Boston vs Challenger
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Boston leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,744, ahead of Challenger at #6,432. Over the last 7 days Boston climbed 37 places and Challenger climbed 6 places. Boston has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 1K+ active installs against 100+ for Challenger. Downloads this week: Boston 34 and Challenger 7. Ratings: Boston 5★ from 2 and Challenger 5★ from 9 reviews.
| Metric | Boston | Challenger |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,744 ▲ 37 | #6,432 ▲ 6 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 34 | 7 |
| Rating | 5★ (2) | 5★ (9) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 23, 2026 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.4 | 1.20 |
| Best rank on record | #1,744 | #6,215 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2016 | Jul 2018 |
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, Boston or Challenger?
By active installs, Boston: 1K+ sites run it against 100+ for Challenger, according to WordPress.org figures captured on November 3, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Boston or Challenger?
Boston, at #1,744 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Challenger at #6,432. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Boston a block theme or a classic theme? And Challenger?
Boston is a classic theme, Challenger 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.