Azure Newspaper vs Purenote Blog
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Purenote Blog leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #319, ahead of Azure Newspaper at #1,012. Over the last 7 days Purenote Blog slipped 12 places and Azure Newspaper slipped 6 places. Azure Newspaper has the largest install base: 200+ active installs against 200+ for Purenote Blog. Downloads this week: Purenote Blog 18 and Azure Newspaper 8.
| Metric | Azure Newspaper | Purenote Blog |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,012 ▼ 6 | #319 ▼ 12 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 18 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Sep 3, 2025 | May 27, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.1 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #763 | #123 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2025 | May 2026 |
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 Purenote Blog?
By active installs, Azure Newspaper: 200+ sites run it against 200+ for Purenote Blog, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Azure Newspaper or Purenote Blog?
Purenote Blog, at #319 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Azure Newspaper at #1,012. 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 Purenote Blog?
Azure Newspaper is a classic theme, Purenote Blog 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.