Bard vs Shop Startup
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Bard leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #209, ahead of Shop Startup at #930. Over the last 7 days Bard slipped 3 places and Shop Startup slipped 21 places. Bard has the largest install base, roughly 40× the next: 8K+ active installs against 200+ for Shop Startup. Downloads this week: Bard 2,560 and Shop Startup 31.
| Metric | Bard | Shop Startup |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #209 ▼ 3 | #930 ▼ 21 |
| Active installs | 8K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 2,560 | 31 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (88) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 23, 2026 | Apr 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.236 | 1.0.2 |
| Best rank on record | #199 | #799 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2018 | Nov 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, Bard or Shop Startup?
By active installs, Bard: 8K+ sites run it against 200+ for Shop Startup, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Bard or Shop Startup?
Bard, at #209 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Shop Startup at #930. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Bard a block theme or a classic theme? And Shop Startup?
Bard is a classic theme, Shop Startup 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.