Catch Box vs Shift
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Catch Box leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #627, ahead of Shift at #3,041. Over the last 7 days Catch Box climbed 3 places and Shift held its place. Catch Box has the largest install base, roughly 8.3× the next: 5K+ active installs against 600+ for Shift. Downloads this week: Catch Box 173 and Shift 17. Ratings: Catch Box 4.7★ from 59 and Shift 4.8★ from 20 reviews.
| Metric | Catch Box | Shift |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #627 ▲ 3 | #3,041 ▬ |
| Active installs | 5K+ | 600+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 173 | 17 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (59) | 4.8★ (20) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | May 26, 2026 | Feb 11, 2025 |
| Current version | 5.0.2 | 1.26 |
| Best rank on record | #626 | #2,898 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2012 | 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, Catch Box or Shift?
By active installs, Catch Box: 5K+ sites run it against 600+ for Shift, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Catch Box or Shift?
Catch Box, at #627 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Shift at #3,041. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Catch Box a block theme or a classic theme? And Shift?
Catch Box is a classic theme, Shift 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.