Free Blog vs SpeedNews
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
SpeedNews leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,241, ahead of Free Blog at #6,921. Over the last 7 days SpeedNews slipped 58 places and Free Blog climbed 38 places. Free Blog has the largest install base: 100+ active installs against 100+ for SpeedNews. Downloads this week: Free Blog 17 and SpeedNews 13.
| Metric | Free Blog | SpeedNews |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #6,921 ▲ 38 | #1,241 ▼ 58 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 100+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 17 | 13 |
| Rating | no ratings | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Aug 24, 2026 | Oct 16, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.1.1 | 1.0.7 |
| Best rank on record | #6,915 | #478 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Nov 2018 | Apr 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, Free Blog or SpeedNews?
By active installs, Free Blog: 100+ sites run it against 100+ for SpeedNews, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 24, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Free Blog or SpeedNews?
SpeedNews, at #1,241 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Free Blog at #6,921. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Free Blog a block theme or a classic theme? And SpeedNews?
Free Blog is a classic theme, SpeedNews 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.