FreeNews vs Smartcube
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Smartcube leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,717, ahead of FreeNews at #1,939. Over the last 7 days Smartcube climbed 7 places and FreeNews slipped 2 places. FreeNews has the largest install base, roughly 1.6× the next: 800+ active installs against 500+ for Smartcube. Downloads this week: Smartcube 35 and FreeNews 23.
| Metric | FreeNews | Smartcube |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,939 ▼ 2 | #1,717 ▲ 7 |
| Active installs | 800+ | 500+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 23 | 35 |
| Rating | 5★ (3) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Block theme |
| Last updated | Jun 4, 2025 | Aug 10, 2026 |
| Current version | 2.0.2 | 1.1 |
| Best rank on record | #1,906 | #1,704 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2019 | Sep 2022 |
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, FreeNews or Smartcube?
By active installs, FreeNews: 800+ sites run it against 500+ for Smartcube, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 18, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, FreeNews or Smartcube?
Smartcube, at #1,717 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with FreeNews at #1,939. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is FreeNews a block theme or a classic theme? And Smartcube?
FreeNews is a classic theme, Smartcube 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.