwind CSS and Alpine.js. This results in dramatically faster page loads, a more responsive feel for shoppers, and better search engine rankings.

To understand what Hyvä Theme really is, visit our newest article for more details: Definition of the Hyva Theme – Everything to Know

Question 2: How much does the Hyvä theme cost?

Answer:

Hyvä offers a one-time purchase that costs €1.000 per license, excluding VAT.

After successful purchasing, you will receive complete access to the entire ecosystem. It comprises a Slack channel, resources and documentation, an entire community of Hyvä developers and more.

Question 3: Does Hyvä have a trial version?

Answer:

Unfortunately no. Hyva doesn’t have a trial version for users. However, you can visit a demo where you can explore how it really works. Check this link: https://demo.hyva.io/ 

Don’t forget to run this domain through Google’s measurement tools to see Hyva’s great metrics.

Performance

Question 4: Can Hyvä themes solve all slow-loading issues of Magento websites?

Answer: 

Unfortunately, while Hyvä themes can dramatically improve the speed of Magento websites, it doesn’t magically solve all slow-loading issues. Because some of these problems come from factors outside of Hyva’s control:

• Server Bottlenecks: If your hosting plan has slow servers, limited resources, or is poorly configured, no theme can fully fix that.
• Unoptimized Media: Giant image files or videos without proper compression will slow down any site, regardless of the theme.
• Inefficient Extensions: Even with Hyva, poorly coded third-party extensions can still introduce performance problems.
• Database Issues: Complex database queries or a poorly configured database can create bottlenecks Hyva can’t address.

Hyva is likely the single biggest step you can take to improve Magento frontend speed. However, for best results, combine Hyva with good hosting, image optimization, careful extension selection, and potential database optimization.

Question 5: Will using the Hyva Theme ensure that my Magento website loads quickly permanently?

Answer:

Performance optimization isn’t a one-time thing. Regular monitoring and adjustments are needed even with a fast theme like Hyva. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to track your Core Web Vitals over time.

Features & Functionality

Question 6: Does Hyva support multi-store or multi-language setups?

Answer:

Absolutely! Hyva themes fully support multi-store and multi-language setups within Magento 2. This means you can leverage the same methods you would use in a traditional Magento theme to set up different stores and language versions.

Find out more:

• How to Setup Multi Store in Magento 2
• How to Configure Multiple Language Website in Magento 2

Question 7: Is Hyvä headless?

Answer:

Hyva is not inherently headless. Hyva themes don’t work as a completely decoupled frontend. They still rely on Magento’s backend for core functionalities like data handling, business logic, and database interactions.

Question 8: Hyvä Theme vs PWA: Which one is better?

Answer:

Hyva and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are both popular choices for enhancing the e-commerce experience. While we can’t delve too deeply in this blog, let’s explore some key differences to help you decide which might be a better fit for your business.

Feature	Hyva Themes	Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
Scope	Frontend theme for existing Magento stores	Standalone web apps accessible in browsers
Key Benefits	Speed, streamlined development, SEO benefits	App-like experience, offline functionality, push notifications
Technology Framework	Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js, integrated with Magento	Varies, can include React, Vue.js, Angular, etc.
Cost	* Upfront: Typically lower (€1,000 license fee) * Development: Can be lower for multi-store setups due to Hyva’s streamlined approach	* Upfront: Generally higher ($3,000 – $70,000 depending on complexity) * Development: Can be higher for single-store setups, as PWAs often require integration with existing backend systems
Best suited for	Magento stores seeking significant performance and developer experience improvements	Businesses wanting a mobile-first experience with app-like features, potentially with offline functionality, and the flexibility to work with various backend systems
Functionality	* Out-of-the-box: More basic, relies on Magento extensions for advanced features	* Out-of-the-box: Often include features like push notifications, offline browsing, home screen installation * Flexibility: Can be customized with a wide range of features depending on frameworks and APIs used

There’s no single “better” solution between Hyva and PWAs. The best choice depends entirely on your business’s specific needs, goals, and resources. 

