Caliph vs Norrsken
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Norrsken leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,030, ahead of Caliph at #1,225. Over the last 7 days Norrsken slipped 5 places and Caliph slipped 64 places. Norrsken has the largest install base, roughly 6× the next: 600+ active installs against 100+ for Caliph. Downloads this week: Norrsken 17 and Caliph 7.
| Metric | Caliph | Norrsken |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,225 ▼ 64 | #1,030 ▼ 5 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 17 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (1) |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Mar 15, 2026 | Oct 21, 2024 |
| Current version | 1.0.0 | 1.0.8 |
| Best rank on record | #576 | #999 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2026 | Feb 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 Norrsken?
By active installs, Norrsken: 600+ sites run it against 100+ for Caliph, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 17, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Caliph or Norrsken?
Norrsken, at #1,030 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Caliph at #1,225. 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 Norrsken?
Caliph is a block theme, Norrsken 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.