GridSoul vs Newsmatic
Two WordPress themes head to head: ranking, active installs, downloads and ratings, from our daily tracking of the WordPress.org directory.
At a glance
Newsmatic leads the WordPress.org popular list today at #67, ahead of GridSoul at #4,969. Over the last 7 days Newsmatic slipped 1 place and GridSoul slipped 38 places. Newsmatic has the largest install base, roughly 100× the next: 10K+ active installs against 100+ for GridSoul. Downloads this week: Newsmatic 2,467 and GridSoul 12.
| Metric | GridSoul | Newsmatic |
|---|---|---|
| Popular rank today | #4,969 ▼ 38 | #67 ▼ 1 |
| Active installs | 100+ | 10K+ |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 12 | 2,467 |
| Rating | no ratings | 4.8★ (87) |
| Type | Classic theme | Classic theme |
| Last updated | Dec 15, 2025 | Oct 28, 2026 |
| Current version | 1.0.4 | 1.5.2 |
| Best rank on record | #4,603 | #36 |
| Days in the top 50 | 0 | 487 |
| On WordPress.org since | Jan 2023 | Jan 2023 |
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, GridSoul or Newsmatic?
By active installs, Newsmatic: 10K+ sites run it against 100+ for GridSoul, according to WordPress.org figures captured on October 31, 2026.
Which ranks higher on WordPress.org, GridSoul or Newsmatic?
Newsmatic, at #67 on the WordPress.org popular themes list today, with GridSoul at #4,969. The ranking reflects recent installs and moves daily, which is why this page shows the history rather than one snapshot.
Is GridSoul a block theme or a classic theme? And Newsmatic?
GridSoul is a classic theme, Newsmatic 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.