• Hyva might be a better fit when:
  • Performance is your top priority
  • You lean towards a minimalist design for store layouts
  • You’re comfortable with a restricted range of ready-made features
• PWA might be a better fit when:
  • App-like features are crucial
  • You need a wide range of functionalities
  • You have the development resources to integrate with existing systems

Technical Requirements & Compatibility

Question 9: What are the system requirements for running a store with a Hyva theme?

Answer:

Pay attention to these system requirements for running a store with a Hyva theme:

• Web Server: Apache or Nginx (Nginx is often recommended for better performance)
• PHP: Hyva is compatible with PHP 7.4 and newer versions (8.0+ recommended for optimal performance and security).
• MySQL: Version 5.6 or later (MariaDB equivalents are also supported)
• Elasticsearch: Required for advanced search functionality. Version 7.6.x is generally recommended.
• RAM & CPU: These depend on the size and traffic of your store. Generally, more resources lead to better performance. Consult with your hosting provider or developer for specific recommendations.

Question 10: Is the Hyva theme compatible with my Magento version?

Answer:

Whether a Hyva theme is compatible with your Magento version depends on the specific Hyva theme and your Magento 2 version. Even within Magento 2, compatibility can vary (e.g., Hyva might support Magento 2.4.3 CE but not earlier versions). Check Hyva Themes Developer Documentation for details!

Question 11: How to check whether all of my extensions are compatible with the Hyvä theme?

Answer:

To ensure compatibility between your existing Magento extensions and the Hyvä Theme, we recommend consulting the official documentation for both the Hyvä theme and your specific extensions. If you encounter any issues or have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact the support teams or community forums associated with either the Hyvä theme or the extension in question.

While potential compatibility issues between the Hyvä theme and Magento extensions can be a concern for businesses, Mageplaza’s Hyvä Theme Development Service provides a solution. Our service focuses on ensuring seamless integration between your chosen Hyvä theme and all your essential Magento extensions, giving you peace of mind and a fully functional online store.

Implementation & Support

Question 12: Do I really need a development team to support me with Hyvä Theme?

Answer:

You “should” have a team of Hyva-experienced developers or at least one of them. They offer specialized knowledge, help you avoid common issues, and often streamline the entire development process. To be honest, building an online store with Hyva is not for amateurs. 

Related Topic: How to Choose Hyva Theme Development Agency

But if you have technical skills and are eager to learn. It’s not impossible. Follow the guide that we mention in the following answers to know more details about the process.

Question 13: What is the total cost of implementing the Hyva Theme?

Answer:

The total cost of implementing the Hyvä Theme can vary greatly depending on several factors, including:

Essential Costs:

• Hyvä Themes License: A one-time fee of €1,000 (approximately $1,080). This gives you access to the theme’s source code and unlimited updates.
• Hyvä Checkout Module (Optional): If you want to replace the default Magento checkout, this module has a separate license fee of €1,000 (approximately $1,080).
• Theme Implementation: This usually involves design customization and development work, ranging from $500 to several thousand dollars, depending on the complexity and the agency or developer you choose.

Additional Costs (Optional):

• InstaBuild for Hyvä Themes: If you don’t need a fully custom design, you can use these ready-made templates for €499 (approximately $538).
• Custom Functionality Development: If you need features not included in the theme or checkout module, this will incur additional development costs, ranging from $1,250 to $5,000 or more.
• Overall Estimate: A rough estimate for a basic Hyvä Theme implementation without extensive customization or additional features would be around $2,500 to $3,500. However, the cost can easily go up if you need a more complex design, custom functionality, or if you choose to implement the Hyvä Checkout module.

Question 14: Are there pre-built Hyva themes or starter kits available?

