BlackNews vs SpeedNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
BlackNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #936, ahead of SpeedNews at #1,175. Over the last 7 days BlackNews climbed 3 places and SpeedNews slipped 70 places. BlackNews has the largest install base, roughly 4× the next: 400+ active installs against 100+ for SpeedNews. Downloads this week: BlackNews 206 and SpeedNews 13.
| Metric | BlackNews | SpeedNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #936 ▲ 3 | #1,175 ▼ 70 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 206 | 13 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 13, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.10 | 1.0.7 |
| Best rank on record | #50 | #478 |
| Days in the top 50 | 1 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2025 | Apr 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, BlackNews or SpeedNews?
By active installs, BlackNews: 400+ sites run it against 100+ for SpeedNews, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, BlackNews or SpeedNews?
BlackNews, at #936 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with SpeedNews at #1,175. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is BlackNews a block theme or a classic theme? And SpeedNews?
BlackNews is a classic theme, SpeedNews 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.