Founder vs NewsExo
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
NewsExo leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #201, ahead of Founder at #2,837. Over the last 7 days NewsExo slipped 12 places and Founder climbed 5 places. NewsExo has the largest install base, roughly 2.5× the next: 2K+ active installs against 800+ for Founder. Downloads this week: NewsExo 824 and Founder 89. Ratings: Founder 4.7★ from 32 and NewsExo 5★ from 5 reviews.
| Metric | Founder | NewsExo |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #2,837 ▲ 5 | #201 ▼ 12 |
| Active installs | 800+ | 2K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 89 | 824 |
| Rating | 4.7★ (32) | 5★ (5) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 28, 2026 | Oct 12, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.57 | 9.3 |
| Best rank on record | #2,788 | #32 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 65 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jun 2015 | Sep 2024 |
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, Founder or NewsExo?
By active installs, NewsExo: 2K+ sites run it against 800+ for Founder, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 26, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Founder or NewsExo?
NewsExo, at #201 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Founder at #2,837. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Founder a block theme or a classic theme? And NewsExo?
Founder is a classic theme, NewsExo 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.