Gridbox vs Newsstory
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Gridbox leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #1,132, ahead of Newsstory at #4,735. Over the last 7 days Gridbox climbed 8 places and Newsstory slipped 15 places. Gridbox has the largest install base, roughly 25× the next: 2K+ active installs against 80+ for Newsstory. Downloads this week: Gridbox 24 and Newsstory 12.
| Metric | Gridbox | Newsstory |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #1,132 ▲ 8 | #4,735 ▼ 15 |
| Active installs | 2K+ | 80+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 24 | 12 |
| Rating | 3.9★ (7) | no ratings |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Jun 14, 2026 | Jul 15, 2025 |
| Current version | 2.4.3 | 1.0.9 |
| Best rank on record | #1,129 | #4,032 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 0 |
| On WordPress.org since | Sep 2016 | Mar 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, Gridbox or Newsstory?
By active installs, Gridbox: 2K+ sites run it against 80+ for Newsstory, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 30, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, Gridbox or Newsstory?
Gridbox, at #1,132 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with Newsstory at #4,735. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is Gridbox a block theme or a classic theme? And Newsstory?
Gridbox is a classic theme, Newsstory 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.