Broadside vs Heckl
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Broadside leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #740, ahead of Heckl at #3,784. Over the last 7 days Broadside slipped 85 places and Heckl slipped 105 places. Broadside has the largest install base, roughly 6× the next: 60+ active installs against 10+ for Heckl. Downloads this week: Broadside 18 and Heckl 13.
| Metric | Broadside | Heckl |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #740 ▼ 85 | #3,784 ▼ 105 |
| Active installs | 60+ | 10+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 18 | 13 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Aug 15, 2026 | Jun 23, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3.4 | 1.1.3 |
| Best rank on record | #177 | #718 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Aug 2026 | Jun 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, Broadside or Heckl?
By active installs, Broadside: 60+ sites run it against 10+ for Heckl, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 25, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Broadside or Heckl?
Broadside, at #740 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Heckl at #3,784. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Broadside a block theme or a classic theme? And Heckl?
Broadside is a block theme, Heckl 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.