Ascend vs Vantage
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Vantage leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #71, ahead of Ascend at #985. Over the last 7 days Vantage held its place and Ascend slipped 6 places. Vantage has the largest install base, roughly 15× the next: 30K+ active installs against 2K+ for Ascend. Downloads this week: Vantage 505 and Ascend 67. Ratings: Ascend 4.9★ from 37 and Vantage 4.6★ from 165 reviews.
| Metric | Ascend | Vantage |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #985 ▼ 6 | #71 ▬ |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 30K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 67 | 505 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (37) | 4.6★ (165) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Sep 12, 2026 | Apr 2, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.4.21 | 1.20.33 |
| Best rank on record | #965 | #70 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Sep 2013 |
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 Vantage?
By active installs, Vantage: 30K+ sites run it against 2K+ for Ascend, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Ascend or Vantage?
Vantage, at #71 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Ascend at #985. 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 Vantage?
Ascend is a classic theme, Vantage 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.