Caliph vs NewsNest
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Caliph leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,268, ahead of NewsNest at #6,037. Over the last 7 days Caliph slipped 43 places and NewsNest slipped 2 places. Caliph has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 100+ active installs against 50+ for NewsNest. Downloads this week: NewsNest 13 and Caliph 8.
| Metric | Caliph | NewsNest |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,268 ▼ 43 | #6,037 ▼ 2 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 50+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 8 | 13 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Mar 15, 2026 | Jun 17, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.0 | 1.9 |
| Best rank on record | #576 | #5,616 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2026 | Mar 2024 |
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, Caliph or NewsNest?
By active installs, Caliph: 100+ sites run it against 50+ for NewsNest, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 28, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Caliph or NewsNest?
Caliph, at #1,268 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with NewsNest at #6,037. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Caliph a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsNest?
Caliph is a block theme, NewsNest 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.