Chicago vs Modern Magazine
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Chicago leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,916, ahead of Modern Magazine at #8,413. Over the last 7 days Chicago climbed 17 places and Modern Magazine climbed 18 places. Chicago has the largest install base, roughly 50× the next: 1K+ active installs against 20+ for Modern Magazine. Downloads this week: Chicago 10 and Modern Magazine 7. Ratings: Chicago 5★ from 2 and Modern Magazine 3★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Chicago | Modern Magazine |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,916 ▲ 17 | #8,413 ▲ 18 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 20+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 10 | 7 |
| Rating | 5★ (2) | 3★ (2) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | May 27, 2026 | Aug 18, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| Best rank on record | #1,916 | #8,259 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | May 2015 | May 2018 |
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, Chicago or Modern Magazine?
By active installs, Chicago: 1K+ sites run it against 20+ for Modern Magazine, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 22, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Chicago or Modern Magazine?
Chicago, at #1,916 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Modern Magazine at #8,413. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Chicago a block theme or a classic theme? And Modern Magazine?
Chicago is a classic theme, Modern Magazine 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.