Big Chill vs NovelLite
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Big Chill leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,043, ahead of NovelLite at #5,766. Over the last 7 days Big Chill climbed 15 places and NovelLite slipped 7 places. Big Chill has the largest install base, roughly 4.5× the next: 900+ active installs against 200+ for NovelLite. Downloads this week: NovelLite 114 and Big Chill 12.
| Metric | Big Chill | NovelLite |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,043 ▲ 15 | #5,766 ▼ 7 |
| Active installs | 900+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 12 | 114 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.3★ (21) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jul 20, 2026 | Jul 30, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.14 | 1.7.6 |
| Best rank on record | #1,043 | #5,497 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2022 | Nov 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, Big Chill or NovelLite?
By active installs, Big Chill: 900+ sites run it against 200+ for NovelLite, according to WordPress.org figures captured on November 3, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Big Chill or NovelLite?
Big Chill, at #1,043 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with NovelLite at #5,766. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Big Chill a block theme or a classic theme? And NovelLite?
Big Chill is a classic theme, NovelLite 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.