Answer:

Here’s where you can find pre-built Hyva themes:

• Hyva Themes Marketplace: The official Hyva marketplace offers both free and premium pre-built Hyva themes.
• Individual Developers/Agencies: Many web development agencies specializing in Hyva also offer pre-built themes or starter kits. You can find these through their websites or by searching online. For example, Aureate Labs offers pre-built Hyvä templates on their website.

For starter kits, you can check them on GitHub at this link: https://github.com/hyva-themes/magento2-hyva-checkout. Beside that, look for starter kits created by developers within the Hyva community. These can often be found on forums or project hosting platforms.

Migration Process

Question 15: How to migrate a Magento store to Hyvä theme?

Answer:

Within the framework of this article, it is impossible for us to provide detailed instructions on how to integrate the Hyva Theme into a Magento store. For detailed guidance on the process, please refer to this article for further information!

Read here: How to Set up the Hyva Theme on Magento website?

Question 16: What is the most difficult when migrating an existing Magento theme to a Hyvä Theme?

Answer:

Thorough preparation before migrating your Magento store to a Hyva theme can greatly minimize technical difficulties.

The hardest thing probably comes from frontend reimplementation. Hyva’s unique approach necessitates rebuilding significant portions of your frontend. Custom frontend features or complex layouts from your existing theme might need to be re-coded.

Question 17: Does the Hyvä Theme affect my website’s appearance? After migrating to the Hyvä theme, is it necessary to redesign from scratch?

Answer:

Switching to a Hyvä Theme will significantly affect your website’s frontend. As Hyvä has its own components, the website’s look and feel may change.

In fact, it is not necessary to redesign from scratch but you need to make several adjustments and modifications to take advantage of the latest standards and features of this theme.

Question 18: What are the other potential challenges after migrating to the Hyvä theme?

Answer:

• Extension Conflicts: Not all Magento extensions will work out-of-the-box with Hyva. Some might require adjustments, and others might need to be replaced with Hyva-compatible alternatives. This requires careful assessment and planning.
• Less Reliance on XML:  While Hyva still uses Magento’s XML layout system to some extent, it’s heavily de-emphasized in favor of Tailwind and Alpine.js. This requires a shift in development processes.
• Potential Data Migration Complexities: Depending on how your current theme handles data and any customizations, you might need to adapt data structures or create migration scripts for a seamless switch to Hyva.
• Thorough Testing: Rigorous testing is crucial. Even if extensions claim Hyva compatibility, edge cases or unexpected interactions might arise, requiring debugging and optimization.

Customization

Question 19: Can I customize the design of the Hyvä Theme?

Answer:

Yes, you can. Hyva Themes are made for customization. Follow these methods:

• Theme Configuration: Most Hyva themes offer settings panels to adjust basic elements like colors, typography, and some layout options.
• Tailwind CSS Overrides: Add your own Tailwind CSS classes or modify existing ones to tailor the appearance further.
• Component Building: Create custom frontend components using Tailwind CSS, Alpine.js, and Magento-specific features when needed for advanced design elements.
• Magento XML (To Some Extent): While XML layouts are de-emphasized in Hyva, they’re still used for certain structural elements, allowing for some customization.

Additional Considerations

Question 20: What checkout solutions are available for Hyvä Themes?

Answer:

There are 3 checkout solutions that are available for Hyva Themes:

• Magento Default Checkout: Hyvä themes seamlessly incorporate all standard payment methods offered within Magento, including card payments, cash on delivery, PayPal, bank transfers, and additional options.
• Payment Gateway Integration: Hyvä facilitates effortless integration with multiple payment gateways, broadening your array of payment options. You can easily connect with popular gateways such as Stripe, Braintree, and more, enabling you to provide diverse payment methods for your customers.
• Third-Party Checkout Solutions: Many popular checkout extensions can work with Hyvä, but it’s crucial to check with the extension provider or within the Hyvä community to confirm compatibility.

Read more: Hyva Checkout: The Key for Optimizing Your Magento Checkout Page

Question 21: What are examples of successful Magento stores using the Hyva theme?

