DIGISTARTER vs MetroNewspaper
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
MetroNewspaper leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #993, ahead of DIGISTARTER at #1,159. Over the last 7 days MetroNewspaper slipped 5 places and DIGISTARTER climbed 2 places. MetroNewspaper has the largest install base, roughly 10× the next: 200+ active installs against 20+ for DIGISTARTER. Downloads this week: DIGISTARTER 37 and MetroNewspaper 18.
| Metric | DIGISTARTER | MetroNewspaper |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,159 ▲ 2 | #993 ▼ 5 |
| Active installs | 20+ | 200+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 37 | 18 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Block theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Oct 8, 2026 | Jan 23, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.3.1 | 1.0.3 |
| Best rank on record | #764 | #721 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2026 | Dec 2025 |
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, DIGISTARTER or MetroNewspaper?
By active installs, MetroNewspaper: 200+ sites run it against 20+ for DIGISTARTER, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 19, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, DIGISTARTER or MetroNewspaper?
MetroNewspaper, at #993 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with DIGISTARTER at #1,159. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is DIGISTARTER a block theme or a classic theme? And MetroNewspaper?
DIGISTARTER is a block theme, MetroNewspaper 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.