Chronus vs Color Newsmagazine
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Chronus leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,656, ahead of Color Newsmagazine at #2,362. Over the last 7 days Chronus climbed 2 places and Color Newsmagazine slipped 6 places. Chronus has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 1K+ active installs against 500+ for Color Newsmagazine. Downloads this week: Color Newsmagazine 47 and Chronus 35. Ratings: Chronus 4.2★ from 6 and Color Newsmagazine 5★ from 8 reviews.
| Metric | Chronus | Color Newsmagazine |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,656 ▲ 2 | #2,362 ▼ 6 |
| Active installs | 1K+ | 500+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 35 | 47 |
| Rating | 4.2★ (6) | 5★ (8) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 14, 2026 | Aug 6, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.1.3 | 1.4.4 |
| Best rank on record | #1,645 | #2,301 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jul 2017 | Apr 2021 |
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, Chronus or Color Newsmagazine?
By active installs, Chronus: 1K+ sites run it against 500+ for Color Newsmagazine, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 20, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Chronus or Color Newsmagazine?
Chronus, at #1,656 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Color Newsmagazine at #2,362. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Chronus a block theme or a classic theme? And Color Newsmagazine?
Chronus is a classic theme, Color Newsmagazine 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.