Blog FSE vs Darken
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Blog FSE leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #541, ahead of Darken at #1,463. Over the last 7 days Blog FSE slipped 5 places and Darken slipped 27 places. Blog FSE has the largest install base, roughly 5× the next: 1K+ active installs against 200+ for Darken. Downloads this week: Blog FSE 31 and Darken 18.
| Metric | Blog FSE | Darken |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #541 ▼ 5 | #1,463 ▼ 27 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 31 | 18 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Jul 15, 2026 | Mar 24, 2025 |
| Current version | 1.0.2 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #532 | #1,351 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Apr 2024 | Mar 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, Blog FSE or Darken?
By active installs, Blog FSE: 1K+ sites run it against 200+ for Darken, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Blog FSE or Darken?
Blog FSE, at #541 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Darken at #1,463. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Blog FSE a block theme or a classic theme? And Darken?
Blog FSE is a block theme, Darken 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.