DarkElements vs Graphene
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Graphene leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #343, ahead of DarkElements at #4,956. Over the last 7 days Graphene climbed 10 places and DarkElements slipped 1 place. Graphene has the largest install base, roughly 33× the next: 10K+ active installs against 300+ for DarkElements. Downloads this week: Graphene 380 and DarkElements 18. Ratings: DarkElements 4.8★ from 6 and Graphene 4.7★ from 83 reviews.
| Metric | DarkElements | Graphene |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,956 ▼ 1 | #343 ▲ 10 |
| Active installs | 300+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 18 | 380 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (6) | 4.7★ (83) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Mar 31, 2025 | Aug 25, 2026 |
| Current version | 7.9 | 2.9.6 |
| Best rank on record | #4,760 | #341 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Dec 2014 | Aug 2010 |
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, DarkElements or Graphene?
By active installs, Graphene: 10K+ sites run it against 300+ for DarkElements, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 23, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, DarkElements or Graphene?
Graphene, at #343 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with DarkElements at #4,956. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is DarkElements a block theme or a classic theme? And Graphene?
DarkElements is a classic theme, Graphene 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.