Dazzling vs Free Template
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Dazzling leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,336, ahead of Free Template at #5,440. Over the last 7 days Dazzling climbed 15 places and Free Template slipped 20 places. Dazzling has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 2K+ active installs against 200+ for Free Template. Downloads this week: Dazzling 189 and Free Template 17. Ratings: Dazzling 4.6★ from 52 and Free Template 5★ from 2 reviews.
| Metric | Dazzling | Free Template |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,336 ▲ 15 | #5,440 ▼ 20 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 189 | 17 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (52) | 5★ (2) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 2, 2026 | Sep 3, 2025 |
| Current version | 2.3.0 | 5.0.4 |
| Best rank on record | #1,336 | #5,333 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2014 | 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, Dazzling or Free Template?
By active installs, Dazzling: 2K+ sites run it against 200+ for Free Template, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Dazzling or Free Template?
Dazzling, at #1,336 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Free Template at #5,440. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Dazzling a block theme or a classic theme? And Free Template?
Dazzling is a classic theme, Free Template 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.