Author Blog vs Rock Star
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Rock Star leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,122, ahead of Author Blog at #5,424. Over the last 7 days Rock Star climbed 25 places and Author Blog climbed 6 places. Rock Star has the largest install base, roughly 20× the next: 2K+ active installs against 100+ for Author Blog. Downloads this week: Rock Star 117 and Author Blog 10.
| Metric | Author Blog | Rock Star |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #5,424 ▲ 6 | #1,122 ▲ 25 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 2K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 10 | 117 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (20) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 10, 2025 | Jun 17, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.26 | 2.1.1 |
| Best rank on record | #5,259 | #1,122 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2021 | Oct 2016 |
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, Author Blog or Rock Star?
By active installs, Rock Star: 2K+ sites run it against 100+ for Author Blog, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Author Blog or Rock Star?
Rock Star, at #1,122 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Author Blog at #5,424. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Author Blog a block theme or a classic theme? And Rock Star?
Author Blog is a classic theme, Rock Star 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.