Emboss Blog vs Shop Zen
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Shop Zen leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #559, ahead of Emboss Blog at #2,536. Over the last 7 days Shop Zen slipped 54 places and Emboss Blog slipped 31 places. Emboss Blog has the largest install base, roughly 2.5× the next: 200+ active installs against 80+ for Shop Zen. Downloads this week: Shop Zen 18 and Emboss Blog 17.
| Metric | Emboss Blog | Shop Zen |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,536 ▼ 31 | #559 ▼ 54 |
| Active installs | 200+ | 80+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17 | 18 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 10, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.8 | 1.4 |
| Best rank on record | #2,302 | #231 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Feb 2024 | Aug 2026 |
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, Emboss Blog or Shop Zen?
By active installs, Emboss Blog: 200+ sites run it against 80+ for Shop Zen, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Emboss Blog or Shop Zen?
Shop Zen, at #559 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Emboss Blog at #2,536. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Emboss Blog a block theme or a classic theme? And Shop Zen?
Emboss Blog is a classic theme, Shop Zen 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.