Azure Newspaper vs BlockWP
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Azure Newspaper leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,012, ahead of BlockWP at #1,281. Over the last 7 days Azure Newspaper slipped 6 places and BlockWP climbed 26 places. BlockWP has the largest install base, roughly 3.5× the next: 700+ active installs against 200+ for Azure Newspaper. Downloads this week: BlockWP 40 and Azure Newspaper 8.
| Metric | Azure Newspaper | BlockWP |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,012 ▼ 6 | #1,281 ▲ 26 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 700+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 40 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (1) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Sep 3, 2025 | Mar 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 1.0.7 |
| Best rank on record | #763 | #1,278 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2025 | Sep 2022 |
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 Newspaper or BlockWP?
By active installs, BlockWP: 700+ sites run it against 200+ for Azure Newspaper, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Azure Newspaper or BlockWP?
Azure Newspaper, at #1,012 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with BlockWP at #1,281. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Azure Newspaper a block theme or a classic theme? And BlockWP?
Azure Newspaper is a classic theme, BlockWP 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.