Blogging Essentials vs Metro Magazine
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Metro Magazine leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,923, ahead of Blogging Essentials at #2,210. Over the last 7 days Metro Magazine slipped 1 place and Blogging Essentials slipped 2 places. Metro Magazine has the largest install base, roughly 3.3× the next: 1K+ active installs against 300+ for Blogging Essentials. Downloads this week: Metro Magazine 64 and Blogging Essentials 12.
| Metric | Blogging Essentials | Metro Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,210 ▼ 2 | #1,923 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 300+ | 1K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 12 | 64 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.9★ (31) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jan 31, 2026 | Apr 1, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3 | 1.4.3 |
| Best rank on record | #2,092 | #1,903 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2023 | Nov 2016 |
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, Blogging Essentials or Metro Magazine?
By active installs, Metro Magazine: 1K+ sites run it against 300+ for Blogging Essentials, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 25, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Blogging Essentials or Metro Magazine?
Metro Magazine, at #1,923 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Blogging Essentials at #2,210. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Blogging Essentials a block theme or a classic theme? And Metro Magazine?
Blogging Essentials is a classic theme, Metro Magazine 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.