Answer:

Here are 4 examples of successful Magento stores using the Hyva theme:

• Bean Bags R US

Bean Bags R Us is an Australian company that crafts the finest quality bean bags worldwide. Recognizing the pivotal role of performance in user experience and boosting conversion rates, Bean Bags R Us has decided to improve their digital presence by migrating their store to Hyva. After this process, their website has been thoroughly optimized, achieving Page Speed Insights scores of 100/100 for desktop and 97/100 for mobile. If you want to learn more about Bean Bags R Us’s story, visit this link: https://www.mageplaza.com/our-work/bean-bags-r-us/ 

Here are the remarkably impressive results of their website performance following the migration to Hyva:

• Citizen Watch UK

This is a luxury watch and jewelry brand from the United Kingdom. They launched their website in August 2022 and achieved remarkable results. The pivotal role played by Hyva’s speed optimization and mobile responsiveness significantly contributed to this success, effectively meeting the demands of mobile shoppers, who constitute a substantial portion of Citizen Watch’s customer base.

The numbers below demonstrate the success of the brand’s Hyva migration process:

• Sophie Conran

This is a business operating with an omnichannel B2B model, specializing in providing homeware to customers. Adopting Hyva Themes empowered Sophie Conran to leverage the advantages of a monolithic tech stack while upholding exceptional performance standards, rendering it a cost-effective and efficient decision.

The transition to Hyva Themes delivered impressive results for the business:

• Dublin Academy of Education

Dublin Academy of Education’s website specializes in offering high-end tutorial classes for students sitting state exams in Ireland. The migration to Hyvä has simplified complex booking and discounting procedures, facilitating quicker bookings, showcasing discounts throughout the site, and enhancing transparency regarding course locations.

 

Here are the top benefits that the Hyvä migration has provided for Dublin Academy of Education:

In addition to these 4 cases, there are still many other websites that have great user experience thanks to using Magento Hyva Themes. Visit this link to learn more about these sites: https://www.hyva.io/blog/category/showcases/ 

Question 22: What are some exciting trends or advancements expected in the Hyva theme ecosystem?

Answer:

As Magento experts, we have the following predictions about the future of the Hyvä ecosystem:

• Participation of third parties in pre-built Hyvä themes: Hyvä’s default front-end is quite simple. Therefore, we anticipate that many agencies will develop ready-made Hyvä themes to cater to the diverse needs of businesses.
• Increasing number of Hyvä-compatible extensions: We expect more extensions to become compatible with Hyvä in the future. This will make it easier and more cost-effective for business owners to migrate their Magento stores to Hyvä.

Get 79% Higher Retention with Mageplaza’s Hyva Development Service

Shockingly, 79% of shoppers who have trouble with site performance say they won’t return to the site to buy again, according to Think With Google. This underscores the critical importance of optimizing your online store for speed and user experience.

In this regard, Mageplaza’s Hyvä Development Service is here to help you set your store apart from the competitors. Here are the reasons why you should choose us:

• Mageplaza development services prioritize performance, harnessing Hyva’s capabilities to their fullest extent.
• The Mageplaza team brings 10 years of Magento expertise and a deep understanding of Hyva to every project.
• Our experienced developers ensure seamless integration between Hyvä and your Magento 2 extensions.
• Our priority and 24/7 support ensures our customers receive immediate assistance in any urgent situation.
• Mageplaza employs dedicated chat and progress tracking tools to maintain transparent and effective communication with our valued customers.

Contact Mageplaza today for a free consultation and discover how Hyva Theme can transform your website!

GET HYVA THEME FOR YOUR WEBSITE NOW

Final thoughts

In conclusion, as a store owner, retaining visitors to your website is crucial, and the Hyva theme for Magento 2 can help achieve this goal. With its supportive community, streamlined development process, and emphasis on performance, the Hyva theme has earned trust and recognition in the e-commerce world.

Therefore, if you aim to make a substantial impact on your online store, considering the Hyva theme could be your key to success.