Big Media vs Photo Journal
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Photo Journal leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,799, ahead of Big Media at #4,203. Over the last 7 days Photo Journal slipped 8 places and Big Media slipped 35 places. Photo Journal has the largest install base, roughly 8× the next: 800+ active installs against 100+ for Big Media. Downloads this week: Photo Journal 44 and Big Media 16.
| Metric | Big Media | Photo Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,203 ▼ 35 | #1,799 ▼ 8 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 800+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 16 | 44 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.8★ (6) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jul 17, 2026 | Jun 17, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.17 | 1.6.3 |
| Best rank on record | #3,710 | #1,753 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2022 | Apr 2020 |
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 Media or Photo Journal?
By active installs, Photo Journal: 800+ sites run it against 100+ for Big Media, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Big Media or Photo Journal?
Photo Journal, at #1,799 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Big Media at #4,203. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Big Media a block theme or a classic theme? And Photo Journal?
Big Media is a classic theme, Photo Journal 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.