Best Startup vs Chicago
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Chicago leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,910, ahead of Best Startup at #8,485. Over the last 7 days Chicago climbed 16 places and Best Startup slipped 13 places. Chicago has the largest install base, roughly 50× the next: 1K+ active installs against 20+ for Best Startup. Downloads this week: Chicago 10 and Best Startup 7.
| Metric | Best Startup | Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #8,485 ▼ 13 | #1,910 ▲ 16 |
| Active installs | 20+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 10 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (2) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 17, 2026 | May 27, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| Best rank on record | #8,244 | #1,910 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2018 | May 2015 |
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, Best Startup or Chicago?
By active installs, Chicago: 1K+ sites run it against 20+ for Best Startup, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Best Startup or Chicago?
Chicago, at #1,910 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Best Startup at #8,485. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Best Startup a block theme or a classic theme? And Chicago?
Best Startup is a classic theme, Chicago 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.