Academica vs Gateway
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Academica leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,279, ahead of Gateway at #1,516. Over the last 7 days Academica slipped 10 places and Gateway climbed 3 places. Academica has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 2K+ active installs against 1K+ for Gateway. Downloads this week: Gateway 80 and Academica 46. Ratings: Academica 3.4★ from 12 and Gateway 3.1★ from 7 reviews.
| Metric | Academica | Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,279 ▼ 10 | #1,516 ▲ 3 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 46 | 80 |
| Rating | 3.4★ (12) | 3.1★ (7) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Feb 17, 2026 | Oct 22, 2024 |
| Current version | 2.1.3 | 2.4 |
| Best rank on record | #1,254 | #1,503 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2013 | Apr 2015 |
Highlighted cells mark the strongest figure in each row. Rank and installs are from the latest WordPress.org capture; downloads are the last seven captured days.
Ranking history Lower is better
Active installs
Downloads per day
More comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular, Academica or Gateway?
By active installs, Academica: 2K+ sites run it against 1K+ for Gateway, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Academica or Gateway?
Academica, at #1,279 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Gateway at #1,516. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Academica a block theme or a classic theme? And Gateway?
Academica is a classic theme, Gateway is a classic theme. Block themes are built for the Site Editor; classic themes use the Customizer and widget areas.
Where do these numbers come from?
WordPress.org publishes each theme’s active install count and its position on the popular list. This site records both every day, along with per-day downloads and ratings, so the charts above show how the themes have moved over time rather than a single day.