Academica vs Simple Blogger
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 #1,253, ahead of Simple Blogger at #4,909. Over the last 7 days Academica climbed 29 places and Simple Blogger slipped 89 places. Academica has the largest install base, roughly 20× the next: 2K+ active installs against 100+ for Simple Blogger. Downloads this week: Academica 1,002 and Simple Blogger 9.
| Metric | Academica | Simple Blogger |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,253 ▲ 29 | #4,909 ▼ 89 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,002 | 9 |
| Rating | 3.4★ (12) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 21, 2026 | Jan 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.4 | 1.0.5 |
| Best rank on record | #1,253 | #4,774 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2013 | May 2023 |
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 Simple Blogger?
By active installs, Academica: 2K+ sites run it against 100+ for Simple Blogger, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Academica or Simple Blogger?
Academica, at #1,253 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Simple Blogger at #4,909. 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 Simple Blogger?
Academica is a classic theme, Simple Blogger 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.