Ascend vs Espy Jobs
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Ascend leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #961, ahead of Espy Jobs at #3,772. Over the last 7 days Ascend climbed 24 places and Espy Jobs slipped 26 places. Ascend has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 2K+ active installs against 200+ for Espy Jobs. Downloads this week: Ascend 106 and Espy Jobs 13. Ratings: Ascend 4.9★ from 37 and Espy Jobs 4★ from 4 reviews.
| Metric | Ascend | Espy Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #961 ▲ 24 | #3,772 ▼ 26 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 106 | 13 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (37) | 4★ (4) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Sep 12, 2026 | Jun 6, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.4.21 | 1.0.14 |
| Best rank on record | #956 | #3,645 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Jun 2022 |
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, Ascend or Espy Jobs?
By active installs, Ascend: 2K+ sites run it against 200+ for Espy Jobs, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Ascend or Espy Jobs?
Ascend, at #961 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Espy Jobs at #3,772. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Ascend a block theme or a classic theme? And Espy Jobs?
Ascend is a classic theme, Espy Jobs 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.