Dazzling vs Nova Lite
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 #1,360, ahead of Nova Lite at #7,218. Over the last 7 days Dazzling climbed 22 places and Nova Lite slipped 10 places. Dazzling has the largest install base, roughly 20× the next: 2K+ active installs against 100+ for Nova Lite. Downloads this week: Dazzling 1,179 and Nova Lite 17. Ratings: Dazzling 4.6★ from 52 and Nova Lite 3.9★ from 13 reviews.
| Metric | Dazzling | Nova Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,360 ▲ 22 | #7,218 ▼ 10 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 1,179 | 17 |
| Rating | 4.6★ (52) | 3.9★ (13) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Oct 2, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.3.0 | 1.5.8 |
| Best rank on record | #1,355 | #6,982 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Mar 2014 | Jan 2014 |
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 Nova Lite?
By active installs, Dazzling: 2K+ sites run it against 100+ for Nova Lite, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 21, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Dazzling or Nova Lite?
Dazzling, at #1,360 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Nova Lite at #7,218. 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 Nova Lite?
Dazzling is a classic theme, Nova Lite 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.