Darken vs VisualNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Darken leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,477, ahead of VisualNews at #6,192. Over the last 7 days Darken slipped 26 places and VisualNews slipped 9 places. Darken has the largest install base, roughly 3.3× the next: 200+ active installs against 60+ for VisualNews. Downloads this week: Darken 15 and VisualNews 10.
| Metric | Darken | VisualNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,477 ▼ 26 | #6,192 ▼ 9 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 60+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 15 | 10 |
| Rating | no ratings | 5★ (1) |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Mar 24, 2025 | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.0 | 1.0.8 |
| Best rank on record | #1,351 | #5,436 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2025 | Jul 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, Darken or VisualNews?
By active installs, Darken: 200+ sites run it against 60+ for VisualNews, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 27, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Darken or VisualNews?
Darken, at #1,477 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with VisualNews at #6,192. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Darken a block theme or a classic theme? And VisualNews?
Darken is a block theme, VisualNews is a block 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.