Blockstarter vs Shiftly
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Blockstarter leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,359, ahead of Shiftly at #1,587. Over the last 7 days Blockstarter slipped 12 places and Shiftly slipped 74 places. Blockstarter has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 500+ active installs against 100+ for Shiftly. Downloads this week: Blockstarter 33 and Shiftly 10.
| Metric | Blockstarter | Shiftly |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,359 ▼ 12 | #1,587 ▼ 74 |
| Active installs | 500+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 33 | 10 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Feb 21, 2026 | Dec 9, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.1.8 | 1.0.2 |
| Best rank on record | #1,265 | #918 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2023 | Dec 2025 |
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 Shiftly?
By active installs, Blockstarter: 500+ sites run it against 100+ for Shiftly, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 16, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Blockstarter or Shiftly?
Blockstarter, at #1,359 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Shiftly at #1,587. 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 Shiftly?
Blockstarter is a block theme, Shiftly 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.