Azure News vs BlackNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
BlackNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #948, ahead of Azure News at #2,463. Over the last 7 days BlackNews slipped 13 places and Azure News slipped 29 places. BlackNews has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 400+ active installs against 200+ for Azure News. Downloads this week: BlackNews 208 and Azure News 25.
| Metric | Azure News | BlackNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,463 ▼ 29 | #948 ▼ 13 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 400+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 25 | 208 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (1) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 17, 2026 | Oct 13, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.4 | 2.1.10 |
| Best rank on record | #1,934 | #50 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 1 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2023 | Jan 2025 |
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, Azure News or BlackNews?
By active installs, BlackNews: 400+ sites run it against 200+ for Azure News, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Azure News or BlackNews?
BlackNews, at #948 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Azure News at #2,463. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Azure News a block theme or a classic theme? And BlackNews?
Azure News is a classic theme, BlackNews 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.