Ascend vs LMS Academic
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 #973, ahead of LMS Academic at #7,026. Over the last 7 days Ascend held its place and LMS Academic slipped 14 places. Ascend has the largest install base, roughly 25× the next: 2K+ active installs against 80+ for LMS Academic. Downloads this week: Ascend 109 and LMS Academic 14.
| Metric | Ascend | LMS Academic |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #973 ▬ | #7,026 ▼ 14 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 80+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 109 | 14 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (37) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.4.21 | 1.0.17 |
| Best rank on record | #956 | #6,500 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Sep 2020 |
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 LMS Academic?
By active installs, Ascend: 2K+ sites run it against 80+ for LMS Academic, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Ascend or LMS Academic?
Ascend, at #973 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with LMS Academic at #7,026. 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 LMS Academic?
Ascend is a classic theme, LMS Academic 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.