Block Builder vs The Photograph
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
The Photograph leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #157, ahead of Block Builder at #2,321. Over the last 7 days The Photograph slipped 3 places and Block Builder climbed 1 place. The Photograph has the largest install base, roughly 2.5× the next: 1K+ active installs against 400+ for Block Builder. Downloads this week: The Photograph 167 and Block Builder 17.
| Metric | Block Builder | The Photograph |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,321 ▲ 1 | #157 ▼ 3 |
| Active installs | 400+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17 | 167 |
| Rating | 4.2★ (5) | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Sep 2, 2025 | May 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Best rank on record | #2,225 | #127 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2022 | Oct 2025 |
| Sites detected by our detector | 0 | 1 |
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, Block Builder or The Photograph?
By active installs, The Photograph: 1K+ sites run it against 400+ for Block Builder, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Block Builder or The Photograph?
The Photograph, at #157 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Block Builder at #2,321. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Block Builder a block theme or a classic theme? And The Photograph?
Block Builder is a block theme, The Photograph is a block 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.