Customize vs The Paper Blog
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
The Paper Blog leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #249, ahead of Customize at #4,904. Over the last 7 days The Paper Blog slipped 36 places and Customize slipped 44 places. Customize has the largest install base, roughly 2× the next: 200+ active installs against 100+ for The Paper Blog. Downloads this week: The Paper Blog 29 and Customize 10.
| Metric | Customize | The Paper Blog |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,904 ▼ 44 | #249 ▼ 36 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 10 | 29 |
| Rating | 5★ (3) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jan 22, 2026 | Aug 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3.2 | 1.0 |
| Best rank on record | #4,774 | #130 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2018 | Aug 2026 |
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, Customize or The Paper Blog?
By active installs, Customize: 200+ sites run it against 100+ for The Paper Blog, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Customize or The Paper Blog?
The Paper Blog, at #249 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Customize at #4,904. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Customize a block theme or a classic theme? And The Paper Blog?
Customize is a classic theme, The Paper Blog 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.