Astra vs PopularFX
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Astra leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #3, ahead of PopularFX at #20. Astra has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 1M+ active installs against 100K+ for PopularFX. Downloads this week: Astra 189,658 and PopularFX 976. Ratings: Astra 4.9★ from 6,542 and PopularFX 4.6★ from 115 reviews.
| Metric | Astra | PopularFX |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #3 ▬ | #20 ▬ |
| Active installs | 1M+ | 100K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 189,658 | 976 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (6,542) | 4.6★ (115) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 15, 2026 | Aug 13, 2025 |
| Current version | 4.14.1 | 1.2.7 |
| Best rank on record | #2 | #18 |
| Days in the top 50 | 754 | 754 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2017 | Oct 2020 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 74 | 0 |
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, Astra or PopularFX?
By active installs, Astra: 1M+ sites run it against 100K+ for PopularFX, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Astra or PopularFX?
Astra, at #3 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with PopularFX at #20. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Astra a block theme or a classic theme? And PopularFX?
Astra is a classic theme, PopularFX 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.