Apex vs Publisho
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Apex leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,198, ahead of Publisho at #4,515. Over the last 7 days Apex climbed 25 places and Publisho climbed 34 places. Apex has the largest install base, roughly 6.7× the next: 2K+ active installs against 300+ for Publisho. Downloads this week: Apex 61 and Publisho 9. Ratings: Apex 4.9★ from 18 and Publisho 5★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Apex | Publisho |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,198 ▲ 25 | #4,515 ▲ 34 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 300+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 61 | 9 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (18) | 5★ (2) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 27, 2026 | Feb 9, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.43 | 2.01 |
| Best rank on record | #1,195 | #4,365 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2015 | Jun 2017 |
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, Apex or Publisho?
By active installs, Apex: 2K+ sites run it against 300+ for Publisho, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Apex or Publisho?
Apex, at #1,198 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Publisho at #4,515. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Apex a block theme or a classic theme? And Publisho?
Apex is a classic theme, Publisho 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.