Askella vs FreeNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
FreeNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,980, ahead of Askella at #7,185. Over the last 7 days FreeNews slipped 23 places and Askella climbed 23 places. FreeNews has the largest install base, roughly 16× the next: 800+ active installs against 50+ for Askella. Downloads this week: FreeNews 15 and Askella 9. Ratings: Askella 5★ from 1 and FreeNews 5★ from 3 reviews.
| Metric | Askella | FreeNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #7,185 ▲ 23 | #1,980 ▼ 23 |
| Active installs | 50+ | 800+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 9 | 15 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | 5★ (3) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Feb 23, 2025 | Jun 4, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.0.6 | 2.0.2 |
| Best rank on record | #7,033 | #1,906 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2022 | Sep 2019 |
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, Askella or FreeNews?
By active installs, FreeNews: 800+ sites run it against 50+ for Askella, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 27, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Askella or FreeNews?
FreeNews, at #1,980 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Askella at #7,185. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Askella a block theme or a classic theme? And FreeNews?
Askella is a classic theme, FreeNews 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.