Challenger vs Newspaper Eye
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Newspaper Eye leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,953, ahead of Challenger at #6,424. Over the last 7 days Newspaper Eye climbed 81 places and Challenger slipped 111 places. Newspaper Eye has the largest install base, roughly 3× the next: 300+ active installs against 100+ for Challenger. Downloads this week: Newspaper Eye 14 and Challenger 7.
| Metric | Challenger | Newspaper Eye |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #6,424 ▼ 111 | #1,953 ▲ 81 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 300+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 7 | 14 |
| Rating | 5★ (9) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 27, 2026 | Sep 19, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.20 | 1.1.4 |
| Best rank on record | #6,215 | #1,417 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2018 | Sep 2023 |
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, Challenger or Newspaper Eye?
By active installs, Newspaper Eye: 300+ sites run it against 100+ for Challenger, according to WordPress.org figures captured on November 2, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Challenger or Newspaper Eye?
Newspaper Eye, at #1,953 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Challenger at #6,424. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Challenger a block theme or a classic theme? And Newspaper Eye?
Challenger is a classic theme, Newspaper Eye 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.