Aero FSE vs Polite News
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Polite News leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #129, ahead of Aero FSE at #1,444. Over the last 7 days Polite News slipped 15 places and Aero FSE climbed 19 places. Aero FSE has the largest install base: 100+ active installs against 100+ for Polite News. Downloads this week: Polite News 52 and Aero FSE 8.
| Metric | Aero FSE | Polite News |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,444 ▲ 19 | #129 ▼ 15 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 52 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Apr 12, 2026 | Sep 5, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.2 | 1.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #1,372 | #83 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2026 | Sep 2026 |
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, Aero FSE or Polite News?
By active installs, Aero FSE: 100+ sites run it against 100+ for Polite News, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Aero FSE or Polite News?
Polite News, at #129 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Aero FSE at #1,444. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Aero FSE a block theme or a classic theme? And Polite News?
Aero FSE is a block theme, Polite News 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.