Blockstarter vs HOAT
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
HOAT leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #170, ahead of Blockstarter at #1,362. Over the last 7 days HOAT slipped 3 places and Blockstarter slipped 6 places. HOAT has the largest install base, roughly 1.2× the next: 600+ active installs against 500+ for Blockstarter. Downloads this week: Blockstarter 33 and HOAT 16.
| Metric | Blockstarter | HOAT |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,362 ▼ 6 | #170 ▼ 3 |
| Active installs | 500+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 33 | 16 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Feb 21, 2026 | Apr 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.8 | 1.0.1 |
| Best rank on record | #1,265 | #29 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 29 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2023 | 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, Blockstarter or HOAT?
By active installs, HOAT: 600+ sites run it against 500+ for Blockstarter, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Blockstarter or HOAT?
HOAT, at #170 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Blockstarter at #1,362. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Blockstarter a block theme or a classic theme? And HOAT?
Blockstarter is a block theme, HOAT 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.