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MageDemo/Hyvä vs Luma
// which theme is right for you?

Hyvä vs Luma

Hyvä is a frontend theme system for Magento 2 built with speed at its core, designed to replace Luma. Here's everything you need to make an informed decision.

// real-world benchmark: luma → hyvä migration

What the numbers say

70%
Reduction in Speed Index
9.86s → 2.66s
100%
Reduction in Layout Shift
0.09 → 0 CLS score
79%
Reduction in Page Size
4.33 MB → 0.67 MB

Benchmarked across 15 pages (homepage, category, and product pages) using Google's PageSpeed API, 3 tests per page.

// under the hood

How Hyvä works

Frontend only

Hyvä modifies only the frontend of the website. Your backend, integrations, logic, and all existing customisations remain completely intact.

No heavy libraries

Hyvä does away with KnockoutJS and RequireJS, replacing them with Alpine.js and Tailwind CSS, both actively maintained and built for modern browsers.

Faster development

Most development code is limited to a single PHTML file. Logic and layout are cleanly separated from styles, making builds faster and easier to maintain.

The headless sweet spot

Hyvä bridges the gap between standard Magento and headless commerce, giving you modern frontend performance without the cost and complexity of a full decoupled architecture.

// side by side

Feature Comparison

Hyvä
Luma
Core Web Vitals
100/100 out of the box
~30/100 mobile, ~80/100 desktop
Frontend stack
Alpine.js + Tailwind CSS
KnockoutJS + RequireJS + Less CSS
Page size (avg)
~0.67 MB
~4.33 MB
Speed Index
~2.66 seconds
~9.86 seconds
Cumulative Layout Shift
0 (no layout shift)
Present (elements jump on load)
Backend impact
Frontend only, backend & integrations unchanged
Frontend only, backend & integrations unchanged
Technology currency
Alpine.js & Tailwind actively maintained
KnockoutJS not updated in 2+ years
Development speed
Logic & layout separated from styles, faster dev
Layout XML + PHTML split, more complex
License cost
Free (open source as of Nov 2025)
Free (included with Magento)
Extension compatibility
Growing: extensions need Hyvä-compatible frontend
Full ecosystem, all extensions work
Best for
New builds, performance-focused merchants
Existing stores or extension-heavy setups
// pros & cons

Strengths & Weaknesses

Hyvä

PROS

Free and open source as of November 2025
100/100 Google Core Web Vitals out of the box
Up to 70–85% faster page speeds in real-world tests
79% average reduction in page size
Zero Cumulative Layout Shift, no jumping elements
Modern tooling: Alpine.js & Tailwind actively maintained
Faster development, logic and styles cleanly separated
Bridges the gap between Magento and headless commerce
Backend and all existing integrations remain untouched

CONS

Third-party modules need Hyvä-compatible frontend code
Smaller talent pool than Luma
Luma

PROS

Works with every Magento extension out of the box
No licence fee, included with Magento
Huge global community and wealth of documentation
Safe choice for complex, extension-heavy builds
Official Adobe / Magento reference theme
Well understood by the wider Magento developer pool

CONS

Poor Core Web Vitals (~30/100 mobile, ~80/100 desktop)
Large page sizes (~4.33 MB average)
Slow Speed Index (~9.86 seconds)
KnockoutJS not updated in 2+ years
High technical debt for long-term projects
Large layout XML overhead slows development

See them in action

The best way to decide is to try both. Launch a live demo now.

Hyvä DemoLuma Demo