BlogBend vs PaperoNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
PaperoNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #438, ahead of BlogBend at #4,383. Over the last 7 days PaperoNews slipped 41 places and BlogBend slipped 117 places. PaperoNews has the largest install base, roughly 1.3× the next: 90+ active installs against 70+ for BlogBend. Downloads this week: PaperoNews 23 and BlogBend 10.
| Metric | BlogBend | PaperoNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,383 ▼ 117 | #438 ▼ 41 |
| Active installs | 70+ | 90+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 10 | 23 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 1, 2026 | Aug 22, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.7 | 1.0.0 |
| Best rank on record | #3,709 | #182 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2025 | Aug 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, BlogBend or PaperoNews?
By active installs, PaperoNews: 90+ sites run it against 70+ for BlogBend, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 25, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, BlogBend or PaperoNews?
PaperoNews, at #438 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with BlogBend at #4,383. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is BlogBend a block theme or a classic theme? And PaperoNews?
BlogBend is a classic theme, PaperoNews